It was a month sinow covered the ground in this part of the bordernds. The territory that belonged her to the barbarians nor to Alliot's fellow enlightened. So, he had to choose every step carefully, cheg the surroundings to be sure no oched. To ehat no ear, sharpened by malice, would catch the whispers of his passing.

  The barbarian humans lingered in the shadows of ignorance, uhered from the enlightehat graced Alliot's people. But if several of them ambushed him, it may cause some problems. Mostly because he'd have to kill them. And that went against the Doe. Ultimately, keeping their popution stable was only beneficial for the enlightened unity.

  This was Alliot's first mission outside the city. He had been preparing to fully embrace his role as a defender since he remembered himself as an awakened enlightened. He enjoyed every step he made outside of the a city and every magnifit view he had a ce to experience. His mission led him to a mountainion, which was also something he had never experienced during his scious years.

  This season marked the 247th winter since his awakening, yet among the venerable, Alliot remained but a sapling swayed by the winds of time. Still, despite young his age, Alliot held strong vierinciples, following the Doe by the letter. He firmly believed that every life should be valued, even the lives of the barbarian humans.

  He hadn't experiehe Dawn of the Enlighte himself; Alliot was too young for that. But the High Shaman, Ainorrh, had withe world ge forever when the old human civilization split into two fas. One fa g to the ways of the past, squabbling and futilely striving for flory. At the same time, the Enlightened chose te a stronger e with nature and the world around them, guided by their elemental affinities.

  Thinking about the achievements of his people over the past few turies filled his heart with gratitude and a sense of being a part of something rger than life. His mission, their mission, was to make this world better. And evety aggression of the humans couldn't lead them astray.

  Air is not merely a to Alliot's fellow enlightened; it was the essence of their being, a current that shaped thought, breath, ainy alike. It influenced everything from their culture to their architecture, which was envisioo harmoh the natural flow of the wind. And now, when Alliot looked at this ugly a building that spread over the valley below him like cer, he felt the distance from his home as never before.

  Being chosen for this mission by the High Shaman herself was a great honor. Even if Alliot had reservations about leaving the city's tranquility, he would never sider defying an order from the highest of the enlightened. Her ability to master the air affinity and her deep e with nature anded resped loyalty. And if that wasn't enough, her age and the fact that she was a signifit figure in the wars of the first years after the Dawn of Enlighte should prevent anyone from doubting her. She was a hero of their people.

  Yet, not everyone shared his unwavering beliefs. His clutch of the enlightened included a variety of different people. But as he begrudgingly aowledged that every one of their talents was necessary for the city and the enlightened unity in general, he had to accept their right to debate as well.

  So, some of his friends had tried to impress upon him that some things were more plex and not as straightforward as they seemed. Politics, they argued, couldn't be , and the shaman's role involved more than just mastering the air affinity and enhang the city's harmony with nature.

  Just the previous evening, he attended a debate club anized by someone from his own clutch. Alliot alled by their accusations: "We should hold the shamans and h enlightened atable. They must prove they a the best is of the city and the whole unity! Not only for their own be!"

  Alliot was ehough he knew such emotions were reproachful for an adult. "The unity leaders always a our is. How dare you doubt them? Especially in these challenging times. Together we emerged from the stillness of ages past, you, I, and the others of our clutch. When was the st time multiple enlightened were awakened simultaneously? Ages ago! At least a hundred years. Our numbers are dwindling, new members join our unity only once every few years... no, decades! And there are no more human volunteers."

  "Have you questioned why that is?" his oppo challenged. "Where did these volunteers e from? It's a spiracy between barbarian warlords and our leaders, not voluntary at all."

  "That 't be true," Alliot answered. "You push this idea year after year without evideno witnesses, nothing! I'm surprised you haven't been saned!"

  These accusations made his blood boil. And the whole debate left him uled. Still, evee his friends' outspokeicism and the fact that they openly questiohe authority, the leaders of the city chose him as a primary didate for this mission. Supposedly, it could lead to a historifle point. ge the fates of all enlightened of this world.

  That's how he was tasked with a reaissance missiohat ugly human ruin. Some time ago, Shaman Ainorrh had sensed unusual energy fluctuations that couldn't be attributed to the barbarians. And now all the traces led to this pce. Was it a newly awakened Enlightened? An anomaly? He wasn't told. His only and was to spread his senses wide a any unusual activity.

  But what he knew for sure was that nobody sent a defeo pick up a newly transformed person. They either reached the cities on their own or were intercepted by specialists who knew better how to guide the disoriented people into their new lives.

  When he left the city, the air around him seemed to hum with the energy of air. He k were the protective barriers set around the perimeter in aimes. The wind whispered secrets and carried the st of distant nds. Alliot took a deep breath, feeling the familiar fort of his element. But nothing helped him get crity on his current mission. He'd have to get to the location and iigate there in person.

  So, despite the uainty and the lingering doubts pnted by his friends, he didn't see any other path than to focus on his purpose as an enlightened defehis sacred charge was Alliot's ce to etch his o the annals of his people, a testament to devotion and resolve. But more importantly, it could ge the lives of all enlightened forever. He had no choice but to fulfill his duty aurn with the answers his superiors sought. There was no doubt about it.

  He was ready.