The silver dragon banners of House Drayce fluttered in the moonlight, their blue-armored cavalry and archers emerging from the forest's edge, arrows nocked and gleaming with a faint arcane sheen. Elias Vaeron slumped against the cracked black stone altar, his frail six-year-old body wracked with pain, the Arcane Amplifier's surge fading, leaving his burned right arm throbbing, its blistered skin screaming beneath his tattered nightshirt. His pale face, scarred by an arrow graze on his left cheek and smudged with soot, was set with defiance, his steel-gray eyes flecked with amber locked on the wraith lord's towering form. The Dominion Interface screamed in his vision: House Drayce: 20 cavalry, 10 archers. Arcane Enhancement: Detected. Intent: Unknown.
The arcane rift above the altar pulsed weakly, its green and blue swirl dimming after Elias's dampener, but shadowy wraiths still stirred within, their hollow eyes fixed on him. The wraith lord, its ornate armor glowing blue, raised its massive blade, its malice palpable. The Cult of the Iron Flame's red-robed remnants, their fiery runes flickering, hesitated, their leader's defeat shaking their resolve. The imperial vanguard, led by Lord-Captain Valthar's gold-trimmed helm, clashed with the last of House Taryn's green-armored cavalry, their golden stag banners trampled. Lady Seline Kaelar, her silver armor cracked and blonde hair matted with blood, gripped her spear, her blue eyes fierce but weary, blood seeping from a lance wound in her side. Mira, her freckled face pale and auburn braid frayed, clutched her dagger beside Elias, her brown eyes burning with pain from her burned hand and bandaged arm, yet unyielding.
Elias's chest ached, the Vaeron Relic: Arcane Amplifier in his blood pulsing faintly, the altar's cracked runes mirroring his fading strength. His past life's instincts—forged in desperate stands and tactical retreats—urged him to seize this moment to end the battle and secure his domain. The interface flashed: Tactics (Level 1): Leverage Drayce's arrival to neutralize wraith lord.
"Seline!" Elias shouted, his voice raw but commanding. "Flank the Cult! Keep them off the rift!" Seline's angular face turned, her spear flashing as she charged a red-robed figure, her silver armor glinting despite her wounds. "Mira, cover me!" Mira nodded, her wiry frame tense, her dagger ready as she shadowed Elias.
The interface pinged: Diplomacy (Level 1): Negotiate with Drayce to secure alliance. Elias raised his musket, its rune-etched bayonet flickering green, and shouted toward the blue-armored leader, a tall woman with sharp features, her black hair tied in a severe bun, her blue eyes glinting under a dragon-crest helm. The interface tagged: Lady Aeloria Drayce. Status: Neutral (Cautious).
"House Drayce!" Elias called. "The rift threatens us all! Help me close it, and Vaeron will share its secrets!" Aeloria's eyes narrowed, her blue armor gleaming as she raised a hand, signaling her archers to hold. "A child offers terms?" she said, her voice cold but intrigued. "Prove your worth, Vaeron."
The wraith lord lunged, its blade aimed at the altar. Elias dove, shielding Mira, the blade cracking the stone further. The interface warned: Relic Integrity: Failing. Rift Collapse Imminent. His blood tingled, the Amplifier's power nearly spent. He needed to end this now.
The Cult's remnants chanted, their fireballs arcing toward Aeloria's cavalry. Her archers loosed, arcane-tipped arrows felling two red-robed figures. The interface updated: Cult Losses: 2 infantry. Morale: Collapsed. The vanguard pressed Taryn's remnants, Valthar's lances piercing Edric's last rider. The interface noted: Taryn Losses: 1 cavalry. Morale: Broken.
Elias scanned the clearing, spotting a shattered Cult crystal, its fiery runes dim. The interface pinged: Legacy Protocol: Unlocked. Blueprint Available—Rift Sealer. A device to close the rift: crystal shard, alchemical residue, blood infusion. His blood could stabilize it, but the cost might be lethal. "Mira, the crystal!" he shouted.
Mira darted from cover, her braid bouncing, grabbing the shard despite her burned hand's pain. She tossed it, her freckled face pale. Elias caught it, his burned arm screaming as he smeared his blood on the crystal, etching altar runes with his bayonet. The interface estimated: Construction Time: 45 seconds.
The wraith lord roared, its blade sweeping, felling a Drayce archer. The interface flashed: Drayce Losses: 1 archer. Aeloria's cavalry charged, their lances striking the wraith, blue sparks flying. Seline's spear pierced a Cult follower, their body crumpling, but a fireball grazed her leg, her cry sharp.
Elias finished the sealer, the crystal pulsing green and blue. He slammed it into the altar's crack, runes flaring, a shockwave erupting. The rift's wail silenced, its swirl collapsing, the wraith lord disintegrating with a scream. The interface flashed: Rift Closed. Wraith Entities Neutralized.
The Cult's remnants fled, their chants broken. Valthar's vanguard hesitated, their morale shaken. Aeloria raised her hand, her archers nocking arrows. "Stand down, Vaeron," she said. "We talk now."
Elias's body shook, the Amplifier's power gone, pain flooding back. His vision blurred, blood seeping from his shoulder and chest. The interface pinged: Tactics (Level 1): Secure alliance to protect domain. He leaned on his musket, its bayonet dim, and met Aeloria's gaze. "Help rebuild Vaeron," he said, "and I'll forge weapons to change this war."
Aeloria's lips twitched, almost a smile. "A child with a general's tongue. Very well—Drayce will aid you, but the Amplifier stays under our watch." The interface tagged: House Drayce: Ally (Conditional).
Seline limped to Elias, her spear as a crutch, her blue eyes wary but relieved. Mira clutched her dagger, her burned hand trembling. Edric's last two cavalry stood at a distance, their green armor bloodied, their allegiance uncertain.
The forest quieted, the altar's runes dark. The interface flashed: Sub-Arc Transition: Secret Reclamation Initiated. Objective: Rebuild domain. Elias's mind shifted—his village was in ruins, his people scattered, but the forge remained, and the musket's blueprint was his edge. The interface mapped: Domain Resources: 1 forge, 2 iron ingots, scattered debris.
A low moan broke the silence—a peasant, half-hidden in the underbrush, bloodied but alive. The interface tagged: Survivor: Displaced. Loyalty: Potential. Elias's heart stirred—his people, his responsibility.
He turned to Seline and Mira. "We start now," he said, his voice low. "Find survivors, secure the forge. We rebuild in secret." Seline nodded, her blonde hair falling into her eyes. Mira's freckled face hardened, her loyalty absolute.
But a faint hum pulsed from the altar's ruins, a single rune flickering. The interface whispered: Relic Fragment: Dormant. Threat Potential: Unknown.