The Summoning
The sky burned crimson in the sunset, casting an eerie yet mesmerizing glow over the forest. The lingering scent of ash still tainted the air, a grim reminder of the destruction humanity had wrought. But this place was no longer drowning in fear.
From atop a towering rock, The Sage Rat surveyed the gathering of creatures before him, his eyes glowing like twin embers in the dimming light.
Hundreds of eyes watched him in return—some fierce, some wary, but all resolute. The strongest warriors of the natural world had assembled here. The jaguars with their rippling muscles, the wolves with their piercing gaze, the eagles soaring high above. They had not come out of fear alone. They had come because they believed in him, in what he had accomplished.
The Sage Rat's voice was steady but commanding:
"This is not just another battle. This will decide the fate of all nature. Humans have forgotten what we once granted them—balance, life, and peace. Now, they no longer see us as creatures who share this world. To them, we are nothing more than resources, mere obstacles to be removed. But tell me, will we let them do as they please?"
A deafening roar erupted from the crowd. Claws raked the ground, wings flapped violently against the wind, and growls echoed through the forest.
"Then listen well" The Sage Rat continued. "Before we fight, we must call upon our allies. When all of nature stands as one, no force can take us lightly."
Murmurs spread among the animals. A sleek black panther stepped forward, its gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Who will we summon?"
The Sage Rat turned northward, his voice dropping into a near whisper, as if reciting an ancient legend:
"First, we seek the White Bear King, ruler of the frozen north. He is the war god of the tundra, undefeated upon the snowy fields."
Wolves let out a unified howl at the mention of the legendary warrior. In the bitterest cold, where survival was a battle of its own, the polar bears had thrived and claimed dominion over the icy wastelands.
"Second, we must call upon the Shadowfang Pack, the deadliest hunters of the highlands. No eyes can see them in the darkness, and every step they take is a hidden blade waiting to strike."
A chorus of snarls rippled through the wolves, their instincts roaring to life.
"And finally" The Sage Rat's gaze shifted toward the distant ocean, where the horizon melted into the deep "we must seek the Abyssal Dragon King. Those who dwell in the depths of the sea can overturn the very battlefield itself. But earning his allegiance… will not be easy."
The air grew heavy. No one had ever seen the Abyssal Dragon King emerge onto land. He existed only in whispers—tales of storms he summoned, of ships lost to the abyss, never to return.
"And if he refuses to aid us?" croaked an old owl, its voice laden with doubt.
The Sage Rat's response was unwavering, his eyes filled with determination:
"Then I will convince him—by any means necessary."
There was no time to waste. That very night, the vanguard of the natural world was formed. The fastest, the strongest, and the sharpest minds would depart at first light.
The Sage Rat and The Wise Crow would head north to seek the White Bear King.
A fearsome pack of wolves, led by their Alpha, would travel to find the Shadowfang Pack.
And finally, the oceanic team—comprised of dolphins, great sea turtles, and colossal squids—would attempt to make contact with the Abyssal Dragon King.
As the night deepened, The Sage Rat lifted his gaze toward the starlit heavens. He knew that by tomorrow, when his paws first touched the frozen snow of the North, the fate of all life would begin to change forever.
War had begun, but history would not repeat itself this time.