Once the trio returned home, Orvell went straight to Iron Hall to deliver the somber news of Queen Beatrice’s passing. The announcement left the citizens in mourning; Beatrice had been a beloved figure, admired by many across the realm. After the announcement, Jakob pulled Orvell aside to discuss troubling developments during their absence. Rumors had spread that Behem had arrived in their lands, searching for a star fragment, and whispers of Malice’s resurrection were growing.

Orvell knew this was dire news, especially since one of the star fragments had flown toward their homeland during his clash with Behem. He tasked Jakob with finding Jalene, a powerful high elder wizard with extensive knowledge of artifacts, to help locate the fragments. Jakob promised to return quickly. Meanwhile, Orvell gathered five of Grass Mark’s strongest leaders for an urgent council meeting to prepare for a potential war with Behem.

Among the attendees were Throlin, the Dwarf King; Zeno Azur, the Elven King; Munchjaw, King of the Goblins; and Linstre, one of the high elder wizards.

“Thank you all for gathering here. We face a grave threat,” Orvell began.

“If it’s about Malice, I can assure you, he won’t dare challenge us dwarves,” Throlin laughed heartily.

Linstre frowned. “I assure you, Master Dwarf, Malice fears no one.”

Orvell explained the urgent matter of Behem’s pursuit of the star fragments. Linstre suggested seeking Jalene, who might know where the fragments were hidden. Orvell assured the council that Jakob was already on that task.

“We must prepare for war,” Orvell continued. “Behem already possesses two fragments. With just those, he has power greater than any high elder wizard. If he obtains all four, he will have the power of the sun itself.”

Munchjaw raised an eyebrow. “How many followers does he have?”

Raven answered grimly, “Three kingdoms’ worth—trained warriors, not farmers or fishermen.”

“What do we need to do to defeat him?” Throlin asked.

“We must retrieve the remaining fragments before Behem does,” Orvell said. “Once he has all four, he will be unstoppable.”

The leaders agreed to prepare their armies. Days later, Jakob returned with Jalene.

“The fragment you seek has already been claimed by Behem,” Jalene informed them. “However, there is one more within these lands, buried in the Tarnish Waste—the resting place of the undead.”

Orvell, Minerva, and Raven wasted no time and set out for the Tarnish Waste while Jakob stayed behind to oversee Iron Hall. On their journey, they passed villages ravaged by Behem’s forces. One village was eerily silent, littered with signs of violence. Amidst the devastation, they found a few children hiding under the bodies of their slain parents.

“What happened here, child?” Minerva asked a young girl gently.

The girl explained that a group of armed men, led by a warrior with an axe, had come seeking information about a star. Orvell and Minerva exchanged grim looks—they knew who the child was describing. They asked where the men went, and the girl pointed east. Orvell assured her help would arrive soon, then the trio continued their pursuit.

Following the trail, they came across carcasses and burnt fire pits, signs of the group’s passage. Examining the tracks, Orvell estimated their numbers.

“There are at least fifty men,” he said.

“Fifty?” Minerva exclaimed.

“Don’t worry,” Orvell reassured her. “They’re knights, not seasoned adventurers or mercenaries.”

Minerva used trail dust magic to pick up the group’s scent, leading the trio to a clearing where four of Behem’s men rested. They decided to ambush them, leaving one alive for interrogation.

“Where is Behem?” Orvell demanded of the prisoner.

“You’re too late,” the man spat. “Behem already has the third fragment and is closing in on the fourth. He’s gathering an army to claim the final piece.”

Before Orvell could press further, the prisoner took his own life.

“What now?” Minerva asked.

“We sabotage his efforts with everything we have,” Orvell said. “We wait for the other leaders and signal them, but for now, we disrupt Behem’s plans.”

The magic trail led them to a small kingdom, Cinderveil, under oppressive rule. Its broken sign and downtrodden people painted a grim picture. Orvell questioned a local citizen, who revealed that Narlax, an executioner, had seized control. Narlax sought a young boy rumored to possess ten rings tied to the star fragment.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

To blend in, Minerva cast a disguise spell: Orvell became a farmer, Minerva a smith’s assistant, and Raven a fruit vendor. They followed a commotion to the market square, where Narlax wielded his massive axe, executing villagers who failed to produce the boy.

“Whoever brings me the boy will be spared!” Narlax roared.

The crowd fell silent—until a flaming arrow struck Narlax in the shoulder. All eyes turned to a young boy wearing a cloak and ten rings on his fingers.

“GET HIM!” Narlax bellowed, sending his soldiers charging after the boy.

The trio pursued as the boy darted through alleys and rooftops. Minerva, sensing an odd magical energy, realized they had been chasing an illusion. She fired a spell at a nearby dead-end alley, revealing the boy hiding in the shadows.

“Do you know where the star fragment is?” Orvell asked.

The boy pulled back his hood. “I don’t need your pity,” he retorted.

Orvell recognized him—it was the same boy who had spat in his face months ago.

Minerva knelt beside the boy. “Don’t mind him; he seems scary, but he’s a good guy. Do you know anything about the fragment?”

The boy admitted, “No... I made that up for attention.” He explained that he was an orphan, stealing rare rings and food to survive.

Minerva turned to Orvell and Raven. “We can’t leave him here. If Narlax finds him, he’ll be executed.”

She cast a disguise spell over the boy, and the trio smuggled him into a nearby inn for safety.

Later that evening at the inn, the trio asked the boy his name. He hesitated before answering, “Clive. Clive Garrison.” They explained that he should flee Cinderveil immediately and go as far as he could, as a war was brewing. Clive, understanding the gravity of the situation, agreed. He knew staying would result in bloodshed, with many innocent lives lost because of him. Under the cover of night, the trio secretly sent him off, ensuring no one noticed his departure.

The next morning, Narlax gathered the townspeople once again in the square. His voice thundered, “Let’s try this again, shall we? WHERE IS THE BOY?” Fear rippled through the crowd as everyone avoided his gaze.

Scanning the gathering, Narlax’s eyes fell on a pregnant woman. Without hesitation, he ordered his men to seize her. “If no one tells me where the boy is, this woman and her child will die!” he bellowed.

Orvell instinctively began to step forward, but Minerva beat him to it. She emerged from the crowd, her voice sharp and defiant. “Let her go. If it’s a fight you want, we can finish what you started.”

Narlax smirked as Orvell and Raven stepped forward to join Minerva, all shedding their disguises. “Back for more, are we?” Narlax sneered. “Didn’t get enough of a beating last time?”

“This time will be different,” Minerva shot back, her tone unwavering. “One-on-one. No interruptions.”

Amused, Narlax barked orders to his forty-five soldiers to deal with Orvell and Raven, leaving Minerva to him. Minerva conjured her wand from thin air, its tip sparking with dark energy.

With a guttural roar, Narlax charged. “Show me some blood!” he shouted, swinging his massive battle axe. Minerva launched a flurry of dark magic projectiles, but Narlax barreled through them, unaffected.

“You’ll need more than that, witch!” he taunted, his axe crashing down toward her. Minerva erected a magic barrier just in time, gritting her teeth under the force. Smirking, she muttered, “Got you.”

Narlax glanced down to see an incantation circle glowing beneath his feet. “Dark Flame Wall!” Minerva shouted, and black flames erupted, engulfing him.

For a moment, Minerva thought she’d won—until the flames dispersed with a single swing of Narlax’s axe. Unscathed, he grinned menacingly. “What’s the matter? Losing your nerve?”

Minerva summoned a blade-shaped beam of dark magic and charged. “A witch fighting up close?” Narlax laughed. “This should be fun!”

Feigning an attack, Minerva dodged his counterstrike, leaping overhead. “Up here!” she shouted, hurling three spear-shaped dark projectiles. They struck their target, forcing Narlax to stagger, though they barely scratched him.

Minerva pressed her advantage, firing dark projectiles as he struggled to remove one of the spears from his leg. With a roar, Narlax leapt into the air, slamming into the ground and shattering it. The impact sent Minerva sprawling.

As his axe came for her side, she barely managed to deflect it with her armor, sustaining a shallow wound. Minerva quickly cast a healing spell, wincing as she worked.

Realizing she couldn’t win through brute force, Minerva changed tactics. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a Dark Golem armed with a massive sword. Together, they attacked Narlax, but his monstrous strength overwhelmed them.

After a fierce battle, Narlax destroyed the Dark Golem and turned his full attention to Minerva. Despite his relentless attacks, Minerva’s quick thinking allowed her to evade and block most strikes.

When she finally managed to land a thunderbolt spell, it sent Narlax flying. Noticing his armor’s vulnerability to lightning, Minerva began casting only electric-based spells.

Cornered, Narlax pulled out a strange, pulsating monster heart and devoured it. “Where do you all keep getting those?” Minerva demanded, horrified.

“It’s a gift from the Great Dark Master Malice,” Narlax growled as his body transformed into a towering, purple monstrosity. His axe fused with his arm, becoming a deadly extension of his body.

Narlax’s new form nullified her lightning spells. With devastating force, he charged, forcing Minerva to rethink her strategy. During their fierce exchange, she noticed a wound on his left arm—her opportunity.

Minerva began focusing her energy on piercing spells. Though taxing, they ate away at his flesh, weakening him. With one final effort, she conjured a massive dark spear. Narlax attempted to block it, but the spear shattered his axe and pierced his chest.

The monster staggered, roaring in pain before collapsing to the ground. Minerva stood over him, battered but victorious, whispering, “This time, I win.”

After finishing up the group of Narlax, the trio turned their attention to the town, and asked for any other information. The people of Cinderveil spoke and said that the wizard they are looking for has headed towards the field of solitude. With this information the trio now know where they must head to next.