The Warden’s Echo and the False Matriarch

Elaris's haste spell wraps both dragons in pale wind. She flies above the moonlit forest while the Devil levitates beside her, swiftly crossing the miles to Erouno's den.

Twisted trees knot around a crude burrow entrance. Forest animals stand upright among the roots, sniffing and shifting as though the air itself has announced their arrival.

A lantern-shadow passes across the den's interior. A banshee-like shriek follows, making the silhouette within seem like some goblin-born omen before the entrance bursts open.

Erouno, a frantic adult red devil with ghoul-like features, jerks into the moonlight. His gaunt frame is hunched, his eyes fever-bright, and his ragged dark wrappings hang crookedly from him.

He thrusts both hands outward. A rainbow wave of blinding magic unfurls from the den, flooding the trees and turning every upright animal into a stark, shifting silhouette.

Erouno wheels away on foot and flees between the twisted trunks, frantic and slow compared with the haste surrounding his pursuers. Elaris's spell still carries the Devil above the forest floor.

Elaris folds her wings and dives through the rainbow glare. Frost races over the roots before her, sealing Erouno's path without touching the fleeing animals.

The Devil's levitation falters as the lingering scorch in his sleeve flares sharply, draining another pulse of orange radiance. He remains aloft, but the cost leaves smoke curling from the seam.

Elaris lands before Erouno, her pale claws pinning his ragged wrappings against the frozen earth. His ancient curse dies behind clenched teeth.