The Guardians Of Stellaraether

Morning in the North was shrouded in chaos. Tension loomed over the grand palace as the heads of the noble houses gathered in the royal court. A heavy silence settled among them until King Theoden finally spoke, his voice laced with restrained fury.

"Three scholars from the North have been missing for a week, and no one noticed. Four from the West—missing, and no one noticed. One from the East—gone, and no one noticed. And yet, when ten scholars from the South disappear, King Adam, you only bring it to our attention now? How peculiar."

His sharp words cut through the air like a blade. All eyes turned to King Adam, who sat composed yet visibly troubled. Athena, watching him closely, noted the slight tremble in his hands.

Adam exhaled heavily, his voice sorrowful. "King Theoden, I accept full responsibility. I was consumed by grief over the loss of my beloved wife, Liliana, and failed to see the vile acts unfolding before us." He wiped at his tears, pausing dramatically before continuing, "But we cannot afford to dwell on my failure now. We must find the culprit behind these disappearances before it is too late."

Athena raised an eyebrow at his performance, her lips curling in faint amusement. She cast him a pitying glance before shifting her attention as Queen Lucille spoke.

"Finding the culprit is indeed our priority, but my lords, have you not noticed something rather strange about this matter?"

King Trillwick furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, Queen Lucille?"

Lucille leaned forward, her piercing gaze scanning the room. "Scholars from every corner of Stellaraether have vanished—except for those in the capital. Queen Athena, would you care to explain?"

Athena straightened in her seat. "The scholars in the capital remain safe because they study at Catalina High, the most prestigious institution in Stellaraether for mastering both magic and defense. It is a tradition for the younger generation of royal families to be sent there at the age of six."

Lucille nodded. "And yet, despite our own security measures, this is the first time in history that scholars have disappeared like this."

Athena scoffed. "Perhaps that is because, in the past, I ruled over all of Stellaraether. Now that you each govern your respective regions, this crisis falls under your responsibility—not mine."

Lucille's eyes narrowed. "Or perhaps," she countered, "you orchestrated this chaos as an act of vengeance. Now that you no longer hold the crown, you seek to destabilize the kingdom."

Athena's expression darkened. "How dare you accuse me of such treason?" Her voice echoed across the court, sharp and unforgiving. "To question my authority is to invite your own doom."

Before tensions could escalate further, Lord Charles stepped forward. "Let us not be hasty in our accusations," he said calmly. "If I may, I have a suggestion that might aid us in our search."

Athena turned to him with cold skepticism. "And what, Lord Charles, grants you the authority to speak on such a serious matter?"

King Trillwick intervened. "Queen Athena, let him speak. His house is next in line to rule the North."

Athena remained silent, allowing Charles to continue. "Our missing scholars hail from different regions, each carrying a badge signifying their homeland. These badges are forged with special materials that allow their respective regions to track them. If we activate their signals, we may be able to locate them."

King Theoden's eyes gleamed with newfound determination. "A brilliant plan, Lord Charles. No wonder your house is destined for greatness."

Athena and Adam exchanged uneasy glances.

King Trillwick stood. "Then we must return to our regions to begin the search."

Queen Lucille interjected, "No, King Trillwick. If the scholars vanished from every region but the capital, the culprit must be the same for all. We cannot afford to delay. King Theoden, begin the tracking process immediately."

Theoden nodded, and without another word, the rulers rose from their seats and made their way toward the palace grounds.

As they made their way to the palace grounds, Athena leaned closer to Adam and whispered, "Have you finished absorbing them?" Before Adam could respond, Trillwick's voice interrupted. "Queen Athena, did you say something?" Athena glanced at him and shook her head. "No, I didn't." They soon arrived at the palace ground, where King Theoden stepped forward, summoning his powers. A pentagonal symbol ignited beneath his feet, glowing with an eerie light. Smoke erupted from the center, swirling violently before drifting eastward. Theoden straightened. "We must follow the smoke. It will guide us to the scholars." Without hesitation, they followed the spectral trail. The smoke moved swiftly, winding through the land before dissipating near the border where the North met the East. Adam frowned. "The border of the East. But where are the scholars?" Lucille's voice was firm. "We shouldn't waste time—search for them at once!" As the group spread out, Athena turned to Theoden and Trillwick. "This border separates your respective regions—why are there no guards stationed here?" Theoden answered without hesitation, "We never needed soldiers. Our relationship has always been strong, so we never saw the necessity of fortifying this border." Before Athena could respond, a sharp scream rang through the air. "Over here!" Lucille's voice was shrill as she called the others. They rushed to where she stood, only to be met with a horrifying sight. Three figures lay on the ground, their bodies unnaturally blackened, as if they had been burned from the inside out. Theoden stepped closer, his expression grim. "Their uniforms… They were scholars. These are the missing students from the Areon of Witchcraft and Sorcery." Trillwick paled. "This—this is dark magic. Forbidden dark arts. Whoever did this… They consumed their essence." Athena turned to Trillwick, her gaze sharp. "King Trillwick, do you have an explanation for this?" Trillwick's jaw clenched. "What are you implying, Queen Athena? That I ordered this?" Lucille stepped between them. "Queen Athena, your accusations are baseless! King Trillwick would never commit such an atrocity." Athena let out a low, mocking laugh. "Oh, dear Lucille. Have I ever wronged you unknowingly? Because it seems you have quite the disdain for me. You were quick to accuse me earlier, without any proof. Yet now, when evidence is right in front of you, questioning King Trillwick suddenly seems out of line?" Lucille's eyes flashed. "Just because we found the bodies near the border doesn't mean King Trillwick is responsible. This could very well be a trap." Theoden's patience snapped. "Enough!" His voice echoed, silencing them. "Stop this childish bickering. Right now, your priority is to return to your regions and locate the rest of the missing scholars. As for the culprit, we will deal with them when the time comes." Athena exhaled slowly. "King Theoden is right. We will hold a conference in two days to discuss this further." Without another word, the rulers turned away, each departing for their respective lands, their minds heavy with unanswered questions.

As everyone departed for their respective lands, Nick lingered behind, approaching Alastair, who stood beside Ivan.

"Alastair, goodbye. We'll meet again soon," Nick said with a warm smile.

Alastair embraced him briefly. "Goodbye, Nick."

Nick then turned to Ivan, who immediately averted his gaze as if hoping to avoid eye contact.

"Ivan…" Nick called, waiting.

After a moment's hesitation, Ivan finally turned back, awkwardly extending his hand. "Goodbye," he said, voice uneven.

Nick shook his hand but tilted his head curiously. "Why are you always so afraid, Ivan? What do you fear?"

Before Nick could press further, a voice called out from a nearby horse cart.

"Hey, Ivan! Are you coming or staying with them?" Aron's impatient tone carried through the air.

Relieved by the distraction, Ivan wasted no time. Without answering Nick, he quickly sprinted toward the cart.

As he climbed in, he glanced at Aron with gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Aron blinked in surprise before scoffing. "It's Your Grace, idiot. But hey, it's a good start. Just don't get too comfortable with me."

With that, the cart set off.

Arrival in the South

Upon reaching the South, Alastair's brows furrowed in confusion as he spotted them. "Ivan? Aron? What are you two doing here?"

Aron ignored him, turning instead to Ser Robert. "Ser Robert, let's go to the training ground."

The knight nodded, and without another word, they left for Aron's training.

Athena, her voice cold and firm, turned to Ivan. "You stay with Prince Alastair. Don't follow Aron. And don't cause any trouble."

Ivan nodded silently, his posture stiff.

Athena then turned, following Adam as Ser Arthur trailed behind them.

As they walked, Ser Arthur leaned in slightly. "Your Grace, why did we come to the South instead of returning to the capital?"

Athena's expression remained unreadable. "Because, Ser Arthur, I have unfinished business here."

Her words carried weight, hinting at something more—something unsaid.

Within moments, Athena, Adam, and Ser Arthur arrived at the secluded back corridor of the palace. The air was eerily still—no signs of life, not even the faintest whisper of movement. Adam led them to a small, hidden yard at the very end of the corridor. There, bound in heavy chains that burned against his green wooden body, sat an old Elder Ent. His ancient eyes, deep and knowing, held no fear—only resignation. Athena stepped forward, her piercing gaze meeting his. "So, you're the one who taught Ivan magic?" she asked, her voice steady. The Elder Ent nodded. "Yes, Your Grace." "Why?" Athena's tone darkened. "Why did you teach him magic? And at such a young age?" The Elder Ent exhaled slowly, the creaking of his bark-like skin filling the silence. "For his own safety." Without hesitation, Athena waved her hand. A sharp snap echoed through the yard as one of the Ent's branches cracked and fell. He groaned in pain but did not protest. "Tell me the truth," Athena said coldly. "I don't like lies. Who instructed you?" The Ent lowered his head before finally speaking. "It was Matthieu. Matthieu Varon." At the mention of the name, Athena froze. Her fingers instinctively clutched the pendant Aron had given her. Ser Arthur, noticing her reaction, stepped forward. "Your Grace… who is Matthieu Varon?" For a long moment, Athena remained silent, her eyes distant. Then, in a quiet voice, she answered, "Ser Matthieu Varon was once my knight. We were to be married." Arthur's brows furrowed in surprise. "But then," Athena continued, "the capital was attacked. In the chaos, he fought to protect me… but he fell into the lake. I searched for him, but all I found were the creatures lurking beneath its surface. I thought he was dead." She turned back to the Elder Ent, her expression unreadable. "I never expected him to be alive." Her voice was almost a whisper, but it carried the weight of something long buried—something painful. "Why did he tell you to teach Ivan magic?" she pressed. The Elder Ent shook his head. "I don't know. Five years ago, he came to me with an infant and asked me to care for him. Last year, he returned with a book of spells and told me to begin his training." Athena narrowed her eyes. "And what is your connection to him?" "We have no personal ties, Your Grace," the Ent replied. "Years ago, he stumbled into the core of our forest, wounded. We pitied him, healed him. Then he left. He did not return until five years ago—with the child." "You swear this is the truth?" "I do," the Ent said solemnly. Athena studied him for a long moment before finally stepping back. Adam nodded, and with a flick of his wrist, the enchanted chains fell away. The Elder Ent, now free, rose to his full height and turned toward the forest. Before he could leave, small footsteps came rushing toward him. "Grand Ent! Grand Ent!" Ivan ran forward, tears welling in his eyes. He threw his arms around the Ent's rough form, hugging him tightly. The Ent gently rested a hand on the boy's head, a deep rumble of warmth emanating from him. As Ivan wiped his tears and waved, the Elder Ent disappeared into the depths of the forest. Nearby, Alastair turned excitedly to his father. "Father, look! Ivan taught me a defensive spell!" Adam barely spared a glance. "Oh. Good for you." And with that, Athena, Aron, and Ivan returned to the capital.

Author's Note

Aereon Of Witchcraft and Sorcery is a school like Catalina High in the North.