Elara, Galen, and Alaric arrived at the council of wizards, a grand castle perched atop a towering mountain. The castle was surrounded by a moat, and the only way in was by crossing a drawbridge that spanned the water.
As they crossed the drawbridge, they were met by a group of guards. The guards inspected them carefully before allowing them to enter the castle.
Once inside, they were led through winding corridors and up several flights of stairs until they arrived at a large chamber. In the center of the chamber sat a long table, and at the head of the table sat the grand wizard himself, a wise and ancient man named Mordecai.
Mordecai looked at them with a keen eye. "I have heard of your quest," he said. "You seek to stop Malakai and his minions from obtaining the artifact."
Elara nodded. "Yes, we have retrieved the artifact from the cave system. We believe that it has great power and could be used for evil if it falls into the wrong hands."
Mordecai stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I see. And what do you propose we do with this artifact?"
"We were hoping that you could help us with that," Alaric said. "We are not sure how to harness its power, or even if it can be used for good."
Mordecai nodded. "I understand your concerns. The artifact is indeed powerful, and it must be handled with care. However, I believe that we can use its power to defeat Malakai once and for all."
He stood up and walked over to a bookshelf. He pulled out a large tome and opened it. "According to this ancient text, there is a way to combine the power of the artifact with the power of the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. If we can do that, we can create a powerful force that will be able to defeat Malakai and his minions."
Elara, Galen, and Alaric listened intently as Mordecai explained the process. It involved finding four powerful wizards, each with control over one of the elements, and bringing them together to create the force. It was a risky plan, but it was their best hope.
"We must find these wizards," Mordecai said. "They are scattered throughout the land, but I can give you some clues as to their whereabouts."
He handed them a map and a list of names. "These are the wizards you must find. Their locations are marked on the map. But be careful, Malakai's minions will be searching for them too."
Elara, Galen, and Alaric left the council of wizards, determined to find the four wizards and create the force that would defeat Malakai once and for all.
As they traveled from place to place, they encountered many challenges and obstacles. They battled fierce beasts and fought off hostile bandits. They braved treacherous terrain and harsh weather conditions. However, through it all, they remained united in their quest.
Finally, after many weeks of searching, they found the first wizard, a powerful earth mage named Zephyr. He was living in a small village on the edge of a great desert. Zephyr agreed to join them, and together they set out to find the other three wizards.
Their journey was far from over, but they were one step closer to defeating Malakai and saving the land from his tyranny.