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1. The War Bell Tolls
The sound echoed across every major city in the continent.
A deep, ancient War Bell—its chime not heard for a hundred years—resonated across the lands.
One ring per day.
Then two.
Now, three.
The Beast Tide was no longer speculation.
It was real.
And it was coming.
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2. Flamecaller's Summons
Aira arrived at Solmaris Citadel—capital of the central alliance—draped in her charred cloak, the Blazebound insignia now sewn boldly on her back.
The gates opened for her without question.
Inside, the central command had gathered: generals, guild masters, high mages, even a few kings and queens.
They fell into murmured silence as she entered.
> "Aira Flameheart," spoke High Strategist Brennis. "You've been summoned not as a weapon… but as a commander."
> "Commander?" she asked.
> "Effective immediately, you are in charge of Scorchfront, our most vulnerable stronghold. You will lead its defense."
Aira's eyes narrowed.
> "Then I'll make it impenetrable."
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3. Scorchfront's Crumbling Hope
Scorchfront was a frontier fortress city carved into the edges of the Draken Cliffs. It guarded the only viable path into the heartlands from the southern wild zones—precisely where the Beast Tide would hit first.
It was built strong once.
Now, it was broken.
Half the walls crumbled. The garrison was under-trained. Supplies were low. Morale, lower.
When Aira arrived, they didn't cheer.
They stared.
A few whispered.
> "That's her—the one who leveled the Tyrant."
> "She's just a girl…"
> "We're doomed."
She said nothing.
Until she stood atop the central tower.
And let her voice ring like fire across the battlements.
> "If you've come here to die, you'll find no graves waiting for you. If you've come here to run, the path behind us is closed."
> "But if you've come to fight, to burn, to make the monsters remember who we are—then raise your weapons and help me build a fortress of flame."
A moment of stunned silence.
Then… cheers.
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4. Forging the Defense
Aira wasted no time.
She split the fortress into sectors: Forge Row, Moon Gate, Skyreach Tower, and The Ember Veil—each given specialized focus.
She brought in elemental crafters to reinforce walls with flame-reinforced stone.
Her Flame Clones trained the soldiers, moving in tandem with local tacticians to drill night assaults, flanking patterns, and coordinated mana bursts.
Her Soulfire Chains weren't just weapons now—they became a tool of unity. She used them to bind collapsing gates for repairs, haul massive barricades, even anchor siege turrets.
In just six days, Scorchfront looked reborn.
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5. Allies and Rivals
Not everyone approved of Aira's sudden rise.
Commander Vellin, a veteran with thirty years in the military, openly challenged her strategy in the war chamber.
> "You want to put flame traps beneath our own gates? Insanity."
> "If the beasts break through, we'll need those failsafes."
> "We don't burn our cities!"
> "We do if it means keeping the heartlands alive."
Tension rose. The chamber nearly split into factions.
But when Kaelen, arriving from the east flank, backed her decision with firm support, and when Lysara—yes, even Lysara—sent a sealed letter of approval from the border forces…
Vellin fell silent.
> "Fine. But if this fails, it's on your head."
> "Then I'll wear the ashes proudly," Aira replied.
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6. The Beast Tide Advances
Scouts returned with grim news.
> "They're massing near the Cradle Wastes. Numbers beyond counting. Wyverns. Elementals. Even Corrupted Titans."
Each report carried the same phrase:
"They are organized."
This wasn't just a wild surge.
Something was commanding them.
Some called it a Dark Mind.
Others, The Prime Beast.
Aira studied the maps late into the night, noting patterns—how the enemy was avoiding obvious paths, splitting into waves, targeting resource zones.
They were planning.
So would she.
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7. Constructing The Ember Grid
One of Aira's boldest moves was the creation of The Ember Grid—a coordinated trap network linked via mana lines beneath the fortress.
When activated, it would channel fire through the ground, creating temporary flame walls and suppression zones.
Mages called it reckless.
Engineers called it genius.
She called it necessary.
Activating it would burn portions of the outer city.
But it would save thousands.
She watched from a high tower as the final glyph was etched.
> "Almost ready," she whispered.
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8. Shadows in the Camp
One night, two guards were found dead—throats cut, signaling glyphs destroyed.
A saboteur.
Aira stormed into the lower camp, inspecting every tent.
She found the spy in disguise—wearing a Scorchfront uniform, but his boots had eastern tread patterns. Wrong type of dust on them.
She used her chain to pull his lies from his mouth.
> "Shadowbrand," he hissed, bleeding. "You'll burn like the rest when the beasts rise. We've marked you."
> "Then tell them I'll be waiting."
She burned his communication crystal herself.
But knew there would be more.
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9. The Burden of Flame
Aira stood on the wall again, staring into the horizon.
The wind carried the stench of beasts now. Even before they were visible.
Kaelen joined her. "You've done more than anyone expected."
> "Not enough."
> "You can't be everywhere, Aira."
> "That's why I'll make this fortress stand."
He handed her a sealed scroll.
> "This just arrived from the northern council."
She opened it.
It was brief.
> "Aira Flameheart: you are hereby appointed Supreme Flame Commander of the Southern Defense Alliance."
Her hands trembled.
> "They're giving me the entire front?"
> "They believe in you."
She didn't respond.
Instead, she looked up—at the stars dimming behind a rising veil of smoke.
> "Then I'll burn for them all."
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10. The Calm Before
That night, the camp was quiet.
Too quiet.
Aira walked among her soldiers—no longer strangers, but comrades. She memorized faces. Names.
At the Ember Veil, she found a young boy trying to light a torch with trembling fingers.
She knelt beside him, whispered a small spell, and the flame ignited.
> "What's your name?"
> "Galen."
> "First time in battle?"
He nodded.
> "Stay close to the Ember Grid. You'll survive this."
> "What about you?"
She smiled faintly.
> "I don't plan to die. Not until I've turned the tide."
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11. The Warning Howl
Just before dawn, it came.
A sound like thunder—then a deep, primal roar that shook the stones.
Every head turned toward the southern cliffs.
From the shado
ws emerged the silhouettes of monsters.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Flame scouts lit their torches. Alarm bells rang. Mages began forming runes.
Aira didn't blink.
She stood atop the wall, her cloak billowing, her chains at her sides, and flames dancing on her fingertips.
> "Let them come," she said.
> "Scorchfront is ready."