For thousands of years I thought Uch’l’thein was some kind of mistake.

Thu’lain stared into the distance, his legs moving robotically along with his thoughts.

And now that it’s at Anosora, at the birthing pools no less, it’s suddenly allowing elves to pass by. More than that, it listened to orders, even extending its arbitrary measurement of threat to exclude those indicated.

His brow furrowed, there were clues in what it said.

“Progenitor,” it said. It’s speaking of my identity as an Everlight Guide, that much is clear. The only way it could know that is if it gained knowledge from another source.

Thu’lain pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

That means it was made by Ignathus. Spirits damned god. Probably just made it and called it good enough if I know it the way I think I do.

He tried to consider when Uch’l’thein had first emerged, and the timeline that it followed. It was coincidentally close to the fall of Anosora.

It coincided too closely with the Grey Realm and Erebus being sealed off. But the connection is too murky.

“Thu.” Raj’ken squeezed his hand, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Time to get out of your head.” She hooked her arm around his and pulled him forward while she pointed with her other arm.

“It looks like we’re finally here.” Raj’ken had a complicated expression on her face even as she smiled.

Thu’lain looked where she’d pointed, noticing that, despite being unoccupied for two-thousand years, the city wasn’t in nearly as bad a state as he had suspected: there were several towers that still stood within the city walls, the walls themselves collapsed in several places where eclipse had rammed, burrowed, or died attacking. He narrowed his eyes at one of the towers, noticing the slightest tint of silver underneath the dust, grime, and damage.

“I didn’t think any would be still standing.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see much, honestly. But it’s huge!” She smirked at him. “I doubt that it’s safe to enter, though. Who knows how much damage was done to the structures in there.” she finished with a bittersweet tone.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m around,” Trat’catha piped in as he walked up beside them. “I studied architecture as well as smithing.” He smiled in self-satisfaction.

Thu’lain chuckled as he took in his surroundings, the outer walls that once stood so tall and mighty as to be completely unassailable. He took a deep breath and smiled, noticing a light tinge of electric energy breezing past his senses.

Is it truly back?

Thu’lain looked across the group and gauged their reactions; most of them were unaware of the sensation, it being too low for them to notice, but he could see the disbelief give way to joy as he looked at Tin’lo.

He was a mage, of course he’d notice it. I can’t imagine what it must be like for him.

In moments, Tin’lo noticed Thu’lain’s gaze and made his way over to him, but before he could ask a question.

“It’s real. I feel it, too.”

“I need to know if it’s stronger within the walls. I would have checked the pool, but I’m not willing to take my chances around Uch’l’thein.” Tin’lo had a broad smile on his face.

“Why would you have checked the pool?”

“It’s a focal point. I thought you’d have known that.” Tin’lo blinked at Thu’lain as he answered, then set off, leaving Thu’lain to follow in contemplative silence. Tu’lar grinned happily as he trailed after Tin’lo and both Raj’ken and Trat’catha remained by his side as they moved forward.

Uch’l’thein sought out the magic, and was around when the last of the magic was sealed away. It acts with intelligence now, even speaking and comprehending. Which means either it grows stronger with essence, or it wasn’t finished maturing, and now it is mature.

Thu’lain let his eyes wander down the slope to the pools hidden away in the forest.

It was always supposed to help us. But was incomplete. That’s why El’tan was able to survive.

He shook his head clear of thoughts. There was still no telling what they could find inside of Anosora, and the ruins could have become home to any number of animals.

As they made a path forward, Il’tan refused to leave her mother’s side. El’tan was still wounded and relied on Hret and Il’tan to help her move now that the adrenaline had faded.

“I missed you both. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” El’tan winced as they took another step; the hole in her torso was no longer actively bleeding, but still hurt.

“I love you, mom, sorry we weren’t faster.” Il’tan was still crying as she helped her mom walk. Her grip too firm to be comfortable, but El’tan couldn't bring herself to tell her that, not after Il’tan crumpled in a wailing and crying heap.

El’tan shot a glance to Anar’dea, who walked close by. She seemed just as excited by Anosora as the others, yet there was a distant pain in her eyes that El’tan recognized.

Her family is gone, and she doesn’t know what will get her through tomorrow. I’d be in the same boat if I hadn’t met Hret and had Il’tan.

“Anar’dea.” El’tan spoke up and, even in her ragged state, she was easily heard. Anar’dea turned to regard her. “Anosora doesn’t have to be an answer. But you don’t have to be alone. You risked your life to try to save Hret and, from what I hear, you’ve been there for my Il’tan. If you want, we’d be happy to have you stay with us until you find what you want to do.” She smiled easily.

“Yeah! Definitely! You can stay with me and I can show you stuff! Yeah!” Il’tan’s tail wagged furiously as she exclaimed.

“I owe you a great debt Anar’dea. I stand with my wife. If you wish to stay with us, you may.” Hret nodded, an undercurrent of respect in his voice.

Anar’dea blushed as they spoke to her, and fumbled over her words, making El’tan laugh and Il’tan reach out to grab Anar’dea’s hand.

Before they could continue, they heard a sharp whistle from up ahead, setting the whole group on edge.

Thu’lain recognized the whistle for what it was: a mimicry sent from a scout to alert a group.

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That rules out most apex, and I doubt centaur would be in the area.

Thu’lain drew both his dagger and sword, and mentally noted that he needed to don his full armor soon. Raj’ken wasted no time, drawing a bow and the others followed suit, rapidly bringing their weapons to bear. They were ready to spring on the first sign of trouble.

“Hold! Hold! False alarm, no apex. Just more of us.” They heard a voice call out before they saw her: a silver-haired elf stood atop one of the broken walls, only becoming visible once she deactivated her cloak. Upon her speaking, several elves made themselves visible from around the entrance of the walls. Most of them carried bows or handcrafted blades, but a few carried equipment that likely came from a cache like theirs had.

“This one greets you! I am Trat’catha, The-”

“Spirits smite me! The winter smith?!” An elf darted around the corner, her pitch black hair pulled back in a loose bun. Trat’catha lost all train of thought.

“Dae’jita?! Is that you?!” Trat’catha nearly cried as he rushed her. “I’m not sure if I want to punch you or hug you!” Trat’catha and Dae’jita crushed eachother in a friendly embrace. Thu’lain approached from behind them with Raj’ken in tow, having put away the weapons once it became clear they weren’t in danger.

“Trat’catha, since you know her, introduce us.”

“Ah yes, may I present for the pleasure of the court -” The way Trat’catha changed tones and flourished his movements made it seem they truly were standing in a majestic hall, rather than the ruins of a wall - “Dae’jita, the Summer Smith. The only other season smith I can bear to be around, and the only one that could ever compete with me in the creation of arms.” As he spoke, it became clear that he wasn’t just blowing wind and his respect for her was very real.

Dae’jita punched Trat’catha in the arm, twisting him with the impact.

“Stop it with the bluster. It’s embarrassing as all get out.” Dae’jita’s smile was tempered by whatever ghosts she was dealing with.

“Ahem, right. Well, these are my companions: Thu’lain, Raj’ken, Tin’lo, Tu’lar,” Trat’catha pointed to the back end of the group, “Anar’dea, El’tan, her husband Hret, their daughter Il’tan, Hal and his wife Hesa, and their sons Ire and Itren, as well as their friend Grond. They are our traveling companions and they’ve proven themselves to be friends.” Trat’catha nodded to the gaur before turning back to Dae’jita.

“But, I’m surprised to see you here. How many made it? When did you come around?” Trat’catha fired off his questions.

“Come with me and we’ll get you some answers.” Dae’jita nodded to another elf. “Cor’inth, you’re in charge until I get back. Point any other stragglers to the circle and we’ll get them sorted.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Cor’inth spoke with a clipped tone, “Everyone back in position. The next thing may be an apex, be ready.”

“They’ve got it handled, let’s go.” Dae’jita waved them over and led the group through the outer ruins.

Thu’lain took in the environment: the ruined structures just within the walls looked more like piles of broken stone, any wood that had been there had long rotted away, and any metals present were subject to rust and oxidation over the years. He couldn’t tell what any of the buildings had been used for, but the scattered stones told him that they hadn’t just tumbled over. Most were likely trampled in the invasion.

Despite Dae’jita talking, it was difficult not to focus on the ruins of Anosora. Dae’jita seemed to be moving slowly on purpose; she likely had felt the same turmoil all those present had. She wouldn’t let them stop and stare for long, though, and ushered them if anyone stopped for long. Thu’lain found himself gripping Raj’ken’s hand firmly, but when he loosened his grip, she tightened hers.

About twenty minutes later and the group came to a massive circular park within Anosora covered in lush vegetation, even denser than the forest outside of the walls.

“This is where we are holing up. Most of the buildings are damaged, and we can’t afford to rebuild, or to repair the ones that are still standing. Luckily, most of us took to our roots and started living in trees again. It’s funny to me. This was called Cradle Park back in the day, and now it seems a bit too on the nose.” Dae’jita laughed.

“Anyway, we’re about to meet our coordinator and one of our temporary council members, who’ll get you all settled in.”

Thu’lain analyzed the overgrowth: it was too easy, all too convenient. The density of the forest in the city was too high for the altitude. Anything larger than a centaur would have hell trying to maneuver through the trees, and anything smaller wouldn’t be able to keep up with the elves.

Ignathus, did you do this, too?

“How long have we been back here?”

“Thu’lain, right? From what I hear, there have been maybe a dozen elves hiding in the ruins and this forest for about two-hundred years or so. Surprised me when I heard of it. Actually, no. To be honest, it kind of stung.” Dae’jita had a bitter look on her face as she led the way.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

Dae’jita shot a quick glance at Thu’lain and took in his expression, the grim realization that they could have been back here long ago. She whispered under her voice. “I suppose you do.”

After rounding through the trees, they found a collection of buildings crafted from the woven - and still living - branches of the trees around them with stairs, ladders, and bridges spanned in a complex web between the dozen buildings. Some were large enough to bunk at least a hundred, while others were almost certainly storage buildings.

“Come on up.” Dae’jita led the group to a bridge that spanned from a large central building to the ground and took them through a sturdy wooden door into a reception area where tables were spread out with elves efficiently relaying requests through a series of runners and letters. Thu’lain almost stopped and stared. It had been so long since he’d seen any kind of clerical system that it seemed like a fevered dream of some kind.

They kept moving through the building after Dae’jita explained what was going on to one of the clerks.

The next set of doors opened into a sizable meeting hall that seemed to double as an office, in which a red-eyed elf sat at a desk staring into a crystal with the focus of a predator. Dae’jita waited patiently for all of three seconds before marching forward.

“Mara’kesh.” She spoke the woman's name firmly, yet respectfully. The woman pulled herself away from the crystal with a tired expression.

“Wait, Mara’kesh? Did you know a Tala’ken back before the fall?” Raj’ken blurted out with nervousness in her voice. Mara’kesh seemed to struggle with her own emotions, but settled on Raj’ken with a precise gaze.

“She was my best friend. Who is she to you?” Mara’kesh wasn’t standoffish, but she was most certainly tense.

“She was my mother,” Raj’ken stated simply, “She-” Raj’ken took a deep breath , “I’m glad you made it. She always worried about what happened to you.”

Mara’kesh remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. “She didn’t make it?”

Raj’ken shook her head sadly.

“You were just a child… I’m so sorry. Let’s catch up after all this and I’ll introduce you to my daughters.” Mara’kesh had a small smile on her face.

Mara’kesh had Dae’jita debrief her for expediency and, when they were done, she simply nodded.

“You all are welcome to stay. We ration food supplies, though there’s plenty to go around. I’ve been told by our more magically inclined that essence is concentrating in the area of Anosora at an exponential rate. It’s only a matter of time until we are at full strength individually, but, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there isn’t much left of the city.”

“We have need for people in every vocation, but, to be honest, I need people who are experts in killing apex. I use this” - she gestured to the crystal on her desk - “to scout the surrounding area. I’m not sure of the coverage, but it’s a bit ridiculous now that it can recharge on its own.”

“We have incursions every day as apex come in close. We’re lucky that several of them seem to turn around and leave once they get close to the birthing pools, though I’m not sure why.” Mara’kesh shrugged and moved to a somewhat accurate map of the area around Anosora, pointing at three areas that were likely several days away.

“Each of those is an eclipse.” She let her words sink in.

“Wait, what?” Anar’dea backpedaled.

“We barely survived one of those things and there are three?” She continued, “And we only made it out because of the Ar’ghul.”

“How long have they been there?”

“Weeks, probably longer. They haven’t moved from their locations, so I think they were dormant.Whenever a new group of elves come, they stir, and I think it’s only a matter of time until they wake up. The only bright side is that it seems none of them have wings.” Mera’kesh sighed and leaned against her desk.

Thu’lain listened carefully and calculated in his head the chances of survival, but there was too much information he didn’t know.

If we had enough elves with proper combat training, we could theoretically kill an eclipse much like how the Ar’ghul did. But if the eclipse is armored, then piercing through its hide becomes unlikely for anything less than enchanted weaponry.

Survival is more likely if we flee.

“I’m willing to stay, and at least try.” Trat’catha spoke and walked forward to study the map.

“Yeah. If we lose Anosora again we have no way of knowing how long until we’d be able to gain essence. Not to mention, other elves will still rally here,” Tin’lo agreed, with Tu’lar nodding beside him.

Thu’lain listened quietly as each of his companions decided to stay. There was a part of him that wanted to call them foolish, that there was no need to rush, especially with essence returning.

But Tin’lo is right; essence is returning here first and foremost. We won’t be the last ones returning to Anosora.

“Our chances are terrible.”

Raj’ken lightly smacked Thu’lain’s shoulder and he gave her a level stare,

“Tell me there is a backup plan. A shelter for those to retreat to when an eclipse gets past the defenses.”

“There’s a bunker from before the fall that we can use. It couldn’t be opened until we funneled essence into the operating mechanisms,” Mara’kesh supplied briskly.

“Why wasn’t it used during the fall?” Anar’dea asked.

“The doors wouldn’t open without essence. The same thing that kept us from fighting back also prevented us from sheltering.”

“From what I’m told, the bunker still has usable supplies to cover a few months in hiding. Just in case.” Mara’kesh strode around her desk and took a seat.

“Dae’jita can show you the bunker after she gets you settled in and, if you decide you’ll stay and help, we will get you coordinated with everyone else.” Mara’kesh went back to work and Dae’jita led the rest to an area of the forest relatively clear of others.

From there the group divided, with Thu’lain and Trat’catha insisting on going to see the bunker, Raj’ken and Tin’lo using a mixture of Raj’ken’s abilities and Tin’lo’s magic to create a living area off the ground out of the branches and foliage of the forest around them, and Tu’lar and Grond going with Hal, Hesa and their sons to gather any other supplies they’d needto make a large celebratory dinner.

Finally, when they all came back together, it was evening and time to relax. Thu’lain and Trat’catha reported that the bunker was certainly a secure fallback point and that even an eclipse would be hard-pressed to get into it once it was sealed.

“It’s not what I thought it would be, and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I’m happy to be home. Finally.” Trat’catha leaned back against a wall as he ate, a wide smile on his face.

“I’m excited to explore the ruins, to be honest. To see a glimpse of what it was like.” Raj’ken lay on her back as she spoke.

Thu’lain listened as they spoke and schooled his expression into one of neutrality.

We need to find a way to deal with those eclipse on our terms. If they come at us all at once, I don’t see how we could make it.

If we can’t figure out a way to overcome them, I don’t think we have a good chance.

Thu’lain stewed in his thoughts, even as he tried to join in the celebration, but he couldn’t help but feel that they hadn’t yet faced the worst of their journey.

That night, as he slumbered, he dreamt of a burning kingdom.