Chapter 9 - Scattered Minds
Egios wakes up, still with weakness and a lot of dizziness but this time, he finds himself in a comfortable enough bed, turns to look around to see a humble room, a small table, a closet and that bed, all quite clean but rustic. The window is on the other side of the small room and by the light that enters he can define that it must be approaching noon.
Slowly he gets out of bed, his body still feels a little sore, and walks to the window. Outside the light hits him as if it were trying to recover all the time he was in the dark, when his eyes can see again, he visualizes a street, a man carries some vegetables in a cart and a woman weaves sitting in front of his house, it’s a typical town of the region, but not one in which he has already been, or so it seems. He opens the window and the fresh air fills his lungs, he had not noticed before but now he wears clean clothes, he quickly checks for that magical papyrus but finds nothing, looks up and sees himself face to face, it's almost unrecognizable, he was a man who always took care of his appearance, but now he felt he looked like a vagabond, he tries to fix his hair a bit, then he sees that the door opens and Vicky appears there bringing some fruit in a basket.
- Oh! At last you wake up! - She says excitedly as she helps him back to bed.
- It's good to see you again, where are we? what happened? Where is Kathrinna?
- Calm down, we're all fine, Kathrinna is with Fiona, it's still hard to control her power... come, you have to eat so you can recover your strength.
- Thank you, for everything,... for saving me.
- It's what we do for friends.
Egios smiles at her, for a long time he didn’t consider anyone new his friend, he really had new friends, people willing to risk everything, even a great mission to save his life.
- I want to see them ... help me go with them.
- Sure!
Vicky helps him out to the patio, there he sees Kathrinna who with a book teaches Fiona to control her power, the girl remains sitting on the floor with her eyes closed and very focused.
- Without her help, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue you Egios - says Vicky. - She had to practice a lot and very fast to learn.
- She ... can she control it?
- Not quite, ... but she has made great advances.
Egios looks again at the girl and Kathrinna, who haven’t yet realized that he is there.
- Hey Fiona! - A familiar voice shouts - The blue eyes look more beautiful on you!
Egios turns his eyes and sees Nom reclining on a chair while a lady gives him a soup to what he makes a bit of a face.
- Nom! - Egios shouts, at the time everyone turns to look at him.
- You woke up! - Kathrinna tells him to come and hugs him. - It was time.
- I never thought I felt so happy to see you!
- Ha! ... I must admit that I don’t either - says Nom.
- Mr. Egios! - Fiona shouts at him as she also approaches him - I missed you so much!
- What happened? Tell me everything, Kathrinna, I waited for you that day... I thought you would put the box safe and you would come to help me with Yovun.
- And that I did - she says - but on the way I met the cultists, they blocked me and it was difficult. When I got to the inn, you were gone... and in the other room I found Nom.
- Yes... was it really that way? - says Nom - I remember something else.
- Kathrinna smiled at Nom - you had lost a lot of blood Nom, - continues Kathrinna - he was very badly hurt so I helped him. Nom rebelled when Yovun told him his plan, so he stabbed him.
- But I'm tough! I don’t die easy, you know.
- What happened to Yovun? - Egios asks.
- He died - adds Vicky - along with the cultists.
- How did you find me? The cell... the building had some very strong magical enchantments.
- Well, it was the old way... - says Kathrinna - we hired several hunters and mercenaries, and we tracked the forest for days, that's why it took us so long ... the place was very well hidden.
- You know, who were the cultists? They really are worshipers of that demon.
- Yes, we found many things in their lair, however, it was not a very large place, possibly a temporary shelter or improvised. Several fled, we could not catch anyone alive, well it wasn’t our mission either.
- I really believed that I would die there.
- Did you see Yovun? Did he say something to you?
- Yes, that man is an unhappy, traitor, just looking for his own benefit, saving his skin at the expense of all of us.
- Well... he was... he fell in battle.
- You... I saw you enter the room, did you kill him?
- What matters what happened, the important thing is that we managed to rescue you, it was with effort... since you fainted instantly.
- How long have I slept?
- There will do about 3 days - she says
- Oops... we lost a lot of time, isn’t it?
- Well more or less.
- We are in the town of Galiz! - says Nom - about 3 days from the border with Dwaralav... really close!
- The supplies are loaded, we prepare to leave. - says a rather bearded but well-dressed man who enters the place, wearing a fur coat and reddish but abundant short hair.
- Egios, he is Pebot, he is part of a caravan of merchants. They have helped us travel here.
- A pleasure!
- Ah... it's the sick man, at last he wakes up... that’s very good, boy, it's about time.
- We'll be there in a moment - Kathrinna says.
- Very well. - Pebot adds and then leaves.
- It was a great luck to find them - says Vicky - they go to Sagaddya, so we can go with them all the way to Dwaralav.
- They are many?.
- Let me see ... they are ... about seven I would say.
- And are they reliable?
- Kathrinna smiles - We'll never know, but at least they have their own affairs. Come Vicky, help me take out the luggage.
The trip with the caravan is much calmer and the border towards Dwaralav already begins to feel colder, towards these territories, the forests are not so deep and some grasslands begin to be seen, there are many more farms and small towns, that because of their distances with civilization don’t proliferate as cities. The caravan, 5 men and two dwarfs who don’t get tired of drinking and singing, is one of those many that are formed for convenience, they don’t know too much between them, but have learned to trust each other to be able to arrive safely at their destination, they carry exotic fruits, fine fabrics, some jewels and bars of black copper and orichalcum, very desired to make armor, all these goods are bought for a high value in Sagaddya since it is difficult to get them there. Egios has tasted some Acumunap bananas and golden tomatoes from Valefdal, including some of the lunar fruit from the lands of Daosmoon, elven country. The peace that is lived is a huge contrast with what I had lived a few days ago, in his mind it was almost as if everything had been a dream, but again when turning to see those blankets that cover Kathrinna's box, remember that until finish their mission the danger will always be present.
Edsamul, SL XXIII – 267 Anum 15.
To my most dear and esteemed friend Ardulan.
I really wanted to write to you this time, although I didn’t know what to say, it’s the first time I have so much to say but I don’t know how to do it, I wrote this letter a lot of times and in the end I understood that I will never agree with the final result.
I was captured by some men, yes... those that I asked you to investigate, but so far I have not received any response from you. Those men and women, they were really crazy, their fanaticism for Qwrarles blinded them, in fact literally. I thought of you my friend, I thought you would come for me, to my rescue, that with all those allies you have, those friends who give you magic items, like those rings that saved my life, maybe they would alert you... but I know that It's not your fault, how would you know? I’m so far. I really felt the end, but I came back, I want to take firm steps and say that I will accomplish the mission, that I will accompany Kathrinna until the end and I will face what I have to face but I am afraid for my life,... I have discovered that I am not ready to die, I don’t want to do it. Dhasfalgor in person came to visit me, my skin did not freeze because It was already frozen, my breathing didn’t get stirred even more because my body didn’t have the energy to do it. I had never felt so much terror in my life, I thought he would accuse me, but in his eyes he told me that he already knew everything, as if he read my soul.
I don’t know how far I will go, I want to help them and I want to go to the end, they have shown me their courage and I feel they are much stronger than me. Kathrinna, Victoria, Fiona and Nom, continue to fight in spite of everything. On the other hand, with each step that we take, farther from my home, my heart is shaken, it trembles, it is terrified, those cultists pulled a part of me in that cell. Is what I do right? Is it what we do Ardulan? What will become of our souls? Who will protect them if we have denied that right to the guardians?... I am really confused,... now we have started the month of Anum, you know that I hate this month,... the month offered to the Guardian Okasra, the guardian of secrecy and that everything sees, every day of this fateful month I feel as if a huge eye rested on my head and accused me of all my actions. I hope it ends soon.
I will continue my trip, I owe it to Kathrinna and the others. I must be strong like them.
With great appreciation
Egios
Dwaralav is a cold land, the mountain range to the south is the only thing that breaks the enormous plains that compose it. To the west, the area bordering Yconav, there are large plains full of farms and small towns, it’s normal the presence of guards and bandits, for many it is a place of the most normal, somewhat boring, although you can see all three Rohak towers, huge structures located along the territory surrounding the border of Yconav, one is located in the mountains, another in the plain and the last on the sea, from the central one you can see in the distance the other two, but from the ones located at the ends, only the central tower can be seen. It is said that in them rests a sleeping army waiting to be called by its master, nobody has entered there in hundreds of years, nor has anyone found an entrance, with time they became a part of the landscape. To the north, the lands are no longer suitable for crops, but large herds of wild animals and impressive creatures that the locals raise as cattle can be seen. It’s a relatively quiet country, its capital Coszhuv to the center-east was built around an old fortress, like many others in the eastern region, some in ruins, others rebuilt by the incipient nobility of the place.
The caravan continues its course towards the first town of Dwaralav, Nom is dragged in one of the carts by the horses, while Egios already feels well enough to walk next to the others.
- How is your recovery? - Kathrinna asks Egios.
- Good!... Look I already move with some agility, I would say that I'm practically healed.
- That's good - she says as she looks away for a moment - and what about your heart?
- My heart? ... well ... - he says bringing his hand to his chest - I think it's okay.
- I mean... your feelings ... your thoughts, I've seen you somewhat depressed lately, you were always cautious but you were alert of your surroundings, now you are as absorbed in your thoughts.
- Hey!... So much is noticeable?
- Is it because of what happened in that place, right?
- It will pass me by, you don’t have to worry about that.
- Are you sure you'll manage to do it?
- Of course. - he said, while in his chest felt a blow asking him to stop talking about it.
- Hey, since you were a smuggler, I expected to meet many of your acquaintances along the way, but I have to say that I have not seen any of them.
- Ah well, that's because my routes were not around these ... - He laughs a little.
- Oh no? ... It seems to me that they are desolate enough to trade.
- That if you want to take Sagaddya, smuggling in dark elf territory is very well paid because it is very dangerous. But usually it is carried on boats.
- So, what routes did you do?
- Abezzel, Haukari ... sometimes we went to Balagor. We carried magical weapons, alchemical and occultist objects. They never caught me, because my father always brought up his face for me.
- He was brave.
- No,... none of that, he just knew that I would speak easier than him. He was only doing to save his skin and well... in the cells he usually got clients and suppliers.
- Was that where you met Ardulan?
- I met him as a child, ... before traveling with my father ... you'll see I grew up with my mother, she and my father did not get along very well, but she got sick and then my father took care of me, the sad thing was that he wanted to drag me into his lifestyle, he said it was exciting not knowing how he would get out every day or if he would finish it. But the more time I spent with him, the more I detested that lifestyle.
- You know ... you were able to escape from that life, not many achieve it, that should give you courage.
- Was it something good, right?
- Don’t get depressed, we all have weaknesses, there's nothing wrong with that.
- Oh yeah? Will you tell me what yours are? - Egios says mockingly.
- She laughs- ... what do I know ... let's see ... I hate the smell of chicken coops, I don’t know ... I cannot stand it.
- That's pretty weird...
- In general, I don’t like strong smells... nor noises, I prefer a calm and stable environment.
- In that we resemble each other a bit, I also like tranquility... although I don’t dislike chickens - he says laughing at the end.
- Hey ... the other day you told me you had friends who could help us with the box.
- Have you thought about?
- I must deliver it, I am determined in that, but I can’t help being curious about them... in what way could they help us?
- Well, I know that they work with... organizations... and they know about artifacts and ancient objects.
- Does Ardulan work with them?
- No, he studies history and is very good at it, it is not that he works... only that they consult him a lot.
- And where can we find them?
- Mmm... well... that depends.
- Of what?
- It's that they do many expeditions, they keep them here and there... sometimes it's hard to find them, but if you really care... well... I can introduce them to you.
- Yes, but maybe when we finish this.
- I really tell you... how do you know that the box will be in good hands when we deliver it?... I say... I trust my contacts and...
- I will deliver it,... I know that the person will be someone good, otherwise the priest would not entrust it to me.
- Who is this priest?... I know his name but... is it the same as the books?
- Valnyr is one of the 6 great priests of Ezgadión. Each one takes care of one of the Temples protecting each one of the parts of the Duvaror. Each time the guardian awakens, the Duvaror creates a layer of black clouds over the entire territory of Escyddar bringing the eternal night, 500 years of night only.
- Did you know that the Duvaror is the sword of Ezgadion?
- Yes, fragmented and delivered to its people as a symbol of its protection.
- Of all the guardians... Ezgadion,... well I've always wondered what he represents, the authors do not seem to agree.
- Ezgadión is the guardian of Mind, of Knowledge.
- Of a pretty scary knowledge.
- He protects the minds of mortals by absorbing corruption towards him. That's why vampires, created by him, have a stable mind, free of feelings, or that's supposed...
- Why is it supposed?
- I don’t know... in a certain way, sometimes I think you can not get rid of all the feelings,... there are some who are in such a deep part of our souls, that will always flourish, regardless of the barriers that you impose on them.
- That's very nice... and very interesting, I would say, have you felt that?
- In a way... I'm still discovering it, if I find something... I’ll tell you, - she says laughing.
- At least you have not lost the ability to laugh - he says.
- It is further proof that what I say is true - she says smiling softly at him.
- You know who was the first vampire?
- Who?
- Lord Razor, who led the first vampires to war, won and not only that, but embarked on a campaign of conquest, taking many territories under his control, there was even a time when he dominated the lands of the elves .
- It seems you admire him in a certain way.
- Egios makes a slight gesture and can’t avoid a slight awkward laugh - good is that he had the courage to rebel against the guardians themselves and do his will, and to some extent achieved his purpose. Did you meet him?
- I didn’t know him, luckily I changed time after his reign ended. Razor was a genocide, he destroyed innumerable towns and enslaved many people, and you're also wrong about something, he was not the first vampire, that title belongs to Lord Xage.
Kathrinna takes her luggage from the cart, grabs the box and then calls Vicky to accompany her to find a place to stay, clearly touching the subject of Razor had bothered her in a certain way. Egios is left thinking about that figure, Lord Xage, the current leader of the vampires, with a personality totally opposed to that of Razor, he created peace with the other nations allowing the vampires to finally be accepted as part of the world, not as a threat. That man, who is always said to be wearing a mask and that no one has ever seen his face, or his hands, which some say he walks crippled, had the strength to overthrow who was considered for hundreds of years as the strongest vampire in history. Why had it bothered her so much that he mentioned Razor? Didn’t she say that she didn’t know him?
Egios takes his luggage and after helping Nom to stand next to another merchant, they go to nearby benches accompanied by Fiona waiting for Kathrinna.
- Do you miss Yovun? - Egios questions Nom.
- Nah... I miss Barleif, the short one was a good man... is it true? That you killed him?
- Who told you?
- Yovun told Kathrinna, but I don’t blame you, he also attacked me, in my village, betrayal of friends is one of the worst crimes.
- They punish it with death, I imagine.
- Nah... we don’t kill anyone - says Nom - our conditions are rehabilitation, tests and challenges to show that you can change.
- And what happens if you fail the tests?
- Ah well, I suppose they die - says Nom while laughing - ... Sir, Egios, was the cell very hard?
- Well, considering there was no bed, no food, no where to sit...
- Do you think it's worse than being stabbed by your own friends?
Egios looks away and then only smiles a little.
- What would you think of having a friend whom you value a lot and when you need him the most, he’s just not there?
- That's not a friend... friends are going to rescue you! As Kathrinna and the others did it for you!
- What if that person doesn’t know you're in trouble?
- Oh well... well, what do you want me to do, they are not all magicians either, hey Mr. Egios, you’re asking me very complicated questions, it makes me sleepy.
- Egios laughs - how nice it would be to have a mind as uncomplicated as yours.
Kathrinna and Vicky return a short time later, they have gotten an inn on a nearby farm. Egios goes out to look for the post office but hasn’t received anything, goes to the market and stays a moment with the merchants of the caravan who take the opportunity to exchange products.
- I was kidnapped by bandits when I was a boy - says one of the men.
- Oh yeah? - Egios answers still not knowing if it is he who they speak to.
- They wanted my father to give them 20 horses... - After a pause, he chuckles.
- And what happened?
- Well, what would happen - says another man - they were given the horses.
- Not all of us have strong friends like yours - says the man - but we do what is necessary to survive. What does Mr. Egios do?
- I have a vineyard... and I am also a writer.
- Wine?... Is it good? - asks another man who approaches.
- What wine is going to be good - says the first man.
- It's good wine - interrupts Egios - In my village it’s very well received.
- If you need to sell it... I can help you. - continues the man.
- It would be interesting, but I don’t think I produce so much.
- Well, enlarge the vineyards ...
- Egios smiles - I'll think about it.
- The wine sells very well in the capital, and if it's red, vampires love it.
- Do you sell to vampires? - asks one of the men.
- I sell to everyone who pays me, that's the business.
- Are you... taking fresh air, Mr. Egios? - the first man asks.
- Yes something like that.
- Don’t think so much about what happened. The important thing is that you’re alive.
- Yes, in that you’re right.
- We are already far away, those people will not pursue you.
- Ah... yes, I hope so.
Egios knew that the cult had been following Kathrinna since she left Escyddar, and had reached them there, while the box was still in their possession, it was certain that they would see them again. He was terrified of that idea, he didn’t want to see those men without eyes again and he felt fear overtake him, it was as if he no longer trusted that he had the strength to face them.
- Hey Egios, do you like banuaga? - says one of the merchants
- Is that fruit brought from Ryokhland?
- Yes, yes, that same one.
- I must say that I have never had the pleasure of trying it.
- Come, take some. - the man says, passing him two green fruits, rounded and with a rough shell, with orange leaves.
- How do you eat it?
- Just open it, the pulp is stuck to the seeds... but I warn you that you'll be shitting blue all week.
- It's worth it if you ask me - laughs another one of them.
Egios opens the fruit and sees a bluish pulp that covers a black seeds, try one of them and find the best flavor of his life that clearly is reflected in his face, quickly devours the 2 fruits.
- It's exquisite! - Egios says - excuse me, do you have more of these fruits?
- Yes I have, but this time I sell them, they are expensive and difficult to import, you know.
- It's fine, I'll pay you.
- But I also warn you, don’t eat more than two, ... it's also a hallucinogenic fruit, if you eat a lot... well, you'll have a good walk in the clouds.
- Oh!... how terrible to hear that,... is the second bad thing that happens when eating this fruit.
- Oh yeah? And what is the other?
- Well, I will not be able to enjoy apples so much anymore, - Egios says finishing with a slight laugh.
The men laugh too, Egios can see how those merchants get along, even though they have only met to make that trip, it seems like they were lifelong friends. It's almost like a code inside their world, they know they are exposed to many dangers, so, what better than to trust theirs. No matter their race, nation, or tastes, in some way they trust each other. Egios turns and see different types of merchants and customers, the town is so small that people greet each other and laugh at each other, so much peace, so much kindness, is the world that wants to build, looks back and sees a man with his eyes are blindfolded with a face as if he were looking directly at him, his body shudders and he can’t take his eyes off the man, has the cult reached that place? A hand hits his shoulder.
- He's just a blind man - says one of the merchants. - Don’t pay so much attention.
Egios spends the night awake, sitting on his bed, looking out, watching every street, every corner waiting for those men to reappear, although he doesn’t know what he will do when they come. Kathrinna rests in her bed, he knows that she does not sleep but nevertheless, her body needs rest. Vampires usually rest during the day but she does so at night to keep up with everyone. His eyes search through the gloom for anything that seems out of place, a cat, some dogs that bark in the distance, however, everything seems calm and the seconds seem minutes, and minutes hours, finally, without knowing how long has pass, he decides to sleep.
The merchants decide to stay a couple of days in the place since they are making good money so Kathrinna proposes that they also take those days to rest and regain strength, especially insisting to Egios to focus and recompose your mind.
- Come with me - Kathrinna says pulling Egios by the hand.
- Where are you taking me?
- I want to see the fields of flowers, the farmer who crossed by this morning had some very nice, I'm sure they will have some crops around here.
- Flowers?
- Don’t be like that ... you'll like it.
They walk through the small town and go through the guard tower, to the north there are spreaded wide fields of cereals, the farmers use oxen to plow the land and in those places it is normal to see Finhoun of pets, rodents the size of a medium dog, children love it because their fur changes color and starts to shine when wet.
They cross through a field of huge yellow flowers that follow whoever is near as if wanting to look into their eyes, then extensive crops of cold weather flowers, reds, oranges, violets and blues of various shapes and sizes, which are taken care of by farmers with patience while cutting those leaves that no longer serve. Many of these flowers are desired by magicians and alchemists to make magical inks or dye their clothes, also the nobility buys them by heaps to adorn their palaces. Kathrinna clearly enjoys the place, it’s as if it reminds her of the province in which she was born and Egios feels a certain tranquility, it is like a respite after a bloody battle. Kathrinna asks permission from a farmer and then the two climb up to a balcony at the top of a windmill, from there the fields and farms are glimpsed, with some trees swaying, releasing some leaves in the wind, in the distance some villages, and the hills of the great mountain range. Kathrinna sits on the edge calmly, then Egios do it too.
- It is beautiful the contrast that exists in the world, - she says - just a few days ago we crossed through sinister and dark forests and today we have large meadows, fields and a whole world of light.
- Don’t you feel that sometimes you are the one who is out of tune? That you don’t know what is your place in the world?
- That happens to you?
- No, I mean ... it's that ... well I know what I want to achieve, but I was wondering if you have that decision, you know what you want to achieve with your life...
- Well, I have a long time to decide.
- Egios laughs - don’t play with luck, if you were still mortal, what would you like?
- Mmm... let me think.
- You are a brave woman, sure you would be very good fighting for a cause.
- I think so,... it would be something like, to make people not fear us, to achieve an understanding between vampires and the other races.
- That's complicated, you know, with how thirsty many vampires are.
- Hey, you asked ... don’t come now to get me down from my cloud.
- Egios chuckles - I'm sorry, it wasn’t my intention.
- And you? What is your goal?
- You know it, fight for a better world...
- Without Guardians - interrupts her.
- ...
- Do you really think the world would be better without the Guardians?
- We cannot live our own world when we know that they are there, we can’t be completely free because they prevent us and above all we have to participate in their ridiculous war.
- There are always rules and there are always those who are responsible for enforcing them, what you think would happen in a world without rules?
- We would be free.
- Is Ardulan true? The one who has sold you that idea.
- What matters if it is him or are others, is an undeniable truth. When you are before a powerful and you must submit to his will you are losing your own way, the world stagnates because all this control limits people, when you release them come changes and that allows the world to advance, we create our own future.
- From my point of view, a world without rules, without Guardians, would bring anarchy... like what happens in Sagaddya... Chaos.
- That’s a necessary evil, because we come from a world ruled by laws, commanded by the Guardians, people will not know how to react and will be confused, nobody is used to their freedom, but with time we will find the way.
- It’s an interesting and positivist point of view, but well ... How do you pretend to get rid of the guardians?
- Oh well I don’t know... - Egios laughs softly as he looks up at the sky - ... ehhh... I'll think something.
Kathrinna turns her gaze to the fields and windmills that move in the wind, the mountains caress the sky and merge with it, that same mountain range that runs throughout the great continent from the land of Edarket, characterized by the deep caverns that run throughout the country, like a giant pumice stone, to the great desert of Uhundus, home to ancient fortresses and terrible storms caused by elementals, and whose highest peak is in Ozzowan, land of the great magicians.
- What happened in that cell ... - says Kathrinna
- It doesn’t matter,... I ... I got over it - says Egios with trembling voice.
- It isn’t true.
- I don’t want to talk about that.
- You have to get over it... if you don’t do it, next time, those guys will really finish you.
- I don’t think they can make me feel worse than what they did.
- Believe me, it can be much worse.
- You were not there.
- Do you think that is the worst thing that could have happened to you? At least... you were able to get your life back.
Egios looks away.
- I'm sorry, ... I ... it was not my intention.
- Don’t worry, ... I just want you to understand the opportunity that has been given to you, not to waste it and whatever you really think, keep fighting or renew your path.
Kathrinna gets up with intention to leave but he grabs her cloak.
- Don’t leave yet ... I want to enjoy this place with you a little more.
- It's okay - she says, sitting down again - it's a beautiful place.
The next day Egios is writing, he doesn’t know what he wants to tell, but he feels the need for his hands to take care of something, as if relieving his mind through ink, he lets the strokes flow in meaningless ideas, badly drawn characters and a story that never takes off, but wants to continue, just wants to write, and perhaps among that sea of words find the courage that has been lost, how can talk about saving the world when not even he trusts his own way?. He turns his gaze and sees Yovun enter through the door of the room, but soon vanishes, it is a mirage, a shadow that torments him.
- You're pale, did you see a ghost? - asks Nom.
- Hey... you're already standing ...
- A breakthrough! Or not brother?
- Yes!
- I already want to train again, to venture... but they tell me that I should not overdo it yet, and for a good time.
- It’s better that you pay attention to them, I assure you.
- Nom laughs - ... Listen Mr. Egios, the merchants are already packing, we will leave in the afternoon.
- Oh well, at least I have all the luggage ready.
- Do you need help in something?
- No need, go help the girls.
- So shall!
Egios takes her luggage, and puts both of her rings on, Kathrinna was able to recover all his belongings, even those magical papers except the one he wore among his clothes,... would she have used it? Or was it simply lost? For some reason he was worried that she might have communicated with Ardulan, perhaps she had only warned him that he was fine. Egios takes his luggage outside where Kathrinna and Fiona wait while Vicky and Nom finish packing.
- I forgot to buy some things, I’ll go to the market and I don’t delay - says Egios.
- Do you want me to accompany you? - Kathrinna asks.
- No need, I will not be long.
Egios goes down the street and quickly enters the post office.
- Ah... are you again - says the owner - let's see, yesterday a letter arrived for you!
- Really?... that’s good!
- Yes, let me see ... it has strict instructions to be sent to the next town if it is not claimed and comes very well sealed, here it is. - the man says, passing him an envelope
- Thank you!
Egios retires to a bench of the place, his emotion is such that he cannot wait to read the response of his friend, this time, the letter brings a magical seal, it is only possible to reveal the message when the right person puts his finger on the seal. Ardulan had never been so cautious, was something going on?
Rakijas - Rojo, SL XXIII – 267 Anum 17.
Egios
I hope that this letter reaches your hands and only your hands, the Waters of Varomo have become cloudy when I have shouted your name. Someone watches you closely even if you haven’t noticed, I can’t say how long ago, but as a shadow moves by your side, stalking you. Be careful, every step you take brings you closer to a storm, but don’t worry, the messengers have been sent, we will not leave you alone when confronting your enemies, they have been sent by an alternate path towards Sagaddya.
Continue strong, courageous, that your will does not despair, our path is strong and we will triumph. Your heart is united to all of us, we are brothers and brothers take care of each other, your campaign will be successful.
Remember not to mention the messengers, remember to find the receiver and don’t let your guard down.
Zeri
Zeri? ... Who was Zeri? He had never written before or met any person with that name, for the magical security that the letter had to be some kind of sorcerer, would it be the person who had sent the gifts from Ardulan? Egios, find in the letter much more confusion, not the answers he expected to receive from his friend. With a slow and hesitant step, he leaves the building.
- Hey, sir! - The owner calls him who is approaching quickly.
- Yes, what’s up?
- It’s that you have another letter, it arrived this morning and I just opened the package. - The man says as he hands him another envelope - it's funny, I had never had a man outside the town with so much correspondence.
- Yes,... I must be becoming famous. - He says laughing a little something uncomfortable.
Egios looks at the envelope, a totally white paper, when he opens it, he takes out a letter written on black paper that begins to burn on contact with his hand, quickly releases it and the paper falls on the floor while the flames carbonize it, its ashes go stirring until forming the symbol of Qwrarles, the same one that rests on the box. Egios turns to look through the window and sees the same blind man in the market who "stares" at him while smiling.