With his rule now established, Maximilian sought to understand his new realm and its boundless magic. Maleficent, a master of the magic and the arcane, took it upon herself to train him.
Their lessons began with the fundamentals—simple yet profound. The first day, she guided him to raise water from a still lake without touching it, teaching him the delicate balance of will and flow.
The next, she had him command the leaves of the forest, making them dance and spiral through the air with but a thought, showing him the connection between magic and nature's rhythm.
Each day brought new challenges, and Maximilian absorbed them all. At first, his control was fragile—when he attempted to stir the wind, it came in unpredictable gusts, rattling the leaves instead of guiding them. When he called upon the rivers, they trembled but did not move. Maleficent watched with patience, offering only a raised brow when his frustration mounted.
"You command not with force, but with harmony," she instructed. "The elements do not obey—they listen. Learn their language."
With time and relentless practice, Maximilian's control grew steadier. A breeze would answer his call with a gentle caress, the waters of the lakes would ripple at the mere flick of his hand, and soon, entire trees would bend toward him as if recognizing their kin. He learned to move the winds, to shape the rivers, to hear the whispers of the trees as if they spoke directly to him.
In the evenings, their training turned to duels, bursts of energy colliding in the twilight, Maleficent pushing him to refine his power, to sharpen his control. What began as small flickers of energy in his palms soon became entire waves of force, reshaping the land beneath their feet. The training was merciless, but the results were undeniable.
At night, they sat by the glowing pools of the Moors, speaking of ancient magics, lost knowledge, and the deeper truths that bound all things together. It was in these quiet moments that Maximilian understood magic not just as a weapon, but as a force that wove the world itself together.
His abilities flourished under Maleficent's guidance, his control of Astral Sand evolving beyond what he had ever imagined. He could summon storms with a whisper, bend the trees to his will, and walk unseen between realms.
Maximilian was a natural. His abilities flourished under Maleficent's guidance, his control of Astral Sand evolving beyond what he had ever imagined. He learned to weave the wind, to command the rivers, to shape the earth. He could summon storms with a whisper, and bend the trees to his will.
Their power grew together, their magic entwining like roots beneath an ancient tree. And then, one evening, they decided to create something that had never been seen before.
A castle—not of stone and mortar, but of living nature itself.
Pooling their power, they called forth the forest, the rivers, and the very breath of the Moors. Vines twisted and coiled into towering spires, trees fused to form mighty walls, their bark engraved with ancient runes. Flowers bloomed from its balconies, their petals glowing softly in the moonlight. The roots of the castle pulsed with life, sinking deep into the earth, binding it forever to the Moors.
And then it moved.
Like a great beast, the castle shifted, its massive wooden legs stirring the ground as it took its first steps. It was alive—an extension of the Moors, a fortress of magic, a monument to the new age of their rule.
Maximilian gazed up at their creation, awe in his golden eyes. Maleficent stood beside him, a rare smile gracing her lips. Together, they had forged something unique.
The Moors had their king, their queen, and now—a home that would stand to deter all enemies may it be past or future enemies.
In the shadows deep within the former human kingdom a group of humans stood on an alter discussing their cynical plans