Aa
Kira, Seren, and the dragon stepped onto a wide plain covered in ash. Soon, an ash storm rose around them and cut down what they could see. Travel became harder, and so did any chance to defend themselves.
A pack of monsters started hunting them through the ash. They used the storm to get closer and closer. The group had to keep moving, or they would be surrounded.
Kira used the lantern again and sent the blue fire at the hunters. It held them back long enough for the three of them to escape death. But the attack drained even more strength from the lantern.
In the middle of the escape, the lantern was damaged. After that, the fire was harder to keep safe and under control. Kira saw that it might not survive many more fights.
Seren and the dragon helped her push through the storm. They did not trust each other, but they had to work together anyway. Kira could not afford to spend the fire on every danger they met.
So Kira chose speed instead of fighting again and left some threats behind. That choice saved the lantern for the final approach. In the end, they reached the mountain route with fewer options than before.
At last, the ash storm cleared enough for the mountain to appear ahead of them. Kira knew the next part would be the hardest yet. With a weakened lantern and tired companions, they kept going.