"Morning came too soon. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the lingering exhaustion from yesterday's events. The calming potion's effects had faded hours ago, leaving me with trembling hands and the familiar tightness in my chest. The few hours of sleep I'd managed had been filled with dreams of crystal commanders and lightning riders, their otherworldly forms dancing through my mind like verses from a haunting ballad.
My muscles protested every movement, a reminder of hours spent maintaining songs during the battle. The healing spell Lady Moira had used on my throat still lingered, a phantom warmth that made swallowing easier but couldn't quite erase the memory of strain. At least my new Resonant Mana Pendant pulsed steadily against my chest as I made my way through the fortress corridors, its rhythm matching my footsteps."
The great hall looked different in the morning light streaming through the arrow slits - less like a victory feast hall and more like what it truly was: a war room. Scorch marks from errant spells marred the ancient stone walls, and servants worked quietly to clear away the remnants of yesterday's hasty victory celebration. The contrast between last night's revelry and this morning's grim reality felt like a ballad's transition from major to minor key.
General Reed's senior officers were already gathered around maps spread across a makeshift table, their faces grave despite yesterday's triumph. Lady Moira stood with them, her usually pristine robes showing signs of healing work from the night before - dark stains and singed edges telling the story of countless lives saved. Her eyes carried shadows that spoke of too little sleep and too many close calls. Aldrich was there too, hunched over what looked like crystalline fragments, his scholarly focus unchanged by yesterday's violence. His hands showed fresh burns from handling the dissolving portal remains, but he seemed oblivious to the injury in his academic fervour.
A group of junior officers hovered near the edges of the room, their faces showing varying degrees of exhaustion and concern as they waited for orders. The smell of ash and sweat had replaced last night's feast aromas, and the morning air held a chill that spoke of decisions yet to be made. As I found my place among them, I couldn't help but notice how the generals' victory glow had faded, replaced by something harder, more focused. This wasn't a celebration anymore - this was planning for what came next.
Some soldiers passed by the open doors, carrying stretchers with wounded comrades. The healers had worked through the night, but some injuries would take more time to mend. I recognized faces from yesterday's battle, now pale and drawn with exhaustion. Each passing group reminded me of the cost of our victory - and the price we might have to pay in the future.
"So we have a hundred years before another portal can be opened?" Colonel Lars's voice carried both hope and relief as he settled into his seat. The question seemed to lighten the room's heavy atmosphere, like the first hopeful note of a victory ballad. I noticed how his left arm was bound in a sling, another reminder of yesterday's close calls.
Aldrich looked up from his examination of some crystalline fragments, his expression grim. His hands trembled slightly as he held up a shard that caught the morning light, sending prismatic reflections dancing across the battle-scarred walls. "I made a serious mistake there. If we want to open the portal again, we need another hundred years, unless we create a portal mage before then. They, on the other hand, now have access to a portal."
"Explain," Lady Moira said sharply, her earlier warmth replaced by focused intensity. Her robes rustled against the rough wood as she moved closer to the table, the magical essence around her dimmer from hours of healing work.
Aldrich ran his fingers through his dust-covered hair, leaving streaks of crystalline residue that sparkled in the morning light. "First, they need to master astral magic. The portal can't be used at its current location - they'll need to dismantle and move it to a place of significant magical power, just as we did with Night's Hollow." He paused, pulling out a worn journal covered in complex astronomical calculations. "They may even need specific alignments, like our three moons. But given their world's magical nature, I can't predict their timeline."
One colonel straightened, his armour clanking against his chair. The sound echoed in the stone chamber, making several exhausted soldiers jump. "Then we fortify this position and prepare our defence."
"No," Aldrich shook his head, spreading out a map of Eldoria crisscrossed with glowing ley lines. "Once they move the portal to a new location in their world, it could manifest anywhere in Lyserion. We can't predict where." He began sketching arcane symbols that made my head spin. "The magical resonance patterns will be completely different."
Lady Moira's tactical mind was already working through the implications. "How many suitable locations might exist in their world?"
Aldrich's face grew grimmer. "Their world pulses with the same magical energy of ours. The number of sites with sufficient power..." He gestured at the map showing Eldoria's ley lines and power wells. "If they find even one suitable location to rebuild the portal, they might reach any point in our world. And given what we witnessed yesterday, their intentions are obvious."
The silence that followed was deafening. Every face in the room showed the same realization: yesterday's victory might have only been the beginning.
"We need to inform the Council," Reed decided, straightening with the authority of command. "Every major city and military outpost must be notified."
"More than that," Lady Moira interjected, her fingers tracing patterns in the air as if already weaving defensive spells. "We need detection networks, rapid response teams, new defensive protocols-"
"It won't be enough," Aldrich interrupted softly, his scholar's voice carrying a weight that silenced the room. "Not without knowing when and where they'll strike. We'd be spreading ourselves too thin, leaving everywhere vulnerable while defending nowhere effectively." He ran a hand over his face, leaving another streak of crystal dust. "And consider the timeline - it could be a month from now, or it might take them the full hundred years like it would for us. We can't keep armies stationed and resources committed indefinitely. The economic strain alone would cripple us long before they ever appeared."
Lady Moira's shoulders sagged slightly at this, and I saw several of the officers exchange grim looks. They all understood the impossibility of maintaining a constant state of high alert across an entire world. Eventually, guards would grow complacent, supplies would be needed elsewhere, and defensive positions would weaken.
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That's when the system notification appeared in my vision...
New Quest Available: The Coming Storm
Quest Automatically assigned!
Name: World Quest: The Coming Storm
Status: Critical Main Quest
Difficulty: Extreme
Time Limit: Unknown - Must be discovered
Quest Giver: System
Description: The defeat of the Sundering forces at Night's Hollow has revealed a greater threat. The enemy has gained the ability to recreate the portal anywhere across Lyserion. Your unique abilities and connection to the System have marked you as the realm's only hope of preparing for and surviving their return.
Primary Objectives:
- Discover when the next portal will open
- Research ancient texts
- Consult with astral magic experts
- Find signs and portents of the coming invasion
- Locate the future portal site
- Map magical convergence points
- Identify potential emergence locations
- Track unusual magical disturbances
- Build a fortress to defend the location
- Gather resources and materials
- Recruit skilled craftsmen and engineers
- Establish supply lines and infrastructure
- Unite 10 distinct races in defence of the realm
- Form diplomatic connections
- Prove worth as a leader
- Create alliances between historically opposed peoples
Progress: 0/4
Warning: Failure to complete objectives before portal opening will cause the end of Lyserion.
Special Conditions:
- Only those chosen by the System may complete this quest
- Current eligible participants: 1
- Quest progress visible only to chosen participant
- Critical information must be discovered through active investigation
- Time limit exists but must be uncovered through research
Rewards: Unknown
Note: Your unique combination of bardic abilities, System access, and role in the first portal battle has marked you as the realm's best hope for survival. The weight of this responsibility cannot be shared or transferred.
May your songs ring true, Portal-Breaker. The fate of Lyserion rests in your hands.
After the meeting concluded, the great hall transformed into a hub of activity. General Reed's commands echoed through the stone corridors as he organized the withdrawal of his main force. Messengers darted between groups of officers, carrying orders and reports, while soldiers formed into organized units in the courtyard below.
"Sixth Division will escort the prisoners," Reed instructed, his voice carrying the weight of command. "I want three mages per wagon, rotating shifts. These Black Scales demonstrated unusual abilities - take no chances." He turned to another officer. "Supply wagons move in the centre of the formation. We lost too many people to risk losing the wounded now."
The Black Scale prisoners, bound in magic-dampening chains, were being loaded into reinforced wagons under heavy guard. Elite guards stood watch, hands never far from their weapons despite the prisoners' restraints.
"Captain Doren," Reed addressed the garrison commander, a seasoned veteran with iron-gray hair, "you'll remain here with two hundred men. I want three priorities maintained: security, investigation, and fortification."
Doren nodded sharply. "Yes, sir."
"Leave no stone unturned," Reed continued, marking points on a map of the fortress. "I want every scrap of evidence about the Black Scales' involvement documented. Station guards at all entry points double the patrols around where the portal stood. Even with it down, we can't risk the location being tampered with."
The courtyard below filled with the sounds of an army preparing to march - horses neighing, wagons creaking, armour clinking, and the steady drum of boots on stone. Supply wagons formed neat columns while battle-worn soldiers fell into familiar formations, their movements precise despite their exhaustion.
I pulled Aldrich aside as he was gathering his research materials, his arms full of scrolls and sketches from the morning's meeting. The usual scholarly disorder of his movements was replaced by a focused intensity as he carefully sorted and stored each document.
"There's something you should see," I said, retrieving Lyren's diary from my pack. His eyes widened as I handed him the worn volume, nearly dropping his other materials in surprise.
You give Aldrich: Lyren's diary
"Is this..." His hands trembled slightly as he opened the cover, fingers tracing the faded script with reverence. "By the moons, it is. Lyren's personal diary." He turned a page with exquisite care, eyes scanning the ancient text. "The binding style, the paper composition - this is authentic. I'm likely the only one left who can still read this dialect."
"The system awarded it to me after the battle," I explained, watching his face as he delicately examined each page. "I thought you would make better use of it."
Aldrich's expression shifted from excitement to concern, his initial wonder tempering with scholarly caution. "We must be cautious with this, Brendan. Remember, it was their scrolls that led to the portal's creation. Who knows what other dangerous knowledge these pages might contain?" He carefully wrapped the diary in protective cloth, then secured it in a leather satchel marked with warding runes. "Knowledge like this... it can be as dangerous as any weapon."
"What will you do with it?"
"I'm returning to the Eldorian Library. My duties as Head Scholar have been neglected too long." He patted the satchel gently. "Perhaps in those halls, surrounded by centuries of magical knowledge, I can better understand what Lyren was trying to achieve. The answers we need might be hidden in these pages - we just have to be careful how we uncover them."
His eyes met mine, suddenly sharp with intensity. "Thank you for trusting me with this. I'll send word if I discover anything significant." He hesitated, then added, "And Brendan... be careful. Knowledge isn't the only thing that can be dangerous."
Lady Moira approached as Aldrich departed, her expression stern but kind. Her robes, now cleaned of battle grime, still showed scorch marks at the edges.
I pulled her aside, explaining the quest that had appeared before me. Her face grew more serious with each detail I shared. When I finished, she remained still for a long moment.
"Then it's even more vital that you return to Haven's Cove," she said firmly.
"But shouldn't I stay? Help investigate-"
She cut me off with a gentle but firm shake of her head. "You need rest and time to prepare. This quest... it's far larger than just Night's Hollow now. You'll need all your strength for what's ahead."
By midday, our group had assembled in the fortress courtyard. Elena methodically checked each swiftclaw's saddle and gear, her warrior's attention to detail evident in every adjustment. Her staff was secured within easy reach - even during travel, she never let it stray far from her grasp.
"Supplies are secured," Bron called out, finishing with the last of the packs. The big warrior had traded his heavy armour for travelling leathers, though his mace remained at his side. "Should be enough to reach Haven's Cove with some to spare."
Law stood slightly apart, eyes continuously scanning the horizon. The scout's daggers caught the sunlight as he absently checked their placement for the third time. His paranoia had served us well during the battle; none of us were inclined to criticize it now.
Twylla finished her own preparations with typical efficiency. The ward-mage's staff was secured alongside her mount, the crystal at its tip dormant but ready. "The path should be clear," she said, joining our group.
As we mounted up, I took one last look at Night's Hollow. The fortress stood proudly, and the remaining soldiers moved with purpose, already beginning the work assigned to them. General Reed's main force was already disappearing over the eastern horizon, their column stretching into the distance.
"Ready?" Elena asked, bringing her swiftclaw alongside mine.
I nodded, though 'ready' felt like a foreign concept now. With my companions beside me, we prepared to follow Lady Moira back to Haven's Cove. The weight of the world quest pressed against my mind, but Lady Moira was right - I needed time to prepare for what was coming.
You sing Dash of the Daring!