Chapter 14 - The Queen's Council
Back in the royal hall of Eldoria, the morning light filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting multicolored patterns across the polished stone floor. Queen Lyra stood at the head of the long oak table, her expression grave as she placed a heavy, weathered parchment map down before her advisors.
Kael stood to her right, while several newly appointed magistrates—citizens chosen from the lower and merchant wards—looked on with growing concern.
"The warning from the catacombs was clear," Lyra said, her voice cutting through the quiet murmur of the hall. "The Grolak in our arenas were just the vanguard. There is a rift opening in the outer rim, and something far darker than the beasts we know is trying to push through."
"Your Majesty," spoke Master Alistair, an elderly magistrate representing the merchant guilds. "If a rift is opening in the outer mountains, our trade routes will be cut off. More importantly, how do we protect the city? The temple knights have disbanded, and our regular guard is trained for civil watch, not frontier warfare."
"We don't fight them with steel alone," Lyra replied firmly, resting her hand beside the wooden wolf on the table. "We fight them by reclaiming the trust the old Council shattered. The Grolak in our courtyards aren't our prisoners; they are our allies. If we ride out to meet the shadow-beasts with the beasts of Eldoria at our side, we fight as one united kingdom."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the table. The fear that once paralyzed the city was gone, replaced by a fierce, collective resolve.
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Suddenly, heavy double doors at the far end of the hall burst open. A scout, his horse foaming at the mouth with exhaustion, stumbled into the hall, dropping to one knee before the dais.
"Your Majesty!" the scout gasped, his voice trembling. "A survivor from the western trade road has reached the outer gates. An army of shadow-creatures is pouring out of the mountain passes. They are heading straight for Eldoria!"
