The clearing was instantly swarming with soldiers – clad in Valerius's colors, their faces grim and determined. Marius stepped forward, his eyes cold and calculating. "Rhyland," he sneered. "Your hiding has ended."
"You will not desecrate Aerion's legacy," Rhyland retorted, gripping his staff tightly. He positioned himself protectively in front of Elara. "The ritual is meant to heal Eldoria, not to be exploited for personal gain."
"Sentimentality is a weakness," Marius replied dismissively. "Lord Valerius understands the true potential of this power."
Valerius emerged from the shadows, his expression radiating an unsettling mix of arrogance and desperation. He fixed Elara with a gaze that felt like an icy probe. "You possess a spark," he said, his voice laced with false admiration. "A connection to the Sylvani's magic that could benefit us all. Join me, child, and together we can shape Eldoria's destiny."
Elara met his gaze unflinchingly. "My destiny is not yours to control." She felt a surge of power within her—a resonance with the Mist that seemed to amplify Rhyland's own energy.
"So be it," Valerius said, gesturing to his soldiers. "Seize them!"
The battle erupted in a chaotic flurry of steel and magic. Rhyland, despite his age, fought with surprising agility, deflecting blows with his staff and conjuring shimmering shields of protective energy. Elara instinctively channeled the Mist's power, creating gusts of wind that disoriented the soldiers and momentarily disrupted their attacks.
While the battle raged, Rhyland frantically began piecing together Aerion's fragmented research. "The ritual requires precise alignment," he explained to Elara over the din of combat. "Three crystalline shards must be placed at specific ley lines – points where the Mist flows strongest." He pointed to a diagram on his table. "The first is beneath the Weeping Willow—a sentinel tree marking the heart of the Fen."
Suddenly, a soldier lunged towards Elara, disarming her and sending her sprawling to the ground. Valerius stepped forward, extending a hand to help her up.
"You could have so much power," he whispered, his voice dangerously soft. "Imagine what we could accomplish together." He reached out, attempting to place his hand on her forehead—to exert his mental influence directly.
But just as he made contact, Elara instinctively tapped into the Mist's energy – not for attack, but for insight. She saw a flash of Valerius's past - a glimpse of his childhood, marked by neglect and resentment, revealing the roots of his ambition and cruelty.
The vision briefly disoriented him, allowing Rhyland to intervene, knocking him off balance with a well-aimed strike from his staff. "She resists you!" Marius shouted in frustration. "Increase the amplification!"