Chapter 1315 — After the Fall
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
It was under these circumstances that an enormous flying device tore through the night, streaking like a fiery meteor from the distant north. Amid roaring engines and humming arcane resonance, it reached the elven royal city at the heart of the forest and the plains, and descended onto a broad lake north of the royal court—the radiance it shed was visible throughout the city, yet few ordinary citizens could identify at first glance the origin of that now-unrecognizable flying craft. They ran bewildered into the streets in the darkness, speculating and debating what exactly had suddenly landed at the royal court, and only a handful of Silver Elves of broad experience who had had dealings with the Sanctum felt, at this moment, immense dread and unease.
These aged elves recognized it—it was a detached unit that had separated from the Radiant Vault: the "Garden of Tranquility."
Valendian Goldvale, the Chancellor who had remained behind in the royal city, left the royal court at once, leading an elite Royal Guard and a handful of military officers to the lakeshore. There he saw the Chief Astromancer Velania leading the civil officials' delegation in evacuating from the severely damaged Garden of Tranquility, and he hurried forward at once. "Grand Astromancer, what has happened in the north? Our communications with the front are completely severed... Why has the Garden of Tranquility detached from the Sanctum?"
"The barrier lost control, and aberrations poured out in swarms—the Radiant Vault is history. The Empress has ordered the Sanctum to plug the gap in the defensive line."
Velania spoke in a low voice. Her face was pale, her eyes weary; her mage's robes bore numerous scorch marks and tears, and blood stained her once-fair features. These were the wounds she had taken when, several times during the Garden of Tranquility's withdrawal from the battlefield, she had sallied out on her own to destroy enemy anti-air fire on the ground—but compared with the dire situation now, she no longer cared at all about a few hurts on her own body.
The Chancellor's expression froze instantly, his eyes wide with shock, and then he heard from Velania's lips a more detailed report of the front—from the Great Wall's loss of control and the severing of frontline communications, all the way to the Radiant Vault's fall on the horizon and the Garden of Tranquility's passage through the fires of war to the royal city. All the intelligence finally became clear before him.
"You're saying Her Majesty the Empress stayed in the Throne Hall?!" Valendian's eyes went wide. In a thousand years he had never felt a chill so piercing as he did today. He lifted his head to look at the civil officials behind the Grand Astromancer, who were being escorted by the Royal Guard toward the rest area, and among them he did not see the figure he knew so well. "Grand Astromancer, do you understand what this means?!"
"The Throne of Dominion has its own escape system," Velania said calmly.
"But in a situation like that, an escape system is utterly useless for saving a life—Her Majesty will fall to the ground along with the Sanctum, and in the crash zone, every direction the escape system could reach is swarming with enemies!" Valendian fought to keep his voice down, speaking urgently. "The entire barrier region has fallen completely. Do you think..."
The Chancellor's anxious words were cut short. The Grand Astromancer's expression was utterly calm. "Yes. I know."
"You know?" Valendian was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at the Grand Astromancer before him.
"Why do you think His Majesty had me escort the civil officials back to the royal city?" Velania only gazed quietly at the Chancellor, and after a moment she gave a slight nod. "Reconstitute the legions, Valendian. Let our reserve millennium-warriors take up arms again, and let them cross the Bridge of the Homecomers once more—the Radiant Vault has fallen, but the Silver Elves shall raise their heads."