There was no drumbeat for this battle.
No roaring crowd.
No torches lit.
Because no one cheered for the final trial of the Iron Wastes.
Those who watched did so in silence.
Because the last champion wasn't a beast.
She was something worse.
The Ashbearer Appears
Her name had been erased from the tribe's records.
Her past, burned with the cities she left behind.
She wore black armor streaked with soot and ash, and her skin bore the gray tone of one who'd survived firestorms. Her eyes—one white, one gold—glowed faintly in the dark.
She carried no blade.
She was the weapon.
Shaera rose from her throne and spoke only four words:
> "Do not kill him."
The Ashbearer gave no answer.
Just stepped into the pit and raised a hand—fingers etched with rune-burns.
> System Alert:
Final Trial Engaged: Champion Ashbearer
Type: Soul-Sealed / Flame Touched / Fire Rejection Curse
Emotional State: Dead Zone
Danger: Very High
