Chapter 21 – The Emissary of the Wind
The Shattered Cliffs rose like jagged teeth at the edge of the continent, where the sea screamed against the rocks and the wind never slept. Few dared travel here—fewer still returned.
Jean stood atop a crumbling overlook, her white cloak snapping violently behind her. Whitney stood firm against the gusts, golden eyes scanning the mists.
Cassien pointed toward a narrow path spiraling down. "He lives in the old sky shrine. No one's seen him in years—some say he went mad after the massacre."
Jean's voice was firm. "He was an Emissary once. That's enough."
They descended the path, wind howling around them like voices from another age.
The shrine came into view—weathered stone, open to the sky, perched on a cliff so thin it seemed to float. Ancient runes of air and cloud glowed faintly across its frame.
A figure stood at its heart, unmoving.
Tall. Cloaked in pale blue. A broken spear strapped to his back.
Jean stepped forward. "Kael, Emissary of Gale."
No response.
"I am Jean Luther. Emissary of Light. I seek your aid. The dragons stir. The Cult rises. The gods grow silent."
Still, the man didn't move.
Whitney growled softly. "There's magic here. Old magic."
Then the man spoke.
"Celeste's spark. I thought it extinguished."
Kael turned, revealing sharp features, silver hair tied back, and eyes the color of a storm. His aura flickered like unseen currents—controlled, vast, scarred.
"You come to awaken old ghosts," he said, voice low. "What makes you think I will fight again?"
Jean met his eyes. "Because we're the only ones left who still remember why we fight."
Kael stared at her for a long moment.
Then he laughed bitterly.
"I watched comrades die at Windsong while the gods turned their backs. I buried them in the sky itself."
Jean stepped closer. "Then fight for their memory. For what they died to protect. The Dragon Cult is resurrecting the flameborn. Antares is healing. I don't need your faith. I need your wind."
Kael looked up toward the sky, wind swirling tighter around the shrine.
Finally, he unstrapped his broken spear and whispered, "Then let the sky weep again."
The clouds above split with thunder.
And the Wind Emissary rejoined the war.
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