The Valley of the Winding Arrow was eerily silent, save for the soft whistling of the wind cutting through the rocky walls. Lord Jeth stood at the edge of the rune, his sharp eyes fixed on the faint glow it emitted. He moved closer, each step deliberate, the usual carefree demeanor replaced by a growing unease. When he was just a few feet away, his body tensed, and he froze mid-step.
He felt it.
Thousands of mana signatures flared across ArchenLand, scattered like wildfire over the territories. A deep frown replaced his usual smirk as he turned back, intending to head to the capital. Before he could take another step, a burst of dust erupted behind him, the sheer force of it sending loose stones rolling across the valley floor.
Jeth stopped and slowly turned, his straw rolling to the other side of his mouth. His usually narrowed eyes widened slightly, the flicker of something serious in his gaze. Standing before him were over a hundred tracients, each emanating an unmistakable aura of power.
Özels.
"You lot have some nerve," Jeth muttered, his tone still casual, though his posture had shifted into one of readiness.
Among the gathered Özels, one stepped forward, a lean Bat tracient marked with streaks of silver across his dark fur. His Özel rank, #52, was etched boldly onto his shoulder. His voice was smooth but filled with contempt.
"Hmph, we were told to secure this path," #52 said, his silver eyes narrowing. "And make sure no one escapes through here while the Children of Shadow keep the Narn Lords busy. Didn't expect we'd find one of the Lords here instead."
Another tracient stepped forward, this one shorter but with jagged, scarred wings extending from his back—a moth tracient bearing the rank #150. He chuckled darkly, his antennae twitching as he looked down at Jeth. "What luck for us. Didn't think we'd get to handle a Narn Lord directly. This'll be fun."
"Fun?!" The gruff, booming voice of #5, a massive boar tracient, cut through the air. His tusks gleamed in the faint glow of the rune, and his muscles rippled with raw strength. "It's just one rat. Let's finish him quick. I wanna watch the Lords and the Shadow's Children fight."
The group of Özels began to fan out, each one preparing for battle. A few unsheathed weapons, others let their mana flare dangerously, and the air thickened with tension.
Jeth remained still, his straw twitching between his teeth as he scanned them all. Slowly, he rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck.
"You lot made a big mistake coming here," he said quietly, his tone shifting into something cold. His eyes narrowed, and the casual flicker of his mana now roared to life, enveloping him in an overwhelming aura. "Whoever orchestrated this plan has severely underestimated the strength of the Narn Lords and ArchenLand."
Jeth slowly stepped forward, his tail swaying behind him. "You will all die here today."
---
The scene shifted to Trevor's Grove, now engulfed in chaos. His favorite peach tree was ablaze, flames licking up its trunk as smoke billowed into the sky. Trevor stood amidst the destruction, his face shadowed with frustration and rage as he faced off against a squad of enemy tracients.
"Elemi, Second Climb: Şimşek Çemberi!" he roared, his voice resonating with power.
With a powerful swing of the Maymum staff, charged with crackling electricity, he unleashed a wide arc of lightning that spread in all directions. The ground erupted as bolts struck, electrocuting and obliterating the surrounding enemies in an instant.
Panting slightly, Trevor steadied himself and scanned the battlefield. The once-lively grove was now a war zone, littered with the bodies of fallen foes. He tightened his grip on his staff, his knuckles whitening.
"How?!" Trevor shouted to no one in particular, his frustration spilling over. "How did they get through?!"
Before he could dwell on it further, his eyes widened, and his expression hardened. He took off at full speed, a shockwave left in his wake as he darted toward the capital, his mind racing.
---
In Valoria, the scene was no less chaotic. The once-thriving city was under siege, with enemy forces flooding the streets. The capital's residents screamed and scrambled for safety as ArchenLand soldiers struggled to contain the onslaught.
Among the chaos, a small squirrel tracient stumbled and fell, her tiny body trembling as a towering insect soldier loomed over her, its mandibles clicking menacingly.
A blur of fur rescued her before the insect could pounce.
It was Tigrera.
However, the insect immediately recovered it's stance and attacked again.
Before the creature could strike, its body jerked violently and then exploded in a flurry of branches and sap. The squirrel blinked, frozen in fear, as Kopa stepped forward, his hands clasped together in concentration.
"Are you alright, little one?" Kopa asked, his voice calm but firm.
The squirrel nodded, her eyes wide with fright. Kopa gave her a reassuring smile and gestured to Tigrera that they should run. "Go. Now. It's not safe here."
As the two darted off, Kopa turned back to the swarm of enemies descending upon the capital. Clasping his hands together, his mana surged, and his Arcem activated.
"Gaia's Touch!"
Massive vines erupted from the ground, twisting and writhing like living creatures. They lashed out at the invading forces, entangling and crushing some, impaling others with thorn-covered tendrils. The air filled with the screams of enemies as Kopa's Arcem wreaked havoc on their ranks.
Even as he fought, his mind raced. How did this happen? Lord Thrax's shield is supposed to be impenetrable.
His eyes narrowed. Unless… someone bypassed it from within.
The realization sent a chill down his spine. A traitor.
Before he could dwell on the thought, a sudden burst of intense mana flared behind him. Kopa instinctively dodged, leaping out of the way just as a powerful projectile whizzed past him and exploded, sending debris flying.
As the dust settled, an insect tracient emerged, his exoskeleton gleaming like polished metal. His sharp mandibles clicked, and his segmented eyes glinted with malice.
"I'm impressed," the insect tracient said, his voice buzzing with a chilling resonance. "No ordinary soldier—or even an Özel—could have dodged that."
Kopa straightened, his expression grim as he faced his new opponent.
"You must be something special," the insect continued, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "This should be fun."