180–100 B.D. | Transition into the Expansion Phase
The wind smelled of salt and smoke.
Not strong. Not overwhelming. But enough to linger.
Kael stood on the cliffs of the Arbor, his hands loosely clasped behind his back as his gaze drifted across the sea. In the distance—barely more than shadows—ships moved.
Too many. Not merchants. Not this time.
"Ironborn?" The voice behind him was calm. Controlled. As always. Errine stepped beside him, her gaze following his.
"Among others," Kael replied without turning. "The Reach sends men again. And Dorne… is watching." A quiet breath escaped her. Not surprised.Errine was rarely surprised. "We're holding the coastlines," she said after a moment. "The eastern forests are secured. But our forces are… stretched."
"I know." Silence settled between them.
Kael's gaze drifted… then stopped.
A short distance away, on a sun-warmed rock, Luna lay stretched out completely at ease. As if the world itself existed for her comfort. A butterfly gently landed on her nose. Stillness. A twitch. Her nose scrunched slightly. Again. Then—
"…achoo."
Kael let out a quiet snort, unable to suppress a brief laugh. "Luna…"
No response. He sighed. "Luna."
One golden eye slowly opened. Annoyed.
"What…" she dragged out. "Let me sleep…"
A low, irritated grumble followed. "If I'm not even allowed to use my dragon form here… honestly…"
Kael smiled faintly. "You know why. If Valyria finds out there are dragons here, things get complicated."
Luna frowned. "Those little creatures?" she muttered. "They're weak… and arrogant."
A quiet giggle echoed nearby.
Erlef.
Errine crossed her arms, a faint smile on her lips.
"Luna," she said calmly, "we know. But we're still building. If Valyria gets involved…" She let the sentence hang. "You and your siblings can't be everywhere."
Luna grumbled. "Yeah, yeah… I know… But I'm doing nothing here. Errine builds her perfect cities, Erlef plays with her forests…" She lifted her head slightly. "And me?"
"The other three are bored too. And the phoenixes are always sleeping anyway…"
Kael walked over and sat down beside her. Without a word. Luna let her head fall against his shoulder. He exhaled softly.
"Alright… sleepy head." A small smile. "Then you get a task."
One eye opened instantly. Interested.
"You'll take command of all aerial units." Silence. "Dragons. Phoenixes. Eagles." Luna slowly sat up.
"No ship reaches these islands at night." His voice remained calm. "You destroy them." A moment. "No survivors." The wind swept across the cliffs. "And no one sees you." His gaze met hers. "There will be no stories about you." "Understood, Commander Luna?"
A heartbeat of silence. Then—
"YES!"
She jumped up, pulling Kael down and hugging him tightly. "I'll do it! I'll do it!" she laughed. "They'll never know there are dragons here!"
A quiet, dark giggle followed.
"Hehehe…"
Kael sighed softly. Errine barely shook her head. Erlef grinned.
The wind still carried the scent of war.
Kael slowly stood again. His gaze sharpened. Focused.
"Valyria will fall." No drama. No emphasis.
Errine blinked once. Slowly. "…When?"
Kael shrugged slightly. "No idea." A brief glance aside. "I'm not a calendar." A hint of dry humor. Then calm again: "Not tomorrow. Not this year." His gaze returned to the sea. "But soon enough."
Silence. Errine thought. Visibly. "If Valyria falls… the world changes."
"Yes."
"And… magic?" Kael raised his hand slightly. A faint trace of energy gathered. Flickered. And vanished. Just like that. Errine's eyes sharpened. "…It doesn't stay."
"No."
"It disappears."
Silence. The wind grew stronger.
"Then we need a source," she said. Kael shook his head. "No." He looked at her directly. Calm. Certain. "We will be the source."
The World Tree towered above them. Ancient. Silent. Other. And full of power. Erlef lay in the grass, watching the leaves. "It lives… differently," she murmured. "It does," Kael replied. Errine stepped closer. Analyzing. "It produces energy. Constantly."
"But it doesn't stay here." Kael nodded. "Exactly." Errine looked at him. "Then we're losing it." A faint smile. "Right." Kael placed his hand against the bark. "We can't stop the world."
"But we can decide… what happens to us." He turned. "We build something that holds it."
"A storage?" Erlef asked.
"Not yet." Kael shook his head. "First… an anchor."
The first tower was simple. Stone. Runes. Structure. Not a monument. Not yet. Errine stood nearby. Watching. "If this doesn't work…"
"Then we lose nothing," Kael said calmly.
He stepped forward. Raised his hand. Silence. Then—
The air changed. Barely noticeable. But real. Heavier. Muted. The wind lost its edge.
And the magic—
…stayed.
Erlef held her breath. "Oh…"
Luna grinned. "Now this is interesting."
Errine's eyes sharpened. "It's not escaping…"
Kael lowered his hand. The effect remained. Stable.
He looked out over the Arbor.
In the distance:
Smoke.Ships.War.
Behind him:
The tower.
The future.
"This is only the beginning."