The Shadow Knight
The Scarred Plains stretched before them, a vast expanse of blasted terrain where ancient battles had rendered soil permanently infertile. Nothing grew here except memories of violence, the ground itself bearing witness to conflicts forgotten by all except the land. Jagged rock formations rose like broken bones from cracked earth, their shadows lengthening as the sun began its descent toward horizon.
"The celestial alignment begins tonight," Serena observed, her violet eyes tracking the sky where daylight still concealed celestial movements. "The Blood Moon will rise at midnight, directly above the capital."