Erend felt the fragnt before he ever saw it. As the expedition pushed through the final stretch of corrupted terrain a strange pulse brushed against his senses.
The sensation imdiately made him slow down. It was powerful but not oppressive. Ancient but not hostile. It carried a presence that felt completely different from the corruption that had infected every corner of this world.
The Dragonborn raised a hand. The expedition gradually slowed behind him.
Their eyes moved toward the horizon.
Then the site finally appeared.
The place was nothing like the major fragnt locations he had discovered before. There were no towering ruins reaching into the sky. No enormous structures radiated overwhelming defense. The site looked surprisingly modest compared to the importance of what rested there.
A shallow basin stretched before them between weathered stone formations that rose from the earth like broken fangs. Clusters of silver and blue crystals erged from the ground throughout the area. So stood only waist-high while others towered above the surrounding rocks. Streams of glowing energy flowed lazily between them, creating faint rivers of light that illuminated the basin beneath the dark cloudy sky.
Most surprising of all was the atmosphere. The corruption still existed around the area but it felt weaker here. Much weaker. As if the oppressive sensation that had followed them throughout the journey seed unable to fully enter this place.
Several soldiers imdiately noticed it.
"The corruption feels weaker," One knight said, slowly released a breath and looked around in disbelief.
A nearby mage nodded. "I can feel it too. It feels different here."
Quiet murmurs spread through the formation.
Erend narrowed his eyes while studying the currents of energy flowing throughout the basin. He carefully examined every fluctuation of Magic surrounding the site.
This power was imnse. But it lacked the hunger and malice that accompanied the Void Architect’s corruption.
There was no sensation of decay or feeling of madness lurking beneath the surface. Instead, the energy felt ordered and stable despite its age.
Ancient understanding slowly ford inside his mind. This isn’t the Void Architect’s Magic. This is its own Magic.
The nearby mages imdiately turned toward him.
Erend continued observing the glowing crystals scattered throughout the basin.
"This is the Sky Anchor’s own power."
The realization imdiately spread through the expedition.
They had finally found sothing that remained untouched. Relief washed across countless faces.
So soldiers lowered their weapons slightly while releasing exhausted breaths. Others stared at the basin with expressions that almost resembled wonder.
The journey had pushed them beyond their limits. They had crossed corrupted wastelands, fought endless monsters, and marched through exhaustion that should have broken them long ago.
Now they had finally arrived.
Erend turned toward the expedition. "We’re here."
The simple statent carried enormous weight. Fatigue still filled their bodies but their morale imdiately rose again.
The Dragonborn looked back toward the basin. "Move. Everyone enters the site. Co on. We have no ti left."
The expedition obeyed imdiately.
Knights remained alert while scanning for threats. Mages prepared defensive spells in case so hidden danger revealed itself. Everyone expected resistance.
But none ca.
The Sky Anchor’s energy flowed peacefully around them as they descended into the basin.
No monsters erged or any traps activated. No corrupted creatures appeared from the surrounding terrain.
The entire site felt strangely calm compared to the nightmare they had traveled through to reach it.
As they moved deeper into the basin, the source of the energy finally ca into view.
At the center of the site floated a fragnt.
The object hovered several ters above the ground while rings of silver and blue energy slowly rotated around it. Streams of glowing runes continuously flowed across its surface, appearing and disappearing.
The fragnt was much smaller than the ones Erend had seen at the major sites. Those fragnts had resembled pieces of a shattered celestial monunt. This one looked more like a broken shard.
Even so, the power radiating from it remained extraordinary.
Every few seconds, a pulse of energy spread out from the fragnt and flowed through the entire basin. The surrounding crystals responded each ti and they briefly shone brighter before returning to their normal glow.
Several mages stopped walking entirely.
Their eyes widened.
"Incredible..."
"So this is a Sky Anchor fragnt. The amount of energy inside that thing is unbelievable."
Even the senior mages looked stunned.
Erend stepped closer while studying the fragnt carefully.
Its size might have been smaller, but he could imdiately sense its importance. Every fragnt mattered, they represented a piece of the ancient structure holding the Sky Anchor, which was the Creation of Void Architect, together.
Without them, the Sky Anchor could never be restored.
Erend finally turned toward the expedition. "You may begin now."
The single word imdiately snapped everyone back to reality.
"Co on," he urged firmly. "We don’t have ti to stand around staring at it."
The mages imdiately sprang into action.
Teams that had spent days preparing for this mont rushed forward carrying specialized equipnt. Crystal pylons were placed around the fragnt in a carefully asured circle. Other mages began carving enormous runic patterns into the ground while support mages activated containnt crystals brought specifically for the transport operation.
The basin quickly filled with activity.
Lines of glowing energy connected one formation to another. Runes ignited across the ground. The air began vibrating from the amount of Magic gathering in one place.
"Containnt Circle ready," one mage said.
"Synchronization array active," the other replied.
"Energy stabilization beginning."
"Transport formation at twenty percent."
Voices echoed throughout the site as the operation progressed.
anwhile, the knights established defensive positions around the periter. Nobody intended to risk failure now that they had finally reached their objective.
At the center of the operation, the mages continuously poured Magic into the growing network of formations. Layers of silver and blue barriers gradually ford around the fragnt while the containnt arrays carefully synchronized with its ancient energy.
The fragnt resisted slightly at first.
The rotating rings of power brightened.
Several runes flashed violently.
But the mages held their positions and continued adjusting the formation.
Slowly, the fragnt’s energy began aligning with the transport array.
One by one, additional runes ignited throughout the basin. Light spread across the entire site. The operation to secure the fragnt had finally begun.
Erend allowed himself to believe that they might actually succeed before the world collapsed around them.
—
User Comments
0 comments from readers