Ignis

Eamon commanded, "Roxy, guard the mountain's entrance. Fred, take the cave entrance that leads to the forest." He looked at them seriously and added, "Watch carefully, but come back quickly if there's any danger."

Turning to Cassandra, he said firmly, "You stay here for now."

Once the orders were given, Eamon settled calmly on the cave floor. His eyes scanned the cavern's walls, waiting patiently for the barriers to dissipate and for any reaction to occur.

After a few hours, a sudden gust of wind swept through the cavern. The silence shattered, replaced by a chorus of growls that seemed to emanate from the very walls. The sound was primal, filled with a predatory hunger that sent a thrill of anticipation through Eamon's veins.

"They're coming," he thought.

The growls grew louder, closer. Then, the growling transformed into howls of pain and agony. Eamon smiled. "It seems the predators have become the prey," he mused. The screams ceased after a few minutes.

Roxy and Fred returned to the cave. Fred dragged an enormous body that scraped against the walls, dropping it at Eamon's feet. It was the corpse of a giant boar, as big as a bull. "There were about ten boars like that heading towards the cave," Fred explained. "They're pretty tough, but I took them all out. This was the leader of the pack."

Roxy, on the other hand, brought the body of a vulture as large as the giant eagles. She pointed to the vulture with her muzzle. "Big bird, long neck." Then she added, "Three birds come, two birds escape! One too slow!"

"Good job," Eamon praised. He studied the vulture's body. Its wings were narrower, and its pectoral muscles less developed than those of the eagles. Clearly, they were less enduring.

"Roxy, you can kill these creatures, but remember not to confuse them with the giant eagles. If you find any, bring them to Cassandra," Eamon instructed.

Roxy nodded. "Roxy not confuse big bird."

Eamon turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra, in the future, I want you to teach Roxy how to recognize the different types of animals in the territory. You'll hunt together."

Cassandra replied, "Yes, Master."

Eamon scanned the group and commanded, "Now, go fetch the rest of the boar carcasses, all of you, even you Emma and Richard."

The group set off, each member darting toward the corridor leading to the forest.

But as Eamon watched the flurry of activity, something shifted within him. Fluctuations, like ripples on a pond, coursed through his body. His skin prickled, and he felt a strange energy building. It was as if the very fabric of reality was bending, warping around him.

And then, with a suddenness that left him breathless, Klac emerged.

The small head looked even more alive than before, its skin flushed with vitality, and its eyes gleaming.

"Missed me, Eamon?" Klac said cheerfully.

"You took your time," Eamon retorted.

"Time is always long without me," Klac quipped, before adding, "I guess you dealt with the creatures drawn by the energy when the barriers vanished, right?"

Eamon nodded, "It's done," before inquiring, "I haven't received the fire power from the lord I defeated yet. Now that you're awake, will I receive it?"

Klac replied, "The choice is yours."

Eamon asked, "What choice?"

Klac explained, "You can either absorb the power or decide to allocate it to the energy guardian who will watch over the territory."

Eamon was deep in thought. Although he wished to possess the power of flames, he remained a mortal. In the event of an attack on his territory, he preferred to send a creature capable of regenerating indefinitely, such as the guardian, to the front lines. As long as he remained alive, this power would be a weapon in his hands.

He had easily defeated another lord, despite his fire power. However, his troops would never have survived against an immortal guardian with such power.

He would never dare to attack a territory protected by such a creature, which made the choice obvious to him.

Eamon declared his intent without hesitation. "I choose to allocate the power to the territory's guardian."

Klac nodded in agreement, his voice reflecting his approval. "Okay, that seems to be the most effective choice. You already possess a vast territory, and with this flame power, the guardian you will summon will be formidable. I'm eager to see it."

He continued, instructing Eamon on the next steps. "To summon the guardian, we just need physical contact, and you must visualize exactly the physical appearance you want your guardian to have. It should be similar in size to you, the lord who invokes it. Are you ready?"

Eamon seized Klac with a resolute grip, wordlessly affirming his decision.

Simultaneously, a wave of energy invaded his body.

He imagined the silhouette of a man with a slender, muscular body, wings adorning his back, and a sword in hand. He imagined it moving gracefully, soaring into the air, and slamming its sword to the ground in a torrent of flames. He focused all his concentration on his imagination, making the image as clear as possible in his mind.

Moments later, the energy exited Eamon's body, condensing before him. Energy seemed to converge from the cave, the abyss, the forest, and the mountain, coalescing into one.

A winged silhouette of giant stature began to take form. The figure condensed further until it reached a human size. Intense, scorching heat and blinding light erupted suddenly, prompting Eamon and the others to hastily retreat.

As quickly as it had intensified, the light faded, and the heat dissipated. In its place stood a man, devoid of any hair, his skin a deep midnight blue with violet sheens. He possessed a long pair of featherless wings of the same hue. His eyes were entirely dark violet.

<Congratulations, you have summoned an Ethereal Guardian>

The creature knelt.

Eamon looked at him but couldn't observe his attribute panel.

He turned to Klac and expressed, "I can't see his stats."

Klac responded, "You can access the statistics of your other creatures because I can too, but the guardian is an energy being with properties that leave me as confused as you. The details of his attributes are beyond me just as they are beyond you. But I am convinced that all your troops together would not survive more than a few minutes against him."

Eamon then stated, "I hope the other lords take their time to fight each other and do not yet possess such creatures, or I'll have to avoid their territories. Is there a way to allow him to leave the territory?"

Klac shook his head, responding, "No, he's bound to the territory under your rule and can't leave it. But as soon as other territories are recognized as yours, he'll have access to them, even if they're not physically connected to this one."

Eamon nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Klac," he said, then turned to the creature still kneeling, "I name you Ignis, rise."

The creature responded with a deep and gentle voice, "It is an honor, my lord."

Eamon led the way towards the corridor leading to the summit of the mountain and began walking towards the cave entrance. He turned to Ignis and instructed, "Follow me."

Exiting the cave, Eamon beheld the mountainous landscape with views of the valleys below.

He then turned to Ignis and said, "Step back a bit and demonstrate what you can do."

Ignis soared high into the air above Eamon with a powerful and graceful flap of his wings.

He extended his right hand forward, and a sword made of flames, with blinding light, materialized. Despite the distance, the heat emanating from it was almost unbearable for Eamon. The air crackled, and the temperature was such that the refraction of the air caused heat mirages above Ignis.

"Excellent," murmured Eamon, excitement pulsating within him as he witnessed the splendor and power of Ignis. Who could dare attack his territory now?

"This is excellent!" he exclaimed, laughing.