The sun shone intensely over Alnuum, capital of Nannu, as King Relon prepared to receive the convoy from Elaria, led by the elven princess Luna. The arrival of the elves was awaited with great expectation, as they brought with them elven food and water to help the people of Alnuum. The elves were famous for their abilities to build wonders in communion with nature, and their help was seen as a ray of hope for the reconstruction of the city, destroyed by the darkness of Morfrey.
When the convoy arrived, the reunion was emotional. Gwen, a close friend of Luna, ran to embrace her, her eyes glistening with tears of joy. The friendship between the two was evident and brought a moment of lightness to all present. Luna, with her serene and graceful air, greeted Relon and announced: "By orders of Ellanon, High King of Elves, we are here to help rebuild Alnuum. We brought elven food and water to strengthen your people."
Relon, with a smile of gratitude, responded: "Welcome, friends of Elaria. We are deeply grateful for the help. Nannu will never be the same after Morfrey's darkness, but with your help, we can dream of a new era of prosperity."
The elves brought not only food, but also their magical engineers, known for their ability to heal and revitalize the land. Relon walked with the elven engineer, who knelt and touched the ground around Alnuum. Using nature magic, he realized something alarming. "The land is contaminated with Morfrey's rot," said the engineer. "I fear even our magic may be insufficient here. It's as if nature itself is gangrenous and rotten. Only a very powerful magic could bring this back to life."
Relon, although disappointed, as he already knew this information, thanked the engineer and looked at Luna. "We will do what we can," she said, touching the king's arm with empathy. "Our support is unconditional, but we will need time and perhaps resources beyond our own magic."
Relon nodded. "We are a resilient people. With your help, we will find a way to overcome even this adversity. My counselors tried to convince me to leave, but I do not wish to do such a thing, I deeply hope you can help us! "
While the engineer continued his assessment, Luna met with the other Nannu leaders to discuss the next steps. The meeting with the elves brought new hope to the people of Alnuum, and despite the difficulties, everyone's determination was palpable. United, they would begin tracing a new path to the recovery and prosperity of their beloved city.
In Nannu's heart, Suzannah and Inala were immersed in their meditation practice, as they had been doing for some time. Suzannah hoped Inala's latent potential could help revitalize devastated Alnuum's land. However, despite weeks of effort, she had not noticed any significant change. That day, however, something different happened.
Suzannah had a strange dream, a disturbing glimpse of something that was about to happen. In this dream, a woman rode a giant white wolf with red eyes and twelve large golden antlers. The wolf was enormous and devoured the people of Nannu alive, as the woman atop it smiled, delighting in the macabre banquet.
Suzannah woke up with Inala calling for her. "Suzannah, I'm bored with this meditation. Can I go back to the city to play?" The feeling of the dream still hovered over Suzannah, who, feeling strange, waved her hand releasing the girl to go out and play. The dream continued to scream in her mind, every detail engraved in her memory. She feared it was a premonition of something terrible yet to come, and she knew she needed to talk to someone, but feared being misunderstood.
Suzannah returned to her laboratory, where Clara and Sillard were busy trying to find a way to restore the fertility of Alnuum's land. Upon entering, her quiet, restless behavior caught Sillard's attention. "I'm glad we were able to restore the old imperial academy laboratory. I couldn't stand working and sleeping in tents anymore," he commented.
Clara, noting Suzannah's concern, added: "All this is thanks to the efforts of the Nannu people. We are returning, at least a little, to what it once was."
However, Suzannah walked past without saying a word, which was unusual for the ever sarcastic and talkative Red Queen. Clara asked: "Suzannah, is everything okay?"
Only an almost inaudible whisper came as a positive response from Suzannah. Clara and Sillard exchanged worried looks, aware that something was deeply troubling their mentor.
Suzannah sat at one of the laboratory tables, lost in thought. The vision of the white wolf with red eyes and the smiling woman would not leave her mind. She knew she needed to find a way to deal with it, perhaps seeking advice from someone who could understand the gravity of her premonition. Suzannah contemplated her next step, as the weight of her vision hovered like a shadow over Nannu's safety.
Inala ran happily to find the other children to play when she bumped into her brother Sin. He had a book in his hands and a huge smile on his face. "Why are you so happy, Sin?" asked Inala, curious.
"I found a rare book and that's great!" replied Sin, full of enthusiasm.
Still intrigued, Inala asked about what that book was that made him so content. Sin looked at her and said, "You wouldn't understand if I explained."
With some difficulty, Inala read the name "Tiberius" on the book's cover and asked: "Who wrote this book?"
Sin simply replied: "He was a very important mage of Nannu."
Losing interest, Inala shrugged and ran to find the other children.
Sin went to the tree where he always liked to read and sat down, opening the book he had. The title was "Magics and Rituals." It was a compendium written by Tiberius himself, where the arc-mage himself spoke about the conception of magic, types and levels of magic, ancient magics and forgotten rituals, among other things. Sin, who had developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge and adventure, was ecstatic at the possibility of reading Tiberius' texts on magic and rituals.
As Sin delved into the book, he noticed someone lying on the other side of the tree. Looking closer, he saw it was Allister. Before Sin could say anything, Allister said: "Don't worry about me here, boy. I'm just escaping Shun and duties."
Still curious, Sin asked: "But aren't you King Relon's counselor?"
Allister, with a lazy smile, replied: "Right now I'm just a vagrant wanting to nap a little under this tree."
Sin then turned back to his book and continued reading. Allister, noticing the book Sin was reading, asked: "Do you want to know about magic?"
"It's not just about magic," replied Sin, "I want to know about the whole world. I want to learn about the history of the world, wars, the rise and fall of kingdoms, spirits, magic, artifacts, and everything that is fascinating in this world."
Allister, placing a small piece of bamboo between his teeth and covering his face with cloth, said before giving in to sleep: "Then you should be an explorer."
Sin remembered the book he read about the continent of Gallea and imagined the explorer who wrote it must have had a lot of fun at the possibility of getting to know the world and all the things in it. To learn about the cultures of the world, traditions, customs and mythology. Maybe this was the purpose he was born for, the boy thought. Holding the book tighter, Sin wished with all his heart to be an explorer and travel the world.
Lilla was in the training field, her sword shining in the sun, moving with precision and grace. Her thoughts, however, were far away. She tried to understand the origin of the strange feeling that had been tormenting her for the last few days. What she didn't know was that the spiritual wound inflicted on Kal by Spartan was directly linked to her. Lilla was the only one who had a spiritual bond with Kal and, therefore, when he was cut off from his spirit, she also felt the pain.
Lilla knew something terrible had happened to Kal, and the uncertainty about exactly what it was drove her crazy. She thought about going after him, but didn't even know where he had gone. Katara's words, insisting she trust Kal, echoed in her mind. However, the constant fear that something bad could have happened to him remained. She had not realized yet, but this intense concern did not only come from the feeling she had when Kal lost to Spartan. It was a deeper, stronger feeling, a feeling she had for Kal.
During training, Lilla used her unique ability, "Princess Who Walks on Waters," and realized her divine mana was still with her. The divine mana she received by forming a bond with Kal still emanated from her. This brought some comfort, as that mana flowing through her was from Kal, and she could feel the warmth of his heart when concentrating on the mana. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to feel this deep connection, which gave her hope and strength to continue.
Determined, Lilla decided that, even if she didn't know where to go, she would find a way to help Kal. She would train even harder, strengthen her connection with the divine mana, and prepare for any challenge ahead. Her love and concern for Kal were her motivation, and she would not rest until she ensured he was safe.
While the people of Nannu worried about restoring their country, something dark was approaching. The army of golden-eyed soldiers, led by Set, departed from Zoarlath toward Emarlal, the capital of Volkaron. Normally the journey would last a week, but Saladon's golden-eyed soldiers possessed superhuman abilities. They could run faster than an ordinary man and cover long distances without tiring. Therefore, Saladon calculated that within four days they would reach the center of Volkaron, ready to advance towards Nannu.
The army's march was silent and disciplined. Each soldier knew their function and final objective. Set, at the front mounted on his horse, kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, his mind focused on the mission.
Meanwhile, in Volkaron, Ionna was in the midst of preparations. After betraying and replacing Princess Elanor, she now led Volkaron's army, preparing them for Set's men's arrival. The goal was clear: to march on Nannu and start the war. The false Elanor, visibly very similar to the true princess, went unnoticed by guards and courtiers. Only Flamarion, Elanor's little brother, might have been able to notice the switch. However, he had been prevented from visiting the princess' chambers, isolated by orders of Alexandria, his mother.
In Volkaron's headquarters, Ionna gave orders, coordinating logistics and strategies for the invasion. She knew she had to maintain the appearance of normality, as any slip could reveal the ruse. Her eyes, however, shone with ambition and certainty that her mission was just and necessary.
The climate in Volkaron was tense. Soldiers trained tirelessly, honing their skills for the impending battle. The sound of clashing metal, shouts of command, and the trot of horses created a war symphony echoing throughout the capital. The false Elanor occasionally appeared on her balcony, maintaining a facade of normality, while Flamarion could only watch from afar, powerless to act.
In Alnuum, Suzannah was agitated as she approached the hall where King Relon was meeting with some of the elven architects. She had had a disturbing dream, a nightmare so real that it left her without peace. Arriving at the hall, she approached Relon, who was discussing Alnuum's reconstruction plans.
"Relon, I need to talk to you about something important," said Suzannah, trying to hide the panic in her voice.
Relon, absorbed in the rebuilding possibilities presented by the elves, barely looked up. "What is it, Suzannah? I'm a little busy now."
"It's about a dream I had... a nightmare. A woman riding a white wolf with red eyes, devouring our people. I think it may be a vision, a prophecy of something terrible yet to come."
Relon shook his head impatiently. "Suzannah, they're just nightmares. We have real problems here, like rebuilding our city. I can't worry about dreams now."
Suzannah sighed, feeling ignored, but knew she had to do something.
Undaunted, Suzannah went to find Allister and Shun. She found them in a room discussing defensive strategies for the city.
"Allister, Shun, I need to speak to you," she said, entering the room. "I had a disturbing dream, a vision of a woman and a white wolf... something terrible is about to happen."
Allister, ever skeptical, merely shrugged. "Suzannah, you're letting your imagination run wild. I wouldn't have imagined the famous Red Queen to be so creative."
Shun, on the other hand, looked at Suzannah with concern. "I believe you, Suzannah. It could be an omen, a warning of a demonic attack like Morfrey's perhaps. We should take precautions."
Allister looked at Shun. "I forgot your people believed in premonitions and such!"
Shun quickly dispatched his scouts in various directions, ordering them to patrol the outskirts of Alnuum.
Despite Shun's support, Suzannah remained restless. In all her years of life, she had never felt anything like this before. Predictions and prophecies had never frightened her before, but this dream was different, vivid and terrifying.
Determined to understand better, she sought out Clara. "Clara, I need you to take over Inala's training for a while. I must withdraw to my chambers to try and decipher the meaning of something."
Clara, seeing the seriousness on Suzannah's face, agreed without questioning. "Of course, Suzannah. Go, and I hope you find the answers you seek."
Suzannah withdrew to her chambers, her mind swirling with the disturbing dream. She knew something terrible was coming, and she needed to be ready to face whatever it was.