Within a fleeting few minutes, Emery found himself at the brink of the expansive lava sea, its molten waves rippling menacingly beneath him. He could feel the intense heat prickling his skin, and the acrid smell of burning stone assaulted his senses. Despite the dangers it presented, the lava sea was the only barrier separating him from the safety of the citadel.
Summoning the mystical energy within him, Emery invoked the [Light Wing] spell. His words resonated with an otherworldly echo, and in response, a pair of luminescent wings materialized from his back.
He launched himself into the air, the brilliant wings lifting him over the lethal expanse. As the citadel grew closer, the menacing, fiery sea receded into the distance, and the relief of surviving the battlefield turned bitter.
Upon landing within the citadel's protective walls, the magnitude of their defeat hit him like a hammer blow. Of the 14 who had ventured on the mission, only five had returned.
