The time has come

"We're ready," Liam looked away, and stood in the doorway, staring into the darkness.

"Well," the captain said, taking Cal's hands in his, "let's get started."

He closed his eyes, and Cal followed suit. Instantly their minds were united, and Cal felt a crackling sound inside him as if a dam were breaking under the pressure of water. He tried to relax and calm the chaos in his mind.

Suddenly it was as if a wall was closing in on him, and he was shrinking and unable to breathe. The captain spoke words, and gradually the pressure was released, and the torrent that swept away everything in its path was reduced to a calm river.

Cal could feel his personality growing. He was learning new words and creature names. He learned to wield three weapons besides the sword. He could now confidently shoot a crossbow, throw a spear, skillfully wield a dagger, and... make a delicious meat stew.

The information didn't come in a very structured way, and at times he was amazed at his sudden skills. He chuckled, if the roof in Liam's house leaked or a window broke, he now knew how to fix it.

He had picked up a lot regarding battles. His experience was instantly enriched by a detailed history of past battles, specifics of formation, maneuvers, and cunning in battle.

Gradually Cal lost the ability to comprehend the information penetrating him, his mind blurred and shut down.

Even after that, the captain continued to pass on everything he had accumulated over the years, filling his gaps, enhancing his abilities, and giving him an advantage over others.

After draining his soul completely, he erupted into a brilliant light, and glittering golden circles spun from him in different directions, as a stone dropped into water.

Cal was able to open his eyes for a moment and watched in amazement as the man in front of him flashed brightly and disappeared completely. Cal was shocked by this passing of life and passed out.

Fabula and Celestina patrolled the grounds around the house, and Liam stared tensely into the distance, afraid to see his fireflies.

A bright flash and energy circles gave away their location completely, letting everyone know what had happened. The general in his room felt the wave of energy and swiftly jumped out of the barracks.

Though it was only a couple of seconds, he quickly oriented himself and armed himself, and set out on the hunt, accompanied by three dozen soldiers.

Moving swiftly, like a shadow, they came upon the captain of the training camp, who also noticed what had happened and advanced with the squad.

Cal was lying on the floor, but Liam couldn't get near him; instead, he kept his hand at the ready to contact the marshal. Looking straight ahead, he saw a glistening cloud of moths and his heart pounded feverishly.

"It's time," he informed the marshal, "they're about to arrive."

"Hold out until I get there," the marshal replied quickly and passed out.

Liam pressed his lips together and drew a circle of writing in the air, then pushed it away from him and began to draw a second one. Celestina in turn used the multiplication technique and instantly three more like her snakes separated and crawled away from the Fabula. For a while, they would be able to fight.

Liam and Celestina understood that by engaging their own allies they automatically became traitors and subject to the death penalty, so they changed their appearance.

The first confrontation occurred three miles from home. The soldiers attacked the giant serpent and advanced with little loss.

The technique of three restraining circles made by Liam caused the squad to lose their bearings on the ground. They wandered aimlessly in circles for a while, but the general discerned the enemy's plan and dispelled the stupefaction that enveloped the soldiers.

Realizing the enemy was clever, the general became more cautious and safely passed the traps along the way.

Within minutes the squad had located the house. The general demanded everyone come out and surrender, but no one responded. Breaking open the closed door, the soldiers found traces of people, but the house was empty. Spreading out, the soldiers pursued the fugitives.

The general realized he had been outmaneuvered, lost his temper, and summoned Azinoth, soaring into the air on him. Far ahead of him he saw a silvery water dragon. He accelerated and caught up with it, but the dragon melted into thin air, proving to be an illusion.

Using a powerful technique, the general shattered the copies and mirages created by the enemy. Then he finally saw the fugitives on the great serpent swiftly moving westward.

"The Spellcaster," the General hissed and sent Azinoth after them. While the others scrambled around the stony desert, the general proved once again that he did not wear his honorary title in vain and caught up with Fabula.

The fugitives had to stop and take the fight. Without dealing with the nuances, the general attacked the group of men in the night, dealing devastating blows.

Barely able to contain his onslaught, two men struggled to defend the third man, who lay unconscious. Heavily wounding Celestina, the general swung at Liam, drawing his sword to strike.

Liam was able to dodge and push the general back with his foot, taking a more advantageous position.

"You're both hiding your identities, but that doesn't help," the general shouted, revealing them. For a moment he was taken aback and froze when he saw Liam in front of him.

But the next minute his face was impenetrably ice-cold. He put the sword in his other hand and delivered his verdict:

"Treason is punishable by death on the spot. Allow it to be carried out!" He swung and sliced his sword mercilessly through the air against Liam's feeble defenses.

The general struck accurately and technically, forcing Liam backwards. He noticed the unconscious man and took a step to the side. Examining the flowing white hair he recalled the report of the cadet's death.

"So he's not dead?" The general grinned bitterly, making a deceptive maneuver and stabbing Liam in the back.

Meanwhile, Celestina snatched a knife from her boot and stabbed the general in the leg with a surprise throw. He retreated a few steps and then swiftly stabbed the Spellcaster in the heart. Celestina died quickly, causing Liam to freeze in horror.

"Why do you dislike my apprentice so much?" Liam tried to stall for time.

"Do I have to explain?" The general didn't give in to provocation.

He struck Liam with the hilt of his sword and he fell to the ground, unable to breathe. As he frantically grabbed at the rocks, the general slowly walked up to Cal and grabbed him by the throat. Lifting his body into the air, he said gloatingly:

"You can't die twice," and squeezed the defenseless neck.

Liam jumped up and rushed toward the general, but was instantly thrown aside. A sudden flash cut through space and the general heard a voice:

"You're going to kill your grandson without blinking an eye?"

The general's hand trembled and unclenched. Cal fell out of his grip and fell to the ground. In front of the general stood Marshal Pittsu in shining armor, glaring at him with a hateful, superior gaze.

"What did you say," the general asked, slowly turning his head and looking down at the blond man's body. His neck already bore dark marks from the general's hand.

"If you ever hope to speak again to someone whose father you dumped like garbage next to the orphanage, I advise you to back off. Then maybe I won't tell him how his grandfather almost killed him and you can explain yourself to him.

The general took a few hesitant steps to the side, keeping his frantic gaze on Cal. Then he looked back at Celestine's corpse and the barely alive Liam: the general was in shock.

The captain and his squad arrived at the scene. He froze uncertainly when he saw the illustrious marshal and the stunned general.

"So his name is Cal?" The general, who had lost all his swagger, muttered.

Then he turned to the captain and told him to get back to camp. As the detachment left the perimeter, the general nodded his head and staggered toward Azinoth, then disappeared into the horizon a moment later.

Liam crawled to Cal, gathering what strength he had left, and felt for his pulse. Blood was streaming out of his white hair. He bruised his head in a fall.

"Barely alive," Liam said with a gasp, and then reached Celestina.

Unfortunately, she didn't survive the battle and sacrificed her life. The marshal could no longer watch the tragedy unfold, turning the sword in his hand he sliced the air and from there the six horses and carriage broke out.

Liam was relieved. The marshal lifted and loaded Cal's body and then helped the wounded Liam into the carriage.

As he approached Celestina, he summoned spiritual fire and dispersed her body into a million soaring sparks so that she might one day be reborn. Liam honored her memory with silence, then hurried the marshal and they left the cursed planet together.

The return journey took about half an hour, just as the marshal had warned. They did not utter a sound during the journey. Liam was very depressed and held Cal's head in his lap, worried about his wound. He was also deeply affected by the tragedy of his beloved's origin.

It is unlikely that the marshal was bluffing. Consequently, Cal is the general's lost grandson. Liam had once heard these rumors but had not given them much thought. Now it all seemed like a fairy tale with a terrible ending.

How the general must have felt now, realizing what he had done... but most of all, Liam regretted Celestina's fate...

The Marshall's possessions were strikingly different from the planet on which Liam had spent his last days. Even the air was cleaner and more wholesome.

Arriving there in the dead of night, they were housed on the first floor of the palace, where two of the best healers had been summoned. The room quickly became saturated with the smell of blood and tinctures.

There was a shallow wound on Cal's head, which was of no concern, just a lot of blood, which frightened Liam. The Head himself sustained several serious injuries, including a broken arm, which of course he hadn't noticed in the heat of battle.

When the doctors had finished treating them, they left and the marshal ordered a light supper. They ate together, but Liam could not taste the food, still under the impression of what had happened.

Liam couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to discuss the fate of Cal and the general.

"Is it true what you said to the general?" he asked, mechanically tearing a piece of bread to pieces.