Part 1
The bells never stopped ringing.
Their echoes swept through every corner of the Sanctuary of Roots, bouncing between the immense branches of the Sacred Tree. The Guardians rushed from one side to the other while the apprentices evacuated the libraries and moved ancient scrolls into the underground chambers.
The peaceful atmosphere Kael had felt only minutes earlier vanished completely.
Now only one word remained.
War.
"Close the doors to the central trunk!"
"Protect the Ancient Archive!"
"Healers to the second level!"
The orders blended with the clatter of armor and the gallop of enormous war deer.
Kael watched everything without understanding.
This fortress seemed prepared for an attack... but no one had expected it to happen so soon.
The old man Orien struck the ground with his staff.
A circle of light appeared beneath his feet.
His voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the sanctuary.
"All Guardians of the Oak, the River, and the Wind, take your positions!"
Dozens of men and women answered the call.
They weren't all warriors.
Some wore scholars' robes.
Others looked like ordinary craftsmen.
Yet within seconds, every one of them was wielding ancient weapons hidden among the sanctuary's roots.
Kael swallowed hard.
He had never seen such discipline.
Lyra approached with a small leather backpack.
"Put this on."
He opened it.
Inside were a dark green cloak, a short knife, bandages, a canteen, and a small wooden pendant bearing the symbol of a tree.
"What is this for?"
"Starting today, you're a guest of the Sanctuary.
And every guest beneath our roof deserves protection."
Kael took the pendant.
The wood was warm.
As if it had a life of its own.
A roar shook the sky.
Everyone looked up.
The clouds began to part.
Then they appeared.
Dragons.
There were more than thirty of them.
Some had black scales.
Others were red as embers.
One was completely white, with wings so large they blocked out the sun for a few moments.
Kael had never imagined that creatures like these truly existed.
But something else caught his attention even more.
They didn't all seem wild.
Many wore armor.
Some even carried riders.
"They're not beasts..." he murmured.
"No."
Darius answered.
"They're an army."
One of the dragons slowly descended.
Its landing made the entire sanctuary tremble.
Five people covered in black armor adorned with silver symbols rode on its back.
They carried no banners.
They didn't need them.
Their mere presence commanded respect.
The first man to dismount walked a few steps forward.
He wore an iron mask that concealed half his face.
He drew a completely black sword.
Then he drove it into the ground.
"By order of the Void Council..."
His voice was deep.
Cold.
"We demand that you surrender the Aether Bearer."
Absolute silence fell over the sanctuary.
Orien slowly advanced to the edge of the main bridge.
"This sanctuary is sacred ground.
We will not recognize the authority of the Void Council."
The masked man let out a brief laugh.
"Then history will repeat itself."
He raised one hand.
All the dragons roared at the same time.
The sound made the mountains tremble.
Kael felt a chill run down his spine.
This wasn't a simple threat.
It was a declaration of war.
While everyone watched the enemy army, no one noticed a small figure calmly walking among the trees near the sanctuary.
She was a little girl.
She couldn't have been more than ten years old.
She wore a simple blue dress.
Her feet were bare.
Her white hair fell to her waist.
She walked along, humming an unfamiliar melody.
The forest animals didn't flee from her.
On the contrary.
Small birds perched on her shoulders.
A fox walked beside her.
When she reached one of the sanctuary's enormous roots, she slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were completely silver.
She smiled.
"At last, you have awakened..."
She whispered while looking directly toward Kael, though he was too far away to see her.
Then she disappeared into the mist.
As if she had never been there.
"Kael."
Lyra's voice brought him back to reality.
"I need you to come with me."
"Where?"
"There's something you need to see before the battle begins."
They descended a staircase carved inside the immense tree.
Each level was older than the one before it.
The walls were covered in glowing roots.
At last, they reached an enormous stone door.
Seven symbols were carved into its center.
Orien was already waiting there.
"Open it."
Four Guardians pushed at the same time.
The door slowly opened with a deep rumble.
On the other side was a circular chamber.
Seven stone pedestals stood in the center.
Six were empty.
Only one still held an object.
A small blue flame suspended in the air.
It didn't burn.
It emitted no smoke.
It simply floated there.
Kael felt the Mark begin to burn again.
The flame responded by brightening slightly.
Orien watched the phenomenon.
"There's no doubt..."
Lyra swallowed hard.
"It's him."
The old man nodded.
"The First Fragment of Aether has recognized him."
Kael took a step forward.
Without knowing why, he reached out toward the flame.
Just before he touched it...
The entire chamber began to shake.
A deafening boom came from outside.
Then another.
And another.
Darius came running down the stairs.
His armor was covered in dust.
"Master Orien!"
He was breathing heavily.
"They've brought down the western wall!"
The old man closed his eyes.
He knew what that meant.
The battle...
Had begun.
To be continued in Part 2...