Carian Manor, Royal Stargazing Grounds.
An old man paced back and forth, barked orders at his apprentices as they struggled to push a heavy Moon-viewing Telescope.
"Gently, gently! Don't be so clumsy! This telescope is a treasure used by the Full Moon Queen herself in her youth. Thank Her Majesty's generosity for opening the Stargazing Grounds to everyone, but if you break it, I couldn't pay it back even if I sold my old bones to the glintstone mines!"
The apprentices were drenched in sweat, working like galley slaves on the Ainsel River, their groans echoing through the air.
"To the left! Further left! Now right! Good, stop! I said stop! To the left again!"
The old man huffed, his beard twitching, before finally nodding in satisfaction. "Everyone, find a place to sit. Class is in session. If you wish to become an exceptional astrologer, observing the stars is the essential first step. Working behind closed doors will never—"
"Master," an apprentice raised a hand to interrupt. "I heard that General Radahn, the Starscourge, used gravity sorcery to lock the stars in place. If so, what use is stargazing?"
"What kind of nonsense is that! Can the stars be halted by mere human strength? Not even a demigod can achieve that. Radahn has merely warped gravitation, creating a gravitational severance band across the sky. May the Queen forgive that wayward son; he must be blinded by the Frenzied Flame, or perhaps a Stormhawk pecked out his brains. Truly tragic, truly tragic..."
The old man rambled on, launching into a lengthy lament over the Starscourge's lack of filial piety, frequently dabbing his eyes with his sleeve. The apprentices shot grateful looks at the one who asked the question, happily settling in to watch the old man's "greatest hits" performance. They whispered among themselves and shared snacks and drinks, relieved that another boring, useless lesson could be spent slacking off.
"In any case, though Radahn's folly has distorted the starlight and severed our communication with the heavens, stargazing remains meaningful. Through variable matrix operations and curvature formulas, we can calculate the true trajectories of the stars." The old man's mood recovered faster than usual this time.
"At the end of this lesson, there will be a pop quiz to test your mastery of these formulas. It will count toward your final grade..."
Wails of despair pierced the night sky. A few Stormhawks in the trees chirped in angry protest before taking flight to find a quieter place to sleep. The apprentices painfully pulled out paper and pens, preparing to face their doom.
But the old man's voice suddenly cut off.
The apprentices looked up to see him pressed against the telescope's eyepiece, his eyes wide with shock.
"Did you—did you see that?" the old man's voice trembled.
"See what? Whoa, a meteor! I've never seen a meteor before." The apprentices grew rowdy. "What a beautiful purple color."
"A purple meteor... this is an omen of divine punishment. That is how the Eternal City of Nokstella was destroyed... The impact point is within the Carian Kingdom! No, I must have calculated it wrong."
The old man snatched a pen and paper from an apprentice and began scribbling frantically.
"East of Liurnia of the Lakes... north of the Liurnia Highway... the Carian Study Hall! It's going to crash near the Carian Study Hall!" the old man shouted. "Quickly, go to the top of the manor! Tell the night guards to send a warning via communication glintstones: the Carian Study Hall is under attack! Go! Run! I will stay here and observe."
The apprentices panicked; some followed his orders while others stood frozen, not knowing what to do. The old man looked up at the meteor, the flush in his face subsiding slightly.
"It's alright... the brightness is high, but the color value is off. It doesn't match the descriptions of Astel, Naturalborn of the Void found in the ancient scrolls of the Eternal City. It fits the characteristics of a Fallingstar Beast more closely." The old man murmured to himself. "Then it should be an isolated incident, not divine wrath... I hope."
"Will someone tell me exactly what happened at the Carian Study Hall? Everyone, sit! Dispense with the formalities."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" A circle of high-ranking officers lowered their saluting hands and sat back down around the tactical sand table, as disciplined as schoolboys.
In the room behind the sand table, several rows of communication sorcerers wearing Academy glintstone crowns sat with their backs turned, using communication glintstones to contact military nodes across Caria and relaying commands verbally. Apprentice scribes scribbled furiously, running back and forth to deliver reports.
The general leading the group spoke in a deep voice: "Fifteen minutes ago, a massive beast crashed near the Carian Study Hall. The shockwave severely damaged the landscape, and the creature subsequently attempted to destroy the Study Hall. The staff sorcerers believe it to be a legendary Fallingstar Beast. It is our negligence that has disturbed Your Majesty. Please rest assured, we shall—"
"Spare me the useless words. Has the Carian Study Hall fallen?" The Queen's voice was ice-cold. "What measures have you taken?"
"The Study Hall remains intact! They received advance warning from the Royal Stargazing Grounds. Furthermore, Jerren, the eccentric knight visiting the kingdom, happened to be at the Study Hall researching at the time. He acted gallantly to delay the beast for several minutes, buying time for the Study Hall's defensive enchantments to activate," the general reported. "The bad news is that the Study Hall is located deep in the hinterlands of Liurnia; there are no troops stationed nearby. We are currently mobilizing units with all haste."
Another general spoke up: "On the plateau east of the Study Hall, there is a group of Fire Monks conducting a pilgrimage trial. We have established contact with the headquarters of the Fire Guardians, and the Chief Monitor has agreed to assist. However, even with this group of ascetics joining the fray, it may only buy us a little more time."
"Four Carian Knights have already departed from the city. The army is massing outside the gates; the battle-sorcerers are performing final adjustments on the marionette soldiers, and the Cuckoo Knights have indicated they can march within fifteen minutes. Furthermore, vassals from all over have heard the news and are spontaneously mobilizing their private militias to rescue the Study Hall. I hear several Demi-Human Queens have already led their tribes halfway there..."
"Tell the vassals to return; do not let them add to the chaos," the Full Moon Queen said calmly. "Halt all troop movements. Keep them here to guard the city and watch for other unforeseen events. I shall depart personally to subjugate the Fallingstar Beast."
"Your Majesty!" A group of generals stood up in shock. "Please, reconsider!"
"The Carian Study Hall houses countless unique volumes; it is the culmination of Liurnia's culture for thousands of years. Do you expect me to sit in the palace and wait for you to bring me the final result of its destruction?" the Queen said, her tone brookng no argument.
"It is our failure!" The generals lowered their heads in shame. Just then, an apprentice ran from the back room and handed the latest report to the general.
"A message from the Study Hall! They are still holding out! The garrison has sworn to live and die with the Study Hall, fighting to the last man to ensure the royal family's precious collection is not destroyed by the enemy!" the general read aloud.
Rennala remained silent for a moment.
"Tell them that if the situation becomes critical, they are to abandon the structure, disperse, and break out. Prioritize the preservation of their own lives." She turned and walked out of the Cuckoo Hall. "Knight Loretta, hear my command!"
"I am here!" Loretta, who had followed Rennala and was waiting on horseback outside the door, answered in a somber voice.
"Go to Raven's side. Protect him closely. If any further incidents occur, take him immediately to the bunker beneath the waterwheel. This is your sole mission. Can I trust you with this?"
"Of course, Your Majesty!"
Rennala nodded and made a broad sweep with her scepter, unfolding a complex magic circle in the air. In an instant, a dragon condensed from shadows appeared above her, letting out an excited roar. The terrifying draconic pressure caused the generals to stumble back; the two weakest among them even felt their legs give way, tripping over chairs and falling to the floor, unable to get back up.
The Full Moon Queen transformed into a streak of moonlight, her form reforming atop the dragon's back. She reached out as if to grasp non-existent reins. The shadow dragon raised its head and roared, its wings spreading to veil half the sky as it took flight.
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