The Scholar's Rebirth

Eira clenched her fists, her mind racing. Something was buried beneath them—something ancient and starving.

Elandor's expression remained grim. "If it's one of the old ones, we can't afford to wake it. We don't even know its full strength."

Draco scoffed. "And what? Leave it alone and hope it stays asleep forever? You saw the land—it's still feeding. Sooner or later, it'll wake up on its own."

Eira exhaled. Draco was right. Ignoring the problem wouldn't fix it. But they weren't prepared for a fight either. If this creature was as old as Elandor claimed, facing it recklessly would be suicide.

She straightened. "We need information. If this thing is truly one of the old ones, then there must be records somewhere. Elandor, does the village have archives? Old texts? Anything that might tell us what we're dealing with?"

Elandor nodded. "There is a hidden archive beneath the temple ruins to the east. The last time anyone entered was decades ago, before the core began to weaken. If there are answers, they'll be there."

She turned to Draco and pleaded," Can you please go back and ask Kael to gather people who can handle earth and nature magic. Then you'll come meet us as the ruins."

Draco stretched lazily," And why would I do that?"

"Because you can fly?"

Draco stared down at her for a few seconds but Eira refused to be intimidated.

After some time Draco muttered,"Fine " and took off.

Elandor and Eira began moving east towards the ruins, as they moved Eira couldn't help but internally lament,the distance was just too much.

Draco was back even before they could reach,amd fortunately for Eira,he let them ride on him so they could get there faster.

----

The temple ruins stood deep within the overgrown forest east of the village. Towering stone pillars, cracked and covered in ivy, loomed over them. The entrance to the archives was a sunken stone staircase, half-buried in dirt and roots.

Draco stepped forward. "I can sense residual magic. The place isn't entirely dead."

Elandor led the way, guiding them through the twisting halls. The air grew thick and heavy, charged with old enchantments.

Finally, they reached a vast chamber lined with stone shelves. Faded scrolls and brittle tomes filled every corner.

Eira felt a pull. Something called to her.

She moved toward an old pedestal in the center of the chamber. Upon it lay a tattered book, bound in silver-threaded leather. The title was written in an ancient elven script.

Elandor's eyes widened. "This is… the Tome of Eldara. It holds records of the first settlers. If there's anything about the old ones, it'll be in here."

Eira flipped it open. Dust swirled into the air as she scanned the faded ink. Her breath caught as she read:

"Beware the Devourer. It slumbers in the dark, waiting for the day the land grows weak. When it stirs, the earth will rot, the waters will dry, and the skies will darken. It cannot be slain by mortal hands. It must be bound—or the island will fall."

Eira's heart pounded.

Bound. Not killed.

She looked up at Elandor and Draco. "We're not dealing with a mindless beast."

Draco leaned in, reading over her shoulder. His amused expression vanished. "Tch. Looks like we've got a real problem."

Eira closed the book.

If they couldn't kill it… then how did the first settlers bind it?

Eira exhaled slowly, gripping the tome. They needed to find the method used to bind the Devourer—and fast.

Draco ran a hand through his white-silver hair, eyes narrowed. "If it was bound once, it can be bound again. But if the seal is breaking, that means we're on a time limit."

Elandor's voice was tense. "The first settlers had magic far stronger than ours. If they struggled to contain it, what makes you think we can succeed?"

Eira didn't have an answer—not yet. But she knew one thing.

"We have no choice." She flipped through the pages, scanning for anything useful. "The land is already suffering. If we don't act, Eldora will wither, and the creature will wake."

Elandor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Then we start by finding the exact site of the old binding. If we know where they sealed it, we might find clues on how they did it."

Eira nodded. "Agreed. The book said the Devourer sleeps deep beneath the island, feeding on its life force. If it's already stirring, the land itself will show signs of it. We need to find those signs before it fully awakens."

Draco stretched, his dragon instincts already alert. "Let's go, then. This place is already starting to bore me."

Eira shot him a look but didn't argue.

Back in Eldora, Kael had already begun gathering those with earth and nature magic. A small group of villagers stood near the western farmlands, their faces grim.

"The soil is turning black," Kael reported as soon as he saw Eira. "Even the areas that weren't affected before. Whatever's underground is waking up faster than we thought."

Eira knelt and ran her fingers through the dirt. Cold. Lifeless. It was as if the land itself was dying.

Draco crouched beside her. "This corruption is spreading unnaturally. It's almost like… it's searching for something."

Elandor's expression darkened. "It's searching for the source of its seal. If the original binding magic is weakening, it must be trying to break free from there."

Eira stood. "Then we need to find that place. Now."

Kael crossed his arms. "And how exactly do we track something underground?"

Eira's mind worked fast. The land was connected to magic. If something was stirring beneath, there had to be magical disturbances—something they could follow.

She turned to the gathered villagers. "Anyone here skilled in sensing ley lines or magical disturbances?"

A young elf with moss-green eyes hesitated before stepping forward. "I—I can," she stammered. "But I've never done anything this big before."

Eira gave her a steady look. "What's your name?"

"Nia," the elf said quietly.

Eira nodded. "Nia, I need you to help us locate the heart of this disturbance. You don't have to do it alone—we'll all support you. Just do your best."

Nia swallowed hard but nodded. She stepped forward, hands hovering over the earth. Slowly, her fingers began to glow with a faint green light.

A tremor ran through the ground.

Then—a pulse.

Nia gasped. "I—I see something! A place… to the south. The land feels broken there, like something is trying to break through."

Eira looked at Elandor and Draco.

"We have our location."

Draco grinned. "Finally, some action."

Eira exhaled. This was it.

The Devourer's prison was cracking.