While at Oakheart Keep Freya was busy discovering her newfound powers and dumping all the tedious administrative work as well as the fortification of the wall in preparation for a future invasion onto Bryndor.
In another part of this world things were going forward as well, the evolved cyclop named Ygnis was moving as well, his peers, the other evolved corrupted creatures were slow to gather. Finally 3 days after his call all of them arrived at the meeting place.
At the foot of the Avalorian mountains in the east stood a ruined stone building, a haunting reminder of a civilization long lost to the annals of time. Its grandeur, once awe-inspiring, had been eroded by centuries of weathering and neglect, leaving behind only a fraction of its former glory.
Constructed entirely from stone, its massive walls rose to impressive heights, their surfaces bearing intricate runes, these reliefs, though weathered by time, still held a hint of the masterful hands that had etched them.
The temple's most striking feature was its once-majestic dome, now partially collapsed and open to the sky. The dome's remains formed a jagged silhouette against the horizon, a silent witness to the passage of countless seasons. The absence of a roof allowed sunlight to filter through, casting intricate patterns of shadow and light upon the ancient marble floor.
A large arched doorway, devoid of doors, beckoned visitors to step into the temple's heart. The archway itself was adorned with symbols and glyphs that held a cryptic beauty, their meanings lost to time. Moss and vines clung tenaciously to the stones, a testament to the temple's fusion with the natural world.
Within the temple's crumbling walls, the air was heavy. At the heart of the chamber, sitting upon a throne hewn from the very rock of the temple, was Ygnis. His single large red eye gazed out, a half-lidded sentinel that held an air of both authority and weariness. His body was much like that of a human except the lipless mouth full of shark-like teeth and his back which was covered in a red fur extending all the way down his legs and leaving his chest bare, revealing his grey skin and well toned muscle, even though he looked smaller and weaker than his peer standing at 1.80 meters, none of them dared to challenge him for he was the first to evolve and stronger than any of them. Along with his might the other thing earning him the authority amongst the others was his knowledge of the past, when he evolved from his cursed state 900 years ago he actually regained a fraction of the memories from before being cursed.
Before him, arranged in a circle, stood eight other figures, each exuding an aura of darkness and corruption. Among them was the hecantophile, his presence imposing and unsettling. Standing at a towering 2.5 meters in height, his furred and muscular humanoid form seemed a mockery of both man and beast. His six arms, each ending in clawed fingers, dangled at his sides. His small green eyes glinted with a twisted intelligence, while his mouth, a lupine maw with razor-sharp teeth, hinted at the primal nature that lurked within and his legs were like an wolves. Fenrir, he called himself now, a name he had chosen upon breaking free from the suffocating grip of corruption. The name held a resonance of rebellion, a defiance against the chains that had once bound his thoughts. His fur, once matted and dark with corruption, now bore a tinge of grey as if marking the transition from his former state to one of self-discovery.
Next to him the other 4 members of the council were:
Chernos, a mix of human and bat, he stood at about 2 meters tall he was covered in a black fur had purple eyes and bat ears. On his back stood a pair of massive leathery wings with a span of over five meters when fully extended.
Nix, her figure bore the silhouette of a woman, about 1.9 meters in height and with green vines cascading down her scalp, while her hands and feet resembled a human's. With dark bark instead of skin she seemed like a combination between a human and tree.
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Lyska was another evolved cyclop she stood as a beacon of enigmatic beauty amidst the gathering of darkness. Her form, standing tall at about 2 meters was almost the same as a human only her three smaller purple eyes, two placed the same as a human and the third in the middle of her forehead and her pale blue skin set her apart.
Vorag was the last of the primal six cursed ones. He was a hecantophile who stood at a formidable 2.20 meters in height. Muscles coiled beneath his black-furred, sinewy frame, a testament to both his strength and his inherent malevolence. Four arms, each ending in clawed extremities, hung at his sides in an eerie symmetry. His feline maw, adorned with razor-sharp teeth hinted at the ferocity that lay within while his eyes shined with a deep green with vertical pupils like a cat.
When all of them finally gathered Ygnis finally started speaking. "My fellow awakened something unbelievable has happened, the descendant of Eldric has managed to undo the seal on mana. If we don't act soon the humans from the west may grow too powerful in the future."
"Mighty Oracle, even with this power called mana can the humans really pose a threat to us? Each of us have unnatural power, we can move so fast they can't even see us and turn stone to powder with our fists, along with the abilities we retained from our cursed forms, how could they be more powerful than us?" Asked Fenrir skeptical about the whole situation.
Ygnis annoyed at this brawn for brains took a breath and said, "Nine hundred years ago Eldric rallied them and drove our corrupted counterparts back after inheriting the legacy of that ancient civilization. The humans lived in scattered tribes and a single person was able to build an empire from nothing. And the very same thing that allowed him to do that is the legacy he left for his descendants until one worthy enough to inherit it appears. And now one appeared and if we allow her to grow even with our powers combined we won't be a match for it."
"Oracle, you mentioned this mana power. Why can't we also train to use it?" Asked Chernos, his voice left an echo behind it.
"That would be great, except this curse that binds us doesn't allow us to gather mana. Just as light is to darkness so is mana to our curse, its a power that's contradictory to the curse. The only way for us is to spread the corruption and draw our strength from it... Although..." Started Ygnis to mumble while thinking about something... Leaving the others to stare at one another in silence.
After a pause, Ygnis suddenly lifted his head and said, "Chernos you just gave me an idea. As we step on the path of evolution if we manage to break free from the curse and regain our humanity we might then be able to gather mana as well. The only one that has regained her humanity the most is Lyska! You might have a chance and also Nix, even though your mostly corrupted but your plant side might offer you an advantage, mana was a natural part of this world until that incident and since plants are closest to nature... Who knows, might as well try. After this meeting is over you will stay with me, I will guide you."
While the both of them agreed, Ygnis continued giving his orders. "As for the three of you, Chernos, Vorag and Fenrir you will launch an attack on their wall try and break the gates, lure Eldric's descendant out into the open and kill her. Use every single beast we have on the mountain, it will be an all out attack." After Ygnis gave the order, the meeting shifted towards planning and discussing the finer details of their attack.
Back at Oakheart however the days were unusually peaceful only the sound of Kormac instructing the group of people he selected for awakening could be heard. Freya chose to share the theory behind the power called mana via a letter to the Council of Wisdom, and while the members were skeptical at first choosing to verify this information through Alaric the Shadow Alchemist. They went into an uproar but couldn't do anything much since they had no real authority over the Black Wardens as long as they stayed in their keep also the fact that as long as Freya told them she shared all her information with them. They were thankful of Alaric for going there when he did, but also cursing him because after finding out about this, mana, every member of the Council wanted to go, but they couldn't afford another one of them to leave their posts. The most vocal of them was Elisia Niamh the Mistress of Ailments, she would beg at Alderic everyday to allow her to leave, much like a child throwing a tantrum. Her antics never bore any fruit so she just settled for pestering Alaric and Freya with letters everyday asking all kinds of questions. And like so the days passed, with Freya making slow progress and reaching a barrier beyond wich she couldn't break while the rest of the Wardens in charge with Bryndor were working hard to fortify the walls.