Ashen Lands

The horizon stretched in a hazy line, the sky a muted shade of gray, casting an ashen light over the cracked, barren landscape. From where he stood on the ridge, Rowan could see the faint outline of what had once been a bustling city, now buried beneath layers of soot and dust. His journey had led him here, to the edge of the Ashen Lands, where few dared to go and fewer still returned.

Rowan shifted his pack and began the descent, his boots crunching over the desolate earth. Beside him walked Cassia, her gaze fixed on the distant ruins. She was younger than him, but her knowledge of the old myths was invaluable, and her spirit matched his in resilience. They had traveled together for weeks, crossing forests and valleys, villages and rivers, all to reach this forsaken place that the people of the mainland spoke of in whispers.