Chapter 7 - To the icy death

15940 Words
    Now forgetting the joke of the darkanians... The group finally arrived at the small harbor to cross the river, the great Tantus River was famous for being the largest of all the world, both in extent and volume of water, there was also a great kingdom of mers in its depths, and the people submarine was of extreme importance in the great war. Zeijadel, after failing to invade the Pandemonius, concentrated his forces on the great river, wiping out one of the main economies of the continent and blocking the sea lanes, preventing the faster transport of supplies and weapons in the war, his ships sank any that they saw, no matter what was in it. This was a basic strategy to break the supply of the enemy, very shrewd, and the lord of darkness would have triumphed, but he did not count on the attack of this people, who until then had never interfered in anything in the war, he thought that their commitment with the depths did not arouse any interest in the surface, but was very much mistaken... Thus Zeijadel knew the strength of the people of the waters, that fought and exterminated all the enemy ships in the great "Battle of the Tantus River", the only effective action of the mers, however crucial, with the enemies totally at their mercy in their terrain, they attacked with such fury that they devastated absolutely the entire marine fleet, without leaving a survivor at all, thus inflicting one of the heaviest and unexpected defeats in the armies of darkness, without suffering a single loss! And this caused the victory of the kingdoms in the following battles. Of all the four kingdoms of the mers in the oceans and rivers, only in this they were ruled by a king, but at the option of their own queen, who simply did not wish to lead. Only one day of quiet travel until they reached the incredible Kingdom of Krantenion, which was located on a large island in the central part of the river, its singularity was not in the architecture itself, but in the raw material of the buildings, since both the city and the castle, for the most part, were built on gold! Symbolizing the flames and the legendary taste of the dragons for the treasures, the armor of the kingdom, also black and identical to those of Terra, differed only by the symbol of a dragon, totally agreeable, and was in fact a treasure what the people of Krantenion possessed. Probably the richest and brightest kingdom of the six continents, was built soon after the discord of the power in thanksgiving for the valiant help of the mighty dragon, king Valdnar gave him half of the continent to rule with the same justice he had chosen to defend in the war, and the great dragon, with a flair for metals and precious stones, discovered many mines in his region, sharing with his kingdom and making it rich thus. They are also great buyers of the world's goods, apart from the abundance of the river itself, their precious stones are a great source of income, thus sharing their riches with the world. The group, as usual, separated through the city, Enghon, Shayera, Iris, John and Solphie were in charge of replenishing the supplies, although the sss had little patience for these subjects (and for several others as well), she always created confusion easy with negotiators trying to be too clever, and they were not few, on the other hand this meant that she had a fine flair for commercial cheaters, ultimately making her the indispensable company for good quality goods. Sumith and Thorgele went to visit the wise adviser of the world, the great dragon king, whose castle possessed an immense throne room, obviously to house his great king, the Lieben's young man and the shinobi were very well received, and passing in front of the kitchen of the castle ended up listening to a fun conversation: - Learn this, rookie, one of the advantages of working in the kitchen of the king dragon, is that we do not need to cook for him. – someone was saying, obviously training a new helper. – After all, he loves raw meat. - Hahahahahahahaha... - Hahahahahahahaha... - Hahahahahahahaha... - Hahahahahahahaha...     Unable to hold back the laughter, even the soldier who accompanied them, Sumith and Thorgele were led into the king's great hall, and they was astonished to know personally the most powerful dragon ever seen. Krantenion was a beautiful dragon with black and gray scales, his ten pairs of wings were simply spectacular and frightening to the enemies, only his image was enough to make troops flee, the power of his flames was so great that with a simple breathing they jumped out of his nostrils, as if they had a will of their own, and incredible was also his lucidity and simplicity: - Finally came to my kingdom, son of Kin. – said Krantenion. - Finally we met great Krantenion. – said Sumith, bowing with Thorgele. - Enough of these formalities, your father was a good friend, and a great warrior, in the time we fought together. – said the great dragon. – What about your friend? – asking about Thorgele. - I am Thorgele, son of Riyan, lord Krantenion. – said the shinobi. - Strange, young man, you remind me, in a way, of another good friend, Loki, king of Lieben, his expression and his manner... And look that my memory is not deceiving... – said looking closer (and scaring). - ... - ... - But then, what brings you to my kingdom? - Actually we are just passing through, great king. – said Sumith. - You guys are looking for the summons, correct? - Yes, do you already know? - I have been talking to Arkan a long time. Wisdom can be a matter of deduction, often of basic information, but never of supernatural divination, as some hardheads imagine, and it would not be wise to deduce that the war really ended, not while Zeijadel exists. By the way, how is the old Arkan man? - Live producing mysteries. – said Sumith. - Hahahahahahahahahahaha... – Krantenion laughed looking up, because his flames leapt out strongly through his nostrils and mouth. – That guy is great, I would even play a game of cards against him, I knew he is very good, but unfortunately there are no giant size cards for me. - Hahahahahahahaha... - Hahahahahahahaha... - Hahahahahahahaha...     Krantenion was indeed a great king, he revealed, some time later, that the older and mighty dragons, like him, so strengthen their flames that the difficulty in controlling them becomes challenging, as it happened during their conversations, breathing or loudly laughing could danger to everyone around, needing attention and care due. He pointed out the direction and better road to the next temple, which was right off the coast of the continent, which Enghon himself had not known for sure, and would take longer to find if it were not for the help of the great adviser, he did not ask anything about the great commotion two days before, perhaps he would only have deduced the same from the people, about a new confrontation between guardians, or perhaps he knew something more. But in fact, he already knew Omega and Ultima from long ago, and imagined that they were involved, knowing that Ultima was a tremendous troublemaker (and indeed she was), just did not know of Sumith and Thorgele.     They spent only one day in the city to make up for lost time, heading northeast according to the Krantenion's indication. Enghon even felt like visiting his old town, Esgaion, but the pain for the loss of his parents was still great in his heart. The beautiful city was devastated by goblins and cyclops just before Kraven took the Pandemonius, in a pure demonstration of cowardice, being a peaceful city and without military power, no one ever imagined that the enemies were capable of such an atrocity, although they should deduce. Esgaion could not receive reinforcements in time, now it was a decadent village, with the few survivors of the m******e who dreamed in one day to rebuild their quiet city. The group finally reached the coast, and it took half a day to find the entrance to the temple, which was the best hidden of all, only a small gap between the cliffs on the beach gave access to the great cave where it was. Enghon, Sumith and Solphie had to use the element of gravity to get everyone safely down. In this temple were Hercules, the summon of life, a middle-aged man in beautiful greenish sorcerer's garb, carried a staff set with many emeralds, beautiful, and with a crescent-like stone at its tip, Cesar, the summon of darkness, another man, but much younger in appearance and dark-skinned, wore black armor without a helmet, and carried two short swords wrapped in black flames, and Frodi, the summon of gravity, a young dragon with a pair of wings and white scales like clouds, again Iris got them with success: - At your service, ma'am. – they all said at the same time before disappearing.     They camped on the beach where had a quiet and pleasant night under another wonderful starry sky, and in the morning they headed north for two days. They were somewhat wary, for they found some traces of goblins down the road: - Does not look like such a big group. Maybe the same number we faced in Zelante? – asked John.     But tracking was a specialty of Shayera: - No, my friend. – She said. – More organized troops, focused on murder and not just looting of goods, are often lined up to hide their numbers as much as possible. In other words, these are not thifs. - This is news to me. How do you know? – John. - Since the seventeen winters I hunt goblins by trade routes. They are like cockroach infestation: the more we kill, more arise. - That is true. - I bet the culinary skills of Solphie that these are looking for us. - Was that a compliment or just sarcasm? – Solphie asked, and Shayera laughed. - It's a large group, about a hundred or a hundred and fifty... and they seem to be in a hurry, northwest of here. – said the sss while examining the tracks on the ground. - So they are really looking for us. – Enghon. - Let's avoid the road.     In fact Kraven had ordered a search for the continent looking for news or perhaps the group itself, but this time was unsuccessful. They kept going until reached the Liz Harbor, Arkan was already waiting for them at the docks, and without delay they sailed to the icy continent of Saitar. - Strange old man to ask nothing about Omega and Ultima, do not you think? – John asked Sumith. – He who guesses things. - True, if he knew anything he would have mentioned it. But that was an isolated event, our goal is another. – said Sumith. - You are right. – John.     Thorgele looked thoughtful on the trip, and was in fact, until Iris approached and asked him: - You look distant, Thorgele. – said the young woman. – Does something worry you? - Somehow. We are going to my homeland, I think I will have something else to do when I am there. – said Thorgele. – And I have a bad feeling. - What you mean? - I do not know, but it has nothing to do with me, something tells me it has to do with Sumith. - With Sumith? - Sumith is my best friend, I can not stop worrying about him. - I trust all of you. – said Iris. – But mostly in you, to be at his side at the right time. – Thorgele thanked by touching her head in a brotherly way. - What are you talking about? – asked Shayera, she who just arrived. - Ah... We were talking about your beauty, big sister. – replied Iris, bulging Thorgele's eyes and leaving Shayera red. – I also told that you admire him. – leaving the sss redder still. - Shut up little girl! – Shayera said, holding her by the neck, while Thorgele did not hold back the laughter. - Hey! Save it for the fight! – said Iris. - I am feeling trouble... – said Solphie quite comically, but was at this very moment that, inexplicably, since no one was watching, Sumith, John and Enghon stumbled and rolled down the steps to the deck, in an absurdly hilarious way, it seemed like a show of mischief, and upon seeing this the others did not know whether they ached or laughed, but the second prevailed for several seconds. - Hey, you sluggers! – said Arkan. – Let's clean the ship, he spent many days without my care. – And with their face on the floor with shame all of them, except Thorgele, who already felt his stomach ache from laughing, did not have much choice but to accept and laugh too.     The wind was not very favorable, so it took them three days to feel the cold and see the white continent, Saitar, land of snow white tigers, whose powerful face was also the symbol on the chest of the blue armor of this kingdom. They docked in Barow Harbor at dawn, the big problem in this place was simply to know about the temple, for neither Arkan, Enghon nor anyone they knew had a clue as to where it was, Saitar was where they would have more work and probably would take the longest time of the journey, and there was still something else to solve, so before they left the sailor called them to a serious conversation: - Pay attention. – said Arkan. – You should follow first to Lobime Colony Wolver. The lobimes did not aid any of the kingdoms in the great war, instead they fought on their own and annihilated all the army that dared to attack them. The time has come to put an end to this senseless selfishness and summon them to our side, with their strength, Zeijadel will have a huge obstacle to overcome. - But how are we going to convince them to join us? – asked Solphie. - Even the kings did not succeed in the time of the discord. – said Enghon. - Do not worry. You have Sumith and Thorgele, it's the turn of the new generation. This is one of your most important missions here. – said Arkan. – But keep in mind that Kraven will also try this move.     The two stared at each other in amazement, as did the others, Arkan's secrets were maddening. After some natural doubts and enticements from Enghon and John, the sailor stocked them with a large supply of traveler's bread, so they would not have to refuel so soon, and they continued with the new goal: to convince the powerful lobimes to finally take a party, whichever.     They headed east for seven days, to cross the Navoc River only once, though the trail was good. The cold of Saitar was rigorous, known like "the continent of the eternal winter", rare were the chances of seeing the Sun, or the stars, none of them was really accustomed to such low temperatures except Thorgele, who obviously felt at home, so he tried to provide appropriate warm clothing for everyone before leaving the harbor. In the camps they provided larger tents and all joined together in only two tents, separating men and women, to ease the cold. Men did not like the idea of sleeping next to each other, and of course this provoked comic reactions: - Sleep listening to John's snoring, an inch from the ear? Whose brilliant idea was this? – Thorgele asked. - Keep cool. – said John. – If you are freezing, just hug Sumith like this. – He said, hugging Enghon aside. - Stay away from me, you crazy! – said the sorcerer. - You are so sweet. – Sumith.     Joking apart, by the roads of the trip, they crossed with traders and hunters carrying goods, properly wrapped and using snow buffalos, strong creatures and extremely resistant to the cold, on the seventh day they crossed the river and arrived at the Frozen Savannah, but without entering in it, they went north. That place was the scene of the great battle of the continent in the great war, when the Kingdom of Balvera was totally surrounded by the enemies, who planned to let them die without supplies, due to the great defense of the kingdom, that made its invasion very difficult. Even the dragons had great difficulty in attacking, for the harsh cold did not help their flames much in the devastation of the cities, but Zeijadel was naive in thinking that was making the right choice, for his goblins did not expect such a severe winter and ended up being a loss for them to be frozen there, since the kingdom was still very well supplied, due to the cunning of the great king Revan Malak, who foresaw that lord's strategy. The enemies then turned to the great lobime colony, aiming to destroy them and plunder their supplies, but this was the most wrong decision that Zeijadel took in this battle. He was unaware of the strength and ferocity of the wolves, and his armies paid a heavy price for it, Melyngo, the mighty cyclops commander, who before devastated many villages, was killed in this battle by then-king Hagiliak in colossal combat, as well as the largest part of the other cyclops, and the lobimes literally whipped their enemies, eliminating almost all the army that attacked them, which was practically half of all the contingent that invaded Saitar! And to make matters worse, Zeijadel was forced to send, before the decisive battle, most of his dragons, including Smerus, the evil one, to the continent of Tantus, because of the great emergency that was taking place there. And it was these losses that caused king Revan to leave his kingdom and reject the enemies to the Frozen Savannah, where the greatest battle took place. The armies of Saitar won, but the white savannah was completely dyed red by the blood of the fighters.     One more day to the north and they camped, Thorgele spent the whole night (again) outside the tent, meditating, and Shayera always watching him, so the young shinobi gathered his friends and asked them a favor: - I ask you to wait for me one day, one day only. - What will you do? – Iris asked. - It's your clan, is not it? – asked Sumith. – I know you never took it from your head. - Will you trust me? – asked the shinobi. - We never stop trusting you. – said Sumith, with everyone agreeing. – Just be sure to come back. - I will come back. I promise.     Then Thorgele left them and moved on towards the village of mercenary shinobis, and a few minutes later he noticed that was being followed by Shayera. - Shayera, this is my business. - So it's mine too. – said the sss. - I am a nukenin, a renegade shinobi. As long as I carry this title I will never have peace, and you may be in danger so close to me. - Danger is my middle name, and I do not give a damn about any label they dared put on you. - ... - You got me used to your company, and now you are leaving me behind? I will not let you go alone, you will have to kill me to get this. - Shayera, you... - I just want to be close to you. Always... – The sss finished running and hugging him.     Thorgele accepted her company, and in his heart was happy to have her by his side. - No one would be better company for him than she. – said Sumith next to Solphie, then returning to the others. - I am very, very happy for you, my sister. – said Solphie to herself, standing in the snow.     Thorgele and Shayera followed for a few hours into a dense forest, only the shinobi knew the way, for obviously the Jin clan village was not open for anyone to come and entering. At last they saw the high walls, the houses and training places of the shinobi, called "dojos", the place was discreet and silent, built with a totally original and exclusive architecture, since nowhere else in the world was the same, except, of course, in the other few clan mercenary villages that existed only in Saitar, and there really were not many. They did not see anyone wherever they looked. - I have heard a lot of talk about places like this, but I did not think it was so hard to find them. – said Shayera. – And I thought security would be stricter. - And is. Do not move. – said Thorgele. - What happened? - We were already being followed for several minutes, they are in four, and now we will be surrendered.     As soon as he had finished speaking the shinobis of the Jin clan appeared, very well camouflaged, almost invisible, only Thorgele noticed them, and the sss was devoid of action, they were warriors of high level, stealth and mortal if they wished. If Thorgele was so powerful in his abilities, those men were at least close to him. - Finally, Thorgele returned. – said one of the shinobis. - Arthos. How are you, old friend? – said Thorgele. - A shinobi never completely abandons his origins. – said Arthos, taking off the mask. – Even a nukenin.     Arthos Frost. He was a man, somewhat stiff, but tall and very agile, with fair skin, slightly black hair, and light brown eyes. He was Thorgele's training partner, in fact they were friends, or were still, since Arthos was the only one among all who tried to understand the acts of his fellow, even though he was not there the day Thorgele deserted his clan. Shayera drew her sword and fought against three of the shinobis, aggressive as ever, and was impressed by how strong and skillful they were, the three were also surprised by the great strength of the sss, who was not far behind them, but Arthos restrained them, and Thorgele calmed her down. - I see you are very well accompanied. – said Arthos, as he wondered how that beautiful sss would be powerful. – Ask your friend to drop her sword, let's enter now.     Even reluctantly Shayera dropped her long sword, at Thorgele's request of course, and when one of the shinobi approached to remove Andriel and Andurel, Arthos warned him: - Do not touch this sword! - ... - It will not really matter. – Thorgele's friend was the only one who knew about the daughters of the lords, from the time he got them.     In a brief and discreet conversation on the way, Arthos said that Thorgele did the right thing to return of his own accord, for a nukenin does not live for long if he can not completely disappear. Since the arrival in Barow he had already been spotted and the order to hunt him was practically given, including whoever was in his company... The two spent half the day in jail, both waiting for the arrival of the clan leader, Sazuki, who was out on a mission. In fact, the failure in the murder of the queen of Lieben yielded only half of that combined with the mercenaries, which was enough to pay off several debts, but not to raise them, and since then financial difficulties had only increased, the Jin clan survived only from small dirty work, in the view of Thorgele, just as Riyan, even the mercenaries needed to maintain honor and self respect, something that had not happened since the previous management, a fact that caused their collapse and which continued when Sazuki took over the leadership.     Shayera looked like a beast in cage, nervous and anxious to break the walls of the prison, but the shinobis were not naive at all and obviously the cell where they were imprisoned was reinforced by several elements, making very difficult an escape even for the great force of the sss. Probably together they would escape from that place, but Thorgele just sat there meditating and waiting, and Arthos trusted his friend leaving no guards to watch over them. The shinobis were always the most advanced in the ice element all over the world, which explained about Thorgele's level, although he only possessed this element when met Enghon, this did not mean that the mercenary warriors knew only this power.     Sazuki and Riyan were training mates, as well as Thorgele and Arthos, and friends, but when the former leader needed a successor both were the main candidates to take the destiny of the shinobis into the future, unfortunately they had distinct ideas about it, for Riyan was always worth the honor above all else, but for Sazuki only mattered the prosperity at any price. Riyan was revered, even among other clans, as one of the most legendary shinobis who ever lived, clearly Jin's most powerful, his coolness, analysis and intelligence in any situation were only surpassed by his power, technique and speed, and his exploits in each mission he completed became a benchmark of perfection for the new generations of elite warriors, but Sazuki, even in the shadow of his friend, was simply the number two of his clan, being extremely close to Riyan in combat ability.     Twenty-eight winters ago were ten mercenary clans in Saitar, five in the east, and five in the west of the White Mountains, the clans of the west were Kaji, Haku, Sen, Tsui and Shingen, in the east were Baki, Hakime, Tarui, Asura and Jin. All these clans, which had large villages, almost cities, together added a contingent of about twenty thousand warriors, large enough to war against the continent, and by the immense ability of the shinobis, comparable to the lobimes, to defeat them. Shingen, being the only clan to have two leaders, named Frithgar and Hymir Deckard, twin brothers, began to spread the idea of taking half the continent, unifying all clans and thus proclaiming independence of the kingdom, to create their own separate shinobi world of the rest of the continents, but their methods were violent, they succeeded in overcoming and dominating Kaji and Sen, and with these added forces they also dominated Haku and Tsui, beginning to impose themselves by brute force on nearby towns and villages, and threatening commercial routes. It was obvious that this would provoke a war against the kingdom in the near future, something too absurd to accept for such selfish ambition, and if this did not stop a tragedy would fall on Saitar. The others immediately disagreed with the idea they considered insane, deciding then to oppose them. “A shinobis problem is solved by the shinobis.” – The clans of the east said to the king. It was then that a war began that few would have known, even when it was over. The east clans, led by Jin, clashed with the west clans led by Shingen, for a whole winter the snow was blood-stained in that region, the shinobis, who were many before, were drastically reduced by the violent battles, and in the last battle Riyan, in direct combat against the Deckard brothers, lost his wife, Vixen Tharon, who sacrificed herself to protect him from a treacherous attack of the two enemies. Riyan, unable to mourn his wife's death at that moment, fought the brothers alone, but even he would end up defeated by the two enemies, who were also very powerful, it was when Sazuki arrived, and together the two best of Jin fought magnificently, the battle was difficult in a war that entered its peak and final stretch, but they won, and the clans of the west were practically exterminated as a result of this, leaving only the five of the east. Riyan could still hear the last words of Vixen, who agonized and raved near death. “Take good care of him, make him the same as you. When a stronger enemy is in front of you, become more powerful than he!” – said Vixen before she died. The "Shinobi War" ended without threats to the kingdom, their large villages were reduced to small villages, their great strength almost disappeared because of the thousands of lives lost. The king, at the request of the remnants, buried this subject in the deepest oblivion of history, to cover up the shame and dishonor they felt for provoking their own extinction, and this greatly affected their prestige in the future.     The battle between Riyan and Sazuki was promised to be nothing less than spectacular, leaders of the other clans came to Jin especially to watch and register a great event, and in fact no one was disappointed. The shinobi number one was superior, but ended up allowing his friend to win without him noticing, obviously the result caused astonishment among all, but the whole expectation of a great battle was fulfilled. In fact, Riyan was already suffering from a lung disease, and knowing that he did not have much time decided to leave the responsibilities that would be his for the one he considered the best he had ever known.     After a long time of waiting the two were taken to the presence of the leader, finally he and Thorgele would be face to face again, and when they met after so long the conflict was inevitable. - You came back to pay your debt with us, I suppose. – said Sazuki. - Maybe you are in debt here, old man. – said Thorgele. - Nukenin, know that you have done the utmost disgrace to our clan, dishonor that should be paid, blood with blood. – said the leader. – Let's go. Brandishing your sword will have the chance to save himself, if you win, you will be free, but if I win... Today will definitely abandon our clan, alive or not. - When did the anger blind you and you lost yourself, Sazuki? – asked Thorgele. - You know you could not live for long with this title. Your life bears the mark of death by the shinobi tradition, just as those who walk by your side. – said referring obviously to Shayera. - No matter what happens to me, leader, but if you dream of touching her, you will regret being born! – replied staring at him.     The leader of the mercenaries was a rather stout man with brown skin, short gray hair, black eyes and slightly drawn, had a posture of leader without a doubt, he unsheathed his sword heading to the center of the dojo, while all the clan shinobis watched and waited for the battle that was pronounced more than two winters. The women, called kunoichis, were also present in a good number, being as skillful and valiant as men, beautiful in simple or exotic ways, they could be considered the most comprehensive among warriors, Thorgele always believed that their influences were indispensable to balance any scale, and he was right, at first they were still very submissive, and it was thanks to him, even as a teenager, that the leaders agreed that warriors should be treated as equals, having the right to their own choices. Nearly all agreed with Riyan's idea of honor, secretly admired the attitudes of the deserting shinobi, and he clearly was very successful among them, several nurtured feelings for Thorgele from childhood, for the extreme kindness, respect and friendship that always showed, but he never showed any loving interest in any of them, the whispers and glances toward him, after so long without seeing him, made Shayera nervous, clearly jealous, while the presence of the sss beside him also caused the same in them, but it was a fact that the young shinobi no longer belonged to that place, and his future was beyond what was expected. Thorgele removed Andriel and Andurel, it would not be fair to fight with such powerful weapons, he wanted to be on the same level of his opponent and handed them to Shayera: - ! – The sss was surprised. – I can not, they will not obey me. - I trust you. – said the shinobi.     And the two swords remained obedient in her hands. She was enchanted by the blades so bright and magnificent, even unsheathed and cut through the air like a child with a new toy, that left some shinobis obviously alert, but she behaved herself. - You are not thinking of facing me with your bare hands, are you? – Sazuki asked. - Of course not. – said Thorgele, as he picked up a sword thrown at him, the sword of Arthos.     And the fight between the shinobis began. Sazuki and Thorgele waged an outstanding elementless fight in the traditional shinobi style, the purest and clearest skill of the mercenary warriors was fully displayed, leaving even the most experienced jaw-dropping, swift and violent, inflicted only a few minor injuries one in the other, not because they restrained themselves, but by the level of their defenses, the fight ended up being taken out of the dojo by breaking a wall, and there they lost their blades, exchanging several punches and kicks, the leader was clearly bigger and stronger, but the young shinobi was a disciple of Riyan, notorious for his speed including in reasoning, and this competence drew the attention of the leader in a frightening way, even though he had already fought against him in the past. In the beginning, when he was adopted and brought to the village, although he was gladly accepted by all and never suffered any prejudice, Thorgele gave no sign that he was skillful, on the contrary, he was ungainly, though dedicated, and seemed not to take no way to be a fighter, many firmly bet he would never be a shinobi and it was a waste of time to insist on training him, but Riyan disagreed, he moved on and after some time of practice and determination, almost losing hope, the view on him began to change, was a totally unexpected development, showing that patience should always be a virtue, his talent surfaced in a rapturous way, terrifying even his father, and from then on he only grew up without stopping, the blades seemed to slip into his hands with each movement, with every cut struck, as if they were part of his body without ever wanting abandon him. Sazuki managed to get Thorgele by the neck, pressing him to the ground, but this one managed to hit him in the nape with a beautiful kick, knocking him down, then they recovered the swords. Now they jumped through the branches of the trees like monkeys, and exchanging sword cuts in the air as they were closely followed by the other shinobis and Shayera, who did not even blink watching the fight, after several minutes of fierce fighting they ended up in an open field in the forest, where they finally locked their weapons and faced each other: - Riyan would have led us to ruin! – said Sazuki, nervous about his opponent's strength. – After everything we spent together! - Wake up Sazuki! – said Thorgele. - By the failure of the mission our clan went into misery! We have lived miserably because of you! And I see his stubbornness in you! - i***t! My father was already near death! - What?! - He would not be our leader, he only believed in one person to lead us! - Who?! - You, Sazuki! - Liar!     They both turned away, it was no longer just a fight for reckoning, but a battle of feelings, and at this moment Thorgele remembered his first fight with Sumith. While Sazuki attacked Thorgele furiously, although this was not exactly a matter of force, but of technique, he also invested, applying a cut so powerful that it cut off the leader's sword, then knocking him down and stopping the blade in front of his face: - My father believed me, Sazuki, not to take over the clan, but to follow the true leader. – said Thorgele, pushing his sword away. – You. - He...? – Sazuki would say to himself.     The young man told the leader about the last moments of his father's life: - My son, your fate is much greater than I can predict. – said Riyan, dying, lying on his bed. – Your commitment will be more than to our clan, and here, there is only one man prepared to take over: Sazuki. - But he does not believe in the same things that you. – said a younger Thorgele. - No matter, he is my best friend, even if he has forgotten about it, I believe him. Believe him too, my son.     Sazuki was slow to accept Thorgele's words, in fact he had forgotten the great friendship of the past, blinded by money, even if his intentions were the best for his clan, he forgot what mattered most: - What have I forgotten my old friend? – asked Sazuki to himself. - Honor. – said Thorgele. – Honor, my friend. - Our honor... – said the leader, remembering the great moments with his best friend, when they dreamed of fighting for something that was really worthwhile, and transforming the shinobi style into the most disciplined and venerable lifestyle. - ... - You are very strong, Thorgele, you have overcome your father. – said Sazuki. – Kill me now. Send me to my friend and free yourself from dishonor. - I can not do this. – said Thorgele. – Because I also believe in you, just like him.     The battle ended with the victory of the young shinobi, who returned the sword to Arthos, and as he and Shayera (who received his sword back) moved away Sazuki and the shinobis remained silent in the field covered with snow. - We will soon fight for something that is really worth it. – Thorgele said turning back. – We will fight for our world, I hope you do not make the wrong choice again, my leader.     In the past, Revan Malak sought the help of all the shinobis clans in the war, but they made a decision even more selfish than the lobimes, demanding to be hired, but the great king refused, for he rightly thought it an absurd greed to put a price in the battle for the future. Riyan was the only one among all who manifested to join the kingdom and fight, but unfortunately failed to convince the leader to do so, and lamented to the end for not having gone alone to the king's side. After the war this generated not a conflict, but a very great sorrow between the kingdom and the mercenary clans, because if those warriors had fought, many lives would have consequently been saved, and this was priceless.       Thorgele's unfinished business was over, and it was time to return to the group company, his new clan, which had been waiting for them. - Hey, Thorgele. – said a voice, it was Arthos. – I always believed in you. - Thank you old friend. – thanked Thorgele finally leaving.     Shayera had understood from the beginning what that meant, it was those shinobis who invaded the kingdom and murdered Adria Alberich, just as it was Thorgele who rebelled against it, preventing an even greater tragedy. At other times she would have exploded in fury and declared war against the entire clan, only stopping when she had annihilated everyone, or was dead. But she changed a lot, learning to go on in a more understanding and sensible way, like her sister, and at least the specific killer of the princess had already paid with own blood for the crime he committed, and the person responsible for this justice was there, by her side. - Your swords. – said Shayera, handing the daughters of the lords to their owner. – I think if they join us, we will have great allies in the battle. - Yes, we will have. – said Thorgele. - Thorgele, it was you that day, in the queen's tower, was not it? - Yes. - ... - I know you must hate me, it was my fault that Adria lost her life. - Adria was my first best friend, and in time she became like a sister. - ... - I loved Adria just as I love Solphie, and when she was gone, a part of me died too... - I have no right to ask you this, but I hope you will forgive me someday. - Even with all the pain in her heart, my queen never failed to remember the man who fought for her. She said he protected her as Loki would. - But I failed... - No. Sometimes a victory means nothing, and a defeat means a lot. You not only fought, you cared, you did not save only one life, you saved a will... and did what I would have done. I just wish I had arrived sooner. - I do not think I would have achieved any of this today if I were here alone. - Of course you would! I am proud of you. – Thorgele just smiled. – You know... Strange to say, but since I met you, I felt a certain urge... to take you down... - ? - You are so strong, and I have always liked challenges. - But we have already fought. - Yes, and I won! - It's true. Hahaha... - Hahaha... – And she went on. – Would you like to fight me again? - No way! - Are you afraid of hurting me? - No, I am afraid you will kill me, the slayer of a hundred. - !!! – And she was embarrassed. – Do you know? - How to go through Lieben and not hear about the powerful lady Sea? I would not stand a chance against you... - Do not be silly, I would never have the courage to hurt you, I would just like to... - Shayera. – said the shinobi interrupting. - Yes? - I am very happy for you to be here with me. – finished Thorgele, taking the sss's hand smiling, and leaving together.     Shayera had a different way, from any other woman, to express her feelings, after all it was news for her to feel something like that, but what she did not imagine was that for Thorgele, all her manner and manner of acting were more and more enchanting.   *****             Rakasha was in her modest house, in the company of Kraven, she always felt happy and comfortable in the presence of the one who considered a father, if she could do anything if he asked her, no matter what, or so she thought... - My dear, the day is coming. – said Kraven. - Of what, my lord? – asked Rakasha. - The day I will need your strength. Will you follow me without questioning my reasons? - Of course, my lord, whatever you ask me. I owe a lot to you, and I will not disappoint you. - I hope so, my dear, I hope so.   *****       It had already dawned when Thorgele and Shayera returned, being greeted with joy by the waiting friends. Now the weight of his heart was removed, and the young shinobi felt refreshed, ready to move on wherever the road took him. - How do you feel? – asked Enghon. - Much better. – replied Thorgele. - Shayera took good care of you? - Of course I took care. – replied the sss, being greeted by the sorcerer. – He would come back with me even if I had to carry him all the way. - That is great. – said Sumith, who was clearly worried about his friend. - Hey, come. – said John. – Solphie prepared a hot soup, and in this cold it's very handy, just not sure about the taste. – He spoke softly, while Iris held her laughter. - I heard that, John! – said the sorceress from the tent, leaving the thief speechless. - Come on, it's meal time. – said Iris.     The group rested well, and early in the morning they finally went on to the great goal now, the colony of the lobimes. They were hit by a heavy blizzard so it took a day and a half on the road, strangely something had a heavy atmosphere and an unpleasant foreboding to everyone, it seemed that something terrible was about to start, as a bad omen, like the smell of death... At last they reached the gates of Wolver, the largest home of the wolves of all continents, the entrance to the colony was surrounded by the highest walls they had ever seen, several points of vigil spread throughout its length, there were many houses inside, a great city, and they did not care much for the rear, for the White Mountains were behind them, and unless it was a very small group, which would be insufficient to overcome them, beyond the immense difficulty, nothing could enter there without being perceived. The lobimes were a highly disciplined and independent people, probably for that reason they and the shinobis respected themselves, cultivated the earth like nobody, even in those icy regions, and they were excellent hunters, although they looked like farmers from birth, were absurdly strong and skillful warriors, though very tall they were swift and agile, creatures born to combat, that is where Zeijadel suffered one of his heaviest defeats, and at the time the place was not so well protected.     The group had difficulty entering, because the lobimes did not cultivate friendships with other races, only after convincing them on an emergency of interest of the king were taken until the presence of the same one. No one looked at them angry or displeased, just did not care about them, waiting for them to withdraw and follow their lives as quickly as possible. The great king of the lobimes was named Lorben, the great gray wolf, was always wearing light armor and holding a large heavy sword, had a piercing look and should be one of the most intimidating people they had ever seen: - So what can I not do for you, Maxlyeben? – Lorben asked sarcastically. - Majesty, once you fought against the great enemy. – said Sumith. – You know he fears your strength, and we will soon have the chance to defeat him definitely. - And I suppose you want to enjoy our strength? - Yes. There is no other reason for us to come here. - I must not ask what you already know about us, the lobimes have lived in peace for thousands of winters, and so we will remain, there is no reason to get involved in the wars of your world. - It's not just our world, great king. – said Solphie. – This is your world too. - She is right. – said Sumith. – And when the enemy wins and falls upon you next? - Then he will have the same result as last time. - You can not be naive to think that everything will be as before. – said Solphie. – The great enemy has much more than just warlike strength, he has the cunning, and he himself will come to destroy you next time. - My father fought against that dreaded army, young woman, and led us to absolute victory over them. - Selfishness can not be the virtue of a king, great king. – said Sumith. - This is our place, and here we will remain in peace as we have always been, until fate decides when it will end. - Great king... - Enough, you know the way out.     The lobime king stood firm in his beliefs and positions, a strong point indeed, it was only a pity he chose wrongly, or naively. Sumith was not satisfied, but what to do before such a powerful and determined mind to keep his decision? Thorgele just stood with his arms folded and hand on his chin, he was probably thinking of something, but even his thoughts were interrupted by a man in black suits who approached quietly, accompanied by a young lobime: - Greetings Lorben gray, son of Hagiliak. – said the man. - My soldiers would never allow anyone to enter without my permission, who are you? - I am just the one who brings your future, great king. - Young Rakasha, who is this stranger? – Lorben asked, but Rakasha remained quiet and crestfallen. - It can not be... – said Enghon. – It's Kraven! - What?! – said Sumith.     At this moment everyone drew their weapons, even Lorben. Kraven was a dark-looking man, about forty winters old, had long hair, black as night, and silver eyes, wore black suits and light silver armor only from the waist up, thorax, abdomen and shoulders, with bracelets of metal that covered the wrist to the elbow (good for defense), and the same protections from knee to ankle, despite the appearance of warrior exuded scary elemental power, carried a long and light sword, Starluz, magically strengthened by various elements, that was the weapon that passed through the hands of several generations of Meira's advisors, told the legend that it was forged by the most skillful blacksmith of the kingdom since ancient times, and that its steel was warmed by the flame of a dragon known as "the giant", was now used for evil being a powerful blade. Kraven was not at all reckless, even powerful and feared, to be there alone, besides a great goal should also possess some feature guarded in the sleeve, quickly he used the element of air, blowing impressively strong and firing all away except the king and Sumith, Rakasha was always by his side quiet and mute, but now she was frightened by the attitude of her master, the others stood up and set off for the attack again, as did the lobimes soldiers who came as quickly as possible. Enghon took the lead firing a long string of his swiftest spells, but Kraven simply neutralized each of them with his left hand! His power was indeed astounding, causing the young sorcerer to hesitate for a second, and at this very moment the vassal of Zeijadel left everyone out using the "Celestial Prison", this was a magic of contention of the most powerful, it was simply a cage created by the element of thunder and could only be performed at a very high level, it was extremely difficult to break and obviously could not be touched, only with a concentrated attack of several elements would get results, but even then it would take a long time to be undone. Enghon, Solphie and Iris joined their powers and started, but they did not allow Thorgele and Shayera to participate, as this process would take a lot of their forces and he, she and John should be in a position to attack Kraven when the time came, lobimes could help, but by their old selfishness allied with their king, who gave no order, did nothing but leave the work in the hands of others. If the cheater was defeated there it might even change the direction of the tide, for hardly anyone could replace him on the board of Zeijadel. - My dear Lorben. I am here just to give you the chance to join forces with us. – Kraven said while Sumith watched him, with Laguna in his hand. - I know who you serve, and I will give you the same answer I gave the young man here. – said Lorben. - Be careful, this is my advice, you will not want to be on the defeated side, correct? – said Kraven. - Do not threaten me, cheater, we have already defeated your master's army before, and this time it will be much worse. – replied the king. - Hahahahahahahaha... – laughed Kraven. – Naive king, do you really think that everything will be repeated? - My answer is no, now get out of my realm before I cut your head right here. Kraven smirked at the lobime king, and turned to Sumith: - You could have attacked me while I was distracted, Maxlyeben. - The only cheater here is you, old man. – said Sumith. - Wasted your chance.     Kraven drew Starluz, and set out to fight against Sumith in front of the king. With each encounter of his sword with Laguna the sparks flew like stars, and the greater servant of Zeijadel was a spectacular warrior! Worthy of his fame he showed incredible coolness and lucidity, he was on the same level as Sumith or probably superior by experience, so it was too dangerous, the fight between the two was to fill the eyes and the king lobime remained standing, just watching, selfish, omission. The fight went on with both equals, and an incredible elemental contest began, Sumith with fire and Kraven with ice, but the cheater was extremely versatile in handling the elements, and surprised the Lieben's young man by opening a large hole with the earth element under his feet, Sumith fell, then Kraven used the water element to flood it, blow it up and throw the young man to touch the ceiling of the cage and die electrocuted. To make matters worse, Sumith could not become guardian, for he would be temporarily arrested and risked to crush the king lobime, but he could also be versatile. Lieben's young man used the element of air, and simply blew himself down, not touching the ceiling, then used gravity to ease the fall and already attacked Kraven with fire again, forcing the cheater to resume the elemental contest. - You are good, Maxlyeben, as expected from the son of Lyeben. – said Kraven, noting the young man's bracelet. – So you are the new silver guardian? Hahaha... It's already marked for extermination. - This we will see. – replied Sumith. - Rakasha! Kill Lorben immediately! – said Kraven to the young lobime, who was very frightened by the combat. - Me? My lord... I... – said Rakasha. - I need you now. - But my lord, I... – Meanwhile Lorben did not understand, did not believe Rakasha would try to assassinate him, or even doubted she was capable. - Remember everything we spent together, do it for me now, my dear. - ... - Kraven, you...? – said Sumith.     Rakasha hesitated, but heeded his master's request. Raising their hands to the sky, a great cyclone formed behind the young lobime, and Galzon, the summon of air, appeared majestic, having to close his wings not to touch the celestial prison. - Galzon! So she is the summoner! – said Enghon as they proceeded to break the cage. - Kill him now! – Kraven. - Young Rakasha? – Lorben asked.     Galzon concentrated the air in his beak, and fired a thin and powerful blast that would pierce Lorben's heart. With the death of the king lobime his people would not have leadership to act against Zeijadel, or to react later. Lorben would be dead, but Sumith, surprising Kraven, stopped the elemental contest expelling the powers up, colliding in the ceiling of the prison, and placed himself between Lorben and the attack of Galzon! Receiving all the power of magic in the chest, in the heart, his body came to be crossed, wounding Lorben, but it was not serious, the young man of Lieben saved the king of the wolves in exchange for his own life, Sumith Maxlyeben, was dead. - No! – shouted Iris. - Sumith! – shouted Thorgele, and all stopped static, with no reaction.     Kraven himself undid the celestial prison, remaining with an expression of sadism and satisfaction, Rakasha was terrified while Galzon continued behind her, and Lorben had no words, was only immobile with the bulging eyes. - Huhuhu... This is better than the king's death. Let's go, Rakasha. – said Kraven. - I... What did you make me do?! – said the young lobime, already crying. - That is what my dear girl lived for, fulfilled your part perfectly, now come. – said calling her. - That is not what I wanted... - You said you would do anything for me, and did. - I am not a murderer, I can not be what you want... I can not be that! – Rakasha climbed the back of Galzon and took flight, fleeing from there. She was not able to continue to keep her promise, she was a naive young wolf, she was not evil, and all she wanted was to live her life. - i***t child.     Thorgele was already running over Kraven with fury in his eyes, while the others helped Sumith, but the cheater just laughed and used a totally unexpected magic, surrounded by a bluish light, only one thing possessed this glow, the element of light. Kraven teleported himself, causing the young shinobi to cut the air. - Ethereal step... – said Enghon.     The "Ethereal Step" was one of the highest spells among all spells, the user's body was transformed into pure energy and acquired the ability to teleport, but could only be used at a very high level, and this user would need to have great resistance, because depending on the distance traveled it spent the forces too much. Kraven appeared in the air firing a very strong blast of fire, he intended to destroy the body of Sumith! Meanwhile Iris was desperate over the young man's inert body, she compulsively used her cure to try some miracle, and growing stronger, weeping and sobbing, until she concentrated such force on the element of life that generated a tremendous power between her hands, but that did not heal, and for her it was strange. - Vital explosion! – said Solphie. – Iris, do not let that touch Sumith!     Iris did not understand what she had just created, the "Vital Explosion" was the only attack magic that the element of life could generate, very powerful, capable of killing one or more enemies instantly, Iris level had unconsciously just increased. After the warning of Solphie the young woman took away the power of near Sumith, at the same time Kraven fired against the body of Lieben's young man and also would reach to all around, but the summoner, instinctively launched the vital explosion against the cheater's fire, the two powers collided in the air, and Kraven was forced to add more elements to contain Iris's new power, then he teleported away: - This girl is not even aware of what she has just done. For now enough, Maxlyeben is already dead.     Kraven used the ethereal step again, this time to withdraw definitively. Sumith's body was cold as ice, Iris was more desolate than the others, and Thorgele stood apart looking at the skies and holding Laguna, king Lorben himself was also discontented, but he had no word to say, or could not, no action, no hope, nothing. They were really waiting for their friend to open his eyes and return to everyone, as he had done before, but this time he would not return. Death never chose an appropriate place or time, was stealthy, brutal, terrible and inevitable. It was at this moment that a great glare bothered the sight of all, it was a magnificent power, and Iris remembered that she had seen that before, in Tantus, in the Kingdom of Terra, she opened her eyes wide, waiting for Sumith to come out of that light, but instead of him another man came. Long dark brown hair, light skin, and blue eyes, he appeared to be older than Thorgele, wore black and silver robes with a chain mail underneath, also a long black cloak with a hood, and carried a sword identical to the Laguna of Sumith. He had an imposing air, approaching confidently and at the same time friendly: - Thorgele, we will need all your power now. – said the man, coming and touching the shoulder of the fallen Sumith. - What? – said Thorgele, who was still far away. - Freeze the body of Sumith, use your utmost power to create a skiff that never melts. - What are you saying? – asked Solphie, not understanding anything. - Sumith is gone... – said John. - Sumith would never leave now, but he will need time, time that only Thorgele's ice will give him. - ... - Hurry up, do not waste time. – finished the man.     Thorgele was not yet able to understand, but despite being a complete stranger he really felt that could trust that man, or even that he had no choice, and heeded the request. The shinobi concentrated his maximum power on the ice element, as powerful as he had ever realized, and it began to snow, but it was not natural, though they were on the icy continent, suddenly countless ice crystals, stunningly beautiful, appeared around Thorgele surrounding him, as if they were attending his call, they all moved away from the Lieben's young man, in fact the cold was so absurd that they moved away of the shinobi also, and with this power he created a perfect ice coffin, so the "Ice Skiff" was born, to keep his friend's body, it was so magnificent they could barely get close, a really incredible ice. - Perfect, as expected from the most powerful user of ice that ever existed. – said the man. - ...     The stranger used the element of gravity and placed the skiff on a cart, to take Sumith's body away: - Come on, another mission starts now. – He said, walking toward the exit of the colony with the cart, while all the lobimes watched quiet and motionless.     The whole group was still in doubt, but there was nothing more to be done, they followed the stranger leaving the land of the wolves, but Thorgele was the last to leave, he looked back and addressed the king: - My best friend lost his life today... in exchange for yours. – said the shinobi. – I will not dare to question your decisions, great king, but remember this day, and deserve it. – Then he turned his back on the king and withdrew.     The lobimes were left behind in complete silence, no words uttered, nothing, and the strange man only smiled discreetly, as if proud of something. After some time of silent walk Thorgele asked, breaking the silence: - Sorry, but who are you? - My name is Laguna Leon. – replied the man. - I suppose you must know all of us? - Iris, Shayera, John, Solphie and Enghon. - If we never met in life, how? - Well, it's not that I do not want to tell, I just can not, please understand me. – said Laguna. - It's all right. – said Thorgele. - Well, Enghon and Solphie must know, that the only element capable of bringing someone back from the other world, is planar life.     Planar life, the element responsible for leading the spirits of the dead to the other world. Plane, the sacred home of the lords was pure planar life, only the great lords, their chosen and the spirits were allowed to enter that place, and could be considered the "spiritual plane". - Correct. – said Enghon. - But for this the body needs to be perfectly preserved, so it needed your ice, Thorgele. - Exact. – Enghon. - The problem is that throughout history planar life users were extremely rare. – said Laguna, with Enghon and Solphie agreeing. – For this is the most difficult element to develop, even for talented people like you two, Iris and Solphie, starting now we would take between ten and fifty winters to get somewhere. - You are right. – said Enghon. – It takes practically half a lifetime to reach the only existing level of planar life, the level of resurrection. Well, let's face it, bringing someone back from death is not really something anyone can do... Even Tantaluz, who dominates fourteen elements, the only one he does not possess... - Planar life. – said Solphie. - Right. Planar life also charges its price, since the one who uses it must be willing to give up some of his vitality. - This means? – Shayera. - Yes. If we, men and women, who live an average of eighty or a hundred winters, use this element, we would lose several of these winters, living less. - As a sacrifice. – Iris. - There was a man once. – Enghon. – Sather Arcanister, he achieved the feat of learning planar life at forty old winters, and with this he raised two of his loved ones who lost their lives in goblin attacks, but he died at forty-eight winters, and his family never again was the same...     According to the legends that Enghon read about, planar life was also considered a power with potentially dangerous consequences, cheating death was something of unknown results, only those who have mastered this element had the opportunity to understand how resurrection and destiny were connected, and were then able to judge whether it was right or wrong to do so. - Your wisdom is worthy of reverence, Enghon. But fortunately all of this is settled, for there is a person capable of bringing Sumith back. – said Laguna. – But there are other crucial things at stake here. - You mean the summons? – asked Solphie. - No, but it's as important a thing as this. – said Laguna. - What about Sumith? – asked Iris, already with an expression of hope. – When will we have him back? - Not yet, my young lady, by the way, you must follow another path. Sumith will not return now, but have faith in what I say, the son of Kin Lyeben will not leave this world. - I believe you, Laguna, but what happens now? – asked Thorgele. - Let's go to Yop Harbor, and please, do not forget, I would never choose to hide something from you, I just can not speak. - It's all right.     Apparently death was indeed inevitable, but not invincible. Iris also thought about the summon of planar life, which in fact was another option, but unfortunately was discarded, because the summoner still did not possess him and they had no idea of in which temple he was. The group followed Laguna to the east, Iris was always beside the cart with Sumith's skiff, and Thorgele carried the Laguna sword with him, of course the name of the sword and the name of the new fellow, even though it may be only coincidence, raised questions in all of them, but his request would be respected. After three days of travel the new fellow made them leave the road and move north, he said that it was of the utmost importance. They came to a small, dense forest, dark and strangely felt a power, almost camouflaged, emanating from that place, continued for a few more hours until they reached a small hovel with a large barn, the place was apparently simple, but it was so hidden in the forest that without Laguna they would not find it this way, the new fellow went ahead and simply knocked on the door as a visitor. - We are out of service, look for another. – said a seemingly young voice from inside the house. - What a stupid suggestion! You know very well that there are no others for this service. – said Laguna. - Hahahahahaha... – laughed another voice. – It's true, you are very smart. - We do not want more than necessary, I assure you. – said Laguna.     The door opened and three men, about thirty-five winters, came quietly: - How many people. You are here for the crystals, are not you? – One of them asked. - And what makes you think they are just for sale? – another one asked. - We closed our services at the request of our father, when began to appear madmen wanting great weapons to take lives. – said the third. - Your father was an honorable man, and was a good friend. – said Laguna. - Our father was not to make friends, tell another story. - Alexander Crescent, the blacksmith of Isil. – mentioned the new fellow, taking from his neck a necklace with a pendant of Isil in the shape of a crescent moon. - Impossible! – said one of them, taking the necklace and showing to the others, who then looked at Laguna. - I was one of his two friends, your father was a crank, now let's talk.     Alexander was the great blacksmith who molded the crystals of Isil created by Tantaluz, who was his other friend, because his technique in the forge was unequaled. The crystals were randomly created by a process he called "alchemy", natural materials were joined, among them other crystals, such as diamonds, and magic, but not even Tantaluz could conceive them the way he wished, because the control of its power, besides needing a high elemental level, it was also possible only if they reached a perfect shape, but no blacksmith was able to mold them perfectly, for the slightest mistake and the crystal was cracked and rendered useless. Alexander, being the owner of a rare elemental domain, was the only one able to work and set them in the towers of Primadril, but he was a tremendous grump and antissocial, apart from his wife and children, only two people made friends with him: Tantaluz and Laguna. - So you are the man who saved our parents from misery? - I would not say that, I just revealed the great talent to the right person. - Sorry for our lack of manners, I am Ehren, these are my brothers, Serge and Gilliat.     It was true, after becoming famous as the only one able to work on the towers crystals, Alexander made a lot of money by setting them in arms, Tantaluz taught him only the secret of creating crystals, and this secret should not be revealed to anyone else for the rest of existence, for Isil not only possessed the power of great observation, he was also able to strengthen everything in which it was set, such as constructions (towers) and weapons, and could never fall into the wrong hands. Many warriors brought and paid well to have their weapons strengthened by crystals, but all this was generating a cycle of blood, once the discord of the power was over, the owners of the weapons were using them for absurd combat championships, seeking for glory, many died from this stupidity, and Alexander felt guilty for causing unnecessary bloodshed on account of his valuable weapons. - I am sorry, we swore to our father that no other weapon would be strengthened with Isil again. – said Ehren. - We spent three unrelenting winters to recover all the weapons he set. – said Gilliat. - I understand, but we are not here for glory, but for necessity. – said Laguna. - How? – asked Serge. - You must know that a new war will begin. - Zeijadel... – Ehren. - And we will need Isil's strength in this sword. – Laguna said, asking Thorgele to show them the blade. - But this sword is already powerful. – said Serge, examining her. - Yes, but it's not enough yet, needs Isil. - And for what purpose? Just to fight in war does not need crystal. – said Ehren. - If Alexander felt guilty for bloodshed, you will give him the pride of preserving thousands of lives. Ehren stared into Laguna's eyes for several seconds, until he decided to trust him: - Our father was a difficult man, so select in his friendships that in his whole life he chose only two friends, and if you are one of them, let's trust. – finished Ehren, who was also surprised to know that the one in the ice skiff was Sumith Maxlyeben, son of the great Kin Lyeben, but after a conversation he understood that he was that way to be brought back soon, and that he would save the lives his father so much dreamed of having spared.     All were presented and taken to the great barn behind the house, and when the doors opened they saw thousands upon thousands of gleaming and dazzling weapons, axes, swords, bows, staffs, maces, shields and spears, all kinds of weapons already made, and all had an Isil crystal set. The place was magically protected by something Enghon thought he had read about, but he could not remember at the moment. The alchemy work of Alexander's sons was impressive, the only ones in the world, besides his father, to master this exceptional art perfectly, mixed elemental force, the skill of a blacksmith and the talent of a sculptor, was a very time-consuming and incomprehensible process at first. From a non-stoned stone, preferably crystallized carbon, creating, shaping and set an Isil crystal, even closely observed one could not simply learn, it needed a master, Tantaluz was the only one to do it himself, but he spent much of his life incessantly to succeed, so perhaps he did not develop planar life, as he chose Isil. After several hours, which passed slower than ever, the Laguna sword was ready, with the crystal perfectly set in the guard, and the brilliance was even more incredible, its strength could be felt in the distance, even Thorgele marveled at the new power that would belong to Sumith when he returned. At the request of Laguna, who gave his word on the honor and noble intentions of his fellows, some of the other weapons were also strengthened, they could simply choose other weapons in the barn, but the blacksmiths themselves preferred to create new ones, for they said that those weapons were already drunk too much blood... - Although elemental dominance is fundamental in its creation, the Isil, once completed, can not be filled by any element, no matter how much is tried or how much time is spent, nor does it need, since it's more important than magic. But it's simply impossible to enjoy its power if it's not in a perfect shape. – explained Gilliat, taking away some of the natural doubts that arose in the group that watched. – Otherwise, setting them will be totally useless, the object will not be filled by its power.     In John's knives they were set in the guards, the sword of Shayera, the pommel, and the staff of Iris, traditionally at the tip, like any staff. The exceptions were Thorgele's swords, Solphie's staff and Enghon's, the latter Laguna saying that it would not be necessary. - Man! You have the daughters of the lords! – said Serge at Andriel and Andurel, and his brothers also came to admire them. - These do not really need Isil. – said Gilliat. – And even if they need them they are indestructible, impossible to put something in them.     Then they looked at Solphie's staff, and were amazed: - So it was with you. – said Ehren. – This staff is the last weapon left for this barn, the only one we can not find. - I inherited it from my mother. I knew it was Isil, but I did not imagine it was so special. – said Solphie. – So I never knew which element strengthened it, there was never any. - Cindy Sea. Kilik called her "Gale", a woman who could be comforting, and indomitable as a force of nature. While he was called the "Swirl of Fire", as he strengthened when blown by his gale. – Sophie and Shayera were quietly emotional to hear this. – The secret of the Isil, according to Tantaluz and our father, is in the magical connection it creates with the mind, once in your hands knows that it is stronger, and it will become, it only depends on your will power. - Thanks. – thanked the sorceress.     The work on the weapons lasted all night, and the brothers did not stop. Iris spent all the time next to Sumith, while the others were accompanying the brothers and talking, she felt her heart clench as she watched through the ice the wound on the chest of Lieben's young man. Thorgele and Shayera approached to keep her company: - It does not matter if he comes back soon, I miss him here and now. – said Iris. - I miss him too, he is my best friend. – said Thorgele. – Let's bring him back. - Do you really trust Laguna? - Yes. Strangely he conveys the same confidence as Sumith. - So I will also trust. – said Iris. - You heard little sister, let's bring him back to you. – said Shayera, leaving Iris red again as she now tried to strangle the sss, who just laughed. - Do you want me to keep it a secret, little one? – asked Thorgele. - Ah! You... – said Iris clapping at the shinobi's arm. – And by chance, Shayera too... - Enough talk! – said the sss quickly, silencing the young woman with the hand in her mouth, while the shinobi just laughed in a relaxation that was needed.     For Iris, John and Enghon were true friends for all hours, but Thorgele, like the twins, was seen as an older brother, always pointing to the right directions, comforting and protecting the entire time, Sumith was the lucky deserving of the love of the beautiful young woman, and know that he was dead, without having had the chance to reveal these feelings, her heart ached, but thanks to the hope brought by Laguna her forces were maintained. In the morning, after the intense work, all received their new weapons, strengthened and more powerful, Laguna handed his necklace to the brothers as payment, which, according to them, was more than enough, and with the promise to honor his word: - You are the heirs of Isil's secret. – said Solphie. – What do you have in mind? - As our father and Tantaluz himself wish, soon this barn will be buried, never to be found again. – said Serge. – No new weapon with Isil will be born, and the secret will die with us. - This is a noble goal. – said the sorceress. - Save lives. – said Ehren. - We will save. – said Laguna.     Finally they returned to the road and proceed, now to Yop Harbor. Three more days of travel passing only sightings of the Kingdom of Balvera, although the "blue city" was beautiful even observed from a distance, it had an architecture that resembled something heavenly, the castle itself looked more like a great tower on the edge of a magnificent frozen lake, just behind beautiful mountains and the beautiful northern lights, common in practically the whole continent, gave a magic touch to the city. The supplies were gone, but Thorgele and Laguna were very skilful in the ice hunt, and food was not lacking. After they had run smoothly, they arrived at the great port city, very similar to Hagen and Menegost, as well as the great tower, just at the entrance they finally met the great sorcerer, Tantaluz, who was already waiting for them. Enghon was very happy to find his great idol, indeed the young sorcerer could be considered one of his apprentices, but for the short time in which he studied under his tutelage, Enghon did not consider himself, Tantaluz saw in him a lot of pain and hatred for Kraven and all that had happened to him in childhood, he considered him one of the most talented young men he had ever met, but lamented the darkened side of his heart. The group now knew the so famous and powerful sorcerer, the greatest of all times, Tantaluz Primadril dispensed presentations, had a really old appearance, with more than eighty winters of age, but he did not have the fatigue of the age, being strong and very active, black eyes that exuded a unique lucidity, of short and silver hair, wore classic robes and a long cloak, blue like the color of the Isil, and the own power that emanated of him was unique, already knew Laguna of others times, and showed himself to be a true gentleman with everyone: - It's a pleasure to meet you, my young people. I have seen you through my crystals for a long time, and I know the importance of your journey. – said Tantaluz. - Old master, could you tell us where Kraven is now? – asked Enghon. - Unfortunately Zeijadel's power grows stronger every day, this is a sign that he approaches this world, and as a lord he purposely obscures the sight of the crystals. – replied the greatest of sorcerers. – But do not fear, everything has its due time, just as it's time for Laguna to guide you along the necessary path. - Laguna is more mysterious than Arkan. – said John. - Does the old man still wander around carrying trinkets around the world? He never changes. – said Tantaluz. – Children. I know you still carry a lot of pain in your hearts, just as I know that the loss of dear Sumith is the great burden for this pain. – And touching Iris's shoulder. – But an old man once said: “There are evils that come to good”. Smile more, child, what you crave will be yours in time. – This time looking at Shayera. - Who said that, Mr. Tantaluz? – asked Iris. - Myself. Hahaha... – pulling a smile from everyone, and approaching Thorgele. – Our true hearts will all be revealed to the world someday. – leaving the shinobi slightly confused. – Now come, I know you must rest your bodies, and your young and troubled minds.     Everyone thanked the greatest sorcerer for his words, Tantaluz passed the comfort of a unique experience, from someone who saw much for a single life, and carried more wisdom than he should, worthy even of Krantenion, this one, by the way, was another of his great friends, he walked the whole time carrying the Morgil, the most powerful of the staffs, was long and totally made of Isil, a true work of art in detail, with a star carved at its tip, beautiful, created by him and shaped by Alexander, was able to greatly influence the strength of any sorcerer, and should never fall into the wrong hands, the only one of Isil's weapons, besides Solphie's staff, which the blacksmiths allowed to remain outside their barn. Everyone went to the great tower to accompany the great sorcerer, in addition to having a great meal, the twins were also very dear to the old master, because his parents knew him very well, and treated him as if he were a grandfather. They talked a lot about various things, the waking of the crystals, the discord of the power, Kraven and Zeijadel, the time passed quickly and pleasantly until the time to retire to the shipyard, where they would spend the night, but before going Tantaluz still spoke with Enghon: - My child, empty your heart of this revenge. - This is a request, great master, difficult to be attended to. – said Enghon. – First my city and my parents, now my friend, what else is he take from me? If I lose my life and can take him with me, then it will have been worth it. - I feel for your troubled mind. – said the old sorcerer. – Your future may be great, young Enghon, but only if you let it go. Where it should, not where you want it.     Enghon thanked with much respect for the old master's words, but in fact for him to forget revenge against Kraven was almost impossible. They replenished the supplies for the continuity of the trip, because due to the unforeseen ones they did not know where Arkan would be, but Laguna assured that he would be waiting for them. They kept Sumith's ice skiff in warehouse of the shipyard, it was unpleasant to be separated from him as a burden, but it had to be done. During the night Enghon was thoughtful, at the words of his great idol, all slept peacefully except Thorgele, who awoke again with that strange foreboding, he and the young sorcerer talked a little about the life and ideas of each one. The shinobi fully agreed with Tantaluz's words, but Enghon still held the same position: - You can put yourself in my place, Thorgele. Sumith is also your best friend, do not you want to avenge him? - Of course, but a very important thing I learned: to seek revenge is instinctive, when we lost something we love, but revenge is also unpredictable. It may run away from you, or even surrender with open arms, if it really has to be yours. But do not look for it, or you will find more than you want. – said the shinobi. – Sometimes you have to let it happen, whatever it is.     They talked more late into the night, when the shinobi finally fell asleep and the young sorcerer soon after. In the middle of the night Laguna woke Thorgele discreetly, was serious, and the bad feeling of before came to him immediately: - Thorgele, go to the tower of Primadril. – said Laguna. - What happened? – asked the shinobi. - One of your most important hours has arrived, go quickly.     Thorgele obviously did not understand Laguna even if he tried, but he had already learned to listen to him, and kept his word of insisting on nothing. The young shinobi went quickly to the great tower, and on its top stood the greatest sorcerer: - Hello, young prince, someone like you always has the gift of greater intuition. – said Tantaluz. - I even agree with what you say, except about that prince... – said Thorgele. - Do not be disturbed by my riddles, but I know that you are able to see beyond, beyond me, with all my old age and studies I am capable, and I do not mean your very rare atesaki. The new generation brought with it many promises, and you are one of them. - ...     It was clear that Tantaluz knew something else, after all, the crystals of Isil revealed to him so much for many winters, that it was almost impossible for any great event to occur without his knowledge. In fact the power of observation through the Isil was a puzzle, it was known that any crystal of it had this ability, with the range varying only by its size, the main reason why the crystals in the towers were immense, but the ability to observe was an exclusive secret of Tantaluz, after all it was his duty to never let this fall into other hands, and that it would only be passed on to some disciple in the future. - It's a beautiful night, beautiful... for many things... – Tantaluz.     After these words a great evil will filled the whole tower, Thorgele and Tantaluz were alert, some great enemy was approaching, a light began to form in the center of the tower beside the great crystal, the ethereal step, and the dangerous enemy revealed: Kraven. - Good night, great master. – said Kraven. - The flagellum of Meira. – said Tantaluz. – Have not you satisfied your bloodlust yet? - It will only be satisfied the day my master takes possession of this world. - It's a shame someone with your power surrendered this way to the other side. – said the great sorcerer, while Thorgele remained silent and holding the handle of Andriel. - There is still much to be done, continuing for you, old man. – Kraven seemed to ignore the shinobi, as if he were invisible. - Tell me, Kraven, do not you remember the old time, when you were still worthy even to replace me? - This is past. It's time, white flame! - Come on black fire!     The terrible elemental combat between the great master and the cheater, began. Kraven with Starluz and Tantaluz with Morgil, the black sorcerer began making the celestial prison, although Thorgele was there, he simply left him aside, as if he were nothing, and at the request of the great master the young shinobi did not interfere in the fight. Kraven knew Tantaluz, being an old man, was weak in physical combat, and tried to use this in his favor, but he was very powerful and aware of his weakness. The cheater could not even come close, and the fight became purely elemental, their spells were absurd both in level and destructive force, but despite so much power, the tower remained intact due to the strengthening power of the great crystal of Isil, which protected its structure incredibly. It was simply an elemental spectacle, Kraven attacked with fire and Tantaluz responded with ice, and in shock both were canceled, all elements that could be used there were actually used, and Thorgele was forced to create a strong cocoon of ice, to protect himself from magic shocks, black clouds formed around the great tower and the sky was taken by a sudden snowfall and thunder, announcing the fantastic battle, for several times the two have annulled themselves in power, having to use their gimmicks to have some effective result against the adversary. Tantaluz wisely cultivated many plants in the tower, almost like a garden, and used them through the element of nature, causing them to grow terrifyingly to trap Kraven and try to strangle him, but the cheater, not a fool, concentrating the fire all over his body, burned them and freed himself before a sharp branch pierced his heart, which in turn made timely use of the rays of clouds to attack his opponent magnificently, the "Invocation of Thunder", but the great master defended spectacularly with a shield of light, absorbing the rays for pure energy, the combat remained strikingly tied, and Tantaluz was surprised by the level of Kraven: - You have become strong, but how far will you go? – asked the great master. - As far as I need! – replied the cheater.     At this point, Thorgele just watched impressed from within his protection, and for the opponents, who already showed signs of fatigue, by the great demonstration of power exhibited in that place, there were few alternatives left. It was when Kraven created something similar to a large ice cube, and with the element of gravity he hurled it at Tantaluz in a violent and incredibly fast, while forming many pointed parts to m******e the enemy, the "Iceberg Execution", this was an exclusive magic of his own, simple but very powerful and difficult to avoid, great for enclosed spaces, but Tantaluz also possessed his secrets, he concentrated the air at its maximum power, and with a simple and rapid movement of hands, cut the whole cube of ice, in cubes! These were the "Claws of Gale", his unique magic, also simple and deadly, but still nothing worked. The cheater appealed to the element of darkness, creating a great black blade that became an extension of his sword, and the great master responded by doing the same thing, but with the holy element, which was the perfect opposite of darkness, on his staff, and they both entered into another stupendous fight, their magic blades collided in the air and exploded the elements to all sides, by that time the whole city was astonished observing the magical crashes that happened in the tower, even without knowing what was actually occurring. The group awoke at the same time to the uproar: - What is happening? – asked Enghon. - Kraven. – replied Laguna, who was just standing quietly in the window. - What?! He is here?! – Iris and Solphie asked at the same time. - Where is Thorgele? – asked Shayera. - He is where he should be. In the tower. – replied Laguna. - Hurry, come on! – said Enghon running through the door, with John on his trail.     They all rushed to the great tower, while Laguna followed them calmly and was the last to arrive, but did not enter, just waiting outside. The group reached the top accompanied by the young apprentice of Tantaluz, who was the watchman of the tower, and they came face to face with the celestial prison, Thorgele protected by his cocoon of ice, and Tantaluz against Kraven in an unbelievable battle. - Let's break the prison, quick! – said Enghon. - No! – said Tantaluz, while the magic blades were nullifying themselves. – This is my fight, only mine. – And all remained immobile.     The battle extended more and more with no result for both sides, and without any other alternative that could decide that difficult combat, they decided to appeal to the only thing able to put an end to the conflict: their maxims and ultimate elemental forces. Both concentrated impressive fourteen elements together, and fired their most powerful blasts to end combat. - Fourteen elements... I did not think you would reach such a level of knowledge. – said Tantaluz, while their forces generated an impressive swirl between them. – No, I might have expected...     The great power that had been generated would drive the group away, and even the ice of Thorgele began to fall apart. The elemental whirlwind was pushed from side to side, a pure contest of power, where the one who faltered would be dead. - I am sorry, old man, but it's your end! – said Kraven.     The cheater concentrated something more on his strength and added it, something that surprised everyone, including Tantaluz himself: - Planar life! – said Tantaluz. - Impossible! – said Enghon. - When I met you in Meira you were purely a swordsman. – said the great master. – It would be impossible to learn this element in such a short time. At this point... Kraven what did you do?! - Thank my new master. – replied the cheater. - You have abdicated your free will, glowing fire. – said Tantaluz in a low voice. - So Kraven was one of your disciples, great master? – Enghon said to himself.     The great sorcerer had never entirely lost hope of recovering his former pupil, until this day. Kraven reached the fifteen elements, something that no one has ever managed, except one of the ancient lords, in all of history, he was the first, but unlike Tantaluz, who was pure talent and knowledge, the cheater did it by giving himself completely to Zeijadel, this meant that he was on a path with no return, definitely. The mighty whirlwind was drawn slowly toward Tantaluz, while Kraven only smiled sadly, the great master, after so many winters of servitude to the world, of immense wisdom, saw his end. Enghon was desperate outside the cage, and fired his spells in the vain attempt to break the prison. - I always saw the good in you, glowing fire. – said Tantaluz to Kraven, and his eyes seemed to shed tears. – This was the thing that overflowed you, and I can not understand what has become now. Maybe it was my mistake. Maybe I should have taken your life at that time, but... I would never have the courage to do it... against someone who reminds me so much of my son... - ... – Kraven. - I have failed a lot in my life. Forgive me for having failed with you too.     Thorgele undid his ice cocoon and longed to help Tantaluz, but was again hindered by the sorcerer, it was at this moment that he pulled a small book from his robes, and with his mighty staff tossed it to the shinobi: - Give this to the young Enghon. – said Tantaluz. – Do not let him throw himself into the abyss of revenge, he is much better than this. - Let me help you, please! – asked Thorgele.     At this moment the great master used his last forces to generate an incredible ethereal step, that teleported the whole group to the outside, to save them, but Thorgele remained, for he was too far from others to be included, and heard the last words: - Good bye. Great king Seth. - Tantaluz!!!!!!     Tantaluz was totally consumed by the elemental whirlwind, but at the same time he also managed to contain the great explosion that would destroy the whole tower, and probably much of the city, thus saving thousands of lives, but the greatest of sorcerers was dead. With his death the three towers of Primadril, being no longer connected to his mind, began to be sealed by the great power of Isil, Tantaluz was the guardian of the towers, and without him no one else could control the power of the great crystals, they would remain closed until the emergence of their new guardian. Kraven, realizing this, undid the celestial prison and concentrated the light on another ethereal step, to withdraw from it before was late, but Thorgele ran and grabbed him, being teleported with the cheater.   
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