Legendseekers Part 5: Darkness Falling

The xyns arrived back in Moonreach's gates; Samson, Pantalaimon, Troia, Bravua and Chiptune were met with great fanfare by a crowd of xyns - relieved to see them, together with all of the Valorise Vexyns, and the purified xyns, mostly unconscious but alive and well. Numerous Lullay knights rushed towards, checking in that everything was okay.

Oberon, delirious from a lack of sleep, shoved his way torwards the front of the crowd with his Vexyn bodyguard, together with Hush.

"What a relief that all of you made it back alive. Were you able to successfully sing?" Hush gently projected their thoughts to the group.

Oberon wheezed. "What were the results? Please tell me! This is of utmost urgency- I need this for the completion of the relic!"

"Good to see you, Hush." Samson chuckled. He then frowned, briefly, at Oberon. "Easy there, we'll tell you everything. I don't mean this lightly when I say that what I saw was a miracle in itself..."

Pantalaimon trotted forward with Troia and Chiptune, slowly, and grinned at the two. They took care not to disturb the sleeping pixyns and Accipidrake on their back.

"Even I couldn't believe it!" Pantalaimon exclaimed. "Let's fill you in: it went like this..."

The crowd eagerly crowded around, desperate for any good news. Pantalaimon painted a vivid description of how the first Accipidrake relayed the location of the missing xyns; how the Perilunal Plains and many of its settlements began to burn down from the wildfires that the Valorise vexyns ignited to save themselves from Corrupted beings; the desperation of Samson and his troops to escape from the fire; the sheer number of Corrupted Xyns and Corruption beasts that hunted all of them down, clearly desperate to stop their arrival to Moonreach.

The audience was astonished by being told about the song that they all sang; all of the Corrupted Xyns gaining lucidity from hearing it's soothing melody, even for a second; how all of the Lullay Knights purified every last corrupted xyn; the retreat of the Corruption Beasts, seemingly repelled by the tender lyrics of the song...

Then there was the miraculous rescue from the fires by the spirits that saved them all, called forth by the power of their song. And then, there was the promise that the spirits made, that they would help if every xyn in Lunerest could sing in unison, on the day of the Sunrise Celebration...

And so Pantalaimon finished their story.

Hush, Oberon, and the rest of the xyns were stunned into sheer silence. To hear something like this was being told the story of a fanciful fairy tale. But this was an exceptionally strange and desperate time; and equally strange happenings were not out of the question entirely...

The purified vexyn that Samson had helped support on his shoulder tried to stand on their own with great effort. "Its... all... true..." they mumbled, in a hushed whisper. They coughed, and looked down at themself- seeing their body stained with black and grey. They turned to look.

"Many moons ago, I was out in the wilds; and the last thing I remember was being kidnapped and knocked unconscious, before everything went dark. I can't... remember a single thing... except once, when I vaguely recall myself fighting for my life against a xyn that looked like Samson. I thought I heard a familiar voice; I thought saw my spouse. For the first time since that nightmare began, my cold heart felt warm, seeing and hearing something that I cared for. I even remembered our child, just for a second."

They hung their head low in shame.

"I thought I was free. But then, I heard a voice calling to me. The world went dark for me after that... and the only other memory I have is from when I heard that beautiful song that everyone sang in that settlement. It woke me up, truly; because through hearing it, I felt that my loved ones cared for me- and instead of my fear, my anguish, and my silence, and my thirst for magic- I felt at peace."

One voice, quavering and plaintive, spoke up in the crowd to address the Vexyn.

"Jacob...? Is that truly... You...?"

Jacob raised their head to look around. A moxyn with their xynlet . "Jacob! I...! I can't believe it...! You're back! I thought you would never return after I saw you in (name)!"

"Papa!" The xynlet squeaked. Jacob lifted their child up with their magic, playfully tossing them up in the air before catching them with their wings- and for the first time in a long time, they bellowed out a joyous laugh, nuzzling their child and spouse, embracing them both in their wings.

One by one, xyns from the crowd stepped forward, mingling, and crying out in joy when they found a purified xyn that they knew.

Oberon was at a loss for words at the sight, seeing the purified xyns being welcomed and embraced by all. Under normal circumstances, most post-Corruption xyns were shunned. But perhaps of the dire circumstances, just for now, it didn't matter that they had ever been corrupted; it only mattered that they were brought back home.

He struggled to regain his composure as he spoke, quietly. "So this is the power of your combined Soul Songs, and the song from of all of those in Etoille... By being a song of love, hope, care... it is also a song of complete and perfect unification- it is a song that achieves reunion itself. If every corrupted xyn could be brought back to us with this one song..."

He looked up to the sky, to look at Oborn and Trellisa. They were more dim than ever, nearly blending into the night itself by this point. "If our beloved moons can be brought back to a joyous reunion with Yanwei with the help of this song, too..."

Hush closed their eyes as they spread their telepathic thoughts to all that were present. "I had feared for the worst in these final days before the war, believing that we would have to fight for our lives in a war of attrition alone- I couldn't bear to think of how many xyns we could lose. But you have shown us otherwise. The impossible can now be possible..."

Samson gave them a confident, toothy smile. "We'll tell Queen Ryu everything. Hers and Yin's Moongaze of the future cannot be ignored; but after everything I've seen, I'm certain that it is not an absolute truth anymore. I was certain we'd have to fight to the death, no matter what it took- I am certain that we still must be ready for this; but we have options now."

"Let's get going to the Queen then. I'm sure she'll be pleased!" Said Pantalaimon, earnestly. They had begun panting happily and wagged their tail; the Pixyns on their back stirred, yawning, and alighted down to the ground to ease their burden. The Accipidrake slumped off their back and fell to the ground, still sleeping on the moonrock pavement. One of the Pixyns shook their head, with the other sprouting a plant between the pavement cracks underneath to lift the Accipidrake onto their own back; and Pantalaimon chuckled at the sight.

Troia's burden on her shoulder was relieved when a Lullay vexyn lifted the xyn on her shoulders onto her back, and she followed Pantalaimon out to

Within Moonreach's castle, Cavvy escorted everyone to the Queen's room to where Ryu and Yuhi laid. When they opened the doors, they all saw that Yin was already inside, speaking gently to Ryu.

Yuhi was still silent, sleeping on her royal blue cushions. The corrupted wound that infected her leg did not seem to have healed since their last visit. Pantalaimon's feathered ears drooped, slightly crestfallen; Troia stood by their side, seemingly stoic, but inwardly she too felt uncertain.

Ryu seemed far more exhausted than before. Tendrils of sheer magic drifted from her horns; the pale moonlight shone through the stained glass windows to cast a colored shadow over them.

"Welcome, everyone..." Ryu murmured; her voice seemed far too exhausted to be carried at full volume. She smiled, gentle, and weakened. "Please tell me what you have come for. I was speaking here with Yin about the days of the final battle."

Yin bowed their narrow head to acknowledge them all. After, they seemed to have recovered somewhat. "Based off of our vision that Oborn, Trellisa, and Yanwei had shown us us themselves, we have been discussing about preparing for the worst..."

Hush's horn glowed to communicate their thoughts to her, Yin, and Cavvy. Cavvy nodded and stepped aside, allowing Samson, Oberon, Chiptune, Bravura, Pantalaimon and Troia to speak to her.

Collectively, the last four xyns (with Troia speaking the least) recounted the events that occurred ever since her and Yin last moongazed together.

Troia still remained silent with what she knew about Yang. She only nodded briefly to agree with the other's words. Yin eyed her, briefly, noticing that she was not speaking as much as the others; Troia fought the instinct to shift her body to release her growing discomfort, but did not respond otherwise.

Ryu paused for a long while, consididering everything the others had told her. Her gentle, quiet breathing filled in the silence of the room.

"I see. Can you sing this song for me?" asked Ryu. "I would like to hear it with my own ears. And I am certain dear Yuhi would have liked to hear, too, if she was awake right now."

Pantalaimon grinned. "Easy as cake. Well, it goes like this..."

They stepped before both of the queens, keeping a respectable distance from the blue cushions they laid on. They counted to three, and began to sing, together with the other xyns; the room itself filled with a tender, soothing melody, one that felt as if it embraced all in the audience that beheld it's gentle words after being apart for so long. Memory after successive memory that chronicled her life replayed in her mind as she listened- the bitter memories only made the happier, fleeting ones all that much more tender to her.

A magical mist permeated the room as they sang, and with it, illusions of recent events filtered through them: The xyns arrived in Wingfell, cleaning the Stone Shrine and singing their soul songs to it and the spirits there. All of the Faefolk sang in unison with Styr'Fa in the Cherished Circle, with the seasons changing beside them in a never ending cycle. The xyns back in Wingfell singing Etoille's song together to the spirits, and the spirits leaving behind unimaginable numbers of Clef Compasses to take home. The xyns, singing, to the corrupted xyns in the settlement, with each individual stepping forward to be purified by Lullay magic, one by one, and the post-corruption xyns being reunited with their loved ones in Moonreach...

As the song continued, and so did it's visions of the past, Ryu, briefly, felt something warm, fluttering, in her chest. She felt herself smiling. For the song had reminded her of happier, simpler times: Her and Yuhi playing together when they were younger, smiling together, laughing by each others side, embracing each other tightly when they were reunited with each other.

For only a moment, the burden of protecting the entirety of Moonreach- and all of Lunerest itself- did not feel as horrible as it should have been. It felt as if she truly was not alone when she heard a song composed of over a thousand voices, sang by only a few at her side.

Yin remained perfectly still, unblinking, astounded by what they had heard. The soft lights at the ends of their Moonwhiskers only glowed brighter by the end of their song.

Yuhi stirred in her sleep. But she still did not wake. The wound on her leg appeared unaffected.

Ryu wanted to stand to properly address the xyns, but she could not raise herself on her legs to stand- she knew that every last drop of energy mattered if she were to retain the barrier around Moonreach. Instead, she shook her head, smiling. A few tears, of a subdued, quiet joy, slowly streamed down her cheeks. Each tear dropped to the tiled floor of the throne room, shattering like diamonds and fading into a softly glittering dust.

"Thank you for sharing this song with me... I cannot express my gratitude enough to know how far all of you have made to learn and sing this song- and the corrupted xyns you have saves with it. Their journey to recovery and acceptance will be long and difficult, but I could mot be happier knowing that they are reunited with their own kind once more."

Samson spoke up. "If I may, Queen Ryu; After seeing what this song has done in the flesh, I never thought it would be possible, but perhaps we have a new option for our original battle plans: together we can sing that song. If we're successful, we can take away every Corrupted Xyn that villain has in his army, we can repel all of the Corruption Beasts, and it'll be significantly easier to reach the villain and his relic to shatter it. Fighting will still be necessary... but with this, I believe won't have to fight until the bitter end unless we have to."

Hush nodded in agreement. "Anything to reclaim the lives of those that have been swayed by corruption... I'll do everything I can to help if we follow this plan."

"It's true," Oberon added. He pointed his wingtips to gesture towards the others. "But in terms of support, as you know, we can't use our telestones to communicate with the other xyns from all across Lunerest; there's no time for them to march torwards us to aid us if they can't use their warpstones. The Vexyns in Valorise were determined to stay where they are and fight until the end; but if that Villain and his army are approaching Moonreach themselves, perhaps he is taking almost everything he has..."

Pantalaimon gasped when they recalled something important: "But Troia and I remember seeing those corrupted eggs in the Villain's lair; the corrupted xyns were breathing their mist breath over them. Aren't those eggs part of the source of Thr'zair's power? If Valorise is next to the Corrupted Lands, then-"

"Then it's possible for the army in Valorise to find and grind those corrupted eggs to dust," Troia said, finishing their thought.

"We have already discussed this with the leadership of Valorise," Ryu added, gently. She turned her head to Samson. "Go on. Tell them, Samson."

Samson nodded. "The Vexyns in Valorise are stubborn as bulls when they've set their minds to something , but under these circumstances, they're desperate enough to give it a try- we are fortunate they plan to do this on the day of the Sunrise Celebration. But it's not going to be so easy for them to waltz in. It's a gamble: We have no idea what will happen if something, or someone, other those eggs and that villain, are hiding there in that lair... there's no way they'll leave those unprotected. But if they have the power of this song on their side, perhaps they have hope to survive."

"In any case, with this recent development you all have brought in," Oberon said, "If we agree to change the battle plans to allow everyone in Moonreach to sing this magical song and summon the Spirits to aid us, we need contact every civilization in Lunerest to join in on this effort. Moonreach can't be alone in singing for the chorus." He motioned with his paws to emphasize his point, and his monocle halo flashed in the pale moonlight that streamed through the stained glass. "We'll need every scribe in Moonreach to send out Accipidrakes carrying scrolls with musical sheets and Clef Compasses, detailing that the Queen has decreed that Xyn must learn to sing their soul song and the song from Etoille combined... and then pray for our lives that everyxyn that receives this does what they should. If it works, together with the completion of the. And then fight to the death if it doesn't, as we originally planned... But what do you think, Queen Ryu?"

Ryu considered their words: then nodded, slowly and emphatically. "We must follow this plan. I won't ever forget how hearing that song made me feel, and what it's shown me... If this is what only a few voices could do, we must know what will happen when every voice in Lunerest sings it together. Only when we are united in heart and soul will we vanquish this villain, and our beloved xyns will know peace..." She chuckled, gently. "Perhaps Yuhi will wake when all is said and done, and everything that has happened will have been a bad dream for her... but, in the meantime, I will rest, and soon prepare myself to sing my own Soul Song for when the day comes…”

She turned to address all of the xyns present in her room. "You have all earned a good night's rest. Come the morrow, please set to work teaching every xyn in Moonreach their soul song, together with Etoille's song. I will continue to discuss strategies with Samson and Hush, and Oberon as needed when he is free until the day of the Sunrise Celebration begins..."

That very night, Ryu gave the orders for every scribe in Moonreach to send out a royal decree, sent out to every civilization still standing. As Oberon suggested, each scroll provided a message of the queen's decree, together with a musical sheet note of the song of Etoille, and instructions for as many xyns as possible to learn their Soul Song with a neatly packaged Cleff Compasses tied together with it.

Each scroll read as followed:

"To every dear citizen of Lunerest:

Please, listen to my plea. The dawn of the Sunrise Celebration, and our war against the villain and the army of the Corrupted, will begin in a few nights. I send this request to all of you to ask of you to read all of the contents of this scroll; it details the musical notes of a song created from thousands of voices, from an entire world not too far away from our own, together with instructions on how to discover your own Soul Song. It is a song of love, hope, peace, and reunification.

Learn to combine your soul song together with the song of a thousand voices from this far away world. Every xyn must sing at the crack of dawn on the day of the Sunrise Celebration, when the war will begin: it has the power to drive away corruption, and perhaps the end of the world itself, if every xyn sings it with all sincerity.

Spirits, beloved memories from the past, will join in song if every xyn sings together, helping us to purge our land of all evil... for only when our hearts and voices are unified as one will we withstand a chance at defeating this villain once and for all.

Thank you, and may moons guide you.

Yours truly,
Queen Ryu."

The already dimly lit night sky was darkened by the a murmuration of thousands of Accipidrakes sent out of the towers of Moonreach to deliver messages to every civilization and as many settlements as they could in the following days. The Accipidrakes split off into clouds of smaller flocks, all of them spreading across Lunerest as fast as was ever possible for them. Despite their sheer numbers, the skies remained silent, for even the Accipidrakes knew that they must fly with little sound to avoid being pursued and hunted by corruption beasts that prowled the lower skies...

Pixiehome was one of the first civilizations to receive a flock of Accipidrakes. In moons prior, many Pixyns were already made the difficult decision to evacuate the forests for Moonreach as the strength of the moon rivers waned, and corrupted beings prowled closer to their territories to find xyns to corrupt. Already, large parts of their forest home had been ravaged and burnt down by Corruption- with few Pixyns left to use their magic to restore their forests. The Pixyns that chose to stay here, rather than seek refuge in Moonreach's walls, received the Accipidrakes with gratitude; knowing that, as powerless as they were, it was possible for their kind to help save Lunerest in it’s darkest hour…

The xyns of the Heartsong Isles surfaced from their ocean waters and island forests to greet the flocks of Accipidrakes circling their island skies. The scrolls were dropped onto the glistening sands of their beaches, and the Accipidrakes circled about, screeching. The Heartsong xyns opened up the scrolls in astonishment to see the gleaming Clef Compasses from within. Their islands and ocean homes were increasingly beset by starving Corruption Beasts, desperate to pick off their numbers, and they were desperate to do whatever it took to restore the peace of their lands.

The xyns of the Selune Woods hid amongst the trees, terrified, knowing that the Corruption Beasts and Corrupted Xyns prowled not too far away to claim them as one of their own. Only when the Accipidrakes dove into their forest home did they peek out to receive the scrolls that. The Selune woods, like Pixiehome, were scorched with corruption.

The rare and wondrous flora and magical resources that grew within their forest homes could no longer grow from a lack of moonlight, along with the remnants of corruption that stained the soil and left a miasma in the air. The xyns here had suffered for it; and so the scrolls and Accipidrakes gifted them were their first glimmer of hope that they had received in a very long time…

Flocks of Accipidrakes soared up to the Elysium Heights, only to arrive to an island of crumbling clouds and frantic xyns struggling to maintain the structure of every building remaining with what little magic and energy they could struggle to spare. Weatherxyns were spread thin on their duties, standing their last legs, desperate to protect whatever they could of Elysium before what may be it’s inevitable fall. Ever since the day that Pantalaimon and Troia defeated the first corrupted xyn that appeared here, even more had appeared since, tearing holes into the city with their acidic ooze; and for the first time, Corruption Beasts had beset upon the city, soaring ever near it each night to await they newest source of prey.

All of them greeted the Accipidrakes with great fanfare, desperately opening the scrolls to see what was inside. The Clef Compasses were one of their last beacons of hope…

The raging fires of the Perilunal Plains had died down due to the spirits. The wildfires had not consumed everything in their path; one last settlement of xyns that did not evacuate to Moonreach was left unscathed. Seeing their home of endless fields torn apart by corruption and the desperation of xyns to survive, the last surviving xyns in the Perilunar Plains accepted the Accipidrake’s scrolls with all haste, wondering what they could do to help those in Moonreach…

Any xyns that had remained in Wingfell after it's battle peered out, cautiously from makeshift shelters, too terrified to return to the main city that had been lost by the great battle that Troia and the Royal Knights fought in. Many, of course, had made the difficult journey to Moonreach to find refuge; and many still remained, frightened of losing their lives while traveling. Distraught by the loss of their homes and the ever-encroaching corrupted beings that now began to roam their streets, they quickly took the Accipidrakes gifts, and upon reading the scroll’s contents, together they plotted how to save their crumbling home and the rest of the continent with it…

The xyns of Valorise were the last to receive the hordes of Accipidrakes that survived the harsh blizzards of their frozen world. The footfalls. In the coming days the call to war and the preparations for it had been more frantic than ever before

It came as a shock when hordes of Accipidrakes came, not with weapons, but cleff compasses and the Queen’s plea.

Limekiln, together with numerous other vexyns, huddled around in circles by dwindling fireplaces, reading the scrolls. Many were perplexed over it’s message, though many were willing to outright question Queen’s orders.

“The queen is asking Valorise not to fight until absolutely necessary. Has she lost her mind from losing her moon energy?”

“We’re supposed to sing our enemies to sleep?”

“If we’ve gone this far to prepare for war, we don’t have a choice!”

“Is this all a farce? Is the enemy trying to trick us?”

Limekiln shook their head, and coughed to catch the attention of the other xyns, their breath sparking with their element.

“Sounds like you’re not looking hard enough,” Limekiln admonished the vexyns. They tapped the tip of their tail on the wax emblem and the signature. Didn’t you see the royal seal on these scrolls, the magical touch of this signature? No forgery can come close enough to this. I know the real deal when I see it…!”

The vexyns quieted their discontentment, and turned to pay their full attention to Limekiln. 

Limekiln continued, solemnly: “Please listen to me. I think it’s exactly due to these insane circumstances that the Queen would ask such a seemingly ridiculous request from us. But we have to believe in her words. These Clef Compasses; they’re all the real thing, too, not forgeries… we can’t doubt the queen’s words now. If she truly believes and says that it works- we must give it a try. And If all else fails… we still have everything we need to be prepared for war. Come on!”

The vexyns began muttering in agreement, and soon, they shouted in unison; they began to divide themselves into groups, and diligently learned to sing as instructed.

The special unit of vexyns set to approach the Corrupted Lands learned their Soul Songs, and the song of Etoille, with all haste. Though the request seemed strange to them, they agreed to use it when the day of the Sunrise Celebration came. The eggs would be smashed and anything else in the cavern killed if all else failed…

Throughout the coming days, every xyn in Moonreach toiled their hardest to sing, guided by the massive collection of compasses that were carried back from Wingfell. with the collective assistance of Pantalaimon, Bravura, and Chiptune divided themselves amongst Moonreach's population, together with countless Xyns that had already discovered their soul songs. Together, they taught as many citizens how to sing and play music as best as they could; the citizens that successfully learned spread their knowledge to the next groups, those groups spread their own knowledge, and so forth, the knowledge of the Soul Songs and the song of Etoille gradually trickling down to the entire populace, like a tree’s roots ever expanding to the depths of the earth…

And, tn just a few nights, Pantalaimon and the others  had achieved what they thought had been the impossible:

No longer were the prospects of surviving the war so desolate or forlorn. Moonreach, night by night, quietly expanded the reach of it’s song from the town square to the entirety of the city, from just a few xyns to tens of thousands of it’s citizens, in a few days…

Every xyn in Moonreach had learned to play their Soul Song, together with the Song of Etoille. Even Companions that were capable of mimicry had learned to sing, parroting the somgs they heard, over and over.

For the first time in almost a year- despite the looming catastrophe everyone knew could arrive; the sounds of thousands of choirs of every xyn learning such precious songs instilled them all with the courage and hope to survive against all odds- no matter what it took.

The time had come. Midnight, just before the crack of dawn before the final battle, had finally arrived. The Day of the Sunrise Celebration was imminent, and so was the arrival of the villain & his army. 

Every xyn had made their preparations for the Corrupted to arrive Moonreach when the sun first rose in the sky. All xyns had their musical instruments prepared, prepared to sing at the first rays of sunlight that would warm their world. The Lullay knights continued to hold the barrier steady; and they would continue to hold it up for as long as was humanly possible. 

Pantalaimon, Troia, Bravura, Yin, and the others stood in a circle at the first square of Moonreach standing by it’s gates. They were surrounded by hundreds of other knights, citizens, and refugees. 

Thousands more of Moonreach’s denizens stood upon the streets, balconies, rooftops, towers and spires of the city, all poised to sing and play their instruments upon command together with the first light of dawn. Groups of element xyns were stationed everywhere; they would use the power of their united wind breath to amplify the reach of the songs of the xyns around them, spreading their music as far as they would. Every other civilization had been ordered to do the same.

Everyone looked torwards the night sky, expectantly. The dark black of the midnight, ever so gradually, began to turn a navy blue. Seconds stretched out into minutes of silence, save for the cold puffs of air they exhaled.

“You ready?”

Troia looked down, away from Pantalaimon. "I'm ready," she said. But at the bottom of her stomach, she felt something churn; she was shoving down the impending dread of having to face the question if Yang would ever see sunlight… or remain confined in it’s dimensional tear.

Her Fighter’s cloak covered her shoulders and back. The elaborate and long purple feathers on her shoulders were flattened beneath it; it kept her warm in the dark hours of the morning. The Keybie that she received from Limekiln remained dormant in her pocket, and her Spearbie, together with Axebie and Macebie, floated readily by her side. She had volunteered to remain on the ground to support the efforts of the landbound xyns; but in truth, if needed she was fully capable of sneaking away from the thick of battle to find one of Yang’s dimensional tears and unlocking it if need be. And Yang’s words echoed continually in her mind.

“Unleash me only when there is no hope left, and you have nothing else to lose…”

She was distracted from her thoughts when she felt something warm nuzzle the side of her mask halo’s cheek. Pantalaimon was sitting by her side, comforting her. Their Faerie halo fluttered over her face, cheerfully, as if to encourage her.

“It’s going to be okay,” Pantalaimon said with a smile. “We have the rest of the world- even another- on our side. We have to have faith and believe everything will work itself out, even if the Moons showed Yin and Queen Ryu another fate… it’s only one possibility, not an absolute truth.”

Before Troia could respond, a voice spoke up beside them both.

“Pantalaimon. It will soon be time. We must depart.”

It was Yin, slithering over to their side. They bowed their head lightly in acknowledgment to Troia, turning to face Pantalaimon. “Step onto my back. Remember our plan: I will carry you and the rest of the musicians on my back; Wind element xyns will carry the song of all of us from the skies across the entirety of Moonreach’s city, within the barrier. I’ll protect you if anything happens.”

Pantalaimon nodded. “Alright then. Let’s go! Sunrise is almost here!”

Pantalaimon Celestial Shifted to their Anthroxyn form, and with a snap of their fingers, summoned their favorite enchanted flute and the Enchanted Mask that Styr’Fa had gifted them- it’s soft blue colors perfectly matched the gradually paling sky, with soft, muted blues washing over the deep navy of the night. They stepped onto Yin’s back, just between their wings, and several other xyns alighted onto Yin’s back, prepared to sing for their lives. The crowd around them began to murmur and chatter in apprehension- knowing that their time to sing, too, was soon.

Pantalaimon waved enthusiastically to everyone, and their mask’s expression matched to mirror their cheerful smile.  “I can’t say goodbye; feels like too much bad luck now after everything! So, see you all soon! See you, Troia! I’ll be back before you all know it!”

All of the other xyns cheered and waved. “See you,” Troia shouted above the din of their voices.

Yin reared up, inhaling the cool morning air, and immediately took flight from where they stood, spiraling upwards to gently ascend to the sky so that the xyns on their back did not fall off. Numerous other Vexyns and Wind element Xyns, either carrying xyns on their backs or pulling chariots, also soared into the air- waiting for Pantalaimon to play the first note of the song, so everyone else would follow.

From the vantage point of the xyns above in the air, they saw a miasma of black silhouettes cloud the horizon of- and massive black silhouettes soaring above in the sky. They advanced, quickly, from a slow march to a rampage; and the black miasma and silhouettes that followed seemed endless.

The villain and his army had arrived. 

“It’s time!” Pantalaimon shouted. They put the enchanted flute to the lips of their mask, and they played the first note of their song.

The first rays of sunlight, and the sun itself rose above the horizon, and rays of golden light began to wash over them- illuminating their silhouette in a gentle, rosy glow against the gradually brightening sky.

The first sound that pierced the silence of the morning came from Pantalaimon’s flute: the crisp, clear notes of a plaintive, tranquil melody that soon spread over the entirety of Moonreach…

Many xyns watched in awe for the first few minutes as they watched Pantalaimon play their first song, alone, as Yin carried them through the morning light of the Sunlight Celebration. Something shimmered beside Pantalaimon’s side; and, one by one, numerous spirits materialized before them, flying together with Yin to hear their song. They encircled and twirled around Pantalaimon, joyous and happy; to be awoken by such a song on the day of the Sunrise Celebration was something that they would treasure in their own memories.

The xyns below on the ground and beside them had never seen a sight like this before in their lives- and it was one that they would never forget, continuing to tell stories of this sight everyone they knew, and generations thereafter.

When Pantalaimon finished their first song, they began a second round; and every xyn in Moonreach, Pixiehome, Wingfell, Elysium Heights, the Perilunal Plains, Heartsong Isles, the Selune Woods, even Valorise and the Frosttouched Pines, everywhere life existed on joined in, their collective voices flooding the continent as the sun also began it’s ascent into the sky. 

Spirits all across Lunerest, awoken by the sound, soared abound and began to join them all in song, too; not just in Moonreaxh itself, but every civilization possible, and across the entirety of Lunerest’s wilderness; anywhere a memory was laid to rest, it was awoken by the sound of everyone’s song, and soon thereafter joined their choir…

—

Yang, still suspended from its chains in it’s dimensional lair, saw rays of the sun; but they all stopped just short of it’s body, so that it could not shift to it’s Suneater form. 

Yang salivated at the sight of the sunlight; it took everything it had to keep itself from swinging it’s body to soak up the energy it was starved from, even though it knew that moving or escaping from it’s own chains was futile if Troia did not unlock it…

—

Could all of Corruption itself overcome a song of two entire worlds if all of the living, and the spirits, sang together in unity?

Would Troia ever be forced to unleash Yang upon the Villain…?