When they emerged from the sewers of Tarannon, the twin sources of the sun had already risen high, painting the peaks of the Shattered Fang Mountains blood red. The group stood on a rocky hill outside the city, gasping for breath. Elara pulled back the hood of her cloak, letting the wind catch her crimson hair. Her green eyes were locked onto the distant Obsidian Citadel.
"We're out of the city," Elara said. "But the Legion won't stop hunting us. Especially now that they know who you are, Finis Ferrum. Shadow Lord Malachar will do anything to capture you alive."
Finis stroked Sirius's head. The young lion, bothered by the foul stench of the sewer, was sneezing incessantly. "Malachar... What do you know about him?"
Elara sat down on a rock. Her face grew serious. "Malachar is one of the oldest lords of the Shadow Legion. It's said he has lived for over a thousand years. He personally took part in the fall of Albaris, spilling the blood of the mages with his own hands. But what makes him truly dangerous isn't just his power. It's his intelligence. He is the Legion's greatest strategist. He planned the layouts of hundreds of fortresses across Eterra, their conquest strategies, the administration of their prison camps. And he has a special interest in you."
"Why?"
"Because you are the Last Seed of Albaris. The final representative of a people he destroyed. Destroying you isn't just a mission for him; it's personal. The mages of Albaris annihilated his clan. He wants his revenge by completely extinguishing the bloodline of Albaris."
Finis looked at his hands. His pale skin, his stark white fingers... The legacy of Albaris was both a gift and a curse. "We have to stop him. But not by destroying him. By showing him true balance."
Elara stared at Finis in disbelief. "Are you serious? He is the murderer of thousands of innocents. You're going to show him mercy?"
"It's not mercy," Finis said. "It's justice. But justice isn't only about punishment. Sometimes, it's also about healing. If I can heal Malachar, perhaps I can change the entire Legion."
Torin grunted. "That's a very dangerous gamble. What if he doesn't listen to you? What if he refuses to be healed?"
"Then," Kael said, drawing his sword, "we fight. But that should be the last resort."
The mountain path was far more treacherous than they had anticipated. The trail was a narrow goat track carved into steep cliffs. On one side, sharp rocks plunged into the abyss; on the other, volcanic walls rose towards the sky. The wind blew constantly from above, carrying with it the smell of sulfur and volcanic ash. With every step, the stones beneath their feet slipped, threatening to send them tumbling into the chasm.
Sirius bounded over the rocks with agility, occasionally stopping to wait for the rest of the group. But even he struggled on this path. At one point, his foot slipped, and he lurched towards the precipice. Finis caught him at the last moment, but lost his own balance in the process. Torin grabbed them both by the arm and pulled them back, otherwise all three would have plunged into the abyss.
"Be careful!" Torin shouted. "One mistake on this path means the end for all of us."
Elara pointed further up the trail. "Do you see that pass? We can rest once we reach it. But until we get there, we must watch out for Legion patrols. They roam these mountains constantly."
Just then, Mira's ears perked up. "I hear something. Wingbeats. Something large. And it's approaching."
They all looked to the sky. A colossal creature emerged from the clouds. At first, they thought it was a dragon. But as it drew closer, they realized it was not. The creature was like a cross between a bat and a serpent. Its skin was black and scaleless, covered in a constantly vibrating membrane. Its wings were at least ten meters across, leathery and tattered. A poisonous green smoke issued from its mouth, and its eyes glowed violet. And on its back rode two soldiers clad in the armor of the Shadow Legion.
"A Shadow Wyvern!" Elara shouted. "A Legion aerial patrol! They've spotted us!"
The wyvern let out a shrill scream and dove into an attack. It spewed a poisonous green flame from its mouth. The flame came directly at the group. Finis formed a shield from the Twilight Light. The flame struck the shield, toxic fumes spreading all around. But the shield held, protecting them.
Liriel immediately drew her bow and loosed an arrow at the wyvern's eye. The arrow struck true. The wyvern screamed in pain and lost its balance. One of the soldiers on its back tumbled into the abyss. His scream echoed among the rocks before vanishing forever.
The other soldier tried to regain control of the wyvern. The creature attacked again. This time, it targeted Sirius directly. It extended its massive talons towards the young lion. Sirius roared in response, swiping his claws at the wyvern's face. But the wyvern easily seized him and lifted him into the air.
"Sirius!" Finis cried out.
In that moment, the Twilight Light within Finis flared uncontrollably. But this time, he managed to suppress his anger. He maintained his balance. He shaped the light into a spear and hurled it at the wyvern's wing. The spear pierced the wing, and the creature lost its equilibrium. Sirius broke free from its talons, spun in the air, and managed to land on a rocky ledge. The wyvern, meanwhile, plummeted uncontrollably into the chasm. Its final shriek echoed through the mountains before fading into silence.
Sirius leaped down from the rock ledge and came to Finis's side. He was bleeding; the wyvern's talons had gouged deep gashes across his back. But he was alive. Finis immediately channeled his healing energy and mended Sirius's wounds.
"I almost lost you," Finis said, his eyes welling up.
Sirius licked his hand and rumbled softly. As if to say, "I'm here, don't worry."
By the time they reached the pass, the sun was about to set. The pass was a natural shelter between two giant rocks. Its walls were covered in ancient runes. The runes did not belong to Albaris; they were older, dating back to the First Age, telling of the philosophy of balance.
"This pass was built in the First Age," Elara said, touching the runes. "It was part of the Temple of Balance. But the temple was destroyed ages ago. Only this pass remains."
Finis studied the runes and copied them into his journal. "These runes speak of balance. The unity of light and darkness. Perhaps our greatest weapon against the Shadow Legion is this ancient wisdom."
That night, they made camp in the pass. They couldn't light a fire; the smoke would reveal their position to Legion patrols. So they tried to sleep in the dark, on the cold stones, huddled together for warmth.
Elara, while standing watch, came over to Finis. "I've heard a lot about you, Finis Ferrum. The Last Seed of Albaris, the Lightbearer, the Immortal Wanderer... But you're not like the legends describe."
"How was I supposed to be?"
"I don't know. More... godlike? But you're just a person. You fear, you grieve, you love. That makes you more real."
Finis stroked Sirius's sleeping head. "I was just a porter. A porter no one looked in the face back on Earth. But here, in this world, I have a purpose. Perhaps that's the real power. Having a purpose."
Elara smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll reach the Obsidian Citadel. A great trial awaits you there. But know this: no matter what happens, you're not alone. The Valdorian Resistance stands with you. And it's not just us. The free peoples across Eterra know your name. They know the Lightbearer has come, that hope has been reborn."
Finis looked up at the sky. Eterra's twin suns were setting in the distance, painting the sky in shades of orange and silver. The stars had begun to appear one by one. And among those stars, the Sirius star shone brighter than ever.
"Tomorrow," Finis said, "everything will change."
At the first light of dawn, they arrived before the Obsidian Citadel. The fortress was far larger, far more terrifying than they had imagined. Its walls, built of black volcanic stone, rose defiantly towards the sky. A dark energy constantly emanated from its towers, covering the sky with clouds. At the very center of the castle, a giant black crystal stretched upwards, continuously drawing lightning bolts onto itself. And the gates of the castle were made of colossal black metal, engraved with the symbol of the Shadow Legion: a broken scale.
But the most terrifying sight was the plaza before the citadel. Hundreds of Legion soldiers were arrayed in the square. All of them wore black armor and held weapons that vibrated with shadow energy. And before the soldiers, on a giant throne, sat Shadow Lord Malachar.
Malachar was far different from what Finis had imagined. He was not a giant creature, but a tall, slender, almost elegant figure. He wore armor of mixed black and purple, composed of constantly moving shadows. His face was young and handsome; pale-skinned, with sharp cheekbones and thin lips. But his eyes... His eyes were completely black. There was no white, no iris. Only an infinite darkness. And those eyes were looking directly at Finis.
"The Last Seed of Albaris," Malachar said. His voice was silky and calm, like the hiss of a serpent. "You have come at last. I have been waiting for you."
Finis stepped forward. Sirius growled beside him, but Finis stopped him. "Malachar. I've come to talk to you."
"To talk?" Malachar let out a thin laugh. "What could you possibly tell me? The supremacy of light? The importance of mercy? Or the necessity of balance? I know balance better than you, child."
"No," Finis said. "You have forgotten balance. Your order serves only darkness. That is not balance; it is tyranny."
Malachar's eyes flashed for a moment. "You do not know what Albaris did to me. They destroyed my clan, my family, my people. Light only destroys. I saw it with my own eyes. And now you come to speak to me of balance?"
"Albaris made mistakes. But you are making the same mistake. You are trying to destroy light with darkness. That only brings more suffering."
Malachar rose to his feet. He raised his hand, forming a sphere of pure shadow energy in his palm. "Then show me your power, Lightbearer. If you can defeat me, perhaps I will listen to you. But if you lose, the bloodline of Albaris will be extinguished here forever."
Finis gathered the Twilight Light in his palms. The light burned in shades of gold and silver, calm yet powerful, like a steady flame. Sirius roared beside him. His friends drew their weapons.
"I did not come to destroy you, Malachar," Finis said. "I came to heal you."
And the battle began.