Velez-Valar

The eco-quartzites flickered, accompanying the gentle voice announcing the platform arrivals. The usual magical carriages scurried here and there, carrying their varied cargo in and out of the Multicontinental; night still reigned in the sky, and the six guys were starting their journey once again, headed for Rondalla.
—So, let me see again, Jacob… our Jacob is allergic to magic? —Inola asked while pushing the magic carriage next to him.
—Yes, that’s right. Don't let the carriages touch him. —PSSSSt. A thunderbolt lit up the platform.
—What the hell, Inola! —Mina and Ithil could barely contain themselves, while Jacob, toasted next to Inola, was being helped by Lizva.
—I’m sorry, the situation felt so unreal that I didn’t think anything would happen to you… hihihihih —Inola covered his face with his hand, containing his laughter.
—Leo, help Jacob, will you? —Mina gave the huge guy a pat on the back.
—Sure, sister Mina. Up you go, brother Jacob, hehe. We’ll have to be careful with that from now on, don't you think, Inola? —Leo turned to look at Inola, who, along with Mina and Ithil, was barely containing his laughter.
—Magaska, come back! I’ve already registered the bags; we must go up through platform four… Jacob? Oh, you must have touched another one of those carriages. —Magaska gave a soft giggle. Lizva, for her part, materialized next to the guys.
—Young Master Inola! That was rude! —with a pout on her face, Lizva and the others boarded the Multicontinental.
—Over here! —Magaska ran through the halls of the reception carriage; the cheerful image of Varneth was reflected wherever Magaska passed.
—It doesn't bother me, but it's still curious, don't you think, Jacob? —Inola noticed Varneth's reflection.
—Yes, spirits are actually very fickle; they rarely behave as the laws of Massacrax say. —Jacob looked at Lizva, who was floating next to Magaska, appearing as though the three of them were getting along well.
—Ha, at this point we aren't six, we’re nine —Mina counted with her fingers while they headed to the carriage where they would spend the trip.
—Nine? Mina, me, the three dwarfs, Leo, Varneth, Lizva, and… oh, right, Quellis. One moment, we don’t have to pay for spirit tickets, do we?! —Ithil paused for a moment to look at a small notebook in her bag and verify the rules.
—Calm down, guys, we’re almost at the cabin; you can make all the noise you want there! —Mina said to them in a loud voice as the three young women ran through the carriage; these were large, with a garden in the middle that almost always had a fountain or a statue with flower beds.
—Hehe, traveling with luxuries isn't so bad, right, big guy? —Inola addressed Leonidas, who was walking behind them.
—Yes, brother Inola, it’s a pleasant change. —Leo and Inola laughed together for a bit. Ithil turned to look at him and remembered something.
—Ah, by the way, Inola and Leo, Samael sent a letter through Jacob’s nanny; he sent more details about the mission and, to your very great luck, you have good news. —Ithil showed them a letter sealed with green wax and gold reliefs; a raven feather stuck out from the letter.
—Eeh? Are we going to read it in the cabin? —Mina asked, intrigued; the beautiful seal bore the insignia of a ram’s profile.
—Oooh, Nana’s personal seal? Samael and she have become very good friends! She almost never uses it with anyone; I know that only she, I, and my father can use her seal. —Jacob looked at the letter; they had almost reached the carriage.
—You there, stop! —a man in a military uniform approached them with a weapon in hand. The adventurers immediately went on alert.
—What’s wrong? We are adventurers from Thar-Abbys —Ithil addressed the soldier in a firm tone; her uniform showed that she was part of the Multicontinental security.
—And that is exactly what we will verify; please present your medals and registration. —The soldier extended his hand in front of the guys, in a situation they had never encountered.
—What? You must be joking. —Mina took a step forward to keep going, but Ithil stopped her.
—Wait, Mina, we must respect their rules; remember that the Multicontinental is a nation in itself. —Ithil took his medal; without unhooking it from his uniform, he showed it to the guard.
—Thank you for understanding… Excuse me if I sound rude, but lately there have been people traveling with fake medals. —The uniformed man took a device that bore the shield and lens emblem.
—Thar-Abbys provided us with these devices to be able to check the medals. —The medal registered correctly on the device, identifying Ithil by photo and name on the screen.
—Very well, Mr. Ithil, thank you for your cooperation; please, everyone else present your medal in the same way. —The guard proceeded with Magaska, Jacob, and Mina, finally ending with Leonidas; everyone appeared correctly on the device; only Inola was missing.
—You’re the only one left, young lady —the guard addressed Inola.
—Oh, no! —exclaimed Leonidas; the whole group noticed the anger in Inola.
—I won’t do it! —Inola crossed his arms in front of the uniformed man, visibly angry.
—Come on, Inola, it’ll be quick, just put the medal in the device —Jacob said to him, giving a smile and patting his shoulders.
—Magaska did it, you can too, Inola. —Magaska, with a playful tone, tried to soften Inola’s anger.
—Their horrible equipment bears the insignia of the Zelatores; I don’t know what they’re plotting. —Inola turned and gave his medal to Ithil.
—You do it, I won’t. —Inola, angry, sat on a stone bench.
—Well, do you mind if I do it for my friend? —Ithil, with an awkward smile, turned to look at the guard.
—Well, it’s irregular, but very well, I just want to finish this and move on. —With a buzz, Inola’s medal certified his identity.
—Very well, everything matches; I apologize for the trouble; the situation has become difficult lately; we have had several altercations with people impersonating adventurers. —The guard gave a firm salute to Ithil and withdrew.
—Inola, let’s go! Ithil fixed everything. —Magaska jumped in front of Inola.
—Mmm, all right, let’s go, I’m just angry that those types are everywhere. —Inola kicked a ball of paper on the floor; it fell into a nearby trash can.
—Very well, I understand, I understand, let’s go. —Ithil extended his hand to Inola.
—Let’s go! —Inola took Ithil’s hand and pushed himself off to start running to the cabin.
—Haaa, Magaska wanted to get there first! —Magaska ran after him; Varneth’s reflection in the fountain followed closely, and Lizva was right behind.
—Very well, guys, the Multicontinental will only take us as far as Rondalla; there we will take a carriage to Evookia, and from there we must take another one to the border town of Palasquia; once there, it will be the road on foot or horseback, depending on if we can find something in Palasquia.
—Then… on foot? —Jacob said to Ithil on the outskirts of Palasquia. The horses and mounts were exhausted, with no vehicles available. Ithil sighed and feared a long, tiring journey.
—Haaa, yes, on foot; up you go, guys. —Ithil adjusted his clothes and put on a fur hat to protect himself from the sun.
The young adventurers set off; luckily for them, after a few hours of travel, a wagon passed by them and agreed to take them for a while.
—So, Jacob, what do you know about Velez-Valar? —Ithil asked while the Geotechnia wagon slid smoothly along the cobblestone path; crickets and insects sang, paced by the air and occasional gusts of wind; a green mass of trees and ominous greenery could be seen in the distance.
—Well, just as Mina told us last time, it was built before the Era of the Dawning, and the statues on the path seem to go in a constant mathematical structure; it’s not even, but it seems to be multiples of three —Jacob answered Ithil. Suddenly, Inola leaned out from the front of the vehicle.
—I heard they’re a limit! —Inola said, proud to provide extra information.
—Really? Woaa, is that the thing Master Shalona did with you? —Ithil remembered Shalona’s exploits in Nivoria.
—Eee, well, that’s an interesting theory, but… —Jacob, skeptical, crossed his arms.
—What do you mean theory, dwarf! They are in classic disposition according to the Evoker’s contract mantra: “I within myself, twelve seats, four jurors, one desire, three words, six wishes, nine yearnings, eighteen compassions, thirty-six eternals.” They respond to Elliot Serigard’s books in their chapters on spiritual mathematics —Inola snorted, throwing a balled-up rag at Jacob’s head.
—Ah, yes, but we could very well see them over Anuelle Lucine’s theories on ethereal fractals and see that they are just a localization of random elements! —Jacob replied, snorting twice through his nose.
—Magaska doesn't understand, neither does Varneth —Magaska said to Mina, looking at her with large, sleepy eyes.
—Don’t worry, Magaska, sleep, they’ll calm down soon. —Mina turned to the other side; Leonidas looked at her, confused.
—Sister Mina, I don’t understand either —Leo played with his fingers.
—Well, don’t worry, Leo, those are evoker things.
—Well, I understood a little, but I’m already lost —Ithil left Jacob and Inola to argue heatedly about the theories of the place while the old wagoner, who was carrying straw, just laughed.
—Ho, ho, ho, ho… these guys are so energetic. —The stars and crickets accompanied them for the rest of the night.
—Well, guys, I’ll leave you here; I have to leave the straw here to feed the wild horses and Droballos; you must continue ahead. Once you reach Velez-Valar, stay on the path or on the left side; never go to the right side, there is Al-darius grass everywhere; that stuff cuts like a razor and its sap is acidic, so be careful —the man lowered the straw from his wagon with a pitchfork.
—Well, we get off here; still a long way, right? —Jacob looked at the map, verifying their location.
—It seems we are still very far; we will have to walk at least eight more hours. —Mina saw the map that Jacob spread on the floor; helped by his compass, they were able to verify the distance traveled.
—Very well, it seems there are some rock formations ahead; how far do you think they are, Magaska? —Ithil asked. Magaska was already on top of a stone idol that was in the area, looking into the distance.
—Humm, they seem to be at least an hour from here, Ithil; the distance is approximate, it could be an hour and a half. —Magaska answered, sure of herself.
—Very well, everyone is rested and ready, right? —Ithil turned and looked at the group.
—I’m in perfect shape, brother Ithil —Leonidas, smiling, posed with his usual smile.
—All good for me —Mina gave a thumbs up, taking her backpack.
—Magaska and Varneth, at your command! —the little white speck jumped with excitement; the immortal forest was near them, the smell of damp earth and life could be felt in the air.
—Remember, guys, no matter what happens, don’t go into the forest —Jacob reminded them again, just in case.
—I understand, brother Jacob, I will do my best to avoid it. —Leonidas carried a huge backpack that held a large part of the mission’s items; many of these were disposable or consumable.
—…Let’s hope we don’t have to set foot in there; few adventurers dare to enter… even in Rondalla the masters told us: “never enter without special permission.” —Mina walked alongside the guys; her hair, tied back in a braid, was inside a cloth cap, while her head had a straw hat.
—Everyone, LOOK! —Magaska climbed the last dune of the cobblestone path, just before reaching the rock formation.

—Oh, what do you think? —Mina looked at the landscape that unfolded before them.
—Yes, we made it! —Jacob made one last effort to climb the hill.
—Woaaa, the place is spectacular —Inola let himself be carried away by the greatness of the immortal forest.
Immense trees blurred like columns of smoke in the air; the sky to which these trees belonged could not be seen from outside the forest. The vines and foliage bled from between the reality of Khuarhya and the ethereal greenery of the forest, almost as if it were a wound. Animals ran like wandering ghosts among the trees and plants; the forest itself hid them. Each shadow moved with unnatural agility; small humanoid figures peered out and laughed from the alien and comforting light that deceptively called them to enter. Inola and Jacob, with their evoker eyes, could see the spirits and energies of countless animals and fantastic beings.
—Wow, it is certainly impressive; the forest seems almost like a mirage, and those colors on the edge of everything, it’s as if they were a watercolor painting —Leonidas looked at the forest as impressed as the others.
—It certainly doesn't seem like we have permission or the right to enter there —Ithil, with his hand on his knee and bent over, caught his breath from the path they just traversed.
—Eh? Guys, did you see? —Inola pointed with his hand to a pile of burnt iron; tires and armor plates corroded by the weather revealed the silhouette of a burnt vehicle in the sands, not far from where they were.
—Mmmmh, and there is something that seemed to be a tower or a small fort —Leonidas looked at the circular burnt silhouette.
—Ooo, Ithil, Ithil, Mina, Mina, Jaccooob, look —Magaska pointed with her hand to a vehicle abandoned to one side of the path; lines of marks from intense heat could be traced from the space where the fort stood once.
—These lines seem to be from an energy system weapon, brother Ithil —Leonidas knelt before the marks, looking at the fort while they checked the scene.
—Ithil, this was a war field; what savages could have done this? —Inola looked at the holes where in some there were still deactivated anti-tank mines.
Mina, Ithil, Jacob, and Magaska looked at the scene without saying anything.
—Yes, how curious, right? —Mina scratched the back of her head.
—Ah, yes, it’s really strange —Ithil affirmed, pretending not to know anything.
—Ahahahaha, well yes, I think it was us, ahahha —Jacob laughed a little, remembering the Velez-Valar event from the previous year.
—Mina and I destroyed all that —Magaska pointed with her hand at the destroyed military vehicle.
—You destroyed a Thar-Vali rhino all by yourselves? Did you have weaponry? —Inola, surprised, looked at the guys and the vehicle again.
—Hahaha, no, but we were fighting for our lives —Ithil laughed while they resumed the path. Inola viewed the vehicle in awe.
—You must tell me how you did it! —with a jump in front of Ithil, Inola looked at him with wondering eyes, as if discovering a new hero.
—Hahaha, look, that’s new —Mina walked to one side of Ithil, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
—Haa, all right, it was more of a miracle than a plan: Jacob and I were immediately detected by the vehicle’s optics, so we distracted them, while Mina destransformed and Magaska pushed her to the flank of the vehicle —Ithil followed the path while the others walked closely.
—And once distracted by us, Magaska protected us with a shield and approached the vehicle, damaging it; after that, we took turns attacking it continuously until Jacob had the idea of using crakelite plates for Quellis’s beak and opening the vehicle like a can. —Ithil told the adventure they had some time ago in this same area. Where they passed, they finally arrived beyond the curve where the battle began.
—Hey Ithil… now that I think about it, we never knew what those baskets were —Jacob said to Ithil while looking at the forest to his right.
—Oh, you’re right; they were several baskets. To tell you the truth, they filled me with disgust; something wasn't right in those boxes, I preferred not to touch them —Ithil remembered the baskets they found in the reclamationists’ carriages.
—They also caused Magaska a lot of displeasure —Magaska gave little jumps in front of them.
—It happened to you guys too? Before coming with you, Leo and I defeated a group of thugs in Eophoc; they had some boxes there that gave me the same repulsion —Inola told them while the path undulated in front of them.
The cold humidity of the forest to their right side helped with the heat of the Nageshia desert that extended forever to their left, contrasting with beautiful amber, orange, and red tones, from the voracious greens, browns, and blues of the immortal forest, only separated by the mossy cobblestone line of Velez-Valar. Butterflies swirled in the small puddles on the path and lizards sunned themselves on its larger tiles; the petrichor and the harsh air of the desert.
—Oh, yes, brother Inola, I remember; I carried the boxes because you didn’t want to go near them —Leonidas with his usual smile.
—Oye Ithil, guys, LOOK at that! —Mina pointed to the front of the path; an area of the forest that was in front of them was decimated with enormous silver machinery.
—Ooooh, Magaska can’t believe it, the forest was cut down! —climbed on a statue, Magaska looked at the scene with sadness.
—They are logging machines, but… —Jacob approached the edge of the place, just inside Velez-Valar still.
—Careful, brother Jacob, don’t cross the line —Leo said to him while looking at the oval statues that delimited the path where Magaska was standing.
—White iron, Jacob? —asked Mina.
—It seems that both the machinery, cabins, and saws… everything is white iron; they used it and left it there… There is a raised walkway where those who did this walked, but it is destroyed; the Al-Darius grass is everywhere; the white iron jammed the motors, it is very heavy…
—Santa Enrya and Triariz… Look at that —Ithil pointed with a gesture of his face to some collapsed tents and some vehicles.
—Are those? Reclamationists? —a large number of skeletons wearing armor and with their weapons to one side still; they wore the Fire and Circuit medal and it seemed they were protecting enormous cages opened from the outside by an enormous force.
—And those are their attackers —skeletons of unknown animals lay next to the other bodies, some insectoid, others more like enormous mammals.
—Poor guys… if you die inside the forest… —Jacob hesitated to finish the sentence. Lizva, taking a step forward, looked at him sideways with sadness and said:
—If you die inside the forest you stay here; the doro is interrupted and you become part of the immortal forest forever, along with the other animals that have died here… being a spirit doesn’t excuse you from the pain nor the forest’s food chain.
Ithil looked at the battle scene; he could almost hear the sounds of it that remained in the air. The young adventurers resumed the march, leaving the battle behind.
—Well, now we know why they were in such a hurry —Ithil exclaimed with a certain tone of resignation while they walked along the cobblestone.
—Yes… I noticed a certain urgency in them; they were definitely fleeing —Mina replied, taking a bit of her water bottle.
—So… they are capturing spirits? Are there rules against that, Jacob, Inola?
—Mmmhh, actually there is a treaty on the ethical use of spirits; various practices are prohibited by Evookia and are punishable for an evoker worldwide, including the possible situation of encountering them in other worlds —Jacob, thoughtful, made a recapitulation of his knowledge on the matter.
—Things like the pillars of submission, the use of spirits for illicit acts, creating Bruno Giordanno’s Resonance Bells, Saint Germain’s Sin Machinery, even spiritual doors, are the subject of extensive debate and are usually treated with care —Inola, along with Jacob, showed once again how extensive their knowledge was.
—Uwaaa, all that sounds very ominous —the topics soon whirled in Ithil’s head, imagining how extensive the spiritual world was.
—Ithil! Mina! —Magaska jumped from behind a dry bush.
—What’s wrong, Magaska? —Jacob and the others looked at her.
—Magaska found the rock, let’s go this way! —the guys accelerated their pace, reaching the formation; stone walls surrounded them, only accessible from a few sides. An enormous fossil trunk surrounded them; with its hollow center it offered a good place to rest for the day.
—Let’s put the tents here, and a tarp in the middle of the trunk will serve to stop the sand and the sun or the cold; Leonidas, place a climate regulator in the middle of the camp; Jacob and I will make the food —Ithil gave quick instructions while they walked.
The sounds of the desert accompanied by those of the forest gave a strange result; the unison of the voices from both sides competed to sound louder; neither side gave way, resulting in a spectacular serenade before the guys who were camping.
—Ah, by the way, the letter… Levanon gave us Samael’s mission, but the mission said we had to read this letter upon arriving here; apparently Levanon didn’t open it, he respected that; the seal is intact —Ithil toyed with a letter written on parchment; the seal engraved under pressure on both sheets left a relief on the paper that would break if it were opened.
—Hmmp, you say it has something about Coleopterus for me and Leo? —Inola, with a half-pout, crossed his legs and arms in a clear sign of protest.
—Haha, brother Ithil, what does it say? —Leo looked at Inola; his attitude when mentioning Coleopterus didn’t change much, as was customary.
—Hmm, well, first is Samael’s letter; it is prudent that we read that first.
“Dear students: At this moment it is impossible for me to assign this task to you personally as is due; I am with Director Uras on a routine assignment.”
—Routine? Haha, that Samael is incredible, how can he lie with that face? —Inola laughed a little and the others followed him.
“I wanted to assign this mission to you before you left for Nivoria with Shalona, an event that was totally orchestrated by her; now I realize that that would have been a mistake, and that your growth as a group and personal growth increased in that mission; sending you to Velez-Valar would have damaged the group and you more than necessary.”
—Hahah, Jacob’s head is very hard; I doubt they could have even cracked it —Mina laughed, giving a pat on Jacob’s back; his eyes almost fled from their sockets.
—Jacob… is your head hard? —Lizva looked at Jacob with genuine naivety.
—No, no, it is a joke, Lizva; Mina refers to my resistance —Jacob gave a pat on his chest. Ithil continued with the reading of the letter:
“I trust in you, guys; I am very sorry to put you in danger once again, this time in the town of Nichiren, in Aksha-Khur. The region is famous for having a high degree of spiritual presence and unclassified ghosts; even more, 25 years ago a Theosis Tharmullis was sealed there by the Golden Triangle; you will depart with the assumption that it is open again. You possess the skills and intelligence to seal it again; this time I will add instructions on the powers, characteristics, and behaviors of the Theosis; they will be attached in an extra letter on the second page. And, by the way, Jacob and Inola, Shalona sends you a pair of… in Shalona’s words, ‘super ofudas’, she called them ‘Fulu’; those you will carry in two mud scrolls that should be in your possession already. Finally, good luck, guys; we will return soon.”
Att: Samael Telantes
—And well, that is everything; Jacob, Inola, do you have those things? Fudu? —Ithil looked at them. Both Jacob and Inola took from their backpack a mud container sealed in red Jassubiana tinted wax.
—And here is the data on the Theosis-Tharmullis; Samael included a copy for everyone —Ithil passed their respective copies to everyone. Everyone read in silence while being accompanied by Lizva’s singing.
With metallic tones impossible for a human throat, she sang with her eyes closed for everyone; her vocal humming, mixed with bells and sounds of metallic threads that murmured in unison and rhythms intermingled…
—This Theosis… sounds like it is a kind of carnivorous being; it doesn’t sound very strong, but its ability to cross solid objects will be a problem —Jacob stood up and yawned; the fatigue began to be felt in the environment.
—Yes, it is not as dangerous as the one we found in Theos —Mina replied, also getting ready to sleep.
—You fought against a Theosis? What other feat have you done that I haven’t heard about!! —Inola asked, hiding behind a curtain of the tent in which he was changing clothes; rushing to get out, he ran before the others carrying a white cotton camisole to sleep in. Ithil received him head-on and gave him an orange paper letter in his hand.
—Here, and take yours too, Leonidas —Ithil gave both of them a Coleopterus letter in their hands; still sealed, they were included inside Samael’s envelope.
—Eh? Wait, aren’t we going to read them like Samael’s? —Inola asked Ithil; Leonidas turned the envelope over and looked at it again without opening it.
—Mmm, I think that letter is very personal; you should read them yourselves first and, later, if you decide, we will gladly listen. —Inola nodded only with his head; playing with the tips of his hair, he blushed and returned to his tent slowly.
—Very well, time to sleep… Lizva! Where do you think you’re going? —Mina looked at Lizva who was entering with Jacob into the tent.
—Eh? To sleep! Why? —Lizva, totally disconcerted, brought her hands to her face.
—No, you will go to sleep with Magaska!; I don’t know the spiritual tricks of that perverted evoker —Mina pointed her spoon at Jacob.
—Jacob! —Lizva exclaimed, looking at Jacob.
—What! No, I wouldn’t do anything like that to you! —Jacob, scared, waved his hands in the air.
—Can I go to sleep with Magaska!? —with incredible emotion and a sparkle in her eyes, Lizva looked at Jacob.
—Haa, very well, just sleep, don’t stay awake too long, we are on operation. —Jacob saw how they fled into Magaska’s tent, excited.
—Mmm, I am not a perverted evoker —Jacob got into his tent.
—Leo, you and I will stay on the first watch —Ithil told them before he entered his tent.
—After that Inola and Mina; finally Jacob and Magaska —Ithil finished his piece of fried meat.
—We mobilize tomorrow, guys, rest all you can. —Leonidas nodded and kept looking at the Coleopterus letter without opening it; he turned the envelope over to finally save it in his back pocket and start the patrol.
The night passed without any problem; nature watched them as if they were part of the environment and, without any setback, it dawned.

—Yaaawn, msnns, good morning —Leonidas and the others gathered in the center of the camp; the enormous fossil tree served its purpose and it was time to proceed with the mission.
—Hello Jacob, good morning. Magaska thanks you for letting her sleep with Lizva; Varneth and she are becoming good friends, oh, and Magaska too —Magaska, with a tangle of hair, gave a small bow to Jacob.
—Haha, it’s fine, Magaska; I hope you didn’t stay up late. Ready, Lizva! —a small purple speck of light ran next to Jacob to transform, with a pop in front of him, into Lizva.
—Ready when you say, Jacob! Let’s go! —energetic and cheerful, Lizva helped Mina prepare some food, while the guys packed up the camp.
—Ready! Back to the path! —Inola ran in front of them, taking a step, but not before giving a bow in front of the stone path.
—Oh, should we do that? —Leonidas hesitated before putting a foot on the path.
—Don’t worry, big guy, just give the bow; the nomads and merchants do it out of respect for the path; Inola and I do it out of respect for the function it performs, but you can enter without problems —Jacob gave a bow, just as Lizva did too.
—Magaska prefers to pay her respects! —with a bow and a playful little jump, Magaska and the others started the journey again.
—Ready, within a short time we should be able to see the limits of the town of Aksha-Khur, which is before the Theosis —Ithil looked at a small map made with sun ink and a scroll.
—Then, let’s hope this time the town cooperates —Mina, a little annoyed by the heat, stretched with both hands in the air, cracking her back a little; the guys laughed and continued their walk.
—Hey Ithil, I think we will have bad news very soon —Jacob observed how over Velez-Valar, a great palisade with watchtowers awaited them.
—Mee, it can’t be this soon; I thought it would just be arriving! What a drag. Very well, Magaska, do you think you can talk to the companions? —a group of six men waited in front of the gate; archers and people armed with rifles were perched in the watchtowers; at the front they could see a large man bearing a heavy and massive axe.
—Sure! Magaska will convince them! —taking long steps like a soldier, Magaska walked to the large wooden gate; stakes and a bit of barbed wire made it look hostile and threatening; pits with pikes and stakes were stationed on the sides, off the Velez-Valar path.
—Magaska! Why didn’t you go, Ithil! —Mina immediately became alert; that enormous man, almost the size of Leonidas, looked at them with clear hostility, but chatted with Magaska with complete naturalness.
—Mina is right; Magaska is no defenseless little girl, but why her? —Leonidas asked Ithil, genuinely perplexed.
—Look at his axe —on the enormous weapon, a braid of reddish-black hair and ribbons hung in a corner.
—A talisman? What does it have to do with it? —Inola asked while he barely saw the talisman from where they were.
—The hair in the braid is long, but the ribbons seem to be from toys… He has a daughter —Ithil, attentive and nervous, watched how both chatted; the discussion didn’t seem to rise in tone, but didn’t advance either.
—Ooh, I see, you sly fox —Mina gave a couple of taps on Ithil’s shoulder.
—Look, Magaska is coming back; they seem to be nervous —Inola, without losing sight of the watchmen, was ready to help Magaska as soon as necessary.
—Magaska didn’t have success, muuuh —crossing her arms in an “X”, Magaska arrived with the others.
—What did they tell you, Magaska? —Jacob approached, taking a bit of water to the little one.
—Glug, glug… Pwaaa. That Aksha-Khur is off-limits, we cannot pass; they declared themselves a free town and will not allow the entry of any type of person —pouting, Magaska complained bitterly.
—Mmm, I see. Let’s return for the moment… let’s go to the clearing that was there not long ago, there were stones there; we can sit and take a break while we investigate what to do. —Everyone returned, except Inola, who suddenly turned to look in the direction of Aksha-Khur…
—Eeeh, how strange… I felt like… AH, wait! —Inola resumed his pace and reached the others a few steps ahead.
—What’s wrong, Inola? —Jacob looked sideways behind while they moved away from the palisade.
—Humm, I felt like… —Inola couldn’t find the words before the feeling he had.
—Me too… there is something back there, I don’t know if it’s the Theosis Tharmullis or something else. Ithil said we would meet about 400 meters back, let’s go! —both guys ran to reach the others; the whole group retreated a bit further back.
—Well… errmmm, hahaha, hum, this will be a little more difficult, I didn’t expect this… does anyone have a plan? —Ithil asked the others; they had just finished eating a bit; everyone was around, sitting on stones or resting under another reclining fossil tree that gave shade and shelter next to the path; the remains of other campfires could be seen in the blackened earth.
—Mmm, what if we say that Thar-Abbys sends us, just as we are, and we show our medals? It is supposed that, with the level we have, we should have a little authority, isn’t that so, brother Ithil? —Leonidas said while looking at his medal; it looked almost like a small coin in his enormous hand.
—Humm, we could consider it, although through this region it seems there was or they have some problem with authority; perhaps our medals aren't welcome —Ithil looked at his medal, thinking about how incredibly useless that junk was.
—Well, what if I scare them? I transform, I roar a little in front of them, they flee, we enter —Mina, confident, crossed her arms while biting an apple.
—Ee, it could work, although I would like that to be our reserve plan —Ithil put it at the end of his list in case everything failed.
—Hey Ithil, Inola and I had a premonition at the palisade; we are still not sure, but there is something besides the Theosis —Jacob, without knowing exactly how to confirm it, informed Ithil.
—Eh? Could you explain a little more to me? —Ithil, intrigued, looked at both.
—Well… we can’t explain it very well, since it is a feeling very related to evocation… but… when you make a pact with some spirit, you feel a company next to you, as if your space and feelings were shared with someone else —Inola tried to describe the feeling.
—Accompanied by that feeling, there is another, as if a very fine film enveloped you and as if you felt things through a plastic; it is curious… that type of feeling is what Inola and I perceive —Jacob continued explaining.
—Well… if you and Inola perceived it, it must have been something important; I would like you to keep me informed if you feel that again —Ithil nodded and wrote it down in his notebook.
—Oh, Magaska knows! The man said they wouldn’t let anyone from other places pass, but what if we dress up as people from around here?
—Humm, it could work… but, did you see how they were dressed? Their clothing is very unique; even in Palasquia the clothing is very different —Ithil tried to remember the clothing in the previous town; cloth pants and cotton shirts were the norm, while the guard of the palisade and the watchmen wore a hakama of blue and green tones with intricate geometric patterns on the edges and bandanas on the forehead bearing the same patterns.
—I think it will be difficult to find those clothes… —Ithil thought about where to get the clothes.
—And if I got you the clothes and helped you enter, would you help me? —a genderless voice asked them. The surprise was so great that Ithil tried to take out his weapon while the others hurried to fight.
—What? —Ithil tried to take out his klauvra, but his hand was stopped by a folded white metal fan.
—Come, come, ufufufufu, I don’t think I am so frightening —a person in a suit similar to those of the watchmen was in front of them; its white and immaculate hakama shone in a beautiful way, simple but perfectly smooth, without wrinkles or stains; their feet were visible and were barefoot on the sand while its wooden sandals whit red laces were placed delicately at the edge of Velez-Valar.
—Who are you? And, what do you need? —Ithil, not very convinced, looked at the person in front of him; its deep black, straight hair reached their shoulders; its face was covered by a wooden mask with the features of a fox, dyed with soft colors and lacquered to perfection; reddish cherry-colored eyebrows seemed to emanate an air of attraction that was difficult for him to ignore.
—WHAT do you want with us!! —Inola, with a gesture of annoyance, stood between Ithil and that person.
—And you, return from your dreamland; you are practically drooling, Ithil!! —Inola complained, annoyed, to Ithil with a pout. Shaking his head, he felt as if he broke a spell that dominated him.
—Inola!! I am with you!! —Jacob stood behind that person in white. Inola looked at Jacob and nodded with his head.
—Young Master Inola, Jacob says that this person is not someone common… I don’t think so either, it scares me a little!! —Lizva, in the form of a small speck of light, whispered to Inola in his ear.
—Ufufu, it is not polite to whisper about someone in a low voice nor behind their back, girl —Lizva got scared when being looked at; that person could see through her perfectly.
—And I say that it is not polite to meddle in other people’s conversations —Mina stood to the left of the person in white.
—He he… you are right about that, young lady; I should have introduced myself before. I apologize, adventurers of Thar-Abbys, my name is Ayakashi and I can help you… and in fact I require your help… —
Leonidas looked at the others, including Ithil; both Jacob and Inola felt a tingling sensation when seeing that person; Varneth warned Magaska and Lizva viewed them with marked fear.
—Varneth says that this person is not to be trusted —Magaska looked at Ayakashi with doubt.
—Oo, I see, a twin fire bearer, your type becomes rarer every time. The last one I saw was four hundred years ago —Ayakashi looked at Magaska; she, uncomfortable, covered her chest.
—Uaa, this person is strange —Magaska backed off two steps.
—Both priests are strong; your group comes prepared to contain spirits, that will help us. Oh, what is this? This one they call Inola… no, it is nothing; I’d better let him discover it for himself —Ayakashi looked at the young people, measuring their skills with cold aptitude.
—You are a powerful woman, young one they call Mina; your spirit is bright and enormous like your heart; I am delighted to meet you —looking at Mina, they quickly passed to Leonidas.
—And you, bearer of the shield, you should talk to your companions; the depths where you are headed are dangerous —covering half of their face with the fan, Ayakashi resonated in Leonidas’s mind.
—…I don’t like this person; we should use sister Mina’s plan —Leonidas seemed to be somewhat annoyed.
—Look, it seems that you are not liked by everyone, so I should ask you to withdraw… but I think we can use your help —Ithil looked at Ayakashi head-on; he had no idea how to deal with Ayakashi, even he himself was surprised by his decision.
—Oooh, sure, Mr. Leader; you must strike when the steel is hot, don’t worry and trust in good Ayakashi… Ufufufufu —with their index finger, Ayakashi outlined Ithil’s profile, passing it seductively along his face while walking to put on their sandals with beautiful delicacy; its movements were clean and strangely attractive.
—Mmm, I trust you Ithil, but this guy gives me distrust —Mina put away her weapon and stood next to the others.
—Magaska will be attentive in case there is betrayal; they are hiding something, Varneth senses it too —Magaska passed by Mina and prepared to mobilize.
—Brother Ithil, we have to be attentive —Leonidas gave a couple of pats on the shoulder and reunited with the others.
—I am with you Ithil, but let’s go with caution —Jacob and Lizva also prepared themselves.
—Mmmph, so that’s how you like them, eh? —Inola, angry, passed by Ithil and reunited with the others.
—WHAT!! Not even!! Ah, whatever, let’s go —Ithil, along with the others, joined Ayakashi.
—This way, this way, my dear brave ones, be careful going down, the grasses are hurtful; ignore the frog and the cricket, all they do is make a chorus; that yes, give the cardinal a greeting because it is easy to make him angry. —The guys followed Ayakashi through Velez-Valar until arriving at a clearing on the side of the immortal forest.