Evan stood with the messenger’s words echoing in his mind. The Rootstorm had shifted again and a new wave was coming from the north. He looked at his fleet. Gale’s wings still trembled with exhaustion. Ember and Strand breathed heavily but alert. Crest paced along the top rail unable to rest. The two newly acquired wyverns chirped nervously sensing the rising tension.
The messenger held out a sealed scroll. “The council requests immediate courier deployment. They ask for a sky scout to investigate the northern ridge. The pulse is large enough to disrupt mana barriers and could reach the frontier towns before sunset”
Evan’s chest tightened. “A pulse that fast means something changed in the core of the Rootstorm”
The messenger nodded. “Yes. The magisters believe a second awakening node has begun to stir”
Evan felt Gale step closer behind him. He placed a hand on the wyvern’s head. “You need rest. Ember and Strand too. Only Crest has the strength for a fast recon mission”
Crest screeched in agreement spreading its wings wide.
Evan turned to the messenger. “Tell the council I will perform the reconnaissance myself with Crest. Gale and the others will stay here and recover. If I take Gale now he will not last through another emergency flight”
The messenger bowed and rushed back toward the path.
Evan equipped Crest with a lightweight harness built for speed and directional response. The gryphon held still as Evan tightened every strap. Crest’s golden eyes watched him with sharp intelligence.
“You will be my wings today” Evan whispered
Crest nudged his arm with its beak as if reassuring him.
Evan mounted the gryphon carefully. Crest was fast but had a narrower frame than Gale so Evan had to hold differently. He adjusted his legs and leaned forward.
“Take us up”
Crest launched into the air with explosive power. The wind tore past Evan’s face and he clung to the harness. They gained altitude faster than any wyvern could. Crest cut through the sky like a blade.
The northern ridge stretched across the land in rough jagged lines. The trees looked darker than before. As they approached Evan felt the air shift. The mana currents here vibrated irregularly.
Crest screeched a warning.
Evan saw it moments later.
The pulse
A massive red surge rolled across the forest like a wave of light. It wasn’t just glowing. It moved. It rippled outward in dizzying lines. Evan felt his vision blur as the corrupted mana pushed against them.
“Crest pull higher”
The gryphon climbed aggressively. The pulse passed beneath them and shook the air like a thunderstorm. Evan steadied himself by gripping the harness with both hands.
Below the forest looked alive. Trees bent outward in spirals. Shadow beasts gathered in lines forming patterns like cracked veins. The land itself pulsed with red energy.
“This is worse than the first awakening” Evan said under his breath
They circled above the ridge. Crest cried out as a second pulse rose from a different direction.
Evan’s heart dropped. “Two nodes. Two awakenings. The Rootstorm is accelerating”
The second pulse shot upward like a wide red column. Crest turned sharply to avoid it. The blast shook the sky and nearly threw Evan from the saddle.
“Hold. Hold Crest”
Crest stabilized with a powerful beat of its wings.
Evan took a deep breath and assessed the land below. He saw a cliffside cracking open. From the crevice a strange glow pulsed like a beating heart. Shadow beasts poured toward it in rivers.
“That is the new node” Evan whispered “The source of the second awakening”
He scanned the horizon. A small frontier village lay directly in the path of the spreading red glow.
Evan’s stomach tightened. “If we do not warn them they will be swallowed by the pulse within hours”
He leaned forward. “Crest home fast”
The gryphon obeyed instantly diving into a sharp descent then pulling into a swift glide that cut through the wind.
The red horizon followed them like a rising storm.
As they approached the camp Ember screeched loudly. Gale lifted its wings and Strand rushed to the fence.
Evan dismounted before Crest even touched the ground.
“All of you listen” he said breathlessly “The Rootstorm has awakened a second node. A village is directly in its path. We have only hours to warn them and help evacuate”
Gale growled. Ember flapped her wings. Crest paced in tight circles desperate to fly again.
Evan’s voice hardened. “This is not a delivery. This is survival. Dragon Freight acts now”
The sky trembled faintly behind him
The pulse was coming