Rise of the Tamer ( Bound by the Beast)

Episode 7: The Ruins of Eldermoor

The Whispering Woods gave way to a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged stones. The air was heavy, thick with an unnatural silence that pressed down on Ethan and his companions. Ahead, the ruins of Eldermoor rose from the desolation, a skeletal city of crumbling towers and shattered walls. A faint, eerie glow emanated from the heart of the ruins, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Mia adjusted her pack and surveyed the scene. “So, this is Eldermoor. Cheerful place.”

“Stay alert,” Ethan said, gripping the artifact around his neck. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us.”

Silver sniffed the air, his hackles rising, while Bramble let out a low growl. The tension was palpable as the group crossed the threshold into the ruins.

The streets of Eldermoor were eerily intact, as though the city had been frozen in time. Shattered statues and toppled pillars lined the pathways, their surfaces etched with strange runes. Mia ran her fingers over one of the carvings, her eyes narrowing in thought.

“These runes… they’re some kind of warding symbols,” she said. “But they’ve been corrupted. It’s like something twisted their original purpose.”

“Can you read them?” Ethan asked.

Mia shook her head. “Not completely, but they’re tied to the Wraithborn. Whatever happened here, it left a scar on this place.”

As they ventured deeper, the glow grew stronger, its rhythm matching the artifact’s faint pulse. The group’s steps echoed in the emptiness, each sound amplifying the oppressive silence. Silver’s ears twitched, and he let out a warning bark, stopping the group in their tracks.

From the shadows, a spectral figure emerged. Its form was humanoid but translucent, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. More figures appeared, their movements fluid and otherworldly.

“Wraithborn,” Ethan whispered, his grip tightening on the artifact.

The Wraithborn advanced, their forms flickering as if caught between two worlds. Ethan activated the amulet Liora had given him, and a protective barrier shimmered around the group. The Wraithborn hesitated, their glowing eyes narrowing.

“They’re testing us,” Mia said, her voice tense. “We need to move before they figure out how to break through.”

“Bramble, Silver, stay close,” Ethan commanded. The group pressed on, the Wraithborn following at a distance, their presence a constant threat.

At the center of Eldermoor, the source of the glow came into view: a massive, broken obelisk surrounded by a circle of jagged stones. The artifact around Ethan’s neck grew warm, its light intensifying.

“The fragment is here,” Ethan said, stepping forward. But as he approached the obelisk, the ground trembled, and a deafening roar shattered the silence.

From beneath the earth, a colossal Wraithborn emerged. Unlike the others, its form was solid, its body clad in cracked, spectral armor. Its eyes burned with malice as it raised a massive, ghostly weapon.

“Guardian,” Mia said, her voice barely audible. “It’s protecting the fragment.”

Ethan took a deep breath. “Then we’ll have to get past it.”

The battle was unlike anything they had faced before. The Guardian’s attacks were devastating, each swing of its weapon sending shockwaves through the ruins. Silver darted around the massive foe, striking at its legs, while Bramble used his immense strength to hold its attention. Ethan channeled the artifact’s power, sending bursts of energy to weaken the Guardian’s defenses.

Mia analyzed the obelisk, her mind racing. “Ethan, the obelisk is connected to the Guardian! If we disrupt its energy flow, it might weaken the Guardian.”

“How do we do that?” Ethan asked, dodging a powerful strike.

“The runes on the obelisk,” Mia said. “They’re like a circuit. If we can overload them, it should disrupt the connection.”

Ethan nodded. “I’ll cover you. Do what you need to do.”

Mia sprinted toward the obelisk, her notebook in hand. She began tracing the runes, muttering calculations under her breath. The Guardian roared and turned its attention to her, but Bramble intercepted it, his massive form slamming into the spectral giant.

“Hurry, Mia!” Ethan shouted, firing another burst of energy to distract the Guardian.

“Almost there,” Mia said, her fingers flying over the runes. Finally, she pressed her hand against the obelisk, and a surge of energy rippled through the air. The obelisk’s glow flickered, and the Guardian let out a guttural roar, its form destabilizing.

“Now, Ethan!” Mia yelled.

Ethan focused all his energy into the artifact, unleashing a powerful blast that struck the Guardian square in the chest. The creature let out one final roar before dissolving into wisps of light, leaving behind a faintly glowing fragment.

Ethan approached the fragment, its light resonating with the artifact. As he reached out, the fragment merged with the artifact, and a surge of energy coursed through him. For a moment, he saw visions of Eldermoor as it once was: a vibrant city, its people full of hope. But the vision darkened, showing the calamity that had turned it to ruin.

“Ethan?” Mia’s voice brought him back to the present.

He turned to her, his expression grim. “The fragment… it’s part of something much bigger. Whatever happened here, it’s connected to the corruption spreading across the land.”

Mia nodded. “Then we’ll figure it out. Together.”

As the group left the ruins, the oppressive atmosphere began to lift, the faint glow of dawn breaking over the horizon. The road ahead was still uncertain, but with each fragment they recovered, they grew closer to uncovering the truth—and to stopping the darkness threatening their world.

The Whispering Woods gave way to a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged stones. The air was heavy, thick with an unnatural silence that pressed down on Ethan and his companions. Ahead, the ruins of Eldermoor rose from the desolation, a skeletal city of crumbling towers and shattered walls. A faint, eerie glow emanated from the heart of the ruins, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Mia adjusted her pack and surveyed the scene. “So, this is Eldermoor. Cheerful place.”

“Stay alert,” Ethan said, gripping the artifact around his neck. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us.”

Silver sniffed the air, his hackles rising, while Bramble let out a low growl. The tension was palpable as the group crossed the threshold into the ruins.

The streets of Eldermoor were eerily intact, as though the city had been frozen in time. Shattered statues and toppled pillars lined the pathways, their surfaces etched with strange runes. Mia ran her fingers over one of the carvings, her eyes narrowing in thought.

“These runes… they’re some kind of warding symbols,” she said. “But they’ve been corrupted. It’s like something twisted their original purpose.”

“Can you read them?” Ethan asked.

Mia shook her head. “Not completely, but they’re tied to the Wraithborn. Whatever happened here, it left a scar on this place.”

As they ventured deeper, the glow grew stronger, its rhythm matching the artifact’s faint pulse. The group’s steps echoed in the emptiness, each sound amplifying the oppressive silence. Silver’s ears twitched, and he let out a warning bark, stopping the group in their tracks.

From the shadows, a spectral figure emerged. Its form was humanoid but translucent, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. More figures appeared, their movements fluid and otherworldly.

“Wraithborn,” Ethan whispered, his grip tightening on the artifact.

The Wraithborn advanced, their forms flickering as if caught between two worlds. Ethan activated the amulet Liora had given him, and a protective barrier shimmered around the group. The Wraithborn hesitated, their glowing eyes narrowing.

“They’re testing us,” Mia said, her voice tense. “We need to move before they figure out how to break through.”

“Bramble, Silver, stay close,” Ethan commanded. The group pressed on, the Wraithborn following at a distance, their presence a constant threat.

At the center of Eldermoor, the source of the glow came into view: a massive, broken obelisk surrounded by a circle of jagged stones. The artifact around Ethan’s neck grew warm, its light intensifying.

“The fragment is here,” Ethan said, stepping forward. But as he approached the obelisk, the ground trembled, and a deafening roar shattered the silence.

From beneath the earth, a colossal Wraithborn emerged. Unlike the others, its form was solid, its body clad in cracked, spectral armor. Its eyes burned with malice as it raised a massive, ghostly weapon.

“Guardian,” Mia said, her voice barely audible. “It’s protecting the fragment.”

Ethan took a deep breath. “Then we’ll have to get past it.”

The battle was unlike anything they had faced before. The Guardian’s attacks were devastating, each swing of its weapon sending shockwaves through the ruins. Silver darted around the massive foe, striking at its legs, while Bramble used his immense strength to hold its attention. Ethan channeled the artifact’s power, sending bursts of energy to weaken the Guardian’s defenses.

Mia analyzed the obelisk, her mind racing. “Ethan, the obelisk is connected to the Guardian! If we disrupt its energy flow, it might weaken the Guardian.”

“How do we do that?” Ethan asked, dodging a powerful strike.

“The runes on the obelisk,” Mia said. “They’re like a circuit. If we can overload them, it should disrupt the connection.”

Ethan nodded. “I’ll cover you. Do what you need to do.”

Mia sprinted toward the obelisk, her notebook in hand. She began tracing the runes, muttering calculations under her breath. The Guardian roared and turned its attention to her, but Bramble intercepted it, his massive form slamming into the spectral giant.

“Hurry, Mia!” Ethan shouted, firing another burst of energy to distract the Guardian.

“Almost there,” Mia said, her fingers flying over the runes. Finally, she pressed her hand against the obelisk, and a surge of energy rippled through the air. The obelisk’s glow flickered, and the Guardian let out a guttural roar, its form destabilizing.

“Now, Ethan!” Mia yelled.

Ethan focused all his energy into the artifact, unleashing a powerful blast that struck the Guardian square in the chest. The creature let out one final roar before dissolving into wisps of light, leaving behind a faintly glowing fragment.

Ethan approached the fragment, its light resonating with the artifact. As he reached out, the fragment merged with the artifact, and a surge of energy coursed through him. For a moment, he saw visions of Eldermoor as it once was: a vibrant city, its people full of hope. But the vision darkened, showing the calamity that had turned it to ruin.

“Ethan?” Mia’s voice brought him back to the present.

He turned to her, his expression grim. “The fragment… it’s part of something much bigger. Whatever happened here, it’s connected to the corruption spreading across the land.”

Mia nodded. “Then we’ll figure it out. Together.”

As the group left the ruins, the oppressive atmosphere began to lift, the faint glow of dawn breaking over the horizon. The road ahead was still uncertain, but with each fragment they recovered, they grew closer to uncovering the truth and to stopping the darkness threatening their world.