Chapter 300: Chapter 300

Tanda drew her bow as she flapped her wings and flew through the air, her body filled with righteous, auril-infused avenging flames. Firing three shots in quick succession, Tanda sniped several of the foolish Guild War enemies.

Exploding wolves bit through the Norse warrior’s legs, crippling them, and the deathly energies invaded their bodies, preventing all but the most powerful healing from keeping them alive for long. This gave Nessa or Ruby just enough time to steal their communication tokens from their clothing before finishing them off, the items seemingly unable to enter a Storage Bracelet. Not all of them had it, but it appeared most of them did.

The city of Cloudhaven was large and much like Tanda’s birth home in Harmony Peaks. It was largely comprised of small caverns carved out of the side of the floating mountain, much like their honeycomb-like roosts. The entire city and floating mountain were nearly covered in dense clouds of wind mana, though it seemed their enemies had pushed the clouds to certain areas for their ambushes.

There were some buildings made of the gem-like structures–crystallized wind mana. The buildings were rather open in their construction, the homes looking more like shrines or temples in how they lacked much furniture. It seemed this configuration allowed the wind to move freely through the city, the people having open or more public lifestyles.

The caves and the open buildings were crawling with the Obsidian Blade and their allies, not limited to the ankle-winged people, the talari. Because non-fliers were here and in big numbers, they clearly had people here lying in wait, prepared to slow them down in their attempt to stop or curve the tempest storm.

Tanda had hoped to find the betrayer within the Breath of the World’s clergy and overturn their plot, but the enemy crowded inside the main temple where they were all located in their largest group.

The enemy guild had many of their stake tools lodged into the ground before they even arrived, creating a large dome that covered the entrance. Sadly, they also covered or were near the Nexus Node, so they couldn’t easily call an emergency and disable PvP at this time. As noble ranked Knights, they certainly had the authority to do this, but they required a reason. The storm in the distance was more than enough.

And as much as they wished to fly into one of the gaping holes in the stone and sneak into the temple, the winds flowing through them were quite dangerous and small; Valora was unable to fit through any of them.

Their team was being hunted since they arrived, their motives clear that they didn’t want them to get into the temple. So their team did their best to whittle away at them as their guild war enemies hunted them around the island, but time was running out.

As much as they wanted to just evacuate the city, this was a significant challenge. Because even though the city wasn’t hit by the hurricane just yet, the winds nearby were already turbulent and dangerous with debris and other magical phenomena nearby.

The clergy had been doing their best to control the world’s breath but were only minimally successful in keeping the city from being shredded apart by random debris and other elemental storms in the past few days. And now, it was like their efforts had likely stopped…or something bad had happened.

Flying between two buildings, Tanda dodged a sudden arrow meant to try to pick her off and blocked another with her wing infused with auril and an explosion from Jake’s Hearthian Presence. Then she returned a volley of her own.

Her bowstring sang as her cyclical hearth beat, the arrow piercing their bodies, and the flaming wolves taking a larger bite into several archers on a rooftop. She went for the kill this time with her larger avenging flames infusions into her ammunition, as disabling these ranged attackers without killing them was far too difficult.

Nessa’s lake traveled on the ground, and she cut down enemies hiding within the buildings. Ruby gathered up more blood within her orb as she rode inside Nessa’s lake safely. Blades of blood splashed outward as she wounded more members of the Obsidian Blades and stole their communicators just before causing them to expire.

Tanda took numerous shots at the domed magical barrier in the distance as she could, trying to expend the mana in their construction. Dozens of the lame magic missiles were sent out as the enemy’s reply. Valora pushed the dense clouds of wind mana around Tanda, blocking them.

Most likely, there were nearly three hundred operatives in this city, an insane number for four warriors and a longma to go against. But thankfully, quality combined with mobility allowed them to keep themselves from being taken out. She was dropping seeds of deadly plants throughout the city with her spare auril and mana regenerated from her hearth, but these just slowed the enemy down at best.

Three warriors with shields and a handful of winged warriors with bows and staves rushed out, ready to ambush Tanda as she came around the corner of a large, shrine-like building. They had been concealed in the clouds, and several spells were primed to launch.

But from another cloud off to their side, Ophelia blitzed them on Valora, her polearm swinging in a vicious, downward arc and cleaving through one of the archers. Fire and lightning were released from her blade in a deadly cone of energy, the Vajrafire Blast harming and stunning them all with righteous might, before she continued on down the alley.

Nessa’s lake washed over their legs from that same cloud, freezing them to the ground, and her and Ruby’s hands reached out and stole their tokens as they stabbed each one. Fhesiah had wished they collected as many of these tokens as they could to expand their own ‘web.’ Nessa was unable to unravel the tokens currently, but Nana was working on a method that might work for her in her cauldron. If nothing else, they would deliver them to Fhesiah.

The small team kept on the move, Ophelia on Valora able to travel at insane speeds and wreak havoc on their enemies. The clouds followed them thanks to Valora, protecting them from the magic missiles meant to slow them. They moved to one of the gem buildings near the barrier in the distance to hide inside for a minute, waiting for Nessa to scout with her Divine Sense.

Tanda landed and fluttered her wings before she laughed, thinking of how they crushed the last party so easily. “They thought they could ambush us by hiding in the clouds, but the clouds are our ally instead.”

Nessa popped up from the lake, a smile on her face as she looked around her. “It is helpful. I have my lake to hide in, but enough attacks against it, and it will take too much Qi to keep active. I should learn to make a powerful mist.”

Ruby rose up from Nessa’s lake as well, frowning. “We’ve defeated so many of them, but we’re still not ready to take on the barrier? I don’t think there are many left in the city now; they are fleeing to hide inside that barrier instead now.”

Ophelia sat high up on Valora, frowning as she looked at the barrier in the distance. “As strong as we are, our greatest strength is our hearths. We benefit from the fight going on as long as possible, so a frontal assault only favors them. Still, we need to get into that temple if we want to deal with that betrayer. We know there’s at least one.”

Nessa nodded. “And the storm is not even the only issue. The Greater Rift…the sooner it is dealt with, the better.”

Ruby groaned, her voice full of irritation. “Then, what are we waiting on?”

Ophelia smiled as she looked to the horizon. A flock could be seen in the distance, and Tanda recognized her brethren’s flapping wings even from miles away.

Tanda smiled. “Reinforcements.”

Ophelia nodded. “That’s right. With some help, we’ll bust through quickly.”

The enemy didn’t make a final rush to try to pick them off, instead continuing to turtle up inside their barrier, or perhaps, plan their counter-assault. If Nessa was right, they were only buying time for the betrayer within, under the ruse of the Guild War.

Clan Hart’s small group moved to the further edge away from the barrier, waiting the last minute or so as their allies arrived.

The many Ravenwolf Tribe members landed near them and began listening to Tanda’s song as their own hearts reported their situation. Her father had entered the dungeon on the Fire Continent with a decent-sized contingent by now, but a majority of the tribe’s clan remained here where they were needed. They had been successful in rescuing many.

Their songs reported their progress. They had finished planting all of their array flags and destroying the odd wind crystals and closed as many Rifts as possible. The enemy was probably aware this was occurring and had stepped up their plans, and this was why the hurricane was now headed straight here.

The battle would begin soon, but after a long flight at their top speeds, their auril hearts needed to recover. Many took some of Fhesiah’s pills or ate auril beast meat, recovering their bodies. They unloaded their passengers, the many spriggons, dryads, and nymphs who were small and portable compared to the much larger beastkin. The most update n0vels are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥

Tanda spotted two familiar figures with their clan. “Davonius, Avina! It’s good to see you both!” She walked over to them, and they saluted with their hands to their hearts.

Davonius gave a reptilian grin, his chameleon eyes scanning the surroundings in their odd way. “It’s you, Lady Tanda! Where is the goddess–Lady Fhesiah?”

Ophelia had walked over too, and she chuckled. “Sorry, my friend–Fhesiah is busy on the earth continent.”

The chameleon somehow managed to pout with his muzzled reptilian face, and Avina rolled her eyes behind him with a fond smile, her wings fluttering.

Nessa had a sudden thought, “Ah–you’re just who we may need. Your auril can obscure more than just yourself now, yes?”

Davonius answered by his gray auril spreading outward, covering Avina and two more members of his party and making them visibly disappear, before drawing the auril back.

“I can manage a couple if they stay near me, yes. Despite reaching the second Tier, my ability as an auril hero to control nearby auril and turn it into my gray, chameleon auril… is just not as strong as my allies. I was tempted to take the larger storage option when I increased in Tier, because it seemed like the strongest choice. But like most others, I could not reject a deeper connection to the Heart of the World!”

Avina and Tanda smiled at that. She knew that most beastkin weren’t all that mixed on this choice, a vast majority leaning toward what Davonius did. But it was mostly the beastkin males that decided to go for the more self-reliant option, their logic being that as the males, they needed to be the strongest guardians, just like in their history. Beastkin women almost exclusively chose the deeper connection to Highlands with very few choosing otherwise.

Ophelia said, “Then… I think we need you to sneak at least Nessa inside that temple. We are going to crush those Obsidian Blade guys in that barrier, but we want you to move in at the same time. It wasn’t clear, but we think something might be going on inside. Getting in even a minute sooner might change the tide.”

Davonius didn’t hesitate. “I will do it. Let us make haste.”

Ophelia laughed. “Wow, not scared at all anymore, huh? You’ve come a long way since you shakily climbed onto my shield at Life’s Haven.”

Davonius coughed and wrapped his arm around Avina. “Sometimes, it just helps to have a strong mate behind you. But I have fought many battles over these past five years and trained hard to make myself useful to the goddess! I’m ready to show you my might!”

As much as they wanted to use the hiding cloak, it simply wasn’t that useful against enemies that were looking for them. Davonius’ ability to hide far exceeded the magic of the cloak; this much was clear.

Nessa replied, “Then we will go now and enter as the barrier falls, or find another way in if we can. C’mon, Ruby.”

Nessa split up from their group, along with Ruby, as they rushed off to the barrier under Davonius’ invisible protection. The three would have to be strong enough to handle whatever happened inside, and hopefully, the elves within didn’t fight them instead.

Thankfully, because they had rescued so many of them recently and sent them here, she didn’t think this would be an issue.

Sati had let them know a few things with her new trait, her Celestial Perspective. The enemy Champion or its equivalents were in or near the incoming storm. There appeared to be more than one within. However, it was challenging to tell because of several points of corruption that appeared to match the statues or the wind crystals within the storm, and were constantly moving with the flow of it.

Judging from the corruption within, the betrayer in Cloudhaven was only in a small, much weaker group. They could have a special artifact that could tip things in their favor, though. Nessa and Ruby would have to be careful and just prevent the worst from happening–if it wasn’t already too late.

Among the Ravenwolf Tribe who arrived, it was largely avian beastkin and others with their auril wing suits, only those able to fly fast and great distances and their smaller passengers. There would be more coming later, perhaps, but their Battlegroup would not wait. They would fight now that they had recovered for a couple of minutes.

The Battlegroups merged, and the Ravenwolf warriors and those who supported them prepared themselves for battle.

Tanda and several Ravenwolf’s Sublimations filled the area, portals to Highlands opening and growing a jungle on the island in front of them. Spriggons and the various druids seeded the jungle with magical seeds, much like her usual summons when she wasn’t sealed, and the nature druids added on to the forest’s protection.

The Ravenwolf Tribe took to the sky, and shortly after, their arrows began raining down on the barrier in the distance. Their barrage would be endless, so it seems their enemies decided to rush out the back of the barrier, their flyers taking to the sky as the others sprinted around toward the jungle, their buffs from potions and other consumables covering them.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Valora brought forth the power of the wind, putting it at their backs and covering their people with the thick, magical clouds. The enemy’s incoming arrows were easily deflected by the prepared beastkin with their auril, even those enhanced by skills and spells. The beastkin’s attack switched to the incoming enemies, and it wasn’t long before many of the mercenaries began to fall, javelins and arrows raining down on them with powerful auril manifestations of beasts.

The talari were fast, and their arrows were magically enhanced by what seemed to be similar yet weaker elemental enhancements as the Grecian mages. Zeus’s lightning, Apollo’s fire, Hermes’ wind, and more empowered the attacks, but they were still weaker than the mages’ spells, and they were met with a much stronger defense.

When their arrows landed on the beastkin, shields and dense auril infusions into the runes on their armor kept blows from being fatal. Meanwhile, the beastkin’s attacks were much more deadly, and the talari’s speed did not make up for their lack of defense. The fragile flyers got taken out arrow after arrow, and Tanda chuckled–it really looked like her people were hunting birds rather than fighting aerial warriors.

Tanda’s arrows rained down on the barrier instead, and Ophelia charged past to crash into the barrier and cut into the stakes as she dashed by. After several swings cutting them down and without their people inside to reinforce the barrier, it finally collapsed.

Now the path for Davoinus, Nessa, and Ruby was open to sneak inside.

With the shield down, Tanda then switched her focus to the warriors to aid her brethren, but she almost found she didn’t need to. The Highlands jungle allowed her people to hide within its sanctuary, the beastkin going on the hunt within. While the mercenary warriors were skilled, the beastkin were much stronger together than they were alone, their hearts singing the song of battle.

The mercenaries tried using soldier tactics, with phalanxes producing barriers as they marched side by side and pushed into the jungle. But with aerial superiority quickly gained, the Ravenwolf were able to strafe behind them and launch auril-infused javelins and arrows from the rear. And warriors hunting within the jungle were able to flank the enemies from hiding positions, and the jungle itself came to their defense–living vines wrapping around legs, thorns and spines launched to grab their attention for more effective ambushes.

The Ravenwolf took out the Grecian and Norse mercenaries left and right, their skill and superiority obvious. Only a few of the Obsidian Blades had viable magical protection beyond their consumable buffs thanks to a few handfuls of valkyries and runic casters able to try to add some magical protection. And without it, the auril manifestations shredded their armor and bodies alike.

With equal numbers, they didn’t stand a chance. Each arrow or javelin shot was like a miniature magical spell with a strong physical component thanks to the crafted auril wood with runes, and manifestations of powerful beasts pierced right through their armored protections. The auril-infused heroes of the Ravenwolf countered the few Grecian and Nordic mages’ spells with ease, their Sublimations and growth allowing them to stand up against any of their special class abilities.

In all, the enemy’s showing was pathetic. The mercenaries spent more time in brothels and drinking than they did training. When compared to the Ravenwolf, who had lived and breathed battle, training, and dueling daily for decades, it was like facing unruly teenagers.

And when Tanda fired her bow, nearly every arrow took out one of the mercenaries, and it wasn’t long before they began running for the edge of the island, trying to flee. The storm was coming, and Tanda wondered where they thought they were going.

Fhesiah was paying attention and had responded to her thoughts. [Their tokens are saying something about it being safe to fly their gliders or flying mounts south for the next few minutes, but the storm is nearly here…and Calix is near, waiting for his ambush, I think.]

Tanda chuckled. “Gliders, really? I suppose if they get far enough away from the Node, we can’t shoot them down anymore… Still, none are going to get away.”

The Ravenwolf were faster, swooping down and cutting the mercenaries before they could get away, dispersing each enemy into motes of light. It would have been great to collect more tokens, but the reason Ruby and Nessa were doing it was because they could know where they were hidden on their bodies to directly take them thanks to their Divine Sense. They also didn’t really want to alert them to what they were doing.

Fhesiah replied, [It’s more an emergency method, since all the lizards they rented ate away their ropes and flew away because they were afraid of the storm, and then you guys wiped out those Talari guys in just a few seconds. Only a few have true mounts they can store capable of flight, like that Pegasus Avaron had.]

Tanda felt the wind change, air mana rushing through the area.

Nessa’s voice entered Tanda’s mind. [We could use some extra healing in here for the disciples. We’re fine.]

Ophelia replied, [On the way.]

Tanda hopped onto Valora’s back, and Ophelia rushed into the temple built into the side of the mountain.

The crystalline structure was dense here, rivaling that of the grand temple. But the place was much smaller, and over a hundred elves and sylphs were crammed inside. As Ophelia rode toward the center of the temple, they arrived in a tall worship room that had a spiral heading upward into the mountain. The elves and sylphs lined the thin ramp that went upward with the spiral, but the action appeared to be near the ground level.

Nessa and Ruby were standing over a high elf’s body, and Nessa had confirmed it was who they thought was the potential betrayer but couldn’t confirm it. He had convinced the disciples to use his trackers to fight the storm, which only fed the storm and made it more chaotic instead.

Davonius was near, providing some shamanic healing to some of the elves. Many of them looked haggard, and there were some who had passed out and a few who had died. Unfortunately, Bloodberri’s ability was the only one that could resurrect non-members of the Framework.

Tanda said, “Oh, this is a surprise. You have this under control already.”

Nessa grimaced. “Not…quite.” She pointed at the dead high elf on the ground. “This betrayer and the others used an artifact that sucked out all the wind mana and air from the room in a vacuum and released a ton of taint in an attempt to corrupt them as they were weakened.”

A sylph woman on the ground coughed and spoke up. “We did our best to fight back, protecting ourselves from the vacuum and the betrayers’ attacks thanks to your warning. We held on just long enough for help to arrive, thanks to your help earlier.” She chuckled darkly. “I think he hadn’t expected so many of us disciples to return here in time…or at all.”

Tanda looked over to her and realized she recognized the woman. She was one of the many disciples they had helped throughout the islands as they planted the array flags, sending them toward Cloudhaven once they destroyed the black crystal nearby and closed the nearby Rifts.

It seemed the goal of the betrayer was to kill many as they fed the crystals and aided the enemy instead, and then corrupt the rest here. But the Ravenwolf Tribe plus Clan Hart’s efforts had allowed likely triple the numbers to actually arrive back safely and skew their plan to kill the wind moon worshipers.

Nessa nodded. “So nearly all of the disciples were unconscious or weak enough that they couldn’t do anything. We just killed him and the other betrayers and destroyed the artifact as soon as we saw what was happening.”

The older high elf male, who she was sure was their spiritual leader based on the density of wind mana within him, High Prelate Lethyrian, was recovering his breath off to the side. They had learned of him from the various disciples they rescued, as he was the primary spiritual leader of the elves and sylphs. His ornate robes and staff made his station clear, the elf having long white hair and a stern expression.

“Thank you for defeating the betrayer and rescuing so many of my people. I’d say that we should flee and we would be better equipped to face the storm in Tempestia, but the people of Cloudhaven won’t be able to escape the storm as it is. There is not enough time.”

Ophelia nodded. “Sacrificing them is not an option for us–we will stay and fight for them.”

“I’m not sure what you will be able to fight…but we will do our utmost to try to save Cloudhaven, but it will be tough, even with this tool that you’ve granted us.” He looked over to the mana font, which was unfurled on the ground.

The array flags had started pumping wind mana into the room, but it would take some time for the full stream of mana to arrive as the formation flags drew mana toward their nexus point, the mana font.

Many wind elves and sylphs were already chanting, beginning a ritual and sending wind up into the spires above them. But many of the disciples were weak, and some were even tainted from the artifact. Some had been able to protect themselves, it seemed.

Tanda asked, “How much time do we have?”

Lethyrian answered, “Thirty minutes at most, and the storm will be here. I don’t think our chances are good.”

Tanda went around the room, casting Rejuvenation on everyone, infusing her purifying flames into the spell. The seed of mana and auril floated inside their chest, releasing swirling green energy that mended their organs and restored their vitality, all while removing the taint. Meanwhile, Ophelia did the same with her fires of Renewal, the vajrafire zapping away the corruption quickly. Nessa was using a basic Runic Healing spell too, but its effectiveness was limited in comparison.

With nearly two hundred requiring some form of healing, Tanda had to focus on those that looked weakest first. Thankfully, she could infuse as little or as much mana and auril into the spell as she wanted as she managed her mana and auril consumption. And the people were already recovering a little thanks to the dense wind mana in the room, so she only needed a few seconds per person.

Tanda asked aloud so they could hear her, “Can we not just…move the city out of the way?”

Lethyrian replied, “This storm…it is like it is alive, as we’ve been trying to slow it down or stabilize it, and it has thwarted our efforts with its movements. It is not natural–and it is not the Breath of the World. The storm is probably controlled by those…betrayers, or their masters. We can move the city, but not likely at the rate the storm moves. It will overcome us.”

Jake responded to them over their bond. [Sati and I will be planetside soon, but I think we’ll be running a little late for the storm to land. You’ll need to do your best until then.]

Nessa said over their bond, [We’ll need to find a way to hold out a few more minutes longer, then.]

Ophelia said to Lethyrian from the side, “Can you create a counter vortex? Help is on the way. We need to buy a few minutes.”

Lethyrian frowned. “What kind of help could make a difference? We can, and that is often what we do to weather a dangerous storm–this is far from the first. However, this one is nearly ten times the magnitude or more. This mana font will surely help, but… I’m not so sure that it will be enough to last more than a minute. The debris and the magical impact will shred apart through our vortex in no time.”

Ophelia nodded with a smile. “You’d be surprised, more wind mana is coming from the formation–this is not the peak. Just do the best you can, and we do have some others who can help.”

Tanda called out to her brethren outside, and after a few minutes, a few handfuls of druids entered–various nymphs and dryads, and even a few beastkin who were druids of Lugh. Much like Nadessa, there were many druids who specialized in elemental magics and could aid with creating the vortex. It wasn’t a lot, but every bit of strength just might count.

She didn’t really get it, but she knew the wind was a capricious thing, and magical wind driven by a semi-sentient moon…even more so. So the elves breathed as they began their ritual, a vortex drawing the wind into the temple.

The gems embedded into the walls and the whole mountain lit up, and mana flowed through them freely as it was guided through the spires. These were embedded into stone but eventually emerged to form large spikes that drew in the wind. Or, in this case, transmitted it.

Once the healing was done and things looked stable inside the temple, the four of them thanked Davonius for his help and went outside on Valora. They stopped by the Nexus Node and disabled PvP just in case, calling an emergency due to the incoming storm.

A pulse went outward before the switch was accepted. Now, if Calix attacked them during their defense, he could not use PvP as an excuse. They would have to use a contraband item to accomplish this, and they were sure their enemies would do so.

A band of wind was forming, a vortex or cyclone surrounding the large, city-sized island. She could even feel that the island’s course changed a little, moving in another direction. It would buy them a small amount of time, no doubt.

The four of them dismounted Valora and stood on the edge of the island. They could already see the storm in the distance. It was huge, and it looked like a devastating hurricane or giant tornado–even though it was not exactly that.

The storm came like a moving mountain, a column of blackened sky turning upon and circling itself. Its moving walls were veils of stone and soil ripped from the earth, whole boulders spinning weightlessly in its current like leaves caught in a whirlpool. Lightning crawled through the vortex’s edges, like jagged veins of violet and white that split the darkness in half-second flashes.

The ground far below quaked periodically as shards of cliff-face, uprooted forests, and shattered ruins crashed into the ground. This storm was magical chaos incarnate, not a natural tempest of just high- and low-pressure sections and centripetal and rotational forces.

It was enormous, and she understood it was a storm that had built over the last several weeks. And yet they would need to counter it with their makeshift vortex in minutes. There did appear to be a sort of calm core in the center of the tempest, or perhaps a hollow abyss of darkness. It was difficult to see what was inside, if anything at all.

There was a pervasive…dread emanating from it. Much of Tanda’s fur stood on end, with goosebumps covering her skin. The malevolence contained within the storm was palpable, knots forming in her stomach and her ears going flat on her head. Her tail even stopped wagging, her wings fluttering.

Tanda frowned as she looked at it. “There’s a Champion or Aspect somewhere in there. Or…both.”

Lia nodded. “And probably some kind of monsters and other enemies, ready to pick off any stragglers.”

Ruby added, “And Calix is…hiding. Waiting for his perfect, cowardly moment.” Her hands tightened into fists before a pool of blood erupted from her and wrapped around her, transforming into her blood plate armor. She drew her fencer’s swords and placed one hilt against her lips in an upright position before letting out a long, steadying breath. “I am ready. For whatever threats may come.”

Tanda said, “Don’t worry, Ruby. Whatever my clanmother saw… It wasn’t necessarily a failure or a loss–she did not see you fall. And if it was, the future can be changed. Clan Hart has already done that again and again.”

Ruby nodded. “Lia was right before. Keeping a clear head… I am strong. In this clan, I need only focus on the enemy in front of me. I need not be afraid of death.”

Lia chuckled. “Were you ever? I thought that was a badger thing.”

“No…not…really. I’m much more afraid of…something else.”

What that something else was, Tanda thought she knew. Ruby was most afraid of her blood rage, of becoming the monster she once was. The Bloodbeast Sect’s urns and her memories of them had stained her past and left her fearful of what she could become. And Aisling’s vision…certainly fed into that fear.

Nessa’s tail patted her shoulder, her eyes not leaving the storm or the surrounding area. “It’s okay, Ruby. We won’t let the worst happen to you. Jake did enchant your bloodflame hearth, didn’t he? You are more than you once were.”

Ruby gave a small smile from beneath her visored helmet. “Yeah, he did. Thanks, Nessa, and you’re right. I know I can count on you girls and Jake to snap me out of it.”

Tanda smiled at that and asked, “Anything at all yet, Nessa?”

Nessa was watching with her eyes of truth, trying to parse where Calix might be or what may be contained within the storm. She shook her head. “Nothing too useful. There is a lot of corruption and miasma, but the storm is not an illusion or thin veil to be pierced with my gaze. Whatever enemy we face within, we may benefit from a Highlands jungle defense.”

Tanda turned to her people, who had gathered at the edge of the city, ready to fight. “That’s something, at least. We’ll make these minutes count.”

They ordered their forces to gather and spread out their Sublimations of Highlands Jungle once more, adding onto their defense from before. A few of the druids remained inside, but plenty of the spriggons built up their natural defenses once more. Before long, a jungle protected the many crystalline structures, dense vines growing to obstruct and slow down shrapnel and debris.

The vortex surrounding the city was growing in strength and speed, and Tanda found her breaths and heartbeat calming despite the situation, the dread being removed from her. The winds themselves were somehow gentle and had a spiritual quality of their own, which reminded her of being near or fighting with Zephyr.

Valora looked up into the sky at the green moon and said to Ophelia, which she shared with the rest of them, [The moon. It helps.]

Ophelia patted the dragon horse’s shoulder and ran her hand along her flank and looked back at the Ravenwolf Tribe as her large gold and brown owl wings fluttered. In spite of the dread from the storm, the flame in her chest and her voice did not waver, calm and resolute. “It will be enough. Hearthtribe and Clan Hart are strong enough for whatever comes. And if we are not…then our lord and husband will tip the scales in our favor.”

Tanda smiled at that, her tail wagging as she found harmony with her clanmates. The other battle on the Earth Continent was also heating up, their entire family facing deadly combat with the enemy. This was undoubtedly going to be a challenging battle, one that would take all their strength.