"Eldoria?" Kai repeated. The name stirred something distant, a dream of sunlight, stone towers, and voices calling his name. "I… I remember stories. Whispers of a golden age."
Lyra stepped forward. Her red hair flickered in the firelight like a banner in motion.
"It was real," she said. "But Sgaazoz twisted it. He rules now from the Obsidian Citadel, choking the land with shadow. Our people suffer, starving, hunted, silenced. We've fought in the dark, but we need a symbol. A reason to rise."
Valthyr's ember eyes glowed.
"The blood of kings flows in you, Kai. Sgaazoz fears it. The people will rally to your name, but only if you give them cause."
Kai hesitated. "How? I know nothing of war. Or ruling. I lived among trees, not courts."
"You will learn," Valthyr said. "And you will not be alone."
He turned his gaze to Lyra.
"Tell him of your rebellion. Its strength. Its weaknesses."
Lyra's confidence flickered, if only briefly.
"We are few," she admitted. "Our village lies hidden deep in the Whisperwind Peaks, safe, for now. We have warriors, scouts, and a handful who still touch the old magic. But we're running out of time. Food is scarce. Morale is worse. We've lost so much."
Kai folded his arms, grounding himself. "What of allies? Other factions?"
Lyra nodded slowly. "There are rumors, scattered bands of resistance. Some led by noble houses in exile, others by zealots chasing prophecy. But no one trusts each other. Sgaazoz made sure of that."
Valthyr rumbled, the sound like distant thunder through mountains.
"Then unity must come from you. You must forge a banner that all can gather beneath. A name that turns fear to flame."
Lyra's eyes sharpened. "There is one thing that could help. A legend… maybe more."
Kai tilted his head. "Go on."
"The Sword of Kings," she said. "Forged in the old capital before it fell. They say it waits beneath the ruins. Only the true heir can wield it. And its power…" She glanced at the Sunstone. "It's said to answer ancient magic."
Kai looked between them guardian spirit, rebel warrior, and a path paved in ash and blood.
"I was content to survive," he murmured. "But the forest gave me more than life. It gave me strength. And now I see why."
He closed his eyes, listening.
The whispers in the trees no longer warned. They no longer whispered.
They sang.
"I will do it," Kai said, voice like stone meeting steel. "I will claim my throne and free Eldoria."
Lyra smiled, not soft, but fierce. "Then we begin."