The grand balcony of Elderglade trembled.
Another explosion.
Distant.
Threatening.
Ripples of fear swept through the gathered crowd. Yet even as panic threatened to overwhelm the assembled elves, the Spirit Elder stood unwavering. His arms raised in a gesture of calm. His presence anchored the chaos, his ancient voice carrying across the turbulent scene.
An elf emerged from the crowd. Measured steps despite the surrounding mayhem. He moved with the fluid grace characteristic of their kind, but urgency marked his bearing. The Spirit Elder's attention locked onto him.
Ashen face.
Wide eyes.
The elf leaned close. His whispered words cut through the noise:
"The Wispwood chamber..." His voice trembled. "All the Elflings... they're gone."
The Spirit Elder's arms lowered with controled slowness. Ancient eyes boring into the messenger.
"Salvaged?"
"How many remained?"
"None, Elder." The messenger's voice cracked. "We're guarding the chamber, but after the explosion…"
He swallowed hard.
"Nothing remained. Not the children, not even the keepers."
Before the Spirit Elder could respond, Halodor stepped forward. Regal bearing unchanged despite the chaos. "What's happening?" he demanded, one arm protectively around Amanda's waist.
The Spirit Elder's weathered face creased into a smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes. "Merely another adventurer testing their might against our blessed realm," he said, his tone dismissive. "Brute force alone has never breached Elderglade's defenses. However..."
He paused.
A meaningful glance at the trembling structures.
"The safety of our people must come first."
The words spilled warm, almost gentle, yet his fingers tightened on the staff as though he were driving the point into the earth itself.
With a gesture, he summoned the Earth Elder forward. "Secure our king and queen in their royal quarters. Take our finest warriors. Let nothing approach them."
The Earth Elder nodded. His massive frame already moving. Halodor guided Amanda toward the castle interior. Her body moved with eerie fluidity. Yet her eyes flickered.
Brief.
Defiance.
They disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.
The Spirit Elder turned back to the crowd. "My children," his voice rang out, rich with paternal concern. "The Wind and Fire Elders will guide you to safety within our sacred walls."
As if summoned by his words, the Wind Elder's robes began to billow. Breeze lifted him from the balcony. He descended before the crowd. Silver hair danced around his face.
The Fire Elder launched himself from the balcony.
Spectacular.
Flames erupted from the ground below. They cradled his descent in a spiral of managed inferno.
The Spirit Elder watched the gathered elves file into the castle. His gentle smile never wavered. He nodded to each passing face. A picture of grandfatherly concern.
Yet in his eyes, hidden beneath layers of practiced benevolence, something stirred.
Calculating.
Patient.
Another explosion rocked the forest in the distance. The Spirit Elder's smile deepened imperceptibly. Like a predator watching prey stumble into a carefully laid trap.
The last echoes of footsteps faded into the castle depths.
Silence.
The Water Elder materialized beside the Spirit Elder. Morning mist condensing into form. The grandfatherly mask melted away. Features now twisted.
"The Cursed Child."
A hiss.
"Seraphina and her mongrel clan dare to strike at us." His fingers curled into claws. Their tips glowed with suppressed power.
The Water Elder's laugh was cold. "Their numbers are insignificant. They are but drops in an ocean of our power." Ice crystals formed in the air around his words.
"Indeed." The Spirit Elder's lips curled into a cruel smile. "And they shall pay dearly for attempting to rob us of our mana resources."
His eyes gleamed.
Malicious.
"Lead our defenses. Deploy them if necessary."
Understanding darkened the Water Elder's features.
The Water Elder stepped back. Temperature plummeted. Frost crackled across the marble floor in intricate patterns. It spread outward from his feet like a blooming flower. Each breath became visible. Frozen ghosts hanging in the space between them.
Crack!
Sharp.
The sound of water freezing instantly.
Two massive protrusions burst from the Water Elder's back. They shredded through elegant robes. The wings began as liquid. Droplets suspended in air. In a heartbeat, they crystallized into magnificent structures of pure ice.
Layer upon layer of frost built upon itself. Each one perfectly clear. A net of gleaming feathers that broke into flickering colors.
Tip to tip.
The wings pulsed with inner light. Veins of deeper blue ran through them. Where they connected to his back, the ice released wisps of vapor. Supernatural mist swirled around him. Small crystals formed and fell from the wings' edges.
Musical tinkling as they shattered.
A powerful beat of crystallized wings. The Water Elder surged skyward. An arctic gust trailed behind him, coating the balcony in frost. Sunlight refracted through his wings as he ascended. Ever-shifting patterns of rainbow light danced across Elderglade's walls.
Beautiful.
Terrible.
Alone on the balcony.
The Spirit Elder turned his gaze toward the embattled forest. Explosions continued to thunder. Each one sent tremors through the ancient stronghold. His aged fingers traced patterns in the air. Sigils glowed briefly before fading into nothing.
"Dearest Seraphina,"
"To place your faith in a mere human adventurer... how far you've fallen from our ancient grace."
A chuckle.
Dead leaves scraping across stone.
"You never understood the true strength of our forest. Those legendary beasts that prowl our lands? They're nothing compared to the shadows that dwell within."
Another explosion rocked Elderglade's foundation. The Spirit Elder stood unmoved. His robes barely stirred in the aftermath.
"You may have disrupted my timeline," he continued.
"But as long as I have a breeding pair capable of producing powerful offspring..."
His eyes flickered.
The direction Halodor and Amanda had disappeared.
"Time is a luxury I can afford."
His smile grew wider. More twisted. In his mind's eye, he could already see it. Seraphina and her rebels falling within Elderglade's walls. Their bodies becoming vessels for his true purpose.
Just like the others.
"Your sacrifice will accelerate everything. The grand design will finally—"
A new sound cut through his musings.
Not an explosion this time.
Deeper.
Primal.
The Spirit Elder's eyes narrowed. He felt it. A disturbance in the forest's magic. Something was coming. Something that made even his ancient blood run cold.
His smile never wavered. But his fingers tightened on the balcony rail. Deep gouges marked the ancient wood.
Whatever approached through his forest, whatever power this human adventurer wielded, the Spirit Elder knew one thing with certainty.
The game he had played for centuries was entering its final phase.
And he intended to win.