The Empire's Descent

Chapter 2: The Eye of the Storm

Darkness descended like an impenetrable shroud across the wasted landscape. Billowing clouds of hazardous smoke both thick and black blotted the sun, cloaking the world in an endless tone of shadow. Fires of unimaginable scale raged unchecked, their savage orange maws devouring all in their path and leaving behind only ash and ruin. Once vibrant forests were reduced to smoldering graveyards beneath an unholy rain of poison, their prior sounds of life now silenced.

From the boiling clouds emerged rays of red searing light, bright lances that stabbed down to rend the earth further. Entire cities, home to millions of souls, were consumed in atomic flashes, as castles and spires crumble as though constructed of sand. The screams of the dying were lost amid the all-consuming roar of inferno and devastation.

At the heart of the wasteland stood a solitary figure, staring with cold indifference at the scope of destruction unjustly brought upon the land. Its armor, encrusted with an unnerving tone of white, caught the reflected glare of the never-ending bombardments striking the surroundings. It's visor that mirrored the empty void surveyed the landscape scorched barren of all signs of civilization, forever erased from history.

With a rush of renewed colors, the young woman who was having the nightmare fluttered open her eyes to find her sheets drenched with nervous sweat. Her heart raced as fragmented images echoed through her mind - smoke, fire, endless wretched cries fading into darkness. Slowly rising unsteadily from bed, she glanced at curtain-covered windows, unsure if the horrific sight she witnessed was a premonition of the coming days.

"Your Grace!" came a breathless voice from beyond her chambers. "We heard you screaming - please, tell us what happened!"

The young woman steadied herself against the wall as she made her way to the door - to answer the desperate calls from outside her chamber. Her handmaiden Anna greeted her at the door, eyes wide with worry upon seeing her mistress's stressed state.

"My lady, you're as pale as snow! Tell me, what happened during your slumber?" Anna asked, helping her to a chair by the window.

As the young woman regained her breath, the chaotic images from her nightmare crept back into focus. The dark clouds, not of rain but of smoke, slightly suffocated her breath.
"I saw... death. Anna, I saw great fires consuming all, black smoke blocking out the sun, and poisonous rain slaughtering anything still standing. And from above, beyond the clouds of poison, terrible fiery lances raining down without end..."

Anna listened intently, a chill creeping up her spine at the graphic details. "Surely it was nothing but a troubling dream, your grace. No force on this entire continent could wreak such havoc, much less to the Empire of Magna."

But the vision lingered sharply in the young woman's mind. She recounted the solitary figure amid the ruins, their pristine white armor contrasting to the dark hues of grey, surveying the death with cold calculation. What monstrous power could achieve Armageddon on such a scale? And why had this nightmare chosen her to bear witness?

As dawn finally broke, its warm light did little to lift the shadows from her eyes. Even as the capital city stirred and awoke from it's slumber, the sheer unnerve stayed trapped in her mind.

Looking for even a moment's respite, the young woman's eyes sought the company of the rising sun, it's orange hues welcoming the day in a calming warmth. She gazed at the sun for what seemed like eternity, watching it rise higher and higher into the sky, until it was almost unbearable to gaze at it any longer.

And yet... Even though her needs of rest were satisfied, she couldn't help but gaze at the sun all the more intently. There was something... off about it's appearance, it's something that shouldn't be there - unnatural, even.

In the glowing silhouette of the sun, were two dots. She would've passed it off as a pair of patrolling wyverns, but something about the unknown pair sparked interest in her. She didn't know how it came to be, but she could almost feel an... otherworldly feeling from it.

'What could those possibly be?' She pondered.

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It was the early morning over the sprawling Magna capital, with the sun's rays just beginning to sparkle off the spires and windows below. Captain Aerien pulled her thick wool cloak tighter as the cold altitude winds blew against her leather armor. She had drawn the dawn patrol, circling for hours atop her loyal wyvern Braxis.

As the pink-orange glow spread across the clouds, Aerien spotted another pair of riders in the distance. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss - just fellow riders carrying out their duty as she was. But as the moments passed, she realized with growing concern that they were flying far quicker- and steadier, than any wyvern should be capable of at this altitude.

She leaned forward to murmur to Braxis, urging more speed from the great blue-green beast. As they gained speed, she could make out her counterparts more clearly - two dark circular silhouettes that at first glance seem to be... unblinking eyes?

A chill ran through Aerien that had nothing to do with the frosty air. What were these mysterious creatures? and what uncanny power granted them such inhuman appearances and speed? As she neared, she called out loudly, hoping for a reasonable explanation. But whether or not these creatures heard her, they still relented on their path straight to the capital.

A path, that lead them straight to her.

The morning sun had just finished rising, casting the rolling plains in a dull orange light that made discerning details difficult. But she could tell the creatures, whatever they were, moved with an unnatural power that set her instincts on high alert.

As a member of the capital's wyvern corp, she could not ignore potential threats so close to the walls. But nor did she wish to engage without proper cause. Gripping the reins of her wyvern tightly, she urged her steed into a gradual glide toward the creatures, hoping a closer look might reveal their nature. But as the distance closed, their forms remained shadowy and indistinct against the rocky terrain.

When barely a half-mile separated them, one of the creatures suddenly pivoted in their direction, as if sensing her approach. Its movement was a liquid blur, devoid of any wasted motion. This was no ordinary beast. Aerien tugged her reins decisively, preparing a weakened warning shot to gauge their response. As her wyvern belched forth a plume of scarlet flame, the creatures sprang into coordinated evasive maneuvers reminiscent of her city's finest aerial troops.

The fireball gave chase but could not match their unnatural agility. They wove through its path with synchronized flashes of unmoving wings, looping around each other with the fearless precision of lifelong battle partners. Aerien watched in awe and alarm as the fire dissipated harmlessly, forced to concede to these entities that is by far, one of the most potent combatants she had ever faced. For whatever reason, these creatures started to retreat, leaving a screeching hum that pounded against her ears. Whatever these creatures were, confrontation was not advisable without reinforcements. For now, she would alert her headquarters to the appearance of these beasts, and potentially follow them back to their nest, wherever it may be.