Ad Astra - The Alagore War

The sun, a fiery god named Dorash, cast its final golden glance over the rugged peaks of the Torness Mountains, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. A sharp, robust breeze swept through the valley, carrying the biting cold that Fraeya Holiadon, a Wood Elf accustomed to warmer climes, found herself ill-prepared for.

She clutched her black-white patterned cloak tighter, pulling it close against the freezing mountain air. Below, the vast valley unfolded—a tapestry of dark forests and shimmering lakes, with the distant flicker of town lights, a stark contrast to the wild, untamed nature surrounding them.

"Stay away from the edge," a Lat warrior's voice cut through her thoughts. "We don't want to be spotted."

Fraeya turned, surprised by his indifference to the cold. "Are you not cold?" she asked, her breath misting in the air.

"Of course, I am," the warrior replied, turning back towards the scattered campfires. "Living away from civilization, you grow used to such conditions."

She glanced one last time at the incredible, wild vista before heading back into the flickering light of the Palatini of Orias's camp, a hundred weary soldiers huddled for warmth, their faces etched with exhaustion, yet a flicker of grim determination in their eyes. Fraeya felt the soreness in her own body, a testament to the hellish journey across the Torness Mountains, a reality far harsher than any academy lesson.