The Sign of the Children of Light

That same night, in the temples of the Children of Light, no one was able to finish their prayer.

At first, everything was calm, as it always was during services devoted to the praise of the Light. White lamps burned steadily, paladins knelt on one knee in the temple courtyards, their heads bowed in prayer. Members of the clergy monotonously recited ancient verses, while beyond the windows of the mountain monasteries, the last light of sunset was already fading.

Then the light changed.

It grew brighter, but did not blind them. It was as though the sky itself had begun to glow from within. One by one, the paladins raised their heads and saw the clouds above the temples parting, driven aside by an unseen hand.

A radiant visage appeared in the dark night sky.

Blurred, immense, indistinct, woven from light.

It was impossible to tell what form it had taken. Its outlines blurred, vanished, then emerged again within the radiance. There was nothing clear about the image, yet everyone who looked upon it knew — the Light had revealed its face to its Children.

Across the world, the Children of Light — from the humblest novice in the poorest temple to the highest clergy and Commanders of the Order — fell to their knees and raised their prayers.

And all of them heard a gentle whisper spreading through every temple and parish.

“Seek the Light in the mountains, my Children. There, where the ancient lizard left its bones.”

Along with the voice of the Light came vivid images. Some saw a snow-covered ridge. Some saw a radiance among the cliffs. Some saw a silhouette woven from light, its brilliance outshining even the white fire of the temples.

But the meaning was the same — the mountains. Dragon's Ridge.

When the vision disappeared, no one in the temples rose from their knees for a long time, continuing to offer their prayers to the Light.

By dawn, the Commanders of the Order were already issuing orders. Paladins donned their armor, healers packed their traveling bags, and standard-bearers unfurled the white banners.

No one knew exactly what awaited them in the mountains.

But they all believed:

The Light had revealed itself to its Children, and it was waiting for them.