The Crown of Curses

Previously

…The Blighted Lands had shown her the true horror of the curse, the depth of its devastation. But in witnessing that devastation, in fighting for her own survival, she had found something within herself – a spark of defiance, a nascent strength that she hadn't known existed. The blacksmith's hands, once accustomed only to shaping metal, had proven they could also wield a weapon, could fight for a future free from this suffocating blight. The path ahead was still shrouded in shadow, but for the first time, Elara felt a flicker of true hope, a burgeoning certainty that she could, and would, find the artifact and break the curse. The journey had truly begun.