

BOOK #3: GATHERING WINDS
An unrelenting snowstorm descends upon Zephyra, burying the village beneath towering drifts and trapping its people far longer than any storm in living memory. When the skies finally clear, the storm has become one of the most extraordinary events in the village's recorded history. As Zephyra begins to recover, Aeris feels the unmistakable pull of the Core through his Worldmark, drawing him toward Elysara and the Air Focus awaiting his arrival.
Certain he is ready for whatever lies ahead, Aeris departs with his dragon, Syndon, expecting the skies to carry them swiftly across Aeloria. But when she suffers a devastating wing injury, the journey changes in an instant. Grounded far from home, Aeris is forced to continue on foot, facing challenges no amount of training could have prepared him to overcome.
As the balance of Aeloria continues to unravel, Aeris discovers that true strength is not found in rising above others, but in learning to walk beside them. For restoring the Air Focus will demand far more than courage. It will require the humility to become the Guardian the world truly needs.
Aeris Valenor has spent his entire life believing he was destined for greatness. Descended from the bloodline of the Guardians of Air, he embraced his Worldmark as a symbol of the extraordinary future he believed awaited him. As the years passed without the Guardian's call, anticipation slowly gave way to impatience, yet his confidence never wavered.
He lives in Zephyra with his father, Alaric Valenor, whose unwavering pride in their family's legacy only reinforced Aeris' own. Together they operate Whisperwind Post, the village's courier service, carrying messages and parcels across the Windspire Peaks. His mother left Zephyra many years ago to begin a new life in the village of Caelwyn, leaving Aeris to be raised almost entirely under his father's influence. When he turned ten, Alaric entrusted him with a dragon's egg, and Aeris has devoted himself to raising Syndon ever since, forging an unbreakable bond through years of care, training, and countless hours soaring through the mountain skies.
Whenever his duties at Whisperwind Post were complete, Aeris sought out Keeper Oren Halden in the Hall of Currents. There he studied the Great Fracture, the history of the Air Focus, and the legacy carried through his father's bloodline, while sharpening his swordsmanship, aerial combat, and dragon maneuvers in Stormcourt. Every lesson and every achievement strengthened his belief that he was born to become the Guardian of Air.
Aeris begins his journey with confidence that borders on arrogance, convinced that talent, determination, and the power of flight are all he will ever need. Yet the road ahead refuses to bend to his expectations. Forced to rely on others and humbled by challenges he cannot overcome alone, he gradually discovers that true leadership is earned through trust, compassion, and sacrifice. By learning to stand beside others rather than above them, he becomes the Guardian of Air that Aeloria truly needs.


COMING SOON!









Willowspire Press is the independent publishing imprint of fantasy author K. A. Gritz.
Dedicated to immersive storytelling, richly imagined worlds, and unforgettable adventures, Willowspire Press publishes epic fantasy that celebrates courage, hope, and the enduring power of balance. Founded in 2026, Willowspire Press proudly publishes The Guardians of Aeloria series.