The Ashbringer walked through the empty town. By now, everyone who could evacuate had. The Ashbringer eventually made his way up to the castle. There were guards, but they were burnt in a single moment. Now, this was the hard part.
The Owl King, in all her insight, had known that The Ashbringer would come. He always did. So, now he had an impossible maze to get through.
The Owl King sat on her throne, watching. Each of her eyes was focused on a different place, staring into the unknown. An attendant ran up.
[What is it?] Her silky voice filled the attendant's mind.
"Umm. It's The Ashbringer."
[He is here.] It is not a question.
"Yes. He's at the start of the maze."
[Prepare the traps.]
"Yes, your majesty."
The attendant left. The Owl King flexed her claws and opened a small passage in her throne. It opened to a room, decorated with tapestries and paintings. One depicted a green rectangle floating in space. One had an image of a Wanderer raising their arms above a smaller figure. One was slightly burned, but still held a charred image of a library colored in gold. Small bits of amber clung to the edge. Another had a picture of a hero with a sword. He wore three eyes and two star-lined wings. The colors behind him showed a universe falling, black and gray and white and purple. In the center of the room, a pillar of amber stood, a simple stone was embedded inside. The Owl King rested a claw on the pillar. Energy flowed through her leg and into the stone. The amber lit up with images of kings and warriors and flowers and forests. One by one, The Owl King's eyes disappeared until only one dominated her forehead. It would be enough. The Owl King closed the passage, just in time. Bursting out of a wall, The Ashbringer jumped at her. She narrowly dodged.
They stared at each other.
[Finally.]
"We meet." In the space of a blink, The Owl King is bombarded with images of cities burning, charred bodies, and forgotten lands. The Owl King stumbles back. The Ashbringer took the opportunity and reached into The King's chest. As he grabbed The King's heart, he ignited his arm in snow-white flame. The Owl King screamed. The Ashringer tore his hand out, and in it sat a bloodied stone. The gold blood shimmered in the light. Pools of gold splattered against the tiles of the throne room. The Owl gasped and fell to the ground. The Ash King held the stone in his hand. "So this is it? A stone? A stone holds all the knowledge in realms?"
[Not all of it. Nothing holds all knowledge.]
"Oh, shut up with your parables." The Ashbringer King held up the stone to the light, the liquid gold slowly dripping down onto his arm. It evaporated instantly. "Y'know, it's a pretty bad idea to store all this knowledge in a stone. Especially one that..." The Ash King threw the stone down, and crushed it under his battle boot. "could break so easily." The Owl gasped a final time, and stilled. "Shame." The Ashbringer walked up to the throne and pushed it down the stairs. It cracked. He turned to the window behind the throne and looked over the city. The bay was choked with bodies, blood, and boats. The suburbs and garrisons were smoking. It was quiet. The Ashbringer rested a hand against the elaborate window and it shattered in unbearable heat. He jumped through it.
