When the Oathbound Rose
The silence shattered without warning. From the opened sarcophagi, corrupted Oath Guardians emerged one after another, their shattered moonsteel armor scraping against the ancient stone. Crimson light burned within their eyes. Lyssara raised Eclipsewarden as Aster's fur bristled beside her. “Stay close,” she said quietly. The hooded warrior drew his own blade. “They will not stop until every living soul in this crypt is gone.” Lyssara glanced toward him. “Then try not to fall behind.” The first Guardian lunged. Lyssara met its strike with a burst of silver lunar energy, while the stranger moved behind her with practiced precision. Their swords crossed through the darkness as they fought back-to-back, instinctively covering each other's blind spots. “That stance,” Lyssara said between strikes. “Only the Lunar Guardians used it.” The hooded warrior cut down another specter. “You notice more than most.” Aster leapt forward, celestial energy exploding beneath his paws as he drove a Guardian away from Lyssara. Nearby, Seralyth raised both hands before the Oathkeeper's Archive. “Do not let them destroy the names!” she cried as waves of corruption struck the monument. Then the moonsteel tablet slipped across the floor. Lyssara caught sight of the symbol engraved upon it—an eclipsed moon pierced by a black crown. Her breath caught. “That mark...” Before she could reach it, the chamber suddenly trembled. Every remaining Guardian froze. Even the hooded warrior lowered his sword. A deep grinding sound echoed across the crypt. At the far end of the chamber, the largest sarcophagus slowly opened. Black mist poured from within as pale moonlight illuminated the figure resting inside. Seralyth stared in horror. “No...” The hooded warrior finally stepped forward. “That tomb was never supposed to open.” Lyssara tightened her grip on Eclipsewarden. “Then someone wants us to see who is inside.”