The Binding of Ages

Previously

…“Go, Elara!” he urged, his voice strained. “Take the artifact and run! Pip will hold them!” But Elara couldn’t move. Her feet felt rooted to the ground. The fear was a suffocating blanket, yet beneath it, a spark of defiance flickered. She looked at Pip, so small and brave, facing down an unseen terror. She looked at Master Eldrin, his frail body radiating a powerful resolve. She clutched the artifact, its warmth a steady pulse against her palm. And for the first time, she understood that running was not the only way. Sometimes, the bravest thing was to stand, and to fight for what you believed in. The first flight was over. The journey, however, had truly just begun.