The shuttle glided low over Eldrathor's rolling, mist-shrouded hills before finally touching down in a clearing miles from any settlement. When the ramp lowered, a wave of cold air greeted the STF squad. The world smelled of pine, rain, and old stone.
The pilot rolled out their horses and handed the reins to Ice King.
"Good luck out there. And uh… don't break local laws. They're strict."
He gave a two-finger salute and lifted off, leaving the team alone in the fog.
Ice King clapped his hands.
"Aight, guys, mount up. Let's roll out."
Blue Blaze swung into his saddle with surprising confidence.
"Yeah, yeah. I know you're used to this, gramps."
Ice King shot him a glare. "Call me gramps again and you're walking."
Behind them, Night Coil and Dreadwake mounted their horses,
Night Coil awkwardly,
Dreadwake with the bored precision of someone who had already mastered everything in life centuries ago.
The dirt and gravel road stretched ahead of them, swallowed by heavy, suffocating fog. Hoofbeats echoed like distant drums as the squad traveled deeper into Eldrathor's countryside.
Hours passed. The world was silent except for the fog swirling around their horses' legs and the wet crunch of gravel beneath iron-shod hooves.
Then they rode through the last layer of fog, and the world suddenly opened.
Before them stood a breathtaking medieval kingdom perched atop a hill, its towering stone walls glowing in the late afternoon light. Additional hilltop towns encircled it, each connected by arched stone bridges spanning the valleys like ancient ribs.
Blue Blaze let out a low whistle.
Night Coil's eyes widened.
"Wow… now I see why they chose to stay medieval. This feels like something from a storybook."
They reached the city gates, where armored guards pointed spears outward.
"Halt! Park your horses outside the city!"
Ice King raised a brow.
"Yeah, yeah. We get it, no tech, no horses inside."
They walked around the outer wall until they spotted a fenced-off hitching area. Each tied their horses to wooden posts, except Blue Blaze, who got tangled in his own rope.
Night Coil sighed.
"Blaze… It's a knot, not a puzzle cube."
Blue Blaze groaned.
"I'm trying! This rope is alive or something!"
The horse bit his sleeve.
Once they passed through the gates, the steep slope of the main road carried them upward toward the hill's crest. Life bustled all around them:
Children played wooden flutes, dancing in circles.
Strings of drying cloth hung from windows across the narrow streets.
Knights in steel plate walked patrols.
Merchants called out prices in thick Eldrathorian accents.
Blue Blaze spun slowly, taking everything in.
"This place… is straight out of a fantasy movie."
Night Coil nodded.
"Yeah. And I kinda love it."
They crossed the marketplace, weaving through crowds, until the towering gray silhouette of the central castle loomed before them.
It was colossal, carved from dark stone, lined with stained glass archways shimmering with royal blue and deep crimson light. The walls were etched with ancient runes and depictions of past wars.
Inside, the throne hall stretched endlessly and grandly, lit by chandeliers of iron and crystal. Portraits of the Galactic Empire filled the walls:
The First Great.
The Second.
Legendary battles.
And more recent heroes.
Blue Blaze pointed, jaw dropping.
"Is that Ian and Optimus in that one?"
Ice King grinned.
"I should be in at least a couple of these, too."
Night Coil snorted.
"So y'all just… have your own paintings lying around the galaxy?"
They approached the throne.
Upon the obsidian seat sat King Ardyn Valerius, ruler of Caelumbrae. His long white hair fell in waves to his shoulders, and a full beard framed his weathered yet commanding face. His armor was breathtaking, obsidian black plate, etched with pulsing ember-veins that glowed like molten lava beneath the surface.
At his side rested a heavy broadsword with an ornate crossguard, the weapon humming faintly with the same ember energy that glowed in his armor.
He looked every bit the warrior-king of legend.
As the STF squad approached, Ardyn Valerius rose slowly, his presence filling the room like a gathering storm.