When Erend and Eccar followed the apprentice through the winding corridors of the Palace, they couldn't ignore the uneasy murmurs around them. Small groups of Elves stood in shadowed corners and whispering in worried tones.
They cast glances as Erend and Eccar passed, bowed with respect with faces etched with concern. Though no one spoke directly to them it was clear that rumors had already spread through the palace and everyone knew sothing unusual was unfolding.
Exchanging a quick glance, Erend and Eccar silently acknowledged that whatever they were about to face was already stirring tension among the palace inhabitants. That can't be good.
Finally, they reached Saeldir's chamber. As the doors opened, Erend's eyes fell on the three strangers within the crystal cube. Standing by the edge of the cube, they appeared human but with an unsettling strangeness to their appearance. Their skin clutched by molten tal or rock that look so thight its almost as if its their real skin.
Erend and Eccar exchanged wary glances, frowns deepening as they tried to make sense of these new arrivals.
Saeldir turned to them, his expression tense and hurried. "You've arrived just in ti," he said, voice brisk as he gestured to the three figures. "These… individuals have co from a world that in the brink of destruction."
He paused, eyes flicking between Erend and Eccar to look at their reaction before continuing with fast words as though every second was precious and he don't want to waste them.
"They arrived through a portal they themselves created. It seems like they are not used to interdinsional travel so they arrived at dissoriented stage. We need to heeal them before they can talk." Saeldir glanced at the three figures. "They claim to be seeking a way to prevent a catastrophe that threatens their world. They say there are a prophecy tied to the Dragonborn that will save their world."
Erend's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities.
"What exactly do they need from us?" he asked, still unsure of whether to view these strangers as allies or sothing more dangerous. "and can we trust them?"
Saeldir nodded toward the only woman of the three.
"They request an audience with you both. They believe the strength of the Dragonborn is necessary to halt a force that could destroy their worlds. And about trust… actually, I'm not sure."
"I don't have any hidden plan to betray you," the woman, Elena, said. Her voice laced with desperation. Her gaze flickered between Erend and Eccar. She was uncertain and it was etched in her eyes as she tried to determine which one of them was the Dragonborn she had been seeking. Her hands trembled slightly, betraying the tension she felt as she took a deep breath. "We really need your help."
One of the n, Darek, stepped forward, his frustration evident.
"Do you think we'd cross through worlds with just the three of us if we had anything but survival on our minds? Our world is crumbling," he said with voice that heavy with restrained anger. The weight of their plight was clear in his expression, as if every second wasted was a reminder of the destruction they'd left behind.
Erend exhaled slowly, a pensive look crossing his face as he glanced at Eccar. "What do you think?" he asked.
Eccar considered, folding his arms as he studied their desperate expressions. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "Let's hear them out."
With a wave of his hand, Saeldir dissolved the crystal cube encasing the strangers. They now visibly relaxed as the transparent walls dissipated. Together, they all moved to a round table in the center of the chamber.
The atmosphere was tense yet focused as they settled around it. The three newcors sitting side by side across from Erend, Eccar, Saeldir, and the apprentices, who listened with rapt attention.
Elena, Darek, and the third figure, Tovan, began their explanation. They spoke of a world that had once thrived on Magic where elental forces pulsed through every aspect of their life.
But then the invasion began. Pale-skinned, humanoid beings with technology so advanced it defied comprehension and their Magic had arrived. These aliens, Elena explained, wielded machines that could cut through even their most powerful Magic with ease, and their towering ships darkened their skies.
The room fell silent. Erend and Eccar exchanged looks, troubled by the ntion of such formidable technology, while Saeldir's apprentices looked to him, their faces mirroring shock and worry.
Erend can't help but feeling that what happened to their world is similar to his history with the Elves who now have beco their allies. But Erend not gonna ntion that.
"So… your world has Magic too?" one of the apprentices finally asked, his voice almost disbelieving.
"Yes," Tovan replied, giving a somber nod. "But that is no important now. Our Magic is no match for their machines. They dismantle spells like children's toys and leave death behind them. Nothing we do seems to slow them down."
Erend's expression hardened, and he leaned forward, his voice low but intense. "And you believe the Dragonborn can stop them?"
Darek t his gaze, his own eyes fierce and full of determination.
"If the prophecies are true, then yes. They say only the Dragonborn can wield the abbility that can stand against these invaders. And with ti running out… we're desperate."
Eccar took a deep breath, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "And you trust these prophecies? That they'll be enough to save your world?"
Elena's face softened, a flicker of hope barely contained in her gaze.
"It's all we have left." She looked at Erend and Eccar with pleading eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "Please."
Erend exchanged one last look with Eccar, each of them weighing the gravity of what lay ahead. Their plea was one that they couldn't ignored.
They knew that much. The weight of their power pressing on them. Erend and Eccar knew that they must using their power to help those in need, or they just not different from the Great Calamity.
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