The Vixen Queen

Chapter 3.2

Petris remained on the upper corridor for several minutes after Drogos left him. The intensity of those baleful, numinous auroras brought unexpected demands on them all, and since he first realized the necessity of zealous opposition to their influence, had begun to place that very burden upon his own shoulders. Stress was already slowly smothering him. Pressure constricted his chest, troubling his breathing as a dull ache spread from his forehead and around his head like a band, fogging his thoughts and leaving him anxious.

The first inklings of an era-defining myth danced around him, the makings of an unlikely hero. He was no burly warrior, no solid, mighty king of a man. It may not have mattered in the grand scheme of things, but on this night of nights, as dread and anxiety racked his brothers and sisters, they deserved the gift of resilient, invincible leadership. There was no quality about him that others — even magi — could see that was inherently inspiring. Magic had a funny way of evening odds, though, and his abilities in channeling were unrivaled. If he could find a way to deliver on one of his wildest dreams, he'd go down in the histories as one of the most consequential members to have ever come from a human line.

But he cared not for what the histories would say of him. He cared only that the threats against his kin be thwarted, and that they, promises of statues and epics aside, work to create a better future, wherein humanity was no longer a tool or weapon in cosmic games. No. Instead, they could play the games themselves. They could reap the benefits of a new state of existence. Free from the suffering, inequity, and oppression this realm so often brought. Free to be everything The Creed promised — in this lifetime, as well as the next.

Humanity ascendant once again. Unity. Growth. Prosperity. This order at the center of it all. It's what we deserve — what we all deserve. It can be done...somehow.

Petris' lips made a ring as he forced breath forward, before breathing in long and deep. He nodded to himself and pivoted right towards the end of the open corridor. Torches lit the path like daylight, pushing back any and all darkness that dared to continue assaults on his body or mind. A relieved, confident smile lifted his spirits as he walked along towards the arched, wooden door that marked entrance into the castle. Despite this mysterious opponents' best efforts to intimidate them, resolve had been restored within him, with visions of emancipation and deliverance flashing before his eyes. The door before him was a portal, a passage through which marked an evolution of self, towards the man, the mage, the legend, that Teleria needed him to be — or so he told himself. He was to become a harbinger of a new age, a golden age of progress, safety, and prosperity for all. It started here, as his hand reached for the latch, pulling it back to swing the door wide, its ancient hinges creaking like trumpets announcing the beginning of liminality — and then, liberation, clarity, focus.

He stepped inside, looking back over his shoulder to the place where he once stood, receiving the words of his dearest mentor that would surely, irreversibly change the course of Telerian history.

Somehow...

With a quiet chuckle, he grabbed the latch once more and brought the door to a close, the past disappearing behind its solid barrier. He turned about and proceeded to stroll through every common area, checking on the Magi and Acolytes he found there. In the dining hall, he sat briefly with a group of Acolytes that were speculating on the source of the auroras, spreading the message that rather than splintering and isolating them in fear, it was a chance for The Order to stand united, firm. Others passed by him in the halls and stairways, to whom he offered encouraging words. He compelled all of them to rest, to manifest strength and resolve in their dreams, relying upon the spirits of the castle, the land, and the world itself to support and guide them against the darkness that had deigned to descend upon them.