Divinity's Trial

THE NEW TABREES

The streets of Tabrees were filled with a restless crowd, their faces shadowed by fear, uncertainty, and the lingering smoke of the cultists' attack. The towering gates of the city stood behind them, closed but not as a sign of protection—more like a cage holding their anxiety in. At the heart of the square, upon the steps of the council chambers, stood Tur, Valnyr gleaming in his hand like a beacon.

The crowd murmured. They had seen Tur before—always a fierce warrior and master of magic, but the Tur they looked upon now was different. He seemed taller, his posture unshakable. His eyes held the weight of ages, as though the wisdom of a hundred lifetimes had suddenly been awakened in him.

Then he spoke.

"People of Tabrees," his voice thundered, cutting through the murmurs like a blade through the air. The crowd fell silent immediately, the raw power in his tone demanding their attention. "Today is not just another day. Today, you stand at the edge of history, at the turning point of our world."

Every word was deliberate, each syllable striking the hearts of those who listened. Some among the crowd—men and women who had once known him as merely a protector—now looked upon him as something greater, as if the Tur they had known had been hiding his true nature, waiting for this moment.

"I know your fear," Tur continued, his voice lowering just enough to become intimate, personal. "I have seen the terror in your eyes, the doubts in your hearts. You fear the False Gods, the cultists who spread their poison in our streets, who tell you that the merging of the World Engine with the Core will bring our end."

His eyes burned with conviction as he gestured toward the rising smoke in the distance. "But those who serve the Seven False Gods are liars! The Seven betrayed the Creator and were banished from Elarion. Now they hide behind their cults and false promises. They are cowards, afraid of our strength, afraid of what we can become!"

The crowd stirred, murmurs of agreement starting to ripple through them. Mothers held their children tighter, but their eyes hardened. Warriors in the crowd stood straighter, fists clenched.

"We will not cower in fear," Tur declared, stepping forward, his voice rising like a storm gathering force. "We will not allow the False Gods to tear apart what is ours. This is our land! Our world! The power to heal it, to rebuild it, lies within each of us, not in the hands of those who would enslave it."

He paused, letting his words sink in. The silence of the crowd was now one of awe, not fear.

"I will not wait any longer," Tur continued, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, meeting their gazes one by one. "Starting today, I will lead the charge to rebuild Tabrees, to make it stronger, greater than it ever was. We will repair the walls, restore our defenses, and reclaim our streets from the cultists."

His voice swelled with purpose. "But that is only the beginning. The World Engine and the Core—our world's very heart—will be merged. Together, they will bring balance and prevent another cataclysm. The false gods fear this because they know it will end their reign. They want us to stay divided, weak, but I say no more!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, but Tur wasn't finished. He raised his hand, and they quieted once more.

"This fight is not mine alone," he said. "It belongs to all of us—elves, dwarves, fae, djinn, giants, humans. This is not just about Tabrees. It's about every being in Elarion. The Seven False Gods will come for us all, and we will be ready. We will stand united, stronger than ever before. And when they see us, they will tremble."

His voice, so full of power and authority, softened in the end, becoming almost personal. "I cannot promise you that the path ahead will be easy. Many of us may fall. But I can promise you this: We will rise again, stronger each time, until the false gods are nothing but dust."