Ethis turned, his eye widening.
All down the range the other statues were answering in kind. Ethis watched as the bases of each, as far as he could see, were being illuminated by crystals as well.
Jugar’s cheers were entirely engulfed in the sound.
The progression of the song began, note after overwhelming note-Nine notes. . Seven notes. .shaping the globe beneath the dragon statue until it flashed once and stabilized.
The Lyric smiled.
Five notes. . Five notes. .
Drakis staggered back off the platform just as the song concluded, its final chords echoing off the sunset-glowing mountain peaks to the north.
He took his hands from his ears.
The song had stopped. . it was gone from his mind.
“It’s a fold!” Ethis shouted.
The sphere of light beneath the dragon had become a portal. It was ancient-certainly older than any known in Rhonas. Beyond it was a land of dense green forests and bright towers in the distance.
Mala screamed.
Drakis looked up.
The peaks of the God’s Wall range suddenly began to move.
Drakis’ legs lost their strength.
As far as he could see, from every crag and mountaintop, dragons had awakened. . and were filling the skies.
They answered the call.
They were coming for him.
The old elven woman had all the credentials of a Court Adjudicator of the Ministry of Occupation-a wizened post well suited to her age. If anyone looked more closely as she traveled the Northmarch Folds, they might discover that she bore the name of Liu Tsi-Feing, Third Court Adjudicator of the Arikasi Tjen-soi Prefecture and a Sight-maiden of the Paktan Order. Liu would tell you that she was a devout follower of Kiris, the elven Goddess of Light and Dark and that her mission on behalf of her master Arikasi dealt with trade disputes in the northern territories.
All of it was perfectly correct.
None of it was true.
The elven woman stepped uncertainly from the fold portal, gripping her walking stick tightly. The fold itself was guarded on both sides by rather impressive Warriors of the Nekara Order with a single Occuran Foldmaster sitting with his feet over the edge of the platform.