Priestess Kendra knelt beside the hibernating body of Archmage Amber Nois. The ancient stone beneath them hummed softly, resonating with the magic about to be unleashed. She inhaled deeply, placed her palms just above Amber's unmoving chest, and began to chant.
Her voice, once soft, sharpened into rhythmic incantations that pulsed like heartbeats:
"Muro orku koruko we ze miro... muro ko kuro mu miro... uroko jokuro ko muri Roku ko Kya ma Li…"
The air thickened. Shadows flickered despite the steady torchlight. Kendra's eyes clouded over, turning a silvery white, as if her soul was peering beyond the veil.
A stream of ethereal light—blue and laced with violet sparks—spiraled from her mouth. It flowed, serpentine and deliberate, into Amber Nois's body, slipping beneath her skin like smoke drawn into the lungs.
Then—a twitch.
Amber's index finger quivered, the tiniest defiance against the stillness of hibernation. It trembled again. Then curled slightly. Another finger joined. Then her hand.
Manuel Stunner, unable to keep quiet, gasped, "Look—look at her hand!"
Priestess Kendra didn't respond. Her chanting grew louder, more urgent, as if her soul was straining to bridge worlds. The wind around the altar picked up, swirling dust and forgotten leaves into a miniature tempest. The torches dimmed and flared wildly, threatened by unseen forces.
Amber's eyelids fluttered once.
Suddenly, Kendra's chant broke off with a gasp. Her back arched violently as if something had been yanked from within her, and her mouth flew open, releasing the last of the spell's breath. Her body jerked backward and slammed onto the ground with a sharp thud.
She coughed—once, twice—then again, harder, clutching her chest as her lungs fought to draw real air again.
Meanwhile, the stillness around Amber shattered.
A soft glowing mist radiated from her skin. Her chest rose, haltingly, then steadily. Her eyelids peeled open, revealing eyes of a burning, molten gold. She blinked slowly, her gaze adjusting to the dim chamber. Her expression was unreadable—neither furious nor gentle—but edged with ancient calculation.
"Why did you summon me?" Her voice was low but powerful, each word like the clang of a distant bell. It wasn't a question—it was a verdict waiting to be passed.
Kendra, still kneeling but composed now, bowed her head deeply. "Forgive the disturbance, great Archmage. We need your help. Our world is failing. Uriel Commes—also known as the Scarlet Raven—has returned. He's unleashed destruction across the Empire. We sought the help of the greatest mage in existence, the only one to have once sealed him away."
For a moment, the golden gaze remained unchanged. Then, Amber's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. The tension in the room thinned.
"I see," she said. Then her eyes slid past Kendra, landing on the two well-dressed men standing awkwardly behind her.
"I understand the importance of a priestess in the summoning process, hence your presence can be explained" Amber murmured, "but what business do these two peacocks have here?"
Manuel Stunner and Adolph Li froze like statues caught mid-crime. Manuel opened his mouth but no words came. Adolph tried, but only managed a weak, "We… we…"
"They brought the Cloak of Wyrmroot, the cloak you once wore on your sojourning here in the Nazare Blade Empire..." Kendra interjected swiftly. "It was vital to complete your summoning, my Lady. And they came with news—news of the Scarlet Raven's escape from the Quorin Depth."
Amber's gaze lingered on Adolph for a second longer. "You're very courteous," she said, tilting her head. "That's rare… especially in a man with your looks and status."
A strange hush followed—part amusement, part unease.
She looked back to Kendra. "And this 'Scarlet Raven'… where is he now?"
"We're not certain," Kendra admitted. "He's difficult to track—"
"He isn't for me." Amber stood now, fully upright. Her movements were elegant, precise. The air itself vibrated as her power returned—like the low hum of a great engine waking from slumber.
"I left a seal inside him, long ago. It connects to me still. Like a map etched on the soul."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"…He's in Region 32. That's Odd… What would he want there?"
Adolph stepped forward carefully. "We believe he's after someone called the Black Dragon—currently the most influential figure in that region. The scheme was orchestrated by Alloysius, the Seventh Prince. He pointed the Raven in that direction."
Amber's brow furrowed. "The Seventh Prince, is it?"
Her eyes flicked to Adolph again. "You've got a clear tongue, too. Rare, these days."
She turned to Kendra. "This 'Black Dragon'… is he one of us? Oradonian?"
"No, my Lady," Kendra replied gently. "He's not a mage. Just a man. But a good one. He is the most popular character in region 32. He's saved many lives in that Region 32."
Amber's gaze narrowed with thought. "Mmm… Then he's the kind of man Uriel would seek to ruin."
Then, her hands opened and a visible arc of energy surged around her. The ground trembled. Sparks danced from her fingertips to the stone walls.
Her smile returned—small, cold, and promising.
"Time to drag that rat back into his cage."
Archmage Amber Nois took a single step forward, her eyes glinting with golden fire. Then she raised both hands to the sky—graceful, slow, deliberate. The area around the altar responded immediately. The very air thickened, buzzing with raw energy, as if the world itself held its breath.
Cracks of blue lightning danced across her arms, and a low rumble echoed from the stones beneath their feet. Her voice, deep and ancient, murmured a word none of them could comprehend—a word that hadn't been uttered in over a hundred years.
In an instant, her form began to ripple, her robes dissolving into a cyclone of light. Her limbs elongated, bones rearranged with grotesque grace, and feathers—black as obsidian and laced with shimmering gold—erupted from her skin.
The transformation was seamless yet terrifying. One moment, she was a woman of power. The next, a colossal eagle stood where she had been—wings spread so wide they scraped the pillars of the altar, talons as long as spears dug into the stone floor. Her eyes, still burning with intelligent fury, scanned the area around the altar like twin suns.
Everyone staggered back.
Even Priestess Kendra, seasoned and spiritual, had to shield her face from the sheer force of magic radiating from the creature. Manuel Stunner dropped to one knee, his body trembling. Adolph Li instinctively reached for a weapon he didn't carry.
The air around the eagle rippled. Her wings beat once—just once—and a gust exploded outward. It hit them like a wall of wind, slamming into their chests and forcing them back several steps. Dust and old leaves erupted into the air. Tapestries lining the walls flapped madly, some torn from their hooks entirely.
It was as if a living storm had taken form.
Then, with another beat—this time smoother, more majestic—the massive eagle lifted off the ground. Her talons retracted. Her form rose like a monolith being pulled upward by divine hands. The light from the chamber bent around her body, casting long, dancing shadows in all directions.
She burst through the air with a thunderous swoosh, feathers trailing stardust-like particles that rained down briefly before fading into nothing.
Above, in the open sky, she rose higher—wings slicing through the clouds with silent dominance.
From the ground, they all stood frozen, watching her disappear into the horizon like an omen sent by the gods themselves.
"By the heavens…" Kendra whispered, breathless. "She hasn't lost a single ounce of her power."