Morning sunlight bathed the Royal Capital in gold.
Yet beneath the beauty...
An excitement unlike anything the kingdom had witnessed in generations swept through the streets.
The day had finally arrived.
The representatives of every Order would begin their journey to the Lunar Sanctuary.
The capital's eastern plaza overflowed with people.
Children sat on rooftops.
Merchants abandoned their stalls.
Even elderly veterans leaned upon walking sticks, eager to witness history.
It wasn't every day the Orders stood beneath the same sky without drawing swords.
...
At the center of the plaza...
Nine banners fluttered proudly.
The banner of House Veilbourne.
House Nocturne.
House Velmora.
House Duskryn.
House Umbraxis.
Beside them...
House Valen.
House Ashgrave.
House Frostbane.
House Thorncrest.
The united banner of the Third Order stood above them all.
Queen Nyxara stepped onto the platform overlooking the crowd.
Silence gradually spread.
"My people."
Her voice carried effortlessly across the plaza.
"For centuries..."
"The Lunar Trials have united our kind beneath the Moon."
She looked across the sea of faces.
"There..."
"No Alpha commands."
"No throne grants privilege."
"No noble name grants victory."
"The Moon sees only the heart."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.
Nyxara smiled faintly.
"Our representatives shall carry not merely their own hopes..."
"...but the hopes of every citizen of the Third Order."
Thunderous applause erupted.
...
Standing below the platform...
Riven adjusted the strap securing the plain travel pack across his shoulder.
Unlike ordinary missions...
He wore no ceremonial armor.
Only a simple black tunic bearing the crest of the Third Order.
Beside him stood Nyss.
Her silver hair danced gently in the breeze.
She wore equally modest white attire.
Even dressed simply...
She attracted countless curious glances.
Not because she was beautiful.
Though she certainly was.
There was simply...
Something calming about her presence.
Nearby...
Zoldick stretched his shoulders.
"So..."
He smirked.
"You nervous?"
Riven laughed.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Nah."
"I'm excited."
Marlis folded his arms.
"Excitement clouds judgment."
Zoldick rolled his eyes.
"There he goes again."
"You ever smile?"
"I do."
"When fools stop talking."
Even Riven couldn't suppress a laugh.
...
Eryx approached the group.
The chatter immediately quieted.
He looked over each young warrior.
Then stopped before Riven.
"You remember what I told you?"
Riven nodded.
"The Trials aren't won by strength alone."
Eryx smiled.
"Good."
He turned toward everyone.
"The Sanctuary tests who you are."
"Not merely what you can do."
"If you forget that..."
"You'll fail before the first trial even begins."
Everyone nodded.
...
Suddenly...
A palace guard hurried through the crowd.
"My Queen!"
Nyxara turned.
"They've arrived."
Silence swept across the plaza.
Every head turned toward the eastern gate.
The enormous gates slowly opened.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
The rhythmic sound of armored footsteps echoed through the streets.
The First Order.
Leading them...
A towering man clad in crimson armor.
His scarred face betrayed decades of battle.
Upon his back rested an enormous greatsword.
Behind him marched twelve warriors.
None spoke.
Each radiated absolute confidence.
"They're intimidating..."
One citizen whispered.
Eryx quietly spoke.
"House Drakhar."
Behind them came another group.
Unlike the first...
These warriors wore dark wolf pelts.
Their movements were silent.
Almost impossible to follow.
"House Vargan."
Seraphine identified them calmly.
Riven observed quietly.
So...
These were the strongest houses of the First.
Yet...
Someone was missing.
"Aurelion."
He wasn't there.
Almost as though sensing Riven's thoughts...
The crimson-armored commander looked toward him.
Their eyes met.
For several seconds...
Neither looked away.
Then...
The commander smiled.
A warrior's smile.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
Simply acknowledging another fighter.
Riven returned the gesture.
...
Another trumpet echoed.
The Fourth Order had arrived.
Moon-white banners fluttered gracefully.
Their warriors moved with elegant precision.
No wasted movement.
Every step perfectly synchronized.
Leading them...
A woman in flowing silver robes.
Queen Selene Astrae.
The crowd instinctively fell silent.
Even those who had never seen her before understood immediately.
This woman...
Was extraordinary.
Beside her walked Caelum.
His calm golden eyes swept across the plaza before briefly settling upon Nyxara.
The two rulers exchanged respectful nods.
Then...
Selene's eyes found Nyss.
A warm smile appeared.
Nyss smiled back.
Riven noticed the exchange.
"...She really loves her daughter."
He thought.
Completely unaware...
Of just how profound their bond truly was.
Behind Selene marched the noble houses of the Fourth.
House Astrae.
House Silverfang.
House Nightveil.
House Lunaris.
Each bearing banners embroidered with silver moons.
...
The plaza now held representatives of three Orders.
Only one remained.
Suddenly...
A cold wind swept across the square.
The crowd parted instinctively.
The Second Order.
Or rather...
Its remnants.
House Valen.
House Ashgrave.
House Frostbane.
House Thorncrest.
Though now citizens of the Third...
The Lunar Trials recognized every ancient house.
Today...
They marched beneath their own banners one final time.
Not as rivals.
But as equals.
Lord Magnus Valen stopped before Nyxara.
He knelt.
"My Queen."
Nyxara raised him gently.
"Stand."
"You kneel no longer because you were conquered."
"You stand..."
"...because you belong."
For several moments...
Magnus simply stared at her.
Then...
He smiled.
A genuine smile.
The resentment he had carried since the war...
Finally disappeared.
Behind him...
The other three house heads lowered their banners.
Not in surrender.
But in respect.
Around the plaza...
Citizens of the former Second Order watched with moist eyes.
For the first time...
They truly believed it.
They were no longer outsiders.
They were the Third.
...
Far away...
At the Lunar Sanctuary...
The Elder slowly opened the ancient silver gates.
For the first time in decades...
They moved.
The sound echoed across the mountains.
Ancient runes illuminated one after another.
The Elder whispered softly.
"They're coming..."
Above him...
The full Moon shone brighter than ever.
Deep beneath the sanctuary...
The unfinished mural glowed faintly.
The outline beside Varokh Rexar became just a little clearer.
And somewhere...
Far beyond the knowledge of every Order...
A pair of ancient crimson eyes slowly opened within the endless darkness.
Not with malice.
Not yet.
But with awareness.
As though something...
Or someone...
Had begun walking the path destiny had prepared.