Ziggy exchanged a perplexed glance with Blunder and Yilve, his fellow guardians. Suspicion danced in their eyes, questioning the authenticity of my statement. Yet, sensing the urgency in my tone, they quickly acquiesced. 'Are you certain they requested all three of us?' Yilve inquired, seeking confirmation.
Without missing a beat, I nodded emphatically. 'Absolutely. They were in a foul mood, so it's best not to keep them waiting,' I cautioned, urging them to depart swiftly.
With a mixture of apprehension and compliance, Ziggy, Blunder, and Yilve hastened down the tower's spiral staircase, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. As soon as they disappeared from sight, I shifted into my wolf and summoned every ounce of strength and determination within me. I lunged toward the locked door, my great strength propelling me with astounding force. With a resounding crash, the door splintered and shattered into pieces.
Upon entering the small, dimly lit room, rested an ornate lectern, and upon it, an ancient book lay closed, its pages expelling an aura of mystique. The soft, ethereal glow of the stained-glass window bathed the room in rays of colour.
Aware of the ever-ticking clock and the imminent danger of being discovered by the Mystic Council, I wasted no time. My eyes hungrily devoured the words inscribed upon the pages of the tome. The first section I stumbled upon contained spells of unimaginable power unlike anything I had ever encountered. They possessed the ability to manipulate minds and control the very essence of the Felderians' powers. It became evident why Gretchen, that cunning witch, coveted this tome so desperately. My suspicion of her had not been in vain.
Swiftly flipping through the pages, I skipped over the spells, my gaze fixating on a title that ignited a spark of recognition within me—Solara's Tears. Illustrated beside the words was a delicate sketch of an iridescent teardrop, radiating iridescent hues of yellow and gold. The tome described the origin of Solara's Tear, linking it to the goddess of light and life, Solara. As the tale goes, Solara shed tears of immense sorrow when witnessing an ancient war. The tears crystallized, imbued with her divine essence and blessed with the power of immortality or to restore a life.
I realised then the council each wanted a Tear of Solara for themselves to all have immortality. I quickly turned to the next page and read everything about the Starheart Stone.
Turning the page with growing unease, I discovered the next gem. It said the Starheart Stone is a legendary gem of unparalleled rarity and cosmic power. Described as fragments of a fallen star, it possesses a celestial radiance. It is shaped like a pink heart with the five points of a star around its edges. The Starheart Stone will enhance magical abilities or give you a whole new ability on top of the power you already wield.
It all made sense. I realised that all this time that the Mystic Council had been tirelessly pursuing the Starheart Stones and Solara's Tears to fulfil their agendas. To be granted eternal life and solidify their rule over Felderia, allowing them to maintain control over the laws and destiny of the realm, where they each intend on having their own lands to rule. Their desperation for these gems has driven them to the point of exploiting the Felderian population, imprisoning them to increase the mining numbers, and subjecting them to laborious mining conditions to unearth the rare and precious stones. The need for gems to power the magic in the city was the perfect guise they needed for their plans. That’s why everything that was mined was sorted underground below the Starlight Citadel before it was placed in the core of the structure that fuels the city. I always thought it was odd the mystic council would personally go underground to supervise the sorting process, but now I knew why. It was in hopes they would finally get their hands on one of Salara’s tears or the Starheart Stones for themselves.
As the realization of their true intentions sank in, I found myself surrounded by Gretchen and the members of the Mystic Council. Their eyes gleamed with anger and amusement as if they had caught a mischievous child in the act.
'I didn't think you were the type to eavesdrop,' Thaddeus sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
'And I didn't think you were the type to betray your own people,' I shot back, my voice tinged with righteous anger. 'To have innocent Felderians forcibly taken to the crystal mines, separated from their families, and condemned to a lifetime of labour—all for the sake of your precious gems!'
Caius stepped forward, a smug smile playing on his lips. 'Ah, you mean the Felderians you so willingly brought to us,' he taunted.
'Under your command, under your lies,' I shouted, my voice echoing through the chamber. 'I never would have allowed this to happen if I had known your true agenda and their innocence!'
Amos, the oldest among them, approached with a deliberate stride. 'Well, Warrick, knowing the truth changes nothing for us,' he sneered, his staff striking the stone floor with a resounding thud. A surge of magic radiated from the staff; a beam of energy hurtled towards me.
Instinctively, I leapt out of harm's way, my body shifting effortlessly into that of my wolf. The room erupted into chaos as the council members unleashed their powers upon me. Spells clashed, and energy crackled in the air, their combined might far surpassing my own. Yet, fuelled by my righteous fury, I fought tooth and claw, determined to escape their clutches.
Despite my injuries, my body healed and regenerated with each passing moment, and I managed to break free from their onslaught. I raced down the stairs, my paws pounding against the cold stone, desperate to put distance between us. Their taunts and curses followed me, but I knew my speed could outmatch their magic.
Two witches from Gretchen's coven blocked my path at the foot of the stairs. With a swift incantation, they cast the Repeliate spell, sending me hurtling through the air, crashing into the unforgiving stone wall. The impact formed a deep crack from the force of their magic.
Then briefly entangled by the wild root snare spell they cast on me, I summoned all my strength and determination, broke free from the clinging vines, and fled, remaining in my wolf form and ran tirelessly for two days and nights without rest, until I finally reached the sanctuary of my pack.’