Kaelen, Lyra, and Torvin rode back to the capital city. They had the Sunstone Amulet from Zelia and the True Prophecy from Elara. They had the tools to win, but they had to get past the civil war first.
General Vorlag and the Third and Fifth Companies were blocking the main road to the Iron Fortress. Vorlag's men were Aethelgardian soldiers, driven by fear planted by Morthos. They believed Lyra's magic was chaos that would destroy their ordered kingdom.
Kaelen stopped his horse a hundred yards from Vorlag's line. He could see the fear and the anger in the soldiers' faces.
"Vorlag!" Kaelen shouted, his voice strong and clear. "You are fighting a lie! Morthos, the Oracle, is the real traitor! He staged this war!"
Vorlag rode forward. He was a good general, but his heart was full of the old Edict. "Prince Kaelen! You brought foreign magic into the Iron Crown! You broke the law! We fight to save Aethelgard's discipline!"
"Discipline without compassion is just cruelty, Vorlag!" Lyra shouted, riding forward to stand beside Kaelen. She held the Sunstone Amulet in her hand. It pulsed with a warm, steady golden light.
Just then, the battle started on the far flank. Vorlag's men had been holding their position, but Morthos's followers in the Fifth Company broke rank and charged the loyal Aethelgardian forces.
Kaelen knew he had to act fast. He could not fight his own men.
"Lyra, use the Sunstone! Show them the truth of Sol magic!"
Lyra nodded. She lifted the Sunstone Amulet high above her head. The light from the stone intensified, a massive, peaceful golden wave that washed over the battlefield.
The men in Vorlag's lines stopped, shielding their eyes. The light felt warm, like the sudden return of summer.
Then, Morthos's followers, the Fifth Company, ran into a hidden trap. A volley of arrows from the loyal guards rained down, injuring several men.
Lyra saw the wounded soldiers fall. They were filled with pain and fear. She knew this was her chance. She focused her power through the Sunstone Amulet. The Amulet was not just a symbol; it was a powerful channel for her healing.
She sent a focused beam of golden light across the battlefield. It bypassed the shields and the armor, touching the wounded men. The wounds closed instantly. The pain vanished. The men stood up, whole and confused.
Vorlag's men gasped. They had never seen anything like it. This was not the chaotic, uncontrolled magic Morthos had promised. This was stable, ordered healing. It was power used for good, not for destruction.
Lyra spoke, her voice clear and strong. "Morthos lied to you! Sol magic is not chaos! It is harmony! He wants you to destroy yourselves so he can take the power that saves lives!"
Vorlag's generals looked at the healed men, then at Lyra's face a face of peace and strength. The fear Morthos had planted began to fade. They saw the truth: Kaelen had not brought chaos; he had brought salvation.
"Stand down!" General Vorlag shouted, dropping his sword. "The Prince is telling the truth! We have been fooled by the Oracle!"
The rebel army surrendered instantly. Kaelen and Lyra had won the first battle, not with iron, but with golden truth. They left Torvin to secure the generals and rode quickly to the castle.
They knew Morthos was waiting. He had planned for the civil war to give him the time he needed to complete his Nexus.