The Awakened and the Guardian

Manny ignored the noisy voice of the spirit calling itself the Star Heart and cut off its magic supply. The clamor in his mind vanished at once, and the crystal prism in his palm went dark, once again seeming like an inanimate object.

But Manny knew the spirit had fallen asleep for lack of magic. He slipped the crystal, which held the legacies of countless Star Mages, into his spatial pouch, then turned toward the door.

When he pushed open the main tower's doors again, his view, which should have been dim, was flooded with dazzling magical light. The Mage Towers around him had lit up for reasons unknown. Beneath countless pillars of light, the Floating City seemed to have come alive again.

But after the guardian Lich's warning, Manny understood that endless danger lurked behind that brilliance.

His heart sank, and he hurried to find the gray-robed Lich.

At last, he spotted the Lich at the edge of the plaza outside the main tower.

For some reason, the guardian's figure looked even fainter than before.

His hands, already hazy after his clash with Manny, were now almost transparent. His magical aura had weakened to its limit.

The Withered Wood Staff floated beside him, held aloft by mental power. Cracks covered the gray crystal at its tip.

Clearly, during the dozen or so minutes Manny had spent inside the main tower retrieving the Star Heart, this Lich from more than three hundred years ago had fought a grueling battle.

Yet he paid no attention to his injuries.

When he noticed Manny emerge from the tower, he turned toward his younger successor. The dim soul flames in his eye sockets flickered, and his voice was as hoarse and calm as ever. "They're beginning to wake."

Crack!

As if to confirm the