"The First Awakening" [Part 19] Leonida's Quest - An Infinity Kingdom Story

🔷 Introduction

Welcome to part 19 of Leonidas' quest. This is a special chapter that is working in harmony with my Wukong’s Quest. If you are following both stories, please read part 46 of Wukong’s Path after this story!

We will be following the story of how he became one of the most formidable leaders in history and all of the trials and challenges he faced in his lifetime to get to the pinnacle of life. It started when he was a young boy and had some incredible moments in his life, which led him to be the incredible leader he is today.

🔷 Summary of Part 18: “War Council Disappearance”

Tensions rise in the war room as Leonidas withholds a cryptic warning from the Oracle, causing a rift among the fire warriors. Unwilling to wait for consensus, Ninetails slips away alone before dawn, choosing decisive action over debate, trusting Leonidas to lead while she fights the coming darkness.

🔷 Part 19: “The First Awakening”

The frost on the mountain pass no longer holds. Where once snow blanketed the battlefield Ninetails had scorched, strange warmth pulsed beneath the earth. In the heart of the Foxfire Basin, a boy stood alone—young, troll-blooded, but no longer ordinary. The last ember of a broken fox charm glowed at his chest, syncing with his heartbeat. When he spoke, the clans listened. They called him Ash-Tongue, the Voice of the Flame. And when he whispered to the fire, it answered.

Far to the north, the magic spread like roots beneath stone, twisting the shape of the land. War reports reached Sparta: forests warped, creatures with twisted limbs watched from shadows, and soldiers dreamed in forgotten tongues. The weight of these tidings pressed down on Leonidas like a crown too heavy to bear. He stood at the northern watchtower, cloak tugged by the wind, staring toward the valley below where fire stirred in the snow.

Behind him, Wukong’s voice broke the silence. “You trusted her. That’s not a mistake. It’s a price.”

Leonidas said nothing, his thoughts heavy with the consequences of that trust.

In the war chamber, the fire warriors and Pale Scribes gathered once more. Leonidas’s jaw was tight; his hands were clasped behind his back, shoulders squared. “He’s just a boy,” Leonidas began. “But they’re calling him chosen.”

The lead Pale Scribe’s gaze was grave. “Not just chosen. A vessel for the Worldfire.”

“The Worldfire?” Leonidas echoed, the words bitter on his tongue.

“An ancient flame, older than kings or empires, stirred by the foxfire’s echo. It has found a voice through this boy.”

Leonidas turned slowly, eyes narrowing. “Why him?”

“Because he is empty enough to be filled and full enough to believe he can carry it,” the scribe answered.

That night, Leonidas walked alone along the citadel walls, the stars sharp and cold above the mountains. He remembered the Oracle’s words he’d kept silent: “When the fire you love is turned to mirror, you must decide if it still reflects you… or what comes after.” Was this child the reflection he feared—or the future he must face?

Below, Ash-Tongue stood at the basin’s center, fire now coursing beneath his skin in gold and violet veins. He spoke softly to the gathered elders. “They fear what they don’t understand. But fire remembers. And I remember him.”

Leonidas watched dawn break from his post, the horizon bleeding light. Wukong joined silently. “You sent her into the dark,” Leonidas said quietly, voice heavy. “And now I see what came out.”

Wukong asked, “You think the boy can be reasoned with?”

Leonidas hesitated, then shook his head slowly. “No. But he can be reached. And it must be me.”

He turned toward the war map, determination settling into every line of his posture. “I know what it means to carry power you didn’t ask for. I’ll go.”

📄 Recap Questions

What is the significance of Ash-Tongue becoming the “Voice of the Flame” in the foxfire basin?

Why does Leonidas believe he must personally reach Ash-Tongue rather than try to reason with him?

🔷 Conclusion

Leonidas faces the heavy burden of confronting a power awakened by his own choices—one that could reshape the fate of their world. As Ash-Tongue rises as a living conduit of the ancient Worldfire, the line between salvation and destruction grows ever thinner.

See you next week!

🔷 Hades, Press Officer.

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