The mountains ended without warning.
For days, the expedition had traveled through narrow valleys where the road seemed to have been swallowed by roots, stones, and time. The further they traveled from Borealis, the more uncertain the ancient paths became.
There had been no great road waiting for them.
No welcoming beacon.
Only fragments.
A broken milestone here.
A buried bridge there.
Occasionally, Sorion would feel something beneath his feet—a faint impression of a road that no longer existed. Sometimes he could almost see it, stretching across the land like a memory trying to return.
But this morning was different.
The mountains opened.
And beyond them...
a city lived.
The entire expedition stopped.
No command was given.
No scout called for silence.
They simply stood there.
Below the hillside, a vast valley stretched beneath the morning sun. At its center stood a city unlike anything they had encountered since leaving Aurion.
Bronze towers rose among white stone buildings. Crystal conduits crossed rooftops like veins of light. Water flowed through elevated channels that curved between neighborhoods before descending into gardens and farmland.
Mechanical carts traveled along paved streets.
Wind-powered machines turned slowly above workshops.
Small constructs carried baskets through market squares.
Farmers worked beside machines that helped plow their fields.
Children chased one another between houses.
Smoke rose from cooking fires.
A bell rang somewhere in the distance.
Then another.
The sound of ordinary life drifted up the mountain.
Lirion stared.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he quietly whispered,
"That's not a ruin."
Dorion smiled.
"No."
Bardin lowered the instrument he had been carrying.
"People."
Sorion looked at the city.
There was something strange about seeing civilization so intact.
After everything they had witnessed—the buried settlements, the frozen dead, the corrupted machines, the abandoned roads—it felt almost unreal.
A woman walked through a field carrying a basket.
A boy ran after her.
A farmer shouted something from across the road.
The woman laughed.
Nothing about them looked heroic.
Nothing about them looked legendary.
They were simply living.
And somehow, that affected Sorion more deeply than the ruins had.
"They survived," he said.
Dorion looked at him.
"Some places did."
Sorion nodded.
"Maybe this is what the Lost Cities were supposed to become."
Veyrath
The road descended toward the city.
As they came closer, its details became clearer.
The outer wall was not covered with weapons.
Instead, bronze plates had been incorporated into the stonework, forming an intricate network of conduits.
At regular intervals stood crystal pillars.
They glowed softly beneath the sunlight.
Lirion slowed.
He studied one from a distance.
"Those aren't defensive towers."
An Iron Legion engineer beside him answered,
"No."
"What are they?"
The engineer shrugged.
"Power distribution, perhaps."
Lirion looked impressed.
"They built the entire city around the system."
They eventually reached the main gate.
Above it, ancient letters had been carved into the stone.
CITY OF THE LIVING CURRENT
Several guards waited beneath the arch.
They wore practical armor rather than ceremonial uniforms. Their shields carried small crystal cores, and thin lines of energy moved through the metal whenever they shifted their grip.
One of the guards stepped forward.
"Travelers."
Dorion dismounted.
"We come from Aurion Citadel."
The guard looked at the expedition behind him.
"Aurion?"
"Yes."
A second guard exchanged a glance with the first.
The name clearly meant something here.
The captain looked over the machines, weapons, supplies, and unfamiliar equipment.
"Why are you here?"
Dorion answered honestly.
"We are exploring the Lost Cities."
The captain's eyes narrowed.
"Exploring?"
"Learning what survived."
The captain studied him for a long moment.
Then he looked toward the expedition again.
"You may enter."
Dorion bowed.
"Thank you."
The captain raised one finger.
"One condition."
Dorion waited.
"Do not treat Veyrath like a ruin."
Dorion looked toward the city.
"I wouldn't."
The captain nodded.
"Good."
The gate opened.
Strangers
The expedition entered slowly.
And immediately, they felt the eyes.
People stopped what they were doing.
A baker stood outside his shop with flour covering his arms.
A group of children gathered around a fountain.
An old woman paused while carrying vegetables.
A carpenter leaned against his doorway.
Nobody ran.
Nobody attacked.
They simply watched.
The strangers had arrived.
The children were particularly interested.
One little boy pointed toward an Ironhide crawler.
His mother gently pulled his hand down.
"Don't point."
"But I've never seen one."
The Ironhide driver heard him.
He laughed and waved.
The boy immediately hid behind his mother's dress.
Then peeked out again.
Bardin chuckled.
"That's the first friendly scout we've had."
Dorion smiled.
"They're curious."
"Children usually are."
A few moments later, one of the children gathered enough courage to approach.
"Is it a war machine?"
The Ironhide driver shook his head.
"Not today."
The boy laughed.
That small exchange broke something in the atmosphere.
The people began smiling.
Not everyone.
But enough.
The expedition was no longer an unknown army.
They were becoming visitors.
A Living City
They soon discovered that Veyrath was divided into different districts.
The lower city belonged mostly to ordinary citizens.
Farmers.
Merchants.
Builders.
Fishermen.
Bakers.
Tailors.
Teachers.
Healers.
Families.
Their homes were modest, but well maintained.
Technomagik existed everywhere, yet most citizens did not study its deeper principles.
A baker used a heat crystal.
A farmer used an automated irrigation system.
A carpenter operated a self-adjusting saw.
A healer used a small diagnostic instrument.
Nobody considered these extraordinary.
They were simply tools.
Lirion watched a farmer activate an irrigation device.
"Does everyone here know Technomagik?"
The farmer laughed.
"I know how to turn my pump on."
"That's not the same thing."
"Apparently not."
He tapped the machine.
"The Magisters know why it works."
"And you?"
"I know that if it stops working, I call one."
Lirion smiled.
"Fair enough."
The Technomagisters
The difference became clearer as they entered the central districts.
The workshops grew larger.
The machines became more complicated.
Students hurried between buildings carrying books and crystal components.
Some wore plain gray robes.
These were the Initiates.
They were still learning.
Others wore blue and bronze robes.
They were Artificers—trained craftsmen capable of building and repairing Technomagik devices.
Further inside were the Magisters.
Their robes were more elaborate, but their authority came from something more important than clothing.
Knowledge.
They were trusted with the city's power systems, ancient machinery, and advanced constructs.
Above them were the High Magisters.
There were very few.
They were responsible for knowledge that ordinary Technomagisters were not permitted to study without authorization.
Lirion watched one of them walk past.
"How do you become a High Magister?"
A young Initiate answered,
"You don't simply ask."
"Then how?"
"You prove that you can be trusted with knowledge that could destroy a city."
Lirion became quiet.
For the first time, he understood why Veyrath had survived.
They didn't simply possess Technomagik.
They respected it.
A Place to Stay
The expedition could not simply camp in the streets.
The city authorities directed them toward a travelers' quarter near the western district.
It had once been a merchant compound.
Several buildings surrounded a courtyard containing a small fountain.
The rooms were simple.
Beds.
Tables.
Storage spaces.
Washrooms.
A communal kitchen.
It was enough.
Before sunset, local hosts arrived with food.
Bread.
Vegetables.
Soup.
Fresh fruit.
A woman carrying a large pot placed it on the table.
"You've traveled a long way."
Dorion stood.
"You don't have to feed all of us."
She smiled.
"You're guests."
"We can pay."
"You can pay tomorrow."
Dorion looked confused.
The woman laughed.
"Tonight, you're hungry."
Bardin smiled.
"I like this city."
The woman looked at him.
"You haven't heard my singing yet."
Bardin laughed.
"Then I hope you give me a chance."
The woman pointed toward him.
"Tomorrow."
The Gate
The next morning, the expedition was invited to the heart of Veyrath.
There stood a massive circular structure.
It was larger than any gate they had seen before.
Bronze rings surrounded a dark central opening.
Crystal pillars stood around its perimeter.
Ancient symbols covered the stone foundation.
Lirion walked around it slowly.
"What is this?"
A Magister standing nearby answered,
"A Veil Gate."
Sorion stopped.
The compass beneath his clothing vibrated.
The Magister continued.
"It once connected Veyrath with other cities."
"Where?"
"We don't know."
"When did it stop?"
"Centuries ago."
"Why?"
"We don't know that either."
Lirion looked at the machinery.
"Have you tried repairing it?"
The Magister smiled.
"Every generation."
"And?"
"Every generation failed."
Sorion stepped closer.
The vibration in his compass became stronger.
He reached toward the Gate.
"Wait," Dorion said.
Sorion stopped.
"I don't know why."
He looked at his own hand.
"It feels familiar."
The First Misunderstanding
A group of Technomagisters noticed the compass.
One of them stepped forward.
"Where did you get that?"
Sorion looked down.
"It was given to me."
"By whom?"
"I don't know."
The Magister frowned.
"That's an ancient memory compass."
Lirion looked at Sorion.
"You never told us that."
"I didn't know."
The Magister became suspicious.
"Then what exactly do you know?"
Sorion shook his head.
"Not much."
The answer did not satisfy him.
The city had spent generations trying to awaken the Gate.
Now a stranger carrying an ancient device had arrived.
People began gathering.
Whispers spread.
Aurion sent them.
They know how to open it.
They're hiding something.
Dorion noticed the change immediately.
He stepped between Sorion and the crowd.
"We aren't here to take your Gate."
A guard answered,
"Then why is it reacting to him?"
Dorion looked at Sorion.
He had no answer.
Neither did Sorion.
The Awakening
Sorion slowly placed his hand against the Gate.
The world became silent.
One crystal illuminated.
Then another.
Then another.
A deep vibration rolled through the plaza.
WHOOOOOM.
The bronze rings began turning.
The crowd backed away.
Lirion stared.
"That's impossible."
The final crystal awakened.
Silver light flooded the Gate.
The center filled with a shimmering surface.
For one brief moment...
everyone saw another place.
A distant road.
A city beneath unfamiliar skies.
Then the image vanished.
The Gate returned to silence.
Nobody spoke.
The chief Magister stared at Sorion.
"You activated it."
Sorion slowly lowered his hand.
"I didn't know how."
The Magister's expression remained serious.
"That's exactly what worries me."
The Three Brothers Learn
Later that afternoon, the brothers were invited to a controlled workshop.
The Technomagisters examined their equipment.
One discovered the batteries they had been using throughout their journey.
"You've been carrying Technomagik amplification cells."
Lirion blinked.
"These are batteries."
The Magister smiled.
"They are batteries."
"Then why are you looking at me like I'm holding something dangerous?"
"Because you are."
He connected one to a testing apparatus.
The crystal immediately brightened.
"These don't simply store energy."
He looked at the brothers.
"They can amplify the energy produced by a compatible user."
Dorion stepped forward.
"Can they amplify our abilities?"
"Let's find out."
Dorion activated his power.
The battery responded.
His golden-red energy surged through the apparatus.
The machine nearly overloaded.
Lirion stared.
"So that's what we've been carrying."
The Magister nodded.
"You've been using Technomagik without knowing what it was."
Lirion laughed.
"I suppose that's one way to learn."
The Search for a Master
The brothers asked about the city's greatest Technomagik teacher.
The answer came quickly.
Master Caelion Veyr.
But when they asked to meet him...
they were refused.
"He doesn't accept visitors."
"We're not asking for a tour."
"He still won't meet you."
"We activated your Veil Gate."
The Magister hesitated.
"That is precisely why he won't meet you immediately."
Lirion frowned.
"Why?"
"Because Master Caelion doesn't teach people simply because they possess power."
Dorion asked,
"Then what does he look for?"
The Magister answered:
"Worthiness."
Earning Their Place
The brothers didn't leave.
They stayed.
They helped repair the irrigation systems.
Lirion spent hours working beside Artificers.
Dorion helped the city guards reinforce damaged equipment.
The Ironhide craftsmen exchanged techniques with Veyrath's smiths.
The Nordfrost guides shared knowledge about mountain survival.
Bardin performed in the public square.
Sorion walked among the ordinary people.
They were no longer simply studying the city.
They were becoming part of its daily rhythm.
One afternoon, Lirion helped repair an agricultural machine belonging to a family outside the city.
The father watched him work.
"You are not a Magister."
"No."
"Yet you understand machines."
"Some."
The man smiled.
"Perhaps knowledge doesn't always begin in a school."
Lirion looked at the repaired machine.
"Perhaps not."
The Test
Several days later, a messenger arrived at their quarters.
He carried a small bronze device.
"Lirion?"
"Yes."
"Master Caelion has heard of your work."
Lirion stood.
"Finally."
The messenger smiled.
"Don't celebrate yet."
He placed the device in Lirion's hand.
"You have been given a task."
"What task?"
The device projected the image of a strange Technomagik component.
"Find out what is this."
"Where?"
"That is part of the test."
Dorion looked at the messenger.
"Why?"
The messenger shrugged.
"Master Caelion wishes to know whether you seek knowledge..."
He looked toward the three brothers.
"...or merely power."
Then he left.
The brothers stared at one another.
Lirion slowly smiled.
"All right."
Sorion looked toward the sleeping Veil Gate.
"We'll find it."
The Memory Beneath the City
That night, Sorion returned to the plaza.
Veyrath had become quiet.
Market stalls were closed.
Families had returned home.
The Technomagister towers glowed softly against the night.
The Veil Gate stood silent.
Sorion approached it.
He placed his hand against the bronze surface.
Nothing happened.
Then his compass pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
The ground beneath his feet answered.
Not with movement.
With memory.
For an instant, Sorion saw something beneath the city.
A vast chamber.
Ancient machines.
A network of glowing roads.
And beneath them...
another Gate.
Buried.
Forgotten.
He pulled his hand away.
The vision disappeared.
Sorion stood alone beneath the moonlight.
He looked toward the city.
Veyrath was not merely a city with an inactive Veil Gate.
It was a city built upon something much older.
Something waiting beneath its foundations.
And somewhere high above...
Master Caelion stood at his window.
He had seen the pulse.
He had seen Sorion.
And for the first time in many years...
the old Technomagik Master looked genuinely concerned.
"He's not opening the Gate," Caelion whispered.
"He is remembering it."
End of Episode 62