The Siege of the Sanctuary
Part 4
The wind howled through the immense branches of the Sacred Tree.
Flames crept slowly across the wooden platforms as smoke rose toward the sky, shrouded by the gigantic Void Citadel.
Kael took another step forward.
Then another.
His decision was made.
“What are you doing?” Lyra asked when she saw him moving away.
Kael didn’t answer right away.
His eyes remained fixed on Eryon, who watched the Sanctuary from atop the floating fortress.
Finally, he spoke.
“This is all happening because of me.”
Darius firmly shook his head.
“No.”
“If I surrender...”
“No!” Lyra cut him off.
Kael looked at her.
She was breathing heavily. A deep cut ran along her left arm, but she seemed not to feel the pain.
“If Eryon had only wanted to capture you, he would have sent a small group.
“Look around you.”
Kael did as she said.
Dozens of dragons soared over the valley.
Thousands of Void Council soldiers surrounded the Sanctuary.
The Citadel cast an immense shadow over the Sacred Tree.
Lyra continued:
“This was never a capture mission.
“It’s an invasion.
“Even if you weren’t here...
“He would have come.”
The words hung in the air.
Kael realized she was right.
Eryon wasn’t just looking for the Aether Bearer.
He was trying to conquer the Sanctuary.
And perhaps something more.
High atop the Void Citadel, Eryon watched the battlefield with absolute serenity.
A silver-haired man in black armor appeared at his side.
He wore a patch over his right eye.
He knelt.
“My lord.”
“Speak, Caelum.”
“Our scouts have found the entrance to the lower chambers.”
Eryon remained silent.
“But...”
The man hesitated.
“The First Fragment is no longer there.”
Eryon smiled.
“I expected as much.”
He looked toward Kael again.
“He’s already accepted it.”
The patch-wearing man raised his gaze.
“Then...
“Does the boy already possess the power of the First Fragment?”
“No.
“He’s only awakened it.
“He still doesn’t know how to use it.
“And that...
“Makes him far more dangerous.”
In the Sanctuary, Orien slowly walked to the center of the great main platform.
He drove his staff into the wood.
The roots of the Sacred Tree began to glow.
A deep murmur rippled through the entire valley.
The Guardians stopped fighting for a few moments.
They all knew that ritual.
Darius whispered:
“No...
“It can’t be...”
Lyra’s eyes widened.
“Is he going to awaken the Tree?”
Orien slowly nodded.
“We have no other choice.”
The old man began reciting words in a forgotten language.
The roots grew brighter and brighter.
The entire Sanctuary began to tremble.
Then...
The immense Sacred Tree opened its eyes.
Two enormous golden eyes appeared in the main trunk.
They weren’t human eyes.
They were ancient.
Deep.
Filled with centuries of memory.
A deep voice made the valley tremble.
“Who... interrupts... my rest...?”
Thousands of Void Council soldiers stumbled backward in terror.
Even some of the dragons began to shift restlessly.
Kael was left breathless.
The tree...
It was alive.
Orien bowed respectfully.
“Great Ardanor...
“The Sanctuary is under attack.
“We need your help.”
The immense eyes slowly surveyed the battlefield.
Then they settled on Kael.
The ancient guardian’s expression changed.
“The Mark...”
A long silence followed.
“It has awakened...”
Kael felt his heart pounding.
Ardanor continued.
“A thousand years ago, I promised to protect the last heir...”
Eryon stepped forward atop the Citadel.
For the first time since the battle began, he spoke in a far more serious tone.
“Ardanor...
“It’s been far too long.”
The Tree’s eyes turned toward him.
“Traitor...”
The word boomed like thunder.
The entire sky seemed to darken.
Eryon closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, there was no serenity left on his face.
Only determination.
“Then you leave me no choice.”
He slowly raised his right hand.
The Citadel’s seven towers began to emit an intense red glow.
The enormous chains hanging beneath the fortress moved like living serpents.
They descended toward the Sacred Tree.
Ardanor roared.
Roots burst from the ground to stop them.
The clash between the two forces shook the entire valley.
Entire mountains began to crack apart.
Rivers changed course.
The very air seemed to shatter.
Kael fell to his knees.
His Mark burned with unbearable intensity.
Then he heard a voice.
It didn’t come from the Tree.
Nor from Eryon.
It came from inside the Mark.
A child’s voice.
The same one he had heard in the forest.
“If you want to save them... come find me.”
Kael lifted his head.
Far away, amid the forest mist, he caught sight of the mysterious white-haired girl.
She stood on a rock.
She was smiling.
Then, slowly, she raised a small crystal key glowing with blue light.
After that, she disappeared among the trees.
The burning in Kael’s Mark stopped.
He remained motionless.
He didn’t know who the girl was.
But he was certain of one thing.
The key in her hand was far more important than anyone imagined.
And, for the first time since this adventure began, he understood that destiny wasn’t only leading him toward Eryon...
It was also guiding him toward someone who seemed to know all the secrets of the Aether.