Two days after their harrowing escape from Redmarsh Vale, four weary figures approached the gates of Sunmere City. Captain Halric, Garron, Lina, and Darek rode atop sturdy horses—gifts from a man none of them would ever forget. Their armor was stained with blood and grime, their wounds hastily bandaged. Each bore the marks of brutal battle—burns, cuts, bruises—but their eyes held a fire that no injury could extinguish.
As they neared the city, memories of the battle resurfaced—how they'd been surrounded, battered, and driven into a narrow ravine with no hope of escape. How their strength had faltered. How death had crept closer with every heartbeat.
And then, a miracle.
Felix Mavis.
They recalled his sudden appearance—the calm in his eyes, the power in his steps, the way he wielded talismans as extensions of his will. His Barrier Seals had halted the bandits' final charge. His Quad-Sequenced Fireball Talismans had scorched through their enemies like a storm of retribution. And his final Bursting Flame Seal had turned the ravine into a furnace, incinerating the last of their attackers.
Felix hadn't spoken much. He hadn't needed to. He'd patched their wounds, given them food, shared his precious recovery pills, and gifted them talismans—powerful, refined, and reusable. Then he'd saddled horses and watched them ride off with a quiet nod.
"You are soldiers," he had said. "You deserve better than to die forgotten people needs you."
Their return to Sunmere did not go unnoticed. Guards on the wall shouted as the battered patrol approached. The gates opened slowly, revealing a courtyard already filling with curious soldiers and attendants.
As they passed under the towering stone arch—etched with glyphs of protection and age-old wards—the guards recognized the Imperial patrol uniforms, tattered though they were. They rushed forward but stopped short, eyes catching the seal pinned to Captain Halric's chest: the sigil of the Imperial Knight Council.
News traveled quickly.
Imperial Knight August, standing atop the inner rampart in his obsidian and silver cloak, descended the stairwell before anyone else could react. His commanding presence silenced the crowd. His sharp eyes scanned the four survivors.
"Report," he ordered, his voice like steel.
Halric dismounted and dropped to one knee, his voice hoarse. "My lord. Redmarsh Vale... it was an ambush. Dozens of trained bandits. More than a dozen of our comrades fell. Captain Elric is missing—we believe he is dead."
August's expression hardened.
"We would have died too," Garron added quietly, "if not for him."
"Who?" August asked, though he had his suspicions.
"Master Felix Mavis," Lina whispered. "An adept talisman artisan. He saved us."
Darek carefully unwrapped a velvet cloth, revealing several talismans—undamaged, still pulsing with residual energy. "He gave us these. And food. Recovery pills. Horses. He said we were worth saving."
August studied the talismans, his eyes narrowing with something between awe and concern. "You were in the presence of the most talented artisan."
He turned sharply. "Mobilize two elite squads. Send them to Redmarsh Vale immediately. Secure the area. Recover what we can."
The order was carried out within the hour. The second investigation force, over thirty strong, departed under a waxing moon.
By midday of the next day, they reached Redmarsh Vale. What they found sobered even the experienced.
The battlefield was a ruin. Scorched craters, shattered trees, broken weapons, and blood stained the ground. Charred remains of bandits were scattered about, most burned beyond recognition. Cracks in the earth still smoldered. Whatever had happened here was no ordinary skirmish.
But no Imperial corpses remained.
The search continued until a sharp cry rang out.
One of the scouts pointed down into a steep ravine. A body lay at the base, slumped against jagged rocks.
Captain Elric.
The commander of the second force dismounted and descended carefully, aided by climbing gear. Elric's armor was torn and scorched, his sword broken beside him. Cuts lined his arms and legs. Dried blood streaked his face.
He had run. Fought. Escaped. But he had fallen.
His cold hand clutched something tightly.
A talisman—unlike any they had seen before. Midnight-black parchment, etched with violet ink that shimmered faintly even in the ravine's shadow. The rune spiraled inward like a vortex, its lines shifting when stared at too long. Despite the damage to his body, his hand had never let go.
With reverence, they lifted Elric's body. The talisman was secured in a containment box designed to suppress magical residue. Together, they returned to Sunmere.
Knight August awaited them in the citadel's Hall of Stone.
When the containment box was opened before him, and he saw the talisman resting within, a deep silence fell over the chamber.
He stared at it, then closed the lid with a slow breath.
"Elric died protecting this," he said. "I want answers."
He turned to his adjutant. "Summon Master Felix Mavis. Treat him with honor. Escort him with full respect. Provide whatever he requires."
Felix Mavis arrived by carriage before dusk, escorted by twelve elite soldiers. He stepped out quietly, wearing pale blue robes embroidered with silver thread. A lacquered case of talismans was fastened to his waist, and his expression held calm gravity.
When he entered the Knight Bastion's grand hall, every soldier stood at attention.
Knight August himself rose and approached him.
"Master Mavis," he said, bowing slightly. "Sunmere is honored."
Felix returned the gesture. "The honor is mine. I understand a matter of importance awaits."
"You understand correctly. But before that... the soldiers you saved—they returned with tales of fire and light, of death turned aside by will alone."
Felix offered a faint smile. "They were worthy of saving."
August nodded. "You are no ordinary artisan. The guilds train many, but few succeed beyond a handful of working talismans. You exceed them all. Ten perfect talismans out of ten. Even a rare-tier Talisman, I hear, succeeds seven out of ten attempts."
"I've been fortunate," Felix replied. "And careful."
They approached the sealed table. Felix examined the talisman through the containment barrier, his eyes narrowing.
"This was found in Captain Elric's grasp," August said.
Felix nodded slowly. "I will study it. It may take time."
"You will have what you need."
As Felix turned, the four soldiers—Halric, Garron, Lina, and Darek—stood nearby.
Halric stepped forward. "You saved us, Master Felix. That's not something that we will never forget."
Felix paused. "Live well, then. That's thanks enough."
He walked into the shadowed corridor. Behind him, the imperial soldiers of Sunmere stood as protectors.