The Realm of Wonders

Chapter 7: The Verdant Vale

Three days had passed since Alan and Kaela left the Shrine of the Sleeping Flame. The landscape changed with each sunrise, rocky crags gave way to rolling hills, and then, abruptly, the world became green.

Unnaturally green.

They had arrived at the Verdant Vale. Towering trees loomed overhead, their trunks glowing faintly with bioluminescent moss. The wind carried not the scent of flowers, but of ancient magic and something… primordial.

Alan stepped cautiously into the lush foliage. “This place feels… alive.” Kaela nodded, bow drawn and eyes sharp. “That’s because it is. The Vale is cursed, or blessed, depending on who you ask. It was once a kingdom of druids before it was swallowed by its own magic.”

“Swallowed?” Kaela’s expression darkened. “The forest grew so fast it devoured entire cities.”

Alan looked around. “And this ruin we’re heading for?”

“It’s called Elaron, though the map calls it The Garden of the Last Sky. Supposedly, it’s the only place the forest couldn’t reclaim.”.

Deeper into the Vale. They followed an overgrown path, guided by Kaela’s ancestral map and the pulse of the medallion on Alan’s chest. Every few miles, the Eye would hum slightly, as though it recognized something in the land.

Strange creatures watched them from the shadows, glowing stags with antlers of bark, birds with leaves for wings, wolves made of brambles and thorns.

Alan whispered, “Are they... natural?” Kaela shook her head. “They’re formed by the Vale. Constructs of pure nature chi.”

Suddenly, the forest around them went silent. No birds. No wind. No rustle. Just… silence.

Then, A howl. The trees burst apart as a creature leapt into the path, a wolf the size of a house, made of vines, bone, and burning amber eyes. .

.The Guardian Beast.

Alan leapt forward, drawing Ashbreaker. The blade pulsed with heat, answering his will. Kaela let fly an arrow, striking the beast’s shoulder, but it didn’t even flinch. “Don’t let it pin us!” she shouted.

The beast swiped a paw, and Kaela barely dodged, tumbling through moss and landing hard.

Alan inhaled sharply, centering himself. Focus. Not just power, intention. He stepped into a stance the Ember Sage had taught him, channeling chi into his blade. Fire licked the edge. Wind coiled around his feet.

Then he moved. His first strike carved a searing line down the wolf’s side. The beast roared, vines recoiling. “Your form is unstable,” Alan murmured. “You’re made of raw chi. That means…”

He raised his hand, and summoned Earth and Flame. Pillars of molten stone erupted from the ground, trapping the wolf. Then with a shout, he brought Ashbreaker down, channeling the fire deep into the beast’s core.

The wolf howled once more, Then crumbled to ash and petals.

.An Unexpected Ally.

As the smoke cleared, a voice echoed from the trees. “Impressive.” A figure stepped out, a tall elf-like man, dressed in robes woven from vines and sky-blue leaves. His hair shimmered like silver grass, and he carried a staff carved from living wood.

“I didn’t expect the Eye’s vessel to wield harmony.” Alan raised his blade. “Who are you?” The man smiled faintly. “I am Lioren, last of the Skybound Druids. Guardian of Elaron. And you’re walking into a trap.”

Kaela narrowed her eyes. “Whose trap?” Lioren gestured toward the distant mountains.

“The Archon and his Sentinels are already here. They seek the Pillars of Origin buried beneath Elaron. If they reach them first, your power, and your world, will fall into their hands.”

Alan’s jaw clenched. “Then we don’t have time.” Lioren turned, staff lighting up.

“Follow me. I’ll show you the way. But know this, Elaron is more than a ruin. It’s a key.”

“A key to what?” Alan asked. Lioren’s eyes flashed with sorrow.

“To everything.” Elsewhere in the Vale, beneath a sky blotted by swirling clouds, a great spire of obsidian broke through the earth.

At its base, six beings stood still as statues, encased in armor forged from starlight and shadow. Then, with a hiss, their eyes flickered open. The Sentinels had awakened. And they had one target. Alan Smith.