The Virgin of Valkarion

Alfric, a scar‑marked wanderer, rides his massive hengist across the crumbling Imperial Way toward the distant lights of Valkarion. The sun dips behind jagged hills while wind whispers through ruined temples and salt‑streaked cliffs that descend to a barren sea‑bottom, giving the landscape a haunting, timeless feel. Though the road is empty, his instincts are uneasy, as years of close calls have taught him to trust the sense of danger that prickles his spine.

Suddenly, dense brush erupts as two amber‑skinned slaves leap out, their iron collars etched with a double crescent—the emblem of the Temple of the Moons. Alfric fights them off, realizing the attack is not the work of ordinary bandits but a covert order sent by a powerful priesthood. The revelation leaves him questioning why a lone outlander has become a target in a city whose ancient prophecies speak of a sword‑scarred stranger and a fallen dynasty.