Aetherion stood tall, the Sacred Flame swirling calmly around him, its warm glow casting a stark contrast to the cold fury in the eyes of King Elithor. The king, his psychic energy sparking around him like a tempest, was livid. He had ruled the Sky Folk for years with unwavering control, and now, here stood a being of divine power, challenging that control in ways he could neither understand nor contain.
"You will leave my city!" Elithor shouted, his voice echoing across the open square where the Royal Guard and Aetherion's followers were gathered. "I won't allow you to spread your... flame here, corrupting my people with this... this power!"
Beside him, Queen Adira stood with a stern expression, though Aetherion could see the flicker of fear in her eyes. She added her voice to the king's demands. "You have no place here! You may claim divine power, but this city belongs to us. We will not let you change that!"
Aetherion felt the heat of the flame rise within him, his patience wearing thin. He had descended to the mortal realm to guide his followers, to help them ascend with the power of the Sacred Flame. But all he was met with from these rulers was anger, fear, and hostility.
Before Aetherion could respond, the air around him shimmered with the electric hum of divine energy. Astralis and Celestaris, sensing the growing tension, flapped their mighty wings, summoning the power of the heavens. The sky above darkened for a moment, and a bolt of lightning cracked through the air, striking the ground near the king and queen. The shockwave sent a ripple of energy through the crowd.
The lightning was not meant to harm, only to warn.
Astralis's deep voice echoed through the square. "Your anger blinds you, King Elithor. You stand before divine power. Heed this warning, and do not push further."
Celestaris added, her voice calm yet firm. "We are not your enemies. But the Sacred Flame will not be denied."
The king, visibly shaken by the lightning strike, took a step back. But his fear only fueled his rage. His psychic energy flared once again, crackling around his body. He pointed at Aetherion, his voice trembling with fury. "I don't care what you are or who you claim to be! I will not let you take my people from me!"
Queen Adira, emboldened by her husband's defiance, stepped forward, her eyes blazing with both anger and fear. "We've ruled this city for generations, and we will not let some self-proclaimed god come here and tear it apart!" She gestured to the followers of Aetherion, her voice rising in frustration. "These people belong to us! You think you can just waltz in here with your flame and take them away?"
Her psychic power flared as she spoke, but Aetherion remained calm, his grip tightening slightly on his Censer-Staff of Sacred Light. The flames around him burned brighter as his frustration began to surface.
"You think I've come to destroy your city?" Aetherion said, his voice rising slightly, though still controlled. "All I've done is offer a path of enlightenment, a way to elevate those who seek the flame. I've come to help, not to harm."
But the king and queen would not listen. They were too blinded by their fear of losing control, too threatened by the power they could not understand.
Aetherion felt the flames within him intensify as his frustration grew. His attempts to reason with the rulers of the city were met with nothing but defiance and anger. The more they shouted, the more the flame responded, swirling around him in bright, hot tendrils. His eyes, glowing with the light of the Sacred Flame, narrowed as the king and queen continued their tirade.
King Elithor's voice grew louder, his words sharp with hatred. "You're not welcome here! Leave now, or we will use every ounce of power we have to force you out!"
The queen's voice echoed his sentiments. "You're not a god. You're just another pretender, trying to usurp what belongs to us!"
Aetherion's anger, though still under control, began to manifest physically. The flames around him crackled with intensity, rising higher with each word spoken by the king and queen. His followers, though standing behind him, could feel the heat, but it did not burn them—it was a warmth that filled them with resolve.
Finally, Aetherion spoke, his voice carrying the weight of the flame's power. "You think I seek to steal your people? You think I wish to rule your city? I have come to guide those who call for me, those who seek the flame. But if my presence here threatens you so much, then I will go."
Aetherion's flames dimmed slightly as he stepped forward, his expression calm but stern. "But know this, King Elithor and Queen Adira: If ever your city finds itself in need, if ever your people face a darkness that even your power cannot overcome, call my name."
The king's face twisted in anger, but before he could respond, Aetherion raised his hand, the flames swirling around him once again. "But understand this: you must call with all your heart and soul. Only then will I answer."
His words hung in the air, the power behind them undeniable. The Sacred Flame, though calm now, still pulsed with strength, its warmth filling the space around him. Aetherion's followers, standing silently behind him, felt a surge of reassurance. They knew their leader would be there for them, no matter what.
As Aetherion finished speaking, the Sacred Flame around him flared to life once again, but this time it did not lash out in anger or frustration. Instead, it spread outward, moving toward his followers. One by one, each of them was engulfed in flame, their bodies wrapped in the warm glow of the Sacred Fire.
For a brief moment, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, as even the royal guard believed the flames would consume them. But the flames did not burn. Instead, they brought a sense of calm and serenity to the followers, who felt the warmth of Aetherion's power flow through them like a comforting embrace.
Saphiel, standing at the front of the group, closed her eyes as the flames surrounded her, a peaceful smile crossing her lips. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "The flame... it's part of us."
Elyon, feeling the strength of the flame within him, nodded in agreement. "We are bound to it now. The flame will guide us, just as it guides Aetherion."
The flames flickered around Aetherion's followers for a moment longer before fading, leaving them feeling empowered and serene. Aetherion turned his gaze back to the king and queen, who stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to do next.
King Elithor's fists clenched at his sides, but the fiery display and the calm assurance of Aetherion's words left him speechless. The Queen, her lips pressed into a thin line, cast a wary glance at the Sacred Flame surrounding the followers. They were both rulers of the Sky Folk, powerful in their own right, yet in that moment, they stood before something far greater—something divine. Their fear was palpable.
Aetherion's voice broke the tense silence, firm yet filled with finality. "You've chosen your path today. The Sacred Flame will not harm those who seek it, but it cannot be denied forever. If you ever find yourselves in need, if this city faces a crisis beyond your control, remember my words."
He raised his hand, and the Halo of Sacred Fire above his head glowed brighter for a brief moment. "Call my name with all your heart and soul, and I will answer. But understand: you must believe, or the flame will not heed your call."
With that, Aetherion turned his back on the king and queen, his divine eagles at his side, and began to walk away, the Sacred Flame dimming to a gentle glow around his form. His followers, now fully bound to him by faith and the power of the flame, followed in his wake, their hearts and souls forever changed by what they had witnessed.
The king's jaw tightened, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, but even he knew there was nothing more he could do. The power of the flame was beyond his reach, and the fear of what it might bring to his city lingered in his mind.
As Aetherion and his followers left the square, the weight of the Sacred Flame remained, casting a quiet, lingering tension over the Sky Folk. The flames of change had been ignited, and whether the rulers accepted it or not, the path forward had been set.
With Aetherion's departure, the chapter closes as the Sacred Flame continues to smolder in the hearts of the Sky Folk, leaving them to wonder whether they had witnessed the dawn of a new era—or the arrival of a threat beyond their comprehension.