Bond of the mind - part one - chapter 6

"You're finally here. You were smiling in your sleep, so I guess something nice happened today and it wasn't like usual," Senna's cheerful voice rang out as May woke up on the other side.

May had no idea she could smile while she was asleep, but it made sense. After all, her mind and body were connected in both worlds.

"You're right. It wasn't that bad, but I couldn't wait to get back anyway," May replied, smiling back at Senna. Then they both got dressed and headed out to the hall for breakfast with Spark. As they passed Tragir's room, they saw that the door was open and Tragir was snoring loudly. Tragir was snoring loudly inside. He's probably been in a pub for two days, they thought, exchanging glances. At least they closed the door carefully so that his loud snoring wouldn't disturb those who were still asleep or had just returned and wanted to rest. 

They continued on to the hall where they had breakfast. After eating, they paused for a moment in front of the task board and looked to see what new tasks had been added. There were still plenty of tasks, ranging from the easiest to the really difficult ones. Some led hunters to neighboring kingdoms. Guilds did not operate within a single country. If a task was very difficult and no one volunteered for it, information about the task was usually passed on to guilds in neighboring countries. Now, however, they weren't interested in taking on any tasks. After all, they had earned a lot as a group thanks to their last few tasks, so there was no reason to rush anywhere. Besides, they didn't feel like starting anything new. Today, they set off for the city again. May wanted to have her sword sharpened, and Senna needed to buy some arrows. 

You could find anything in Arnu. They even managed to find some elven arrows. They were rarely sold in human cities because people couldn't use them properly, but here they were able to find them. Early in the afternoon, they returned to the guild and had lunch together. Just as they were finishing, Tragir appeared in the hall. He headed straight for them and sat down at the table.

"My head is still buzzing," he remarked. They looked at him, but they weren't surprised at all.

"Drinking beer for two days straight isn't for everyone," Senna replied. 

"If only it were just the beer," said Tragir. Then he ordered something to eat. They waited for him to finish. Of course, he had beer to drink again.

"Do you need anything?" May asked. 

"I was thinking of seeing if they have any good hammers here. Mine is pretty worn out," Tragir suggested. 

"Let's go with you then. You don't have to go alone. You'll just end up in another tavern," Senna concluded the conversation, and then they all got up from the table and headed out.

They searched the shops of human armourers, but couldn't find anything similar to the hammer Tragir used. So they continued on to the city centre, where various merchants were still selling their wares. Coincidentally, there were also dwarf armourers and blacksmiths there today, trying to attract people's attention with the quality of their wares. And indeed, there were several people standing around, looking at their goods with interest.

"Look, Tragir, there are your relatives," Senna sneered.

"What can you expect from an elf. Not all dwarves come from the same hole. Those dwarves must be from the high mountains. They must be from another country," he replied to Senna's remark. "But even so, they might have something I like."

They came closer and looked at what the dwarves had to offer. They really did find something that Tragir liked. It wasn't the same hammer he used. It was a classic hammer on one side of the head. The other side ended in a spike. 

"What do you think of this, Tragir?" asked May.

"It's not bad at all. I can imagine it would be a lot of fun to hit someone with this," replied Tragir. They couldn't find anything better, so he decided to buy the weapon. In terms of size, the new hammer was the same dimensions as his previous weapon. 

They looked around for a while to see if any of the other merchants were selling anything else that might be useful, then returned to the guild. Everyone was feeling a little better today. They ordered dinner at the guild. After eating, they stayed at the table and discussed what to do next. 

Drums sounded from outside. It was a signal given by the guards when someone carrying the kingdom's standard approached the gate. All the hunters went outside the guild to see what was happening. 

Soon, a very tired royal messenger rode past them. It was rare for anyone under the protection of the kingdom to reach Arnu. It was even more unusual for messengers. The messenger headed straight for the gate that led to the city administrators. After presenting a document with the royal seal, the guards let him in.

"I wonder what happened..." said Senna. "He looked like he hadn't stopped for a break. It must be serious."

"If it's really serious, we'll find out soon enough," added one of the guild administrators who was standing nearby. Then she turned and went back inside. 

The other hunters also muttered something among themselves and then returned inside. The group joined them and sat down at their table again. Now there was tension in the hall, as if everyone sensed that this visit was not going to be just any ordinary one. 

Inside the guild, a heated debate ensued about what could have caused the messenger's arrival. The hunters began to argue among themselves. The guild administrators tried to calm them down and told them to wait until they received official news about what was happening. They didn't want to cause even more commotion than there already was. Soon, the city guard arrived at the entrance to the guild. Now everyone fell silent and sat down. 

"We ask everyone present to come to the town hall. A public statement regarding the situation will be made there shortly," said one of them, and then they all turned and left. 

In a moment, the hunters were pushing their way out of the guild and heading for the town hall. May and the others waited until the way was a little clearer, then they also left.

Three city administrators stood on the open rampart surrounding the headquarters, which was used for public speeches because it was easy to see and hear from there, together with the messenger. In addition to the ordinary people who had also come to listen, all the hunters in the city had now gathered below. There were at least a hundred hunters, and that was by no means all the people in the city. Tension and silence reigned. The administrators just stared down and said nothing. Then one of them stepped forward and took on the role of spokesman to read what was written in the king's letter.

"The royal city of Rhády is under siege by the forces of darkness on all sides. Due to their united strength, the city and its surroundings have been shrouded in darkness. We call on all hunters and others capable of fighting to fulfill their duty to the kingdom and come to our aid. The lives of the king and all the citizens of the city are in danger," concluded the city administrator. 

A commotion broke out among those present. Some shouted further questions about the situation. Others were overcome with fear and demanded answers on what to do. Now the messenger stepped forward, no longer looking as exhausted as when he arrived in the city.

"As soon as the guards spotted the armies led by heyens approaching the city, the king immediately sent messengers to all the cities. The city of Rhády now needs you. Without you, it will soon fall into the hands of the enemy. The messengers managed to leave before darkness spread around the city, obscuring even the sunlight. When we looked back on our horses, the city was no longer visible. Of course, the city has its own army and dragon knights who are directly subordinate to the king, but the enemy still outnumbers us twenty to one. I hereby ask you to heed the king's call and set out to defend the city," said the messenger, then stepped back. 

Then the second city administrator stepped forward and also spoke: "The city of Arn is an independent city located in the kingdom of Ronos. Of course, we cannot force any of you. The neutrality and democracy of our city have always guaranteed freedom of choice, and therefore the decision is up to each of you. Nevertheless, I ask that each of you think carefully before making your decision. If the royal city falls into enemy hands, it is very likely that it will not end there. The enemy will then want to subjugate the entire country."
As soon as the administrator finished his speech, he also stepped back. Then drums sounded, and the administrators left together with the messenger. 

The debates among the hunters continued, but after a while, they too began to disperse. Some of them seemed determined to leave as soon as possible, while others argued that it was certain death and that they would rather go to another kingdom than die for some king. 

May and the others returned to the guild and headed straight for their room. Tragir followed them in and closed the door behind them.

"What do you think? We can't just let innocent people die. I don't like the king and his minions, but the stewards were right. It won't end with the conquest of the royal city," May stated her opinion and waited for the others to respond.

"I'll go with you, of course, wherever you go. Even into the deepest darkness," Senna replied with confidence in her voice and smiled at May as usual. Tragir seemed to still be thinking about it. They waited patiently for him to speak. After all, they were a group. 

"We dwarves live long lives, almost like elves. Sooner or later, everyone has to kick the bucket. At least this way, it will have some meaning," he said finally. 

May and Senna nodded.

"We'll set off early in the morning, as soon as I get back," May concluded. Tragir turned and went to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow. Spark was already lying in her usual place. May and Senna also decided it would be best to go to bed. After all, it was already quite late.

"You shouldn't go back tomorrow," Senna said suddenly as they lay next to each other.

This took May by surprise. She thought that something like this might occur to Senna, but she never expected her to actually say it. Senna was everything to her, and now she didn't want her to come back. At first, she felt the urge to blurt out how she could even say that, but she stopped herself. She didn't want to rush into anything. She knew very well that Senna only had her best interests at heart and wanted to protect her from this. Even if it meant they would never see each other again.

"This world. You. That's all I have. The other world never meant that much to me. I would never forgive myself if I left you now and left you to your fate," May finally said, trying to smile. Then she hugged Sennu. 

"Please don't ever say that again. Never..." she whispered. "We're together and we'll be together until the end." Now they both had tears in their eyes. Senna could only manage a fleeting smile and a nod. But in her heart she was happy. She knew that with May by her side, she feared nothing and no one. Not even death. 

"I'll be here soon. Good night, Senna," May said goodbye for the night and then closed her eyes. 

She woke up again in her room. 

Spark, lying next to her, immediately sensed that something was bothering her. May couldn't stop thinking about what lay ahead. She cuddled Spark and then took her to her kennel. Today was another rainy day. May had so much on her mind that she didn't even notice her family this time. She just made herself a snack, got ready for school, and left. Today, it was obvious that she was distracted. Not that she usually paid attention in school, but this time it was much worse than usual. She waited impatiently for the last bell, but time dragged on unusually slowly. She just wanted to go to bed. But the clock wouldn't turn over. 

After school, she decided to visit her grandmother again. This time, however, she didn't talk to her about her problems. Instead, she asked her grandmother about her day and what she was thinking about.

Her grandmother was a little taken aback by her sudden interest, but as always, she answered happily while May ate lunch. Then, as always, May thanked her, said goodbye, and headed home. Fortunately, it had stopped raining during her visit to her grandmother's. Today, she was planning to go to her favorite place with Spark again. She threw her backpack down at home and ran straight to the kennel. She was lucky that no one noticed her this time, so she and Spark could leave right away. On the way up the hill, she thought about everything that awaited her. By the time they finally reached their destination, she had managed to clear her head of all those thoughts. She just stood there, gazing into the distance and stroking Spark, who was sitting contentedly beside her, looking in the same direction. It was getting dark and it was time to go home.

Soon they were home again. May put Spark away and then went to the kitchen to make dinner. Her mom was still washing dishes. 

"How was school today?" she asked. Usually, questions like that caught May off guard. Her parents rarely took a real interest in her life. But it was nearing the end of the school year, so it made sense. She had average grades in most subjects. She never studied hard enough to stand out, but she didn't slack off either. She always hovered around the middle of the pack. That way, she got by without studying too much. Plus, she had a good memory, so even though she often thought about other things, she usually remembered most of what was taught in class. When necessary, she always prepared for tests during breaks by quickly reading through what had been covered.

"Same as always. Lectures. Nothing worth mentioning," she replied.

"The end of the year is coming soon. I hope you're aware of that and won't start slacking off," her mother added. She didn't respond. There was no need to, because her mother's statements were more like declarations, so anything she added would only lead to an unnecessary prolongation of the conversation. May had understood this long ago. 

After dinner, she headed straight to the bathroom. The lights in her siblings' rooms were already off, so everyone was either asleep or getting ready for bed. She knew no one would come to see her tonight. 

She still had to get her things ready for the next school day. That is, if that day ever came, she thought and laughed to herself. When she was done, she locked her bedroom door and turned off the light. She hugged Spark one last time.

"We have difficult times ahead of us. See you soon," she whispered.

Then she lay down on her bed. All she could think about was getting to the other world as quickly as possible. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was immediately flooded with happiness that Senna was still beside her. All day long, she had been plagued by doubts that they might leave without her.

"Don't worry. I waited," said Senna, who was now smiling at her. "We have to leave as soon as possible. If we hurry, we can get to Lant by evening."

Lant was a city halfway between the royal city and the capital. It was a militaristic city that served primarily for training soldiers, and it was also the seat of the dragon knights.

The city itself was smaller than Arn, mainly because there were no civilians living inside.

Ordinary people had their homes near the city walls or in the nearest villages. Lant was built at the confluence of two rivers, which then continued north as one river. That is why there were also shipyards and ports used for shipping, and it was through this city that the only shipping route to the royal city of Rháda ran. At the same time, ships sailing north could reach the sea, from where they had access to other countries. For this reason, the city of Lant was an important transport hub from where all shipping and transport within the kingdom was controlled.

May and Senna began to prepare. Today, they took everything with them in case they did not return to Arnu. Senna also took Mirthana's staff, on which there was not a single flower left. She did not want to leave it here.

"It's good you remembered," said May with a smile. As soon as they were ready, they left the room with Spark. They stopped at Tragir's door. It was open, but no one was inside.

So they continued down to the hall. Only a few hunters who had decided to stay were left there. The dwarf was already sitting at the table eating breakfast. They sat down with him and ordered as well. Soon everyone had finished eating, and without further ado, they set off. 

They decided to go through the forest, which was now safe to pass through. If they had to take a detour through Osten, they would have lost a lot of time. 

There was a lot of wildlife and birds along the way. Life was really returning to the forest, May thought. It seemed like only yesterday that they had walked this way. It looked like life in the forest had returned to normal, and it was definitely a pleasant change from their previous experience. 

"I wonder if the royal city is still standing," Senna said suddenly.

"We can only hope," replied May.

"Do you think Osten was attacked by some kind of advance guard?" Senna wondered aloud.

"Are you suggesting that heyens are that stupid?" Tragir remarked ironically and laughed loudly. 

May also thought there was something strange about it, but she didn't say anything. Usually, the heyens could only move in the dark, when the sun was below the horizon. She had never noticed any greater coordination among them. But since the attack on Osten, everything had changed. Thinking about it now, it really did seem like a test attack. Of course, it had happened in the dark of night, which suggested that the heyens and the creatures they controlled were still limited by the arrival of a new day. But now the siege and battle for the capital had been going on for several days. She couldn't even imagine how much power they must have gathered to be able to shroud the entire area in darkness. She had no idea if they even had a chance of defending the city—assuming it was still in human hands. We'll find out everything when we get there, she thought.

Soon they approached the center of the forest. They were exactly where they had lost Mirthana. The way to the underground was still blocked. At least they were sure that no one had tried to get in or out. 

The group began to move forward.

"People are so oblivious," a voice behind them said. They all knew that voice well.

Little Yin was standing there. Her eyes were shining golden as usual. But something else caught their attention. Mirthana was standing next to her. Everyone froze. No one knew what to say at that moment. 

But May's body spoke for her. Tears began to stream down her face. Mirthana was alive and well. Although her skin was still damaged from the curse, she was already smiling at them. 

Mirthana ran towards the others. May, Sennu, and Spark were already running towards her. When they met, they all embraced each other.

Now they were all crying with happiness and joy, while Tragir stood in his place with a big smile, running his hand over his beard. 

"Finally, you're back with us," said Tragir when Mirthana came to greet him. 

She just nodded with a smile. 

"You'll have to tell us everything," Senna blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity.

Meanwhile, May walked over to little Yin, who had been standing there watching them the whole time.

She stopped in front of her and looked at her for a moment.

"W-What are you looking at?" Yin asked, averting her gaze. May laughed. Even after so many centuries, she was still like a little girl. 

"Thank you for taking care of her. I will be forever grateful," May said, bowing to her.

When she lifted her head, she smiled at Yin and stroked her hair. Yin immediately stepped back. She didn't know how to react to this. Then she turned her back to her.

"I assume you have other plans than helping people defend their town," she managed to ask. Yin stood there without saying anything. May waited patiently.

"This is your fight. I have to go now," Yin finally replied and was gone. After that, May returned to the others. Meanwhile, Senna returned Mirthana's staff to her, and flowers began to grow and bloom on it again. It was a beautiful sight.

"So tell us everything," Senna urged Mirthana.

"There's not much to tell," Mirthana replied. "I don't remember where Yin took me or what happened to me. I just remember that when I finally woke up, I was lying naked on a really cold stone. But I didn't have enough strength to get up or speak. My eyes were covered the whole time, so I don't even know if I was still in this kingdom. The most unpleasant thing was actually that I felt a lot of hands touching me all over my body. I could tell they were undoubtedly female hands, but it was still very unpleasant. I could tell because their touch was very gentle. I could feel the warmth from their palms warming me, while the stone beneath me was cold. Thanks to that, I wasn't cold. With circular movements, as if they were rubbing some kind of ointment, they sent warmth through my skin, which then flowed throughout my body. I was still too weak to do anything, so I just tried to calm my mind as much as possible. I heard some mumbling the whole time, but I didn't understand what they were saying. Then I fell asleep again. When I woke up again, I was lying in bed. I gathered all the strength I could and tried to uncover my eyes. But then the little girl stopped me. I couldn't see her, but she told me clearly that I had to keep my eyes covered. I had no choice but to obey. I fell asleep again. Then I finally had enough strength to function normally. The little girl then carried me to Osten, where she finally allowed me to uncover my eyes. There we saw all the hunters heading southwest. She explained to me what was happening and where they were going. And then she brought me here to you."

Mirthana finally breathed a sigh of relief after her long monologue. She wasn't used to talking for so long, but she wanted to tell them everything she had experienced.

May and Senna shuddered at the thought of so many strangers touching them while they were unable to move. It was a truly terrifying thought. Tragir, of course, had completely different ideas than the two girls, but he didn't say anything. 

"So now we can finally relax and continue on our way," May concluded, and she and Senna smiled. Mirthana nodded, and the whole group set off again, continuing through the forest. 

The change in mood was now noticeable at first glance. Everyone was glad to be together again. They shared with Mirthana what they had been doing in the meantime and explained to her the situation the kingdom was currently in and why they were heading there now. In a moment, the last trees appeared in front of them. They arrived at a meadow behind the forest. In the distance, they could already see the city of Lant. The sun was just setting behind the horizon. 

"If we hurry, we'll be there by evening," said Senna.

However, none of them had any idea that getting to Lant would not be so easy after all. 

Suddenly, a familiar dark gate opened in front of them. They knew exactly what awaited them. 

The two witches emerged from the gate again. This time, however, they were not alone. Four heyens followed behind them. 

"The time has come to settle the score," said the two witches in unison. The group was ready. They knew they would return one day. After all, they had threatened them before. 

Mirthana stepped forward. This time, however, she was not going to let the past repeat itself.

As soon as the witches cast their spell, she was ready. She already had her staff planted in the ground. Almost immediately, leaves swirled around the entire group. This prevented the spell from passing through. The leaves immediately turned black and disintegrated. However, there were so many leaves that no matter how many spells they cast, nothing could pass through. The witches hissed in anger. The Heyen now ran towards them. Senna didn't wait for anything, and her arrow took care of one of them. The body collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, the shorter Heyen didn't have the same regenerative abilities as the taller ones. May, Spark, and Tragir moved toward Mirthana. They were ready to fight off the Heyen.

"I'll try to stir up the leaves as much as possible, but remember, you must not step outside under any circumstances. Otherwise, they could hit you," said Mirthana, and the others nodded. They knew what would happen if the witches' curse touched them. Senna tried to shoot at the witches, but it was futile. The arrow stopped a few meters in front of them and then fell to the ground. 

The heyens were already upon them. May blocked the first one's attack. Tragir managed to knock the weapon out of the heyen's hands with a powerful blow. The third heyen fell to the ground when something grabbed its legs. It was Spark, of course, who was now holding it in her teeth. The dwarf swung his weapon at the defenseless heyen.

"Finally, I get to try it," he said and laughed at the top of his lungs. The sharp edge of the hammer then pierced the heyen's head with such force that he collapsed to the ground. Tragir looked extremely satisfied. 

May cut off the head of the heyen in front of her with another blow. Then she and Tragir threw themselves at the last heyen, which Spark was still dragging by its legs. The heyens were quickly dealt with. Only the witches remained.

"Fools! Do you think it will be that easy?!" the witches screamed. The gate behind them grew even larger. Now it was the size of a city gate. A thunderous, gruff voice came from inside.

The first thing they saw were huge hands grabbing the doorframe from the outside and pulling the rest of the body out. They could hear the witches laughing loudly.

"We have to do something about them. They'll keep sending more and more monsters at us," said Senna, her voice urgent. Everyone knew she was right. The witches clearly had more tricks up their sleeves. It was clear to them that the longer this went on, the more likely they were to run out of strength and eventually succumb. Mirthana was also beginning to look weak.

"Can you hold on?" May asked, looking at her with concern.

Mirthana smiled. "I'll try to hold on as long as I can. Just do your best to get this over with quickly."

Now the monster was completely out of the portal. It was a giant. May estimated that it was about eight meters tall. Its wrists were encircled by huge shackles. It had no weapons, and indeed, it had no need for them. Its palms were so large that it could easily crush a human being. 

At first, the giant kept his head bowed. It was as if he was breathing deeply. Trolls began to emerge from behind him and headed toward the group. 

Then the giant finally looked at the group in front of him and let out a tremendous roar that froze the blood in the veins of every living creature. Even the sounds of the forest fell silent. 

At that moment, fear was visible in everyone's eyes. Giants were generally capable of instilling terror simply by their appearance. Their size contributed greatly to this. The giant began to approach them with slow steps. The impact of his feet caused strong tremors. The witches now stared in their direction with smirks on their faces. 

"Let's see how you deal with this!" the witches said.

"This is a bit too much even for me," said Tragir, slowly backing away. 

But Mirthana remained standing there, keeping everyone safe. The giant slowly but surely approached them. He was almost upon them. May jumped forward. She got a few meters away from Mirthana, but she knew that the witch couldn't hit her through the giant's body. She tried to strike the giant's legs, but even her sword couldn't penetrate his skin and cause any injury. 

"May, watch out!" Senna shouted, who had been concentrating on the trolls. Thanks to her, the trolls had not been able to get close to them and were falling to the ground one by one.

May understood why she was warning her, but she couldn't back down. She knew Mirthana was standing behind her. The giant swung and then struck May with his fist. Although she tried to block the blow, it was so powerful that she was sent flying towards the forest and crashed into the first tree. No one else had time to intervene. She felt tremendous pain throughout her body. She tried to stand up, but her whole body was shaking. She could feel blood running down her forehead again. She was lucky to have hit a spot on the trunk where there were no branches. 

Meanwhile, Tragir jumped in front of the giant. He knew that now that May was gone, he had to defend Mirthana. He took a deep swing and swung his hammer. It landed right on the giant's chest near his feet. The giant knelt on one knee, and that was Sennu's chance. She quickly fired two arrows. The first arrow hit him in the eye, but the second missed its target because the giant jerked away in response to the pain. A tremendous roar escaped him. It was more like a powerful shock wave. It knocked Tragira to the ground and blew Mirthana several meters backward.

May knew she had to help them. But she couldn't move. She was in so much pain that even keeping her eyes open seemed like a superhuman feat. The half-blind giant began waving his arms in front of him. He managed to grab Tragir. He clutched him in his hands and lifted him up to his face. The dwarf just smiled and spat in the giant's face. The giant squeezed him harder. The dwarf spat blood. He seemed to be doing everything he could to resist. Suddenly, the giant fell to his other knee and dropped Tragir to the ground. May now stood in front of the giant. Her bright white hair fluttered in the wind. 

Dark flames burned around her again. Everyone was frozen in place, staring at her. They had no idea what was happening. For the first time, the giant showed signs of fear. May opened her eyes, which were now black. And just like before, black tears began to flow from them. Now she was looking the giant in the face. 

Suddenly, the giant's head began to fall to the ground, while his body did not move. May also remained standing in the same place. It was a terrifying sight. The witches began to shout hateful insults. The rest of the giant's body suddenly split in two, and May stepped out between them toward the witches. They began to cast spells at her, but none of them could pass through the dark flames. They soon realized that their spells had no effect on her. 

May was suddenly standing behind them. However, one of the witches quickly turned around. Her reaction surprised everyone. She grabbed May by the hand and pulled her into the gate. Then the other one jumped in after her, and the gate began to close. Senna and Spark immediately started running to get through the gate before it closed, but a horde of trolls stood in front of them, blocking their way. They tried desperately to break through, but after a while, the trolls surrounded Senna and started pulling her by her legs. She fought back and tried to run, but she couldn't. Spark turned around and tore apart the trolls holding Senna. 

"Please, May! Come back!" Senna shouted as loud as she could. Then the gate closed.

Senna, Spark, and Mirthana then joined forces to deal with the rest of the trolls. Once it was over, Mirthana sat down next to Tragir. Fortunately, he was still conscious and seemed to be okay. She immediately began to heal him. Soon he was feeling better and was able to sit up. 

"We should set up camp for the night," said Mirthana. It was clear to everyone that they would not reach Lantu today. Senna continued to stare in the direction of the gate. She began to blame herself terribly and burst into tears. Mirthana tried to calm her down, but she knew it probably wouldn't help. 

Meanwhile, she and Tragir found a suitable place to spend the night. Senna sat on the ground with her head bowed, Spark beside her. There was nothing left for her to do...

May's fight was far from over. The witches now stood together against her. The ground beneath her was littered with the skeletons of all kinds of creatures. It looked like she was on a completely different planet. Far and wide, there were only rocks and sand dunes. Two suns shone brightly in the sky, not far from each other. One was red and the other blue. Together, they cast a purple light onto the surface. However, she wasn't focusing on that at all. Her mind only saw the two witches in front of her. They were about to cast a spell on her. She was faster. She was already standing behind one of them and cut her in half at the waist. Then she quickly stepped away from them.

"This won't work on us, little girl!" they shouted in unison, and the halved witch was whole again. The battle continued in this vein for a while. No matter what limb or head she cut off, the wounded witch was back together in a moment, as if she hadn't been hurt at all. Even when she cut her into pieces, she was back in an instant, just as she had been before.

The flames around her began to slowly fade. The witches showered her with jeers and insults.

"What's the matter, little girl? Are you running out of strength?!" they shouted.

At this stage, May was still in a trance. She wasn't quite herself. However, her consciousness was slowly returning. She could now see what was happening and how she was moving. There was no end to it. She had to come up with a plan. The witches didn't seem very strong on their own. Moreover, thanks to the dark flames surrounding May's body, their spells couldn't even hurt her. But time was running out. She had to quickly come up with a plan to deal with them. Otherwise, she would soon have no protection and the witches would win. 

Meanwhile, dawn was breaking. Senna hadn't slept a wink all night, waiting for May to appear. Spark lay beside her. Fortunately, elves were able to rest and regenerate without needing sleep. Tragir and Mirthana had already woken up and joined them. 

"I know you want her to come back, but we have a goal. May would definitely want us to try to help those innocent people," Mirthana said soothingly and knelt down beside her. 

"Just a little longer..." whispered Senna.

"May has been gone all night. We have to trust her. The Heyens won't wait for us..." Mirthana continued. Senna knew she was right. But did she really care so much about this world when May wasn't here? Suddenly, everything seemed meaningless. Mirthana and Tragir didn't really want to leave either. They would have preferred to wait for May. However, none of them knew how these " " gates worked—whether they would ever open again in this place or somewhere else.

They didn't know the answer. They didn't want to leave May behind; after all, they had been through so much together, but they had no choice but to continue. They hoped that May had already passed through the gate somewhere else and was perhaps even helping to defend the city. Anything was possible.

"Okay..." Senna said finally and got up. Spark was already on her feet. So they set off towards Lantu. They didn't encounter anyone else on the way. It was daytime and the armies of heyens that had surrounded the royal city were still far away. If they hurried, they could get there by evening. Senna was silent the whole way. She felt as if she had blocked out all sound and couldn't hear anything. She just walked toward the city with her head down. Mirthana didn't say anything. Even Tragir didn't think he could improve her mood. Soon they reached the gates of Lantu. Given the current situation in the kingdom, the guards let them in without hesitation. After all, this was a militaristic city, where either soldiers and new recruits or hunters, who also had a guild here, were headed.

The city was surrounded by high walls. It also had many towers. It looked more like a fortress than a city. Instead of the usual town houses, there were only barracks, warehouses, and other buildings necessary for the functioning of the royal army. People who had managed to escape the siege of the heyens were entering through the eastern gate. Mostly women and children. The men had to stay and loyally defend their city and their king.
The group made their way to the guild building. There they booked rooms and then sat down at a table. They ordered food, except for Senna, who did not eat. She went straight to her room. It seemed to her that the two were not too bothered by this. It was probably because as soon as they saw May in such a powerful state, their confidence in her strength grew. Senna had never seen May like this before. Yet that was precisely why she was even more worried about her. This was not something to be trifled with. At the same time, she knew it was right to continue on their journey. It was important to help these people, but did it really make sense without May? These questions swirled around in her head and she couldn't shake them off. 

The guild administrators announced to all the new hunters that they would set out together in the morning, including the remaining dragon knights who were still in the city. This was so that they would be at least partially organized. After all, these were not ordinary tasks. 

At the same time, the administrators allowed all hunters to take whatever they needed for battle from the city. This time, they didn't have to pay for it. That was what the kingdom's warehouses were for, where everything served for defense. 

May now went on the defensive. She decided to conserve her strength, because who knew when this would end. The witches were constantly shouting at her, trying to provoke her into attacking them. But she knew that this would lead nowhere. Moreover, she was certain that as long as the flames surrounded her, the witches' dark spells could not harm her. Nevertheless, she preferred to avoid the spells the witches cast at her. Meanwhile, she tried desperately to think of a way to defeat the witches. She constantly watched them, looking for any weakness. But she couldn't find anything. It was as if they had no weaknesses. 

"Stop running and fight us!" they shouted in unison again. At that moment, May thought of the only potential solution worth trying. She looked at them once more. It had to be it. She saw no other option. May prepared to attack, and the witches laughed again. She moved really fast. She lunged at them from the right, and even at that speed, they couldn't follow her. She knocked both witches off their feet at once. 

Now their laughter turned into angry shouts, insults, and curses. Their legless bodies fell to the ground. Bull's-eye! May realized that this was why they always spoke in unison and each of them had only one eye, which the other lacked. They were connected to each other the whole time. Injuring just one of them had basically no effect, but causing them both injury was enough to prevent them from regenerating. May quickly turned and charged at them again. 

She swiftly chopped off both heads from their lying torsos. 

"Don't think this is over!" were the last words they managed to say before May finished them off. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her dark form was slowly fading, but the flames around her were still burning.

From where the witches lay, she heard crunching sounds. Now their bodies merged into one and blood flowed out of it. Suddenly, something began to emerge from the merged bodies. It reminded May of some kind of reptile. She realized what was happening. This was no ordinary reptile. It was a monster that was told about in children's fairy tales in this world. 

A dracon. A dark dragon with no wings and no fire breath. Its entire body was black and covered with spikes. It was a creature created by darkness itself and nothing else. It hid nothing pure within itself. Unlike the heyens, who had at least once been humans or other beings, the dracon was pure evil, created from the darkest darkness. 

He was immeasurably large, titanic even. Not even the giant they had fought before could compare to him.

He had a huge mouth full of teeth that looked like swords. They were set so close together that there must have been five hundred of them in his mouth. The dracon now let out a deafening roar. It was so loud that May felt her eardrums burst. Then he ate what was left of the two witches. May prepared to attack and charged at the drakon.

Mirthana, Tragir, and Spark were already having dinner. They had tried to find Senna, but she wasn't in her room. They just hoped she hadn't decided to do something stupid. Soon Senna appeared in the guild hall and headed for their table. She sat down and ordered something for dinner as well. After a long day, she was starving. Fortunately, she looked a little better now.

"Are you feeling better?" Mirthana asked her with concern. Senna just nodded silently.

"We're worried about her too, but we know what needs to be done now," added Tragir. "That girl will definitely come back. She's never seen anyone as strong as that before."

Senna just nodded again. They decided not to press her any further. They just shared with her when they were leaving and that some dragon knights would be going with them so they could be better organized as a group. Tragir finished eating and was the first to leave for his room. Mirthana shared a room with Senna and Spark, so she waited for Senna to finish eating before they went to their room together. They didn't talk about anything there. In fact, they went to bed earlier than usual that night.

"The sun will rise again in the morning. Don't worry," Mirthana said encouragingly before falling asleep. 

Spark lay in her usual place on the side of the bed where May normally lay. This time, however, there was an empty space, so Senna lay down there so that at least Spark would be next to her. She had trouble falling asleep for a long time. She kept thinking about May. Eventually, however, she too fell asleep.

May was gasping for breath. She was really exhausted now. No matter how many blows she landed on the dragon, she couldn't even scratch it. Her sword always bounced off its hard skin. 

She heard a voice speaking in her head.

"You are strong. It would be a shame for you to die here," said the unknown voice. "I will make you an offer. Join me and lead my armies of darkness." 

"Who are you?!" May asked, confused.

"I am the one who created the beginning and will create the end. The first and only darkness that exists. People call me the Demon King. But I am much more than that. I do not have a weak physical body like you do," replied the voice. At that moment, May realized why she could hear the voice so clearly in her head. The use of dark powers could not have gone unnoticed by the Lord of Darkness, who was now speaking to her. 

"I'd rather die than become the minion of the greatest murderer!" May replied.

The voice fell silent. For a moment, she didn't know if it would speak again or if it was gone. Suddenly, the voice spoke one last time.

"So be it." With these last words, the voice was gone.

May lunged at the dragon again. This time, however, the dragon reacted faster. At least that's how May perceived it, but at the same time, it was true that she was already at the end of her strength. The dragon bit her on the right side, even through the dark flames. Then it jerked her and threw her away. She rolled across the sand and came to a stop against the nearest rock. It began to approach her slowly. May felt the sand beneath her shake and the ground rumble. But she no longer had the strength to move. She felt a hole in her right side. Is this the end for me? she asked herself in her head. Blood continued to flow from the wound. She began to feel cold. The dark flames around her had died down. Even her eyes and hair returned to normal. 

She felt like she was running out of breath and couldn't breathe. As the dragon approached, May's eyelids drooped and she could no longer keep her eyes open. She spat out blood. It was now flowing directly from her mouth. Her vision became increasingly blurred. She noticed a figure appearing in front of her. She had the impression that she had met him before. 

"You fought bravely," said the unknown man. It was him. The one she had met twice before, but knew nothing about. She felt that she didn't have much time left.

"Who... are you...?" was her last question. She didn't hear the answer. She took her last breath.

Senna suddenly felt a pain in her chest. She knew something bad had happened. She looked at Spark, who was now lying limply on the ground, bleeding. 

"Mirthana, hurry!" Senna shouted. Mirthana came running and was horrified by what she saw.

She immediately began to treat her, but it seemed that the bleeding had only slowed down. 

Seeing this, Senna lost hope. It couldn't mean anything good. She burst into tears. 

This time, May didn't wake up in her room. When it was time to go to school, her siblings tried to wake her up, then her parents. But no one answered. All they could hear was Spark howling inside the room. They knew it wasn't good, so they broke down the door. May was lying on the bed, not moving. When her mother lifted the blanket, she noticed blood on her right side, but couldn't see any wounds. There was a mark on her skin that looked like teeth marks, but the wound wasn't open. Nevertheless, the blood continued to flow mysteriously through the undamaged skin. Her mother tried to stop it while her father called an ambulance. They arrived very quickly. May ended up in the hospital on life support and IVs. The bleeding stopped, but she still didn't wake up. According to the doctors, she was in a deep coma, but they couldn't determine the cause. May's heart rate had been critical since she arrived at the hospital, and it seemed as if her heart would stop beating at any moment. For this reason, at the request of her parents, the hospital made an exception, also considering that May was in a closed room under constant supervision. They allowed Spark to be there with her. Mysteriously, Spark's presence stabilized her. However, May still did not wake up...

The last thought that crossed May's mind before she died was a farewell:

"Goodbye, Senna. Goodbye, Spark. I will miss you all."