While Erend and Eccar stood watch atop the battlents, the night finally co and remained unnervingly silent for the monts. The stars twinkled overhead but their light seed dimd as if the sky was holding its breath. The calm that had settled over the battlefield felt heavy because they knew that with sothing ominous is brewing just beyond the horizon.
Erend and Eccar's draconic senses were on high alert, screaming that sothing was amiss. Eccar exchanged another glance with Erend who was equally tense. Erend's hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword.
But the danger they were waiting for was not here—not in the lands of the Elves.
Far across the land, deep within the borders of the human kingdom of Astoria, the unnatural event was unfolding. In the heart of a forest a disturbance began to ripple through the air. The animals scattered, fleeing as the very earth beneath them trembled.
Suddenly, a jagged tear appeared in the fabric of reality itself—a portal, dark and nacing, erged with a rumbling sound. The aura it emitted was thick with force that pressed down on everything around it. The trees nearest to the portal began to wither instantly, their leaves shriveling and falling to the ground like dead insects.
And this was only the beginning.
Nine more portals opened in the forest around the kingdom's wall, each one identical to the first. The once-peaceful forests, plains, and even the outskirts of villages suddenly found themselves in the middle of these dark anomalies.
From each portal monstrous beasts began to erge. The first to step through were the smaller ones, with twisted forms that barely resembled anything natural. Their eyes glowed with yellow light and their skin was a mottled mix of black and crimson.
But these were only the vanguard.
Larger beasts followed behind them. Their sizes varied—so were as large as horses, while others towered over trees, their massive fras shaking the ground with each step.
One of the largest among them, a towering beast with a body covered in jagged bone-like protrusions let out a roar that shook the air. Its mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth and its eyes glowed the sa yellow.
The portals continued to pulse with dark energy, feeding the beasts as they spread out from their points of origin and moving towards the nearest human settlents.
---
Lysander paced the halls of their study. At he mont moonlight filtering through the tall windows casting shadows that seed to dance with a life of their own.
Sothing was wrong. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach—a gnawing dread that grew with each passing mont.
Beside him Adrius was sitting in deep ditation, his mind attuned to the currents of Magic that flowed through the world as he spreading his senses. He had been feeling an unusual disturbance for so ti now. Then he opened his eyes abruptly.
Almost simultaneously, both n felt a sharp shift in the air.
Lysander and Adrius eyes widened as he felt the unsettling ripple of energy sweep through their surrounding like a dark tide. Their heart skipped a beat and without a second thought they dashed to the window. When they reach the window they threw it open and leaned out, then scanning the horizon.
The Magic in the air was heavy, just like when the dark portal and red rain co pouring down earlier. It clawed at their senses, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Sothing is coming, sir," Lysander said.
"Yeah. Maybe the ti for the harbinger to co," Adrius replied with grave tone.
Adrius raised his hands then his eyes glowing with intense azure light as he began to weave a complex spell. The air around him crackled and a swirling vortex of Magic ford before his outstretched hands. The vortex expanded and through it Adrius cast his vision far beyond the limits of the kingdom.
His sight soared over forests and rivers, past towns and villages, until it locked onto the source of the disturbance. There, in a remote part of the kingdom he saw a dark portal pulsing with red glow. The ground around it was charred and dead, the plants withering as though drained of life itself. And from this cursed gate beasts were pouring out.
Lysander could see the strain on Adrius's face as he pushed his Magic further, shifting his sight to another part of the kingdom. What he saw next confird his worst fears—more portals, identical to the first, each spewing forth an army of monsters. They were spreading rapidly, moving with a terrifying purpose towards the nearest human settlents.
"Ten portals... all across the kingdom. The beasts—an army—are coming," said Adrius with pale face.
"We must alert the king imdiately!"
Lysander imdiately sprinted through the dimly lit corridors of the palace. The king needed to be warned about this imdiately.
As Lysander neared the king's chamber, two guards stationed outside the grand double doors stepped forward, their expressions questioning. But one look at Lysander's face was all they needed to step aside without hesitation. He barely acknowledged them, throwing the doors open with a force that made them slam against the walls.
"Your Majesty!" Lysander called out, his voice echoing through the spacious chamber. King Aethor who had been sitting at a massive oak table poring over docunts looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing at the intrusion.
"Your Majesty," Lysander gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "The kingdom is under attack… portals—monsters—heading this way. We have little ti!"
King Aethor's eyes widened but his expression quickly hardened again.
"Gather the council," the king commanded to his advisors who presents in the room. "We must prepare to defend the kingdom."
anwhile, Adrius wasted no ti after Lysander's departure. He swiftly crossed his chamber, his eyes locked his golden Starsteel staff adorned with intricate runes that glowed faintly.
With a firm grip he lifted the staff from its stand.
Stepping out onto the balcony of his tower Adrius gazed up at the night sky that now tinged with an crimson glow from the distant portals. He raised the staff high above his head. The runes along its length flared to life, casting a golden light that illuminated the surrounding area.
"Māgius Ventis Tempora," Adrius whispered, invoking the ancient spell that would slow the advancing hordes.
The words of power resonated through the air and the staff responded, its glow intensifying until it was almost blinding.
In an instant, Adrius was airborne, lifted by a surge of Magic that propelled him high into the sky.
The world below seed to shrink as he ascended, the winds whipping around him. From this vantage point, he could see the dark forces moving across the land like a plague.
With his staff, Adrius pointed it toward the advancing beasts. The golden light that emanated from the staff coalesced into a massive wave of energy, spreading out across the horizon. As it swept over the monsters, the spell took hold—ti itself seed to warp and stretch, causing the creatures to slow to a crawl.
The once-rapid movents of the beasts beca sluggish, as if they were wading through thick mud. Their roars of fury were drawn out into low, distorted growls, and their relentless charge was halted, giving the kingdom precious monts to prepare.
However, Adrius knew that this spell would not last forever.
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