A Call

Mildune shivered as the sound of his name washed over him like water from a cold stream. Gathering his courage, he turned and scanned the plains, until his gaze fell upon a flickering green light, hovering within the forest. It almost looked as though it was beckoning him.

Out of curiosity, Mildune took a step forward, only to pause, and glance back at the city. He could turn around right now, and forget he ever saw anything…

'No. I've lived my entire life in safety. It's high time I took a risk.'

Several minutes later, Mildune found himself dashing through the woods, the trees flashing past as he vaulted over boulders and streams. The green orb flickered ahead of him, weaving through the forest as though nothing could stop it.

'Where is it leading me?' Mildune wondered, glancing over his shoulder. The city's walls stood far off in the distance, surprising him by how far he had gone. He considered turning around, but when he looked for the green orb, he found it stopped, hovering in a clearing lined with tall grass and patches of milkweed.

His heart pounding wildly, Mildune crept into the clearing, and approached the glowing light. It no longer moved away from him, and as he stretched out a hesitant hand, it slowly floated forward. The moment his fingers connected with it, a gust of wind crashed down on him, and a thousand more orbs popped into existence, swirling around him.

'Gods above… What are these things?' Mildune wondered, his eyes wide in awe.

'We… are spirits… And it's been a while since we've seen you.'

The words were spoken softly, as though carried on a breeze. Mildune stared at the orbs, now bouncing in front of him. It wasn't the first time he had heard of spirits, but none of the stories had described them like this.

"Who are you? Do you have a name?"

'Oh, forgive us for not introducing ourselves… You may call us… Azerial… Keepers of the Hidden Realm'

As the voice spoke its name, a veil of light exploded around Mildune, blinding him with its brightness. He cried out and dropped to his knees, clawing at his eyes, which now burned in his skull. It felt as though they were two iron balls, heated to a thousand degrees, before being plunged into his eye sockets.

"What did you do to me?!"

"Worry not, child. The pain will soon pass, and you will see the world for what it truly is."

Though they said this, it felt like an eternity had passed before the pain faded, leaving Mildune gasping for breath.

Crimson tears streamed down his face as he lifted his head and looked around. His eyes widened as he found himself upon a desolate spire, surrounded by miles of dark plains, and jagged mountains. No life could be seen for as far as he could see. Only dust and bones, and heaps of rubble.

"Where- Where am I?" Mildune asked, staggering to his feet. He whirled around, glaring at the green orbs which swirled behind him. "Where have you brought me?!"

'You're still in the clearing, as you were before… You've just stepped into a realm few others can see… The realm of Aether…'

"Is this magic? Why have you brought me here?"

'Some may consider this magic… But the reason we brought you here is to request your aid… You see, this land was once brimming with life, its people happy and prospering. But in an era long past, a dark force spread across it, corrupting the inhabitants, and poising the magic. Now, only death remains, and its corroding the layer between this realm, and the outer realm. We need you to stop it… You're the only one who can…"

Mildune shook his head, stepping back from the spires edge.

"No! No, you have the wrong person! I'm just a farm hand! I can't stop this- this darkness, or whatever else might be out there!"

'Oh? Truly you don't believe that… You have an ability no one else does. One that rivals even the distant elves, with their long lives and their powerful magic… And you know this to be true… You're already experiencing the changes in your own body…'

Mildune reached for his forehead, but quickly dropped his hand. "No! I'm sorry, but you'll have to find someone else to battle this darkness. I- I can't help you!"

Mildune turned and the realm faded around him, returning him to the clearing. Glancing one final time at the spirits, he said.

"I'm sorry. I really am."

And then he ran from the clearing, dashing back to the city, and the people familiar to him. Behind him, the spirits watched in silence, before slowly fading away. As the last light vanished, a faint whisper swept through the clearing.

'I'm afraid it may already be too late… The choice has been made for you…'

Mildune burst from the forest, his feet pounding against the ground. The gate was just ahead of him, so close he could almost touch it.

Only ten more steps… then five… then an explosion of flames swept through the streets, and a shockwave blasted him back through the air.

Mildune bounced across the ground several times, the stones digging into his skin, before he rolled to a stop. His ears rung as he forced himself up, and spun around, trying to regain his bearings. Around him, the world seemed like one giant fireball, filled with screams and cries for help.

'What's going on? Why are people screaming?!'

Mildune shook his head, and forced his eyes to focus. A look of horror spread across his face as he turned to the city, its walls crumbling in a blazing inferno. Inside, people ran and screamed, trampling over one another, as buildings crashed to the ground. Then, from the twisting clouds of smoke overhead, there came the sound of beating wings, and a loud, bone-chilling roar.

From the depths of the smoke, a winged beast emerged, its scales as black as night. A fiery glow illuminated its chest, building ever higher, until it opened its bloody maw, and released a torrent of flames upon the city below. None who were caught within survived, leaving only their blackened bones behind.

Mildune fell back, his eyes wide as the creature's name leapt unbidden to his lips.

"Wyvern… A wyvern has attacked Withro..."