Imram, one hour before the activation.
A beautiful dark haired princess with dazzling emerald eyes watches from under a white canopy, behind her a group of men dressed neatly in brown robes with rope tied around their waists, they frantically flip through book after book and record after record on a long wooden table.
The table is lit by a bright overhanging lantern, connected to one of the canopy's iron beams which supports its roof. Several boxes that previously contained many books, tomes and records are kept hidden beneath the table.
A silver knight trots uphill towards the princess, flattening the grass wherever he stepped.
The male soldier clad in gallant steel armor raises the visor on his helmet, revealing a striking appearance underneath, "your highness! We have finished the final preparations, we merely await your order."
His cheekbones are raised high and his jawline angular, an odd polished texture reflects light off of it. "Please, lower your visor, your jaw is blinding me." Upon hearing this the man quickly covers his face.
"My sincerest apologies your highness, I didn't mean to." He shuffles backwards to create more distance, "is this far enough your highness?" The man gestures to his visor, it seems to be bothering him. "You may lift it." She answers with a confident tone.
The soldier lifts his visor once again, this time there is no light bouncing off his jawline. "We await your order, your highne-" The princess lifts her hand and the soldier stops, "I do not require formalities anymore Aelrion, after this is all over I shall be an outlaw."
"Very well then, if that is what you wish." The princess walks up to Aelrion and pats him lightly on the shoulder pad. "You're a good man Aelrion, I need more soldiers like you who do what they're told, especially now more than ever."
"Let us pray this dragon will listen to us, otherwise it will wreak havoc across Imram, perhaps even the entire continent." The princess releases his shoulder and walks to the edge of the hill overlooking a tall, wide and circular stone platform with symbols of runes engraved into its very surface.
"What do you mean, it'll wreak havoc across Imram Lyrielle? You didn't tell me this." Lyrielle solemnly turns her head to look at Aelrion. "I'm sorry, Aelrion, this was the only I knew you'd help me." She turns forward.
While Lyrielle is still facing the activation site, Aelrion walks up behind her until he is inches away, his face is stern as he raises his arm and points towards a dark road behind him. The road enters the forest.
"I have a family in Imram Lyrielle! A FAMILY! Tell me you're joking, please." Aelrion's voice shakes as he hesitantly places his hand on the handle of his sword, the noise attracts the attention of the robed figures behind them. Lyrielle raises her hand up behind her back and lowers her pinky, they all exchange glances before walking away.
"Why are you being silent Lyrielle...? And tell me where those men are going!" Without looking at Aelrion she replies, "to activate the summoning ritual."
"I served you for so long, allowed you to hold my newborn daughter, sacrificed half my life for the good name of the royal Aleazea family and this is how you repay me?!" Aelrion's heart pounds, his expression remains severe as the creases on his face tighten. "LYRIELLE!"
He reaches for his sword and mere moments away from unsheathing it, Lyrielle yells his name.
"Aelrion! your family will be safe so long as the summoning succeeds and the dragon listens to me." Aelrion feels his grip on his sword lighten slightly, "can I trust you with this?" His face begins to relax.
"You're my most trusted knight Aelrion, you know that. I wouldn't let you down, ever. Matter of fact I have a tool to make the dragon obey me, even if it doesn't comply." Upon hearing this, Aelrion releases the grip on his sword and steps back. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Could you fetch it for me? It's in one of the boxes under the table." Lyrielle gestures towards the canopy behind them. "I must go watch over the preparations." He walks over towards the canopy but keeps an eye on Lyrielle as she walks towards the site.
'I shouldn't have brought him.' Lyrielle keeps a steady pace as she descends the grassy hill, 'my own weakness may lead to my demise, but nonetheless I will at least succeed in summoning the great dragon Iommendai.'
"I'll get to accomplish this mission thanks to your gullibleness Aelrion, I have that to thank you for." Lyrielle crosses her arms as she watches the robed figures place and light up torches around the circular platform. "Get into positions everyone!" She yells.
Aelrion sifts through each box but finds that they're all empty...? "Don't tell me she...!" Aelrion runs out of the canopy and sees that torches have been set up near and the robed figures now form a perimeter around it, Aelrion immediately unsheathes his sword and charges downhill.
Lyrielle quickly notices Aelrion, "start the ritual now!" She orders, one of the robed figures stands over a crevice in the earth which connects to the platform, they hold out a knife to their wrist.
They squat down closer to the crevice and slit their wrist, allowing the blood to flow into the hole, the blood travels through the crevice and quickly spreads into the runes all around the platform. Simultaneously they begin to emit a dim dark light.
Aelrion nears the perimeter, intending to disrupt the ritual, but is forced onto his back by a sudden shockwave that blows away the wind in every direction. Aelrion marches onward, 'if I can just get inside the circle they made...!' Every step he takes requires more effort than the last.
He notices Lyrielle in the corner of his eye and in his unbridled rage, he chooses to follow his heart instead of doing what he must.
A black portal opens in the center of the platform when he finally makes it inside. "LYRIELLEEE!! YOU BASTARD!!!" He gets into a stance before pointing his sword forward and charging at her, passing by several hooded figures with their arms outstretched towards the platform, the smell of mint and iron begins to fill the air.
Lyrielle who was in awe of the power of the dragon, gets brought back to reality. A large knight clad in some of Imram's finest armor and boasting the greatest weaponry blacksmithing could offer, was now booking it towards her, ready to run his sword clean through.
A bead of sweat flows down her face as she prepares to engage Aelrion, Lyrielle raises her right hand, closes her eyes and breathes in. When she opens her eyes, four glowing orange magic circles form from her palm, they are layered on top of each other.
Lyrielle's wicked persona drops for a moment, 'forgive me Aelrion...!' Tears run down her face as she grabs her right wrist with her left hand and fires off four blasts of fire from her palm, they go off one after another.
Blood begins to pour out of the portal.
Aelrion is forced to slow his charge, as balls of fire soar through the air towards him. He cleaves through the initial two and the split parts go flying past him, setting the ground ablaze. The third hits him square on the left shoulder, knocking him off balance, but he still manages to heave himself rightwards, dodging the fourth.
Lyrielle feels like bursting into tears but she bites down on her lower lip, causing blood to come out. She raises her right arm and points forward with her left hand, as she gathers her mana into a single point, a lance made of fire begins to form above her head.
With her left hand she unleashes another torrent of flames which blocks Aelrion's vision, the heat begins to affect him through his steel armor. 'I have to end this now!' Aelrion charges through the fire and makes it through, but it was too late.
He couldn't even react in time as the fire lance melts right through the breastplate of his cuirass and gets lodged inside him, unable to completely pierce through. Feeling the fire begin to cook him from the inside out and the steam scald his eyes, Aelrion tries to contain the pain in his mind.
In her panic, Lyrielle closes her right hand and the lance shrinks as it creates a burst of flames, sending Aelrion's sword flying up to the platform. The fire fully engulfs Aelrion.
Lyrielle looks on in horror of what she has done, she drops to her knees and begins sobbing on the floor. At the same moment, blood stops flowing out of the portal and a body falls through.
Suddenly sakura petals burst out of the portal in every direction, landing all over the platform and the area around it. The lance in Aelrion's chest instantly extinguishes along with the fire burning him, becoming nothing but embers floating towards the sky, he feels his wounds begin to reverse.
The portal disappears.
Soon his body is returned to its normal condition, however there is still a large hole in the front of his armor and a large portion of it has turned into molten steel. Aelrion carefully removes his armor whilst Lyrielle is still too stunned to realise he was fine.
Underneath Aelrion's armor he wore a leather aketon on his torso, a coif for his head and had chausses over linen pants. He takes off his coif and drops it on the floor, he notices behind Lyrielle the hooded figures have fallen to the floor but he disregards it, he had more pressing matters.
He begins to walk towards Lyrielle.