The Lands Between - Age of Dragons

Chapter Nine - Spring's First Bloom

"Did we give our lives meaning, or did we lose them in vain?

The fallen leaves grow on the tree once again,

The future is uncertain, and shrouded in doubt,

The seeds have borne fruit and have started to sprout,

Though some plants spew venom, some flowers have thorns,

They too have a purpose to why they were born,

The light turns to gray, slowly fading in hue,

Lay your head down today, begin tomorrow anew."

◆

"Do you swear to dedicate your life to protecting the primordial crucible? To sharpen your weapons against its enemies and bolster your shield in its defense?"

"We do. The foes of the Great Tree be extinguished."

"Then rise, Gunnar, son of Ordovis. Rise Gerta, daughter of Siluria. Rise, and take your place as Aspects of the Crucible, as your mother and father did before you."

The Crucible Knights applauded the twins as they rose to their feet. The High Priest's words held true. Deep below the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, past the prison of mad merchants was the gateway to the Deeproot Depths. Gunnar and Gerta's parents had gathered what remained of their order in this location, where the remnants of the Great Tree lay dormant. Ordovis and Siluria themselves had returned to the primordial crucible, their mortal forms metamorphosing into bark that knotted together with the roots of the Great Tree. It took some time before Gunnar and Gerta could accept that they would not be meeting their parents again after all.

"They wanted to be here when you returned, you know. They always did say you would come back one day. They would have been so proud to see you now," said Juno, the most senior of the knights.

"If they wanted to be here they would be. Our parents abandoned us, just as they had when we were children," said Gerta stubbornly.

"You still have much to learn. None choose when it is their time to return to the Crucible. The process occurs as natural and undeniable as breathing. Their souls still exist. There is no telling when they will return to the Lands Between. It could be a few weeks or a few centuries," said the Crucible Knight.

"Perhaps you are right, Juno. We are being harsh," said Gunnar. "It's just...we barely got any time with them before the Shattering. We have traveled far in hopes of seeing our parents. And now..."

"I understand, Gunnar. You are but human, after all. Come, the rest of the Crucible Knights wish to see you."

The three warriors emerged from the Great Tree's bark and into the lightless chasm that was Deeproot Depths. Below the great waterfall sat an unnamed Eternal City, its artificial sky stripped away long ago. There they stood, the fourteen Crucible Knights of the Lands Between. The order had dispersed following Godfrey's exile, forging their own paths before reuniting once more. One knight pledged his blade to General Radahn and Redmane Castle. Others descended deep into the Siofra Aqueduct, taking shelter from the troubles of the world. A pair of more ambitious knights found their way to Farum Azula, the city floating in the sky. According to Juno, the Crucible Knights had waited here for decades, remaining faithful to a prophecy spoken to them by one of their elders. They speak of a pair of warriors—forgotten twins that are destined to return and restore natural order to the world.