Prologue
“You summoned me?” Rhyssa asked curiously as she entered the chamber. The room was massive and circular, with a cutout along one section of wall leading to an equally expansive balcony. A crisp breeze fluttered in from the opening, stirring the drapes hanging along the other sections of wall. The room, normally warm and inviting, illuminated by mage lights floating in ornate brackets on the walls and from the large chandelier hanging in the center of the room, now felt oddly cold and unnerving.
“Come, sit.” Elara waved her hand at one of the many empty seats around the long table in the center of the room. She didn’t rise to greet Rhyssa as she usually did, instead she turned back to her companions seated at the table.
Rhyssa walked towards the table, glancing at the others gathered. This was unusual; typically, Elara, the council leader, would meet with one or two members at a time, but to see all five present was surprising. Something was going on. She took her seat at the table and looked at the others more closely, examining their expressions, hoping for a hint at what was happening.
On Rhyssa’s left sat Zephyrin, the council’s ambassador. Her white hair twisted elegantly, but her face was ashen. While normally she appeared calm and poised, she looked slightly shaken now; her long fingers trembled lightly as she examined the papers before her.
Across from Zephyrin was Caius, head of the scholars academy and lead healer. He folded his hands on the table and cast his gaze downward. His chin-length dark blue hair obscured most of his expression, but Rhyssa could sense his unease; he didn’t greet her with his usual warmth.
Next to Caius, Orin, the strategist, sat lost in thought, his brow furrowed with stress. Small beads of sweat glistened on the top of his bald head. His hands rested within the sleeves of his rich green robes.
Across from Orin, next to Zephyrin, sat Kael, the General and head of the military academy. His stern face set into a scowl as he too pored over the papers in front of him. He ran a hand through his long crimson hair and let out an exasperated sigh before setting the pages down.
Finally, Rhyssa’s gaze settled on Elara at the head of the table. Elara’s long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, but her usually gentle, smiling face was gaunt. Dark circles under her eyes and a tight line to her mouth revealed the exhaustion that clearly weighed on her.
“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” Elara said, glancing around the table.
“I still don’t understand why she had to join us.” Kael’s scowl deepened further as his eyes flicked to Rhyssa and back. Despite the years she had trained under him, he seemed dismissive of her now—his voice lacking the subtle care it usually held. Rhyssa swallowed hard. She did not know why they had let her in this meeting, or if they even expected her to contribute. She hadn’t been prepared for this.
“You know full well why,” Elara sighed, rubbing her temple.
“Contingency… right.” Kael leaned back, placing both hands on the table, and let out a breath. “I just can’t help but think she isn’t ready for something like this.”
“None of us are,” Orin said, removing his hands from his sleeves. He waved a hand, gesturing around the table. “Could any of us have known it would come to this? I’m all for unorthodox strategies, but leaving a fledgling with—“
“That’s enough,” Elara snapped. “We’ll get to that later. For now, let’s review the latest reports and hope we don’t have to resort to drastic measures.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Orin bowed his head.
Caius looked to Rhyssa, his expression a mix of sadness and something else, apologetic perhaps, she couldn’t tell. Why did he look at her like that? Was there something she had missed? The thought made her uneasy. Maybe he knew something she didn’t, or maybe it was just pity; judging by Elara’s reaction she guessed it was the former. Either way, it only made her feel more out of place. She quickly averted her gaze, unwilling to dwell on the thought.
Caius turned back to face the others, picking up the papers before him. “As of this morning, there are 2,335 new casualties and another 1,687 injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. Healers in all major cities are overwhelmed and resources are running low.” He set the papers back down and looked to Kael.
“We’ve sent more units to the strongholds in both Vael’Shaar and Vael’Zyrran to bolster our defenses along those borders. We also pulled all third-year recruits from the training facility in Zhyrakar and sent them to Dravaryn to assist with evacuations of foreign races,” Kael read from the papers before him. He shifted uncomfortably before continuing. “Rumors suggest chimera are among the attacking forces.”
“Chimera!?” Orin sat forward. “Impossible! Those damn sorcerers don’t have the capabilities to produce chimera, let alone control them.”
Zephyrin coughed slightly, drawing the attention of the group. “I believe I may have some information regarding those rumors.” She paused for a moment. “The last time I was in the Thalvorath region to discuss trade negotiations, I heard some of their delegates talking about a rather ambitious sorcerer vying for power there. They say he’s been conducting many… questionable experiments. Perhaps he has something to do with this attack?”
The room felt stifling. Rhyssa had little understanding of what was happening, aside from what the others reported. An attack on their country? What was going on? She had overheard Kael dispatch a regiment to the stronghold of Vael’Shaar the day before yesterday, though she didn’t catch the reason. Her focus had been solely on her magic training. Sure, she was training to join the Council in full some day, but she didn’t expect to be called into a full-blown crisis meeting.
Her racing mind drowned out the conversations at the table; possibilities swirled about why they had summoned her. What was she expected to contribute? And why did it seem like they had a plan involving her? Why was Kael so annoyed by her presence? He was her current mentor, alongside Elara, yet he made it seem like she didn’t belong in this situation. Despite his tendency to push her too hard and make ridiculous demands from time to time, she knew he cared about her. She recognized that in the way he smiled when she accomplished something difficult in her training, even if he pretended not to when she looked at him.
“Lady Elara!” The door swung open, pulling Rhyssa from her thoughts. All eyes turned to the source of the interruption. A tall young man sprinted into the room, his face painted with panic. He stopped at one end of the table, doubled over to catch his breath, and then stood upright. It was Korvos, Rhyssa’s long-time friend and also a military officer. Sweat plastered the mid-length strands of his silver-blue hair to his face.
“What is the meaning of this?” Elara questioned, rising from her seat suddenly.
“The enemy forces have reached the city!” Korvos looked around the room, worry still clear on his face. His eyes passed over Rhyssa, and he looked relieved. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Thal’Zirath… it’s… it’s gone now.”
“What do you mean, it’s gone?” Kael questioned, also rising to his feet. He strode around the table to stand in front of Korvos. “Report at once!”
“Yes, Commander!” Korvos stood at attention. “Moments ago, a scholar from the academy arrived. Although badly injured, he relayed some information before losing consciousness. A group of sorcerers attacked Thal’Zirath; they had constructs under their command and chimeras. Within two hours, the sorcerers destroyed half the city. The scholar only escaped because he was outside the city limits gathering herbs.”
“Damn it all!” Kael slammed his fist on the table and began pacing back and forth. Rhyssa flinched; she knew he had a temper, but she had never seen him so angry before. “And you said they’re here?” He whipped his head back to look at Korvos.
Before Korvos could reply, a deafening explosion shattered the air, followed by the deep tremor of the ground beneath them. The floor vibrated violently, rattling everything in its wake. A second blast, even closer this time, sent a shockwave through the room, and dust cascaded down from the ceiling like a violent rain. The grand chandelier overhead swayed precariously, its crystal prisms shimmering in the dim light, before the mage lights flickered and went out. The room fell into near-darkness, lit only by the faint, trembling glow of the remaining lights along the walls.
A jagged crack suddenly split the ceiling, running across the ornate beams with a deafening groan. The chandelier's chains groaned in protest, its metal frame straining, before the heavy fixture broke free and plummeted to the table below. With a thunderous crash, the chandelier shattered upon impact, the table splitting violently in half as the force echoed through the air. The remnants of the once-sturdy surface splintered into sharp fragments, sending bits of wood and debris flying.
Rhyssa's heart raced as she scrambled backward, her feet slipping on the debris-strewn floor. Panic surged within her as she glanced at the others—wide-eyed and frantic—searching for direction. The room had descended into chaos, the air thick with dust and the acrid smell of smoke. She barely registered the sounds of the others scrambling away, her mind racing to process what had just happened. The once-sturdy foundation of the room felt fragile, as if the world itself was coming apart around them.
“Rhyssa!” Korvos grabbed her arm to steady her before pulling her into a tight hug. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” she said, brushing long strands of her black hair out of her face. She pulled away from him and surveyed the surrounding scene.
Orin was pulling Caius to his feet, and Zephyrin was still sitting on the floor in a state of shock, with Elara kneeling beside her, a reassuring hand on her back. Kael looked as though he was ready to explode, his face twisted in unbridled rage, with small flames dancing across his hands. He was so furious that his magic was manifesting uncontrollably.
A sudden, piercing roar echoed from the direction of the balcony, causing a shiver to run down Rhyssa’s spine. She turned to look as the sound of wing beats approached. Another roar echoed through the air as two gigantic beasts descended onto the balcony. The creatures stood roughly ten feet tall; with the body of an enormous cat, a hissing serpent for a tail, and large leathery wings on their backs. Were these the chimera they mentioned earlier? A shiver ran down her spine at their presence. Rhyssa had heard stories about them; an unnatural mix of creatures and magic, but she didn’t think they actually existed until hearing the reports.
The first creature started walking forwards, its teeth bared in a growl and its golden eyes glowed in the dim light. Rhyssa felt movement beside her as Korvos lunged forward, putting himself between the beasts and the council members. Kael followed behind him.
“I’ll handle this. Get out of here!” Korvos looked to Kael, determination on his face. “All of you need to get to safety.” Kael looked like he was about to argue. He wasn’t one to take orders from anyone except for Elara; but after a sharp look from Korvos, he sighed and backed away.
“What are you doing!?” Rhyssa rushed forward, only to be stopped by Kael. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back against his chest. She fought to break out of his grasp, but he only held on tighter. “Let me go, Kael!” She turned to face him, pounding her fists against his chest in frustration. He frowned, but still he held on, refusing to let her out of his grasp.
A deafening roar broke through the chaos, freezing Rhyssa’s struggle. It was a roar she knew—deep, powerful, and unmistakable. She whipped around, eyes widening as she saw Korvos standing before them. What had been a man moments before now loomed as a massive dragon, his silver-blue scales gleaming like moonlight in the dim surroundings. His wings unfurled with a mighty crack, filling the space as he towered over the chimeras—at least twice their size. But it was still two against one.
Korvos’ claws dug into the ruined floor, the sound of scraping stone reverberating through the room as he prepared to spring. His gaze flicked to Rhyssa, and she felt a chill wash over her. A voice—soft but clear—echoed in her mind. I’m sorry. The words carried regret and resolve. I have to keep you safe.
She barely had time to process his thoughts before he turned back to face the beasts. With another terrifying roar, Korvos lunged. His claws raked into the first chimera, sending it reeling back. The creature snarled but quickly recovered, sinking its fangs into his front leg as its serpent tail lashed out with a venomous strike. Korvos grunted in pain but didn’t falter. Trapped in the iron grip of Kael, Rhyssa could do little more than pray Korvos would be alright.
The second creature wasted no time, leaping onto his side with feral speed, its claws sinking deep into his scales, its teeth tearing at his flesh. Korvos staggered, but regained his footing with a sharp thrust of his wings. He pushed forward, driving the creatures to the edge of the balcony, their snarls and hissing echoing in the air.
Korvos flapped his wings with a powerful gust, lifting off the ground. But before he could gain much altitude, the first beast sprang, its jaws clamping around his throat with vicious strength. The second scrambled up his back, claws scraping at his wings as it tore into the soft membrane.
A final, furious roar tore from Korvos as the three of them tumbled over the edge of the balcony, the sound of claws and teeth clashing with his scales fading as they disappeared from view.
“Korvos!” Rhyssa shrieked, dropping to her knees, tears welling in her eyes. Kael dropped with her, his arms wrapping tighter around her as sobs tore through her body. He held her for a moment, before scooping her into his arms and standing. He cradled her against his chest and hurried back to the others waiting by the doorway.
“We have to go,” he whispered, his throat tight. “We have to start the contingency plan.”
