The black-stone walls of the Citadel of Obsidian stood tall against the afternoon sun.
High Ranger Celeste paced the upper battlements. She had returned from the Scourgelands two days prior.
She had secured the southern perimeter.
She had sorted out the large supply of iron and necrotic bone the Warlord asked for. The fortress was running smoothly and with strict military order.
Then, the temperature plummeted.
It was not a natural chill. It was a sudden drop that instantly froze the dew on the black-stone parapets.
Celeste stopped pacing. She looked out over the dense forest surrounding the Citadel.
The forest was moving. Thousands of birds suddenly flew up at the same time, bursting out of the trees in a panicked swarm.
"Commander!" a Star-Kissed Elf shouted from the highest watchtower. The archer pointed a trembling finger toward the sky. "Incoming! Massive magical pressure detected!"
Celeste looked up.
