Pillar of Yita

”A thousand years ago, the Aithelin disaster occurred, and the Numelin Elves left three holy relics for mortals before departing this world.”

”The Rotao People last saw the elves’ fleet heading south on the western side of the continent—”

”Thus, the Wilderness People recorded it in their scrolls: ’...countless silver sails, as if obscuring the sky; the holy ships were entirely white, shining with the sun’s light...’ and so the Numelin Elves departed, never to be seen again.”

”The once grand and glorious empire also fell apart along with the crumbling of the Floating Continent ’Aithelin’. Now, scattered across the new continent—Colin-Ishurian, Rotao, and Osh—many ancient ruins, their weathered walls still tell tales of their bygone splendor...”

”The legends of the three holy relics spread among the mortal nations since the end of the Giant War. These legends, along with those of the Dragon Slaying Holy Sword, became the enduring reminiscences of that era for mortals.”

”The elves gifted the Hailin Crown and Morning Light Holy Sword to the Colin people. The former became the eternal emblem on the Colin Kingdom’s blue and white flag, while the latter became a major catalyst for the Dwarves to embrace the ’King of Mountains’, calling Tarot their Guardian.”

”For a long time, the Colin people have been accustomed to seeing this crown, composed of twenty-one stars, as a symbol of royal power and the kingdom.”

”And in the prolonged wars against the minions of the Dark Giant Dragon, the giants, and the Nagas, eleven former monarchs of Colin, leading an alliance comprised of Colin people, dwarves, and Avenquin elves, wore the crown into battle against the forces of darkness at today’s Alros—”

”That was the founding war of the mortals.”

”The Osh People, Rotao People, all participated. Oathkeepers, Light Bringers, Primordial Knights, Silver Helm, many famous legends were born in that era.”

”And until the eldest son of King Elros, Prince Filnis, wearing the Light’s Crown, fell in battle against the dark minions within the grand army.”

”That marked the fall of the most dazzling hero of that era—”

”King Elros, stricken with grief and inconsolable, sealed the crown brought back from the battlefield, leading the Colin people to seclude for thirteen years. This history ended with the assassination of King Elros.”

”That was the famous ’Moonstone Turmoil’, after which the Colin people, having mourned the loss of the Hero King, renewed their alliance with the dwarves, and the Avenquin elves once again joined this alliance. Thus, the Colin-Ishurian Alliance as known today was established.”

”And the alliance of Colin people, Avenquin elves, and dwarves, after the era of Elros, finally welcomed a new hero—the Terminator, Valit. This Dwarf King was indeed the one who ended the Era of the Three Dragons—”

”In the year four hundred thirty-one, under Valit’s leadership, the alliance joined the Osh People’s final assault against the Naga. In that battle, the Rotao People launched a flank assault, and Valit entered the Dragon Nation three times, slaying the last Dark Giant Dragon ’Prison Tongue’.”

”Thus marking the end of an era.”

”This Dwarf Hero King was also the last Dragon Slayer in the mortal world since the era of the Dragon Witch.”

”Afterwards, the prolonged wars finally came to an end... With the fall of the dragons, the mortal’s arch-enemies no longer existed. The Oathkeeper Clan set aside their swords, retreating from the world. The fairies who forged holy swords for the mortals bade farewell to the alliance and returned to Sharolan—the Light Bringers disbanded, and the Primordial Knights each went into hiding.”

”Only the Silver Helm went on to establish the Osh Empire. Meanwhile, the Colin people, dwarves, and Avenquin elves returned to their homelands, rebuilding this ancient kingdom.”

”But the Hailin Crown, since the assassination of Emperor Elros, has remained lost. Valit’s Morning Light Holy Sword, along with this Dwarf hero, has also disappeared into the mists of history.”

”The two treasures of the Colin Kingdom, since the founding, have been missing for nearly four hundred years—”

The captain’s cabin was a bit quiet.

The platform under everyone’s feet rose and fell lightly and slowly with the steps of Mr. Greyrock.

The Sorcerer-Ghoul Tang De slowly ceased tapping his staff, stood up, and walked out the door—Fang Hong saw the Sorcerer-Ghoul standing in the corridor outside, its hollow eye sockets gazing at the boundless view over the sand sea; the cold moonlight shone through the lattice window, casting upon its figure.

Like a scattering of silver fragments, slicing through the black shadow on its robe with the gentle rise and fall.

Kalatu also stood up.

The dark-haired middle-aged man turned, walked to the other end of the captain’s cabin, and took an Illumination Crystal from the wall there. Holding the crystal, he walked back. He raised the crystal in his hand, letting its bright light illuminate the full map of Eteliria hanging on the wall beside everyone.

The legendary Magic Guided Conductor’s gaze rested on that map for a long time before he looked back—the crystal’s light illuminated half of his face, leaving the other half in shadow. In the darkness, he gazed at Fang Hong, and asked:

”Here, what place is this?”

Fang Hong looked in the direction pointed by the crystal in his hand.

His gaze went all the way down, finally resting at the southernmost point of the map—there—beyond the Giant Tree Hill, past Saint Jelli, descending into a wild and fractured land, a mysterious kingdom in the jungle, Guda Suoke. But it went further south still, until a long Continental Bridge came into view: