The turtle-like stone behemoth looms over the battlefield. Around it, the raging winds turn calm as tens of transparent, humanoid figures take shape. Each of them is only a mere one meter tall, giving off a childlike appearance. “Go and retrieve our lost sibling. We will need to alter our plan; thus, this excursion will end here.”

Nodding their heads, the transparent figures dart towards the weakened Centum. Seemingly unaffected by gravity, they fly over the horde of demonic lords. Within moments, they arrive next to Centum. Centum, barely staying conscious, can only stare in bewilderment at the strange figures appearing next to him.

“What’s going on, who are you?” Centum half deliriously asks as firm, but almost unnoticeable hands grip his body. Ignoring his weak protests, they effortlessly lift him into the air. The horde of demonic lords, still waiting for their next command, roar in anger as they helplessly stare at Centum rising towards the sky.

At the back, the horde leader’s expression turns resolute. Ruthlessly, it lifts its hand upwards as a loud, inhuman sound bellows from its mouth. The horde begins to move. A proud glint flashes in its eyes as it turns toward the stone turtle. The turtle’s stone eyes lock with the horde leader’s as time seemingly freezes around them.

The horde leader’s previous pride evaporates as a wave of fear grips its heart. Each second feels like an hour as a dark premonition festers in the horde leader’s mind. The turtle opens its mouth, and, despite the loud roars of demonic beasts, its words can be heard clearly by every creature, “Confusing my inaction with weakness is a fatal mistake.”

The turtle’s grey, stone skin begins to whiten, akin to a shade of white granite. An unprecedented amount of power emerges from deep within its shell as it continues speaking, “Normally, I wouldn’t dare to expend some of my essence reserves; its existence is paramount to our mission, but now it is unneeded as we are destined to return. Attacking our weak, defenceless brother has sealed your fate.”

“This power…” the horde leader mumbles, its right-hand shaking, “The energy beneath our portal, why has it appeared here?” A thousand question flash through its mind, with no answer in sight. The horde is stunned by this display of might, successfully buying enough time for Centum’s escape. With Centum out of danger, the turtle’s attention returns towards the horde.

The stone turtle’s tone is calm as its ancient voice rings out, one last time across the demonic horde, “Creatures once innocent, but then corrupted; I will grant you peace through his power. Earth to earth, dust to dust, beneath the crust, your solace lies.” The essence in its body diverts through its four legs and into the ground below.

The horde leader’s body freezes in terror as the ground begins to quake once again. The earth beneath them sinks downward as an impossibly tall, stone wall rises and encircle the newly created chasm containing the entire demonic horde. Countless demonic lords, including the horde leader, desperately begin to scale the chasm’s cliff-like walls.

Barely a tenth of the way out of their new prison, the earth stops shaking. Above them, the stone wall becomes unstable as it collapses inward, enclosing the chasm. The sun disappears and the deafening rumble of falling stone echoes throughout the earth. The demonic horde can only stare in horror as they’re crushed and buried beneath the ground.

Above ground, only a field of boulders and loose stones can be found where the demonic horde once stood. The stone turtle releases a deep breath as a slight feeling of weakness pervades its body. The turtle’s colour becomes grey once again. A content light flashes in its stone eyes as it observes Centum approaching. “We’ve truly found a mysterious sibling, but he’s a bit different from us. What element is he? Everything should become clear in due time, no need to rush,” the stone turtle thinks to itself.

Firmly in the hands of the transparent figures, Centum manages to remain conscious as he observes the turtle’s power. His last ounces of energy wanes, preventing him from completely comprehending the frightening sight he just saw. Finally, they reach the turtle’s back. In contrast to the surrounding wasteland, the turtle’s back is like a small tropical island, complete with its own water and vegetation.

The transparent figures fly to the peak. There, a spring of clear water sits between the dense forest of trees; a seemingly endless amount of freshwater flows from there and into numerous rivers covering the turtle’s back. Next to the spring, on a bed of soft, blue grass, they place him down gently.

Completely exhausted, Centum overhears the turtle’s voice just as he falls into a deep sleep, “Our new sibling needs to recover and replenish his essence. Let him rest and passively absorb from my reserves. Ayla, you are the best suited for this, so please watch over him and make sure nothing happens. We’ll begin our journey back home in the meantime.”

In the spring, a humanoid figure congeals from the crystal-clear water. A flowing green dress adorns her body, complementing her long, electric blue hair. She’s almost two meters tall with pointed ears resembling those on elves. Stepping out of the water and stopping next to Centum, she says in a soothing voice, “Don’t worry Turrix. I’ll look over him.”

Sitting down next to Centum, she studies his body, growing more confused with each passing second. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asks, “Turrix, what element is he? Are you sure he’s one of us?” The stone turtle replies, “Honestly, I’m not sure myself. His element is something I’m not familiar with, but I’m confident he’s one of us. Can’t you smell that scent within him; The scent we’ve been longing for, for so many millennia.”

Ayla goes quiet, slowly processing this revelation. Finally, she asks, “But, what does his appearance mean? Why is he here now, after all these years? Our mission is still far from being complete. Has Lord Jeffery shown us kindness and sent help?” She goes quiet again, returning her attention to Centum as she restudies him with a more intense gaze.

In his usual, ancient tone, Turrix replies, “Your questions are all valid, and the assumptions could be correct. Unfortunately, only he can answer them. Have patience. All will be revealed in due time. Our journey home will take a long time, so there’s no reason to rush.” The mountain gently vibrates as the stone turtle begins to move in the opposite direction, leaving craters with each of its heavy steps.

A complicated expression rests on Ayla’s beautiful face as she thinks to herself, “Going home, huh. How long has it been since we’ve seen the others, hopefully, they’ve missed us? Until then, I’ll try to solve this mystery surrounding our new sibling.”