Eren and Leylin left the Land of Storms and Fire at a sunrise so red it seemed the sky itself was on fire, heading for Flame Mountain, the mountain said to be the place where Ash was first born.
The road was rough, black rocks covered the ground, and the wind carried the scent of ash and burning iron. Thick, dark clouds moved slowly across the sky, as if watching them.
Leylin walked silently, the fire in her hand flickering gently to light the way ahead, while Eren watched the winds move slowly around them, carrying distant sounds like whispers.
After a long silence, Leylin said, "The closer we get, the more I feel the fire here calling to me, but it also frightens me."
Eren looked up at the sky and replied, "The wind isn't the same either. It's as if something, something huge, is stirring it from far away."
After two days of walking, they reached a narrow valley surrounded by high rock walls, from which cascades of glowing lava cascaded. The air was so hot that it made breathing difficult.
In the middle of the valley, ash covered the ground in a thick, gray layer. But this wasn't ordinary ash; it pulsated slowly, as if breathing.
Leylin approached cautiously. "Can you feel this?" she asked.
Eren nodded, tightening his grip on the hilt of the Wind Sword. "Yes, it's here."
Suddenly, the ash on the ground shook and rose into the air, forming a massive figure composed of black smoke and dark flames, with red eyes blazing in the darkness.
The creature opened its mouth and let out a roar that caused the rocks to shake and the wind to whip against the rock walls.
The two of them knew immediately that this wasn't just a shadow, but one of the Great Ash Lord's signs.
The black fire rushed towards Leylin, while she unleashed her golden fire to confront it. But the black fire was heavy, carrying within it pain and ancient screams, like the memory of the ashes themselves.
Leylin shouted as she struggled, "It's trying to control my fire!"
Eren leaped up and raised his hand to unleash a wave of lightning wind towards the creature's body, but the wind bounced off him as if his body were absorbing the force without being affected.
Eren landed beside Leylin and said in a low voice, "We must strike together."
Leylin closed her eyes and focused her fire, transforming from golden flames into a pure red flame mixed with the volcanic heat she had learned earlier, while Eren focused his winds, forming a ring of glowing green winds with threads of lightning around him.
Eren shouted, "Now!"
Leylin fired a massive red flame at the creature, while Eren unleashed his lightning winds with it. The fire and wind converged, penetrating the creature's body and igniting it.
The creature screamed, its voice a deep echo carrying incomprehensible words, before exploding into black ash that slowly fell to the ground.
The two sat panting after the battle, the fire glowing softly around Leylin and the wind swirling slowly around Eren. They watched the ash begin to reconstitute into small words on the ground.
Eren read the words in a low voice:
The Ash Lord will awaken.
Leylin raised her head toward the looming mountain of flames, smoke billowing from its massive vents. "We must reach him before he awakens," she said.
Eren stood up, pointed toward the path, and said with determination:
We will not allow the ash to swallow everything. This wind and this fire will fight to the end.
Leylin nodded, fire burning steadily in her eyes, before they walked together towards the Flame Mountain, where the true confrontation with the Great Ash Lord who was about to awaken would begin.