Бесплатный фрагмент - Story of Raidarian Peace

Story of Raidarian Peace

Original is (in rus) “История Рейдарианского Мира”. Story of Raidarian Peace by Bausov Oleg Yurivich. Author’s own translation.

“Forgive me but I am not a professional translator, so there may be spelling, punctuation and logical errors of mild degree” by Author.

This book narrates the tale of an unfortunate prince, orphaned at birth after his father’s murder by his ambitious uncle who usurped the throne. Imprisoned and stripped of his royal privileges, the young prince faces a grim destiny of exile unless he can reclaim the throne at the age of sixteen. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, his journey unfolds as he navigates through pain and despair in exile. A chance encounter with a stranger alters his fate, propelling him into a fantasy world filled with both joyous and challenging adventures. The protagonist becomes a guiding star for readers on a compelling journey through this intricate realm.

CHAPTER 1 “CRIMSON IMPERIAL SUNSET”

“Let’s go! What are you standing there for? Climb up…”

“Yeah, just a moment,” the boy replied, looking at the ladder. “Hey… Is it normal for it to shake?” he asked with a slight concern.

“Oh, come on! It’s not that high… Climb already!”

“It seems like this ladder is a hundred years old. Hello… Splinter! Clearly, the previous emperor greeted it too,” the boy said, climbing the ladder to the roof of the two-story building.

“Ha-ha… Yeah, possibly.”

And so, the boy climbed up and said,

“Phew, I should have climbed using the stone ledges — it would have been safer.”

“A ladder is a ladder — don’t start complaining about the new one! Sit down instead; the view from here is beautiful…”

“Not bad… A great view of the main street,” he commented with a hint of sarcasm.

“I think you’re just fed up with these views. You’ve forgotten how to appreciate the beauty around you. The Imperial Crossing itself isn’t that bad, but if you’re not satisfied, on one side of the crossing, there’s the radiant Imperial Castle, and on the other, a breathtaking sunset. It’s just a pity that the border wall in the distance is strongly overshadowed by the setting sun. Of course, you could choose a more interesting spot. A fantastic view would open up from those towers or that chapel… But to get into the clock tower, you’d have to beg the local guards, and as for the towers, city watchmen rarely let anyone in there just like that. So, if you wanted a better spot, you’d have to work hard. But here, you sit and watch the sunset on the horizon… What could be better?”

“You’d climb walls all day, Izzy,” Gek replied discontentedly. “I’ve had enough from the last time. One wrong step, and you’re a corpse. I don’t want to be a corpse. Besides, you just struggled to climb up the ladder yourself a moment ago. So, such risky adventures are not for us.”

“This ladder was about to collapse any moment, so it doesn’t count.”

“And the stones sticking out of the wall are the most reliable thing in the world?”

“Okay, maybe you’re right…” Izzy reluctantly admitted. “By the way, do you know when these bells will stop ringing? They’ve been ringing since morning…” Izzy said with a slightly troubled look. “Hey! Can you hear me at all? Gek!?”

“Oops, sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment,” Gek said. “Mom said, ‘Since the emperor’s son was born, the bells will ring all day.’”

“And what were you thinking about?”

“Well, I’m wondering why a whole detachment of the border legion is marching towards the castle,” Gek said thoughtfully, seeing the silhouettes of imperial legionnaires in the distance.

“Where?” Izzy exclaimed in extreme surprise. “Oh, come on. It really is them. I’ve never seen them so far from the border perimeter.”

“Hmm… Interesting… The last time I saw them here, I was still very young. I only remember blurred outlines. I was about three, I guess. It’s been a while since they were here after that decree… You know, the one that required every Raidarian warrior of Illyria to be on duty at the border perimeter and move along external city crossings only in particularly important cases,” Gek said.

“It seems this is a special case — the son of Emperor Saron. They’re probably coming to personally congratulate the emperor and his family. For such an event, the imperial family will surely have a feast like no other. I heard they feast on all sorts of delicacies there… big fish, golden roe of this fish… I forgot what it’s called, slugs from the eastern lands — but that’s an acquired taste — healthy octopuses, and those are just the sea creatures presented by the best chefs of all lands. I envy them…”

A faint growl was heard…

“Have you eaten recently? You quickly jumped from marching legions to royal feasts,” Gek remarked.

“Yeah… Yesterday, I think. Since mom got sick, there’s hardly anyone to earn for. There are some coins left, but they’re not endless, so I have to save,” Izzy replied. “I’m thinking of joining the warriors. They accept into the ranks from the age of nine — for training — if you pass the fitness test. And since I have the blood of the ‘first ones’ — that’s what mom used to say — I’ll immediately enter the higher echelons. They feed you every day, and the pay is good enough to cure my mom. I’ll send her a portion of the earnings, and then I’ll take her with me when I become an officer…”

Gek sighed and said, “Well, you have ambitious plans. Keep it for yourself! I can’t eat all this dried meat alone.”

Izzy smiled, took the meat, and began to devour it greedily.

Meanwhile, the thunderous noise from the clattering of soldiers’ heavy wooden armor on the stone-paved street was getting closer to the boys.

Gek, lowering his head and then looking in the direction of the approaching squad, exclaimed in surprise:

“Look, there are so many of them. It seems like they decided to congratulate the emperor with the entire border garrison,” Gek said with a smirk. “Hey, maybe you should approach them, ask? You’re almost nine already; maybe they’ll take you right now? Maybe even feed you…”

“Yeah, right! Very funny… I’ll just go… Look at them; they probably won’t even notice me. I think they don’t pay much attention to the people around them either,” Izzy said.

“Maybe you’re right…” Gek replied.

There were sounds of surprised and disgruntled cries from the crowd. But most praised the warriors. The city’s residents, travelers arriving in the city, little children and seasoned old folks, workers and adventurers, men and women, poor and rich — everyone was interested in watching and mostly showering the warriors with praise. Phrases and shouts like “Look how strong they are,” “You’re the best warriors!” “When will you fight again?” “When I grow up, I’ll be a warrior like you,” “Their armor costs more than your house!” “If you decide to quit, come to me; I won’t mind a coin,” “For the emperor!” “For the empire!” — such phrases and exclamations were heard on both sides of the grand parade street, where people had parted in front of the advancing warriors.

The Raidarian warriors were so disciplined that they seemed to pay no attention to the people around them as they headed towards the main castle of the empire — the Radiant Millennium. Marching in phalanxes, seven soldiers deep, each forming a cohort, they proudly moved forward along the Imperial Passage — the capital’s main trading street. To the boys, the warriors appeared like some divine beings, overshadowing the crimson sunset with their presence. For them, these were the finest warriors not only of the empire but also of the world, clad in legendary wooden armor, possibly crafted in Rhein, the city that served as the origin of the Raidarians.

Observing the warriors, massive swords made of Rhein steel were noticeable — huge and incredibly heavy, slightly taller than half the height of the warriors themselves. To the boys, they seemed entirely unattainable, as they were wide and in terms of length, exceeded their own height. The warriors also wore thick wooden armor, at least twice as thick as ordinary metal armor. Due to their athletic build and massive armor, the warriors appeared significantly larger than the average Illyrion resident, especially those unrelated to military affairs.

At the head of all the cohorts marched the commander. Unlike the other warriors, his head was not covered by a powerful-looking wooden helmet. It was clearly visible, held proudly high. The commander looked menacing, as if he had been through hundreds, if not thousands, of battles. This was evident not only from his stern face but also from his scars. A slight hint of disdain could be discerned on his face, but it was not clear towards what. He walked freely, as the march did not suit high command ranks. Individuals like him usually moved with a simple, free step, on horseback, or on special transport. Although in some places, it could be noticed that the commander, no matter how hard he tried, could not contain the past of an ordinary soldier he once was. Sometimes, almost unconsciously, he started to march slightly.

“And why did the emperor order to prohibit warriors from entering the main part of the city… It seems that everyone is thrilled only at the sight of them,” said Izi.

“Well, first of all, not everyone! Those who arrived in the city and lived in Illyrion, not Raidarians, spoke poorly of them. I heard it when I went to the tavern with my father. And secondly, my father said that there were many cases when newcomers from other countries or just travelers started behaving disrespectfully towards the warriors. It rarely ended well for them… My father said, ‘It harmed international trade relations.’ I’m not sure exactly what he meant, but because of these incidents, there was eventually some altercation near the eastern passage. Provocateurs attacked the warriors… It affected the residents and the son of the Volstern family… Well, like affected… They say they almost tore apart Volstern’s junior. Few of the victims were lucky enough to survive. And those who survived are afraid to talk about it. They said it was the fault of the criminals who provoked the conflict, but someone saw that it was the border warriors. In short, now there is neither the Volstern Rota nor the border legion warriors beyond the border perimeter.”

“Such a reason… I think I heard this story from older guys Sardi talked to. They kept saying that the world would be better off without the Volstern Rota, or something like that. I don’t think they could say that about a good person.”

“Maybe he wasn’t a good person, but we shouldn’t dismember him now…” said Gek, in slight confusion.

“Well, okay, dismembering him is too much,” replied Izi.

“Here you go!” Gek said, handing over his portion. “I’ve already eaten enough for today.”

“Thank you!” Izzy said with a smile, taking another piece of dried meat.

“Let’s go see what’s happening near the castle. Maybe something more interesting,” Gek suggested.

Suddenly, a female voice from below shouted, “Hector, I’ve been looking for you! Don’t forget that today you have to help Grandma with vegetable cleaning.”

“Let’s go! The last one is a half-cooked chicken!” Gek quickly retorted.

With a smile, Gek immediately dashed forward. Izzy quickly took a bite of the meat Gek gave him, put the meat in the pocket of his pants, and hurriedly followed his friend towards the castle.

Arriving at the location, they took a higher position again. Climbing from the roofs of houses onto the roof of the Ruto family store, which was located on the main square of the city, where phalanxes of empire warriors gathered.

“Phew. So, how did you find it?” Gek asked, catching his breath. “What was more challenging, squeezing through the onlookers crowding the approaches to the square, or jumping from the roof of the red house to the roof of the stable house? I sprained both my feet with that jump, but it was worth it,” Gek said joyfully.

“Both, and at the same time, navigating through the cheering crowd was definitely more difficult. You can try it yourself,” Izzy said, swallowing the last piece. “What’s happening there?”

On the imperial square, phalanxes were lining up one after another, coming from the imperial passage. The cheers of the onlookers, who came to watch the enticing spectacle, could be heard. Bells were ringing in the castle tower and chapels throughout the city, creating an incredible noise. The leader of the imperial legions, approaching the main entrance of the castle, approached the commander of the imperial guard.

“It seems like that commander is trying to enter the castle, but the commander of the imperial guard is not letting them through. Strange,” Izzy commented.

The commander of the guard removed his helmet to show respect and talk to the general. The imperial guard, stationed to guard the entrance to the castle, refused to let the general, who brought an army with him, enter the castle by order of the commander.

The castle guard was equipped differently from the border-offensive legions of the empire. The armor material was the same, the traditional Reinesian wood armor with similar thickness proportions. The only differences were in the color of the attire, the shape of the helmet and pauldrons. The armor of the imperial guard had various engravings, such as the emblem of the emperor’s family — a black giant salamander that inhabits the Reinesian forests. The armor itself had a black hue, in contrast to the wooden-beige color of the ordinary warriors of the Raidersian Empire. The helmet was slightly less cumbersome and at the same time more elegant. The pauldrons were slightly larger and heavier than those of ordinary warriors standing in the square awaiting the general’s orders. Overall, the full equipment of the emperor’s guard was slightly heavier than that of an ordinary warrior, but the guards were among the best warriors, veterans hardened in battles, so the additional weight was hardly felt by them. Also, the guard had golden plates attached to the belt, which could be removed in battle, thus lightening the armor to move faster.

“It seems that the commander is not pleased,” Izzy said in surprise.

“Why are you surprised? He was not in the best mood before. And now they don’t even let him in.”

“Isn’t that the emperor’s brother coming out of the castle? Look, behind the commander of the guards.”

“I didn’t know that the great king Megal returned from his wanderings. It’s just strange that he decided to show up wearing only pants and a crown, but I must say, it suits him,” Gek said.

General Dest, leading the legion of border warriors of the Raidersian Empire, was the first to unsheathe his sword. Then the commander of the imperial guard did the same. The warriors of the imperial guard drew their swords from the scabbards on their backs, and the spear-wielding soldiers blocking the passage directed their spears towards General Dest.

“Why did they draw their swords?” Izzy asked.

“I don’t know,” Gek replied with trepidation.

When it seemed that the situation had reached its peak, the Great King Megal, the brother of the emperor, who stood behind the commander of the imperial guard, unsheathed his sword. This sword was slightly longer than the others, black in color with a gold engraving of a winding vine along the entire blade. The gleam of his royal crown accentuated everything around him. He swung the sword, moved it behind his head in a circle, and while the commander of the guards turned around, he beheaded him with a powerful blow.

“You were too weak, Foron. Even fighting you would have been boring,” Megal said, then turned and entered the Radiant Millennium.

General Dest ordered a few warriors to fully open the castle gates, then looked at the castle guards and ordered them to let his warriors into the castle. After that, several phalanxes entered the castle under Dest’s leadership. Although the guard warriors were bewildered, they couldn’t do anything against the general’s order in the absence of their commander. They could only take their positions and wait for the next order.

King Megal walked towards the throne room, dragging his sword behind him. The scraping sound echoed through the marble-floored corridor, announcing his approach to all within the castle. Servants, guards, and courtiers watched in astonishment as the king made his procession. Some genuinely didn’t understand what was happening, while others suspected but dared not take any action. All were simply stunned observers.

King Megal reached the doors and commanded the guards, “Open the doors!” The doors swung open before him.

The scene inside the throne room was chaotic. Servants and courtiers danced around the emperor, engaging in conversations among themselves, while the emperor stood near the throne talking to a local official, the commander of Lurid, responsible for the work of the secret patrol.

Megal entered the room, continuing to scrape his sword against the floor for some distance, and calmly said, “It seems you’ve just found out, Brother.”

“Found out about what?” the emperor asked angrily.

“What is this jesting about? You’ve known everything for a long time and even issued orders… Orders to summon the other kings of the five kingdoms to help you and orders to call all your friends in Illirion.”

Behind King Megal, the silhouette of General Dest appeared. Following him, columns of warriors from the borderlands entered the throne room at a brisk pace. This caused the courtiers and servants in the throne room to huddle together near the emperor and the guards. The emperor, on the contrary, stepped forward.

“Traitors!” the emperor exclaimed. He then addressed the ordinary border perimeter warriors of the imperial Raidarian legions who came with General Dest. “You… You swore allegiance to the emperor and the empire. Here is my order: take the traitor General Dest and put him under arrest; take the traitor King Megal, my brother,” the emperor’s voice was full of despair, “take him and put him under arrest.”

“Excuse me, Your Imperial Majesty, but these are my warriors. They trust and listen only to me; we’ve been through fire and water together. We have crushed empires. With some, with all due respect, when your father didn’t even have you in his plans. And you locked us on the perimeter… On the border,” General Dest spoke with pain in his heart. “The only thing we can do is fight, but you’ve deprived us of that, leaving only endless training. But what are meaningless, purposeless drills when you can’t test yourself in practice? A Raidarian who has been to war remains a Raidarian forever!” and Dest’s warriors stomped their feet on the marble floor. “A Raidarian without war is not a Raidarian!” Dest continued, and the warriors stomped again. Even the emperor’s guards seemed to be struck by doubt — seasoned warriors as they were, these words resonated with them.

From a side entrance to the throne room, the empress ran in. She didn’t know what to do. The emperor’s guards wouldn’t let her enter the throne room.

“Saron!” the empress cried out, reaching her hands towards her husband.

“Mirana, your timing couldn’t be more perfect. No need to waste time searching for you,” Megal said with a smile.

“What is happening here, Megal?” the empress asked anxiously.

“I’m afraid your husband and my brother failed in their duties… For which, to my deep regret, our entire family will have to pay. First, I will kill your husband. Then you. Then your newborn son. I’m sorry, but this is the most reasonable option,” Megal said.

“Reasonable? This is sheer madness!” Mirana replied in anger.

“Why did you come, Mirana? You were supposed to be told to hide the child and leave,” Emperor Saron said. “Although… It doesn’t matter anymore. Guards, kill the traitors!” Saron ordered, full of despair and sorrow.

“No,” Megal shouted. “There’s no need for these brave warriors to die at your whim. Or perhaps you want to perish by the swords of your comrades?” Megal addressed the guards. “This is between me and you!” he then turned to Saron. “One on one. I challenge you to a duel!” Megal yelled fiercely.

Imperial guards drew their swords, and Dest’s warriors did the same, but no one rushed into battle after Megal’s words. Nevertheless, one bold guard ran straight at the young King Megal. An experienced warrior, having earned the right to defend the emperor and his family with his combat skills, against the young king, monstrously trained by the best combat masters in Raidaria, with ambitions and a belief in the righteousness of his cause.

The guard swung his sword on the run, attempting to strike, but Megal didn’t even parry the blow; he simply dodged it. The healthy sword of the imperial guard passed dangerously close to Megal, almost reaching him. Megal began to wind up for a swing while evading the attack. His sword severed both hands of the guard, who emitted a roar of terrible pain.

“Sorry… The strike was powerful and precise, but I am faster, and my sword is larger,” Megal said.

The guard ran at Megal again, as if on his final march, and Megal put an end to his suffering with a precise and equally powerful blow, beheading him.

The sounds behind the imperial guards fell completely silent, as if the officials and courtiers were stunned by the king who had easily dealt with such an experienced, strong, and brave warrior of the imperial guard.

“So, who’s next?” Megal asked, but no one expressed any desire. “Well then, now it’s your turn… Brother.”

“Let it be so,” Emperor Saron said. “Give me a sword.”

From the crowd of servants and courtiers, the emperor’s armorer emerged, kneeling down, bowing his head, and presenting his sword. Emperor Saron took the legendary family sword of the imperial family. Gilded from edge to edge, silvered in places, entirely engraved, this sword was over a thousand years old, yet it looked as new as if it had just been polished. It had been held by almost all rulers of Raidaria, from the last chieftain of Rheinia to the great emperors who conquered the Raidarian Empire.

“You disgrace this sword by holding it! You are a shame to our lineage and the entire Raidarian people! I am not the traitor; you are!” Megal proclaimed.

“Watch not to trip over your arrogance, Megal,” Saron replied proudly and menacingly.

From the corridor, the cries of the baby could be heard. A nurse, under the watchful eyes of imperial warriors, brought the child into the throne room through the main entrance.

“My boy,” Mirana said, “Leave my child alone.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I need him,” Megal said.

The empress tried her best to push through the guards, but all her attempts were futile.

“I am your empress! Let me through, I command you!” she yelled.

“We cannot let you through — the emperor’s order,” one of the guards replied monotonously.

“I will kill you! For my son! For my wife! I will kill you, Megal,” Emperor Saron said.

“Well, then, hurry up!” Megal replied.

Saron and Megal charged at each other and collided in battle. Their swords made sounds like hammers on an anvil. A series of powerful blows rained down on Megal, but he steadfastly parried them all.

“Amusing, you’re seven years older than me, but you fight not so bad for an old man,” Megal exhaled and said.

A barrage of attacks immediately struck Megal again. The imperial sword was much lighter than an ordinary warrior’s sword, allowing Saron to move much faster and deliver lightning-fast strikes one after another. Megal’s sword, on the other hand, was heavier and longer than a typical Raidarian warrior’s sword. All of this made Megal strain much harder. It was challenging to keep up with Saron, but Megal showed no sign of giving up, deflecting every blow despite the difficulties. Saron’s rage knew no bounds, but Megal radiated his own rage, wrath, and hatred.

Saron increasingly pushed his brother towards the wall, right in the direction of General Desta’s warriors, but they parted. Blow after blow continued to rain down on Megal. When the emperor almost pinned Megal to the wall, Megal suddenly stopped defending himself — he swiftly jumped backward, leaped off the wall, and thrust his sword at his brother like a spear. In a flash, Megal’s sword pierced Saron’s side.

“No!” cried the emperor’s wife, closing her eyes with her hand.

Amidst the cries of the newborn baby, strange sounds emanated from those in the throne room. It seemed like a mixture of pronounced astonishment and sympathy from those behind the guards.

It appeared that the sword would pierce the central part of the emperor’s abdomen, but at the last moment, Saron almost evaded. Due to the tremendous speed at which Megal’s sword pierced his side, Saron recoiled sharply, dropping to one knee. It was evident that the strike had caused intense pain. While Megal’s sword was still partially embedded in Saron’s side, Megal, having just landed from the jump, delivered a kick of incredible force to Saron’s torso, causing the emperor to fall, further shattering Megal’s sword into his side. Megal pulled his sword out of the marble floor, where it was embedded from the force of the throw, and intended to deliver a final, crushing blow. However, despite the serious injury, Saron performed a backward somersault, and Megal missed, striking the sword into the floor.

It seemed as if Saron had stopped feeling pain altogether, yet he was bleeding profusely. This seemed to anger Megal. This time, Megal, fueled by his own warrior’s roar, went on the offensive, and his blows were already pushing Saron back. These strikes were not as fast as those of the wounded emperor, but they were slightly more powerful. The emperor did his best to contain these devastating blows, parrying one after another, but over time, it became increasingly difficult — the bleeding wound was taking its toll.

Blow after blow became stronger and stronger. Megal realized that if he struck harder, sooner or later, Saron would run out of breath and make a fatal mistake. Megal began to strike with all his might, and Saron tried desperately to repel the increasingly powerful blows, deflecting one after another. However, with time, this became more and more challenging — the bleeding wound was making it difficult.

Megal understood that if he hit harder, sooner or later, Saron would make a fatal mistake. Megal started to strike with all his might, and Saron tried desperately to repel the increasingly powerful blows. Eventually, the blows overwhelmed Saron. Megal grasped that if he struck harder, Saron would inevitably make a mistake. Megal swung with all his might, and although Saron desperately tried to parry the blow, the emperor’s guard finally broke. Megal’s strike hit Saron with tremendous force, knocking the sword out of his hands. Megal’s sword partially cut through Saron’s torso, and the emperor fell right next to the throne.

Once again, those present made those peculiar sounds.

“And that’s it? I thought you’d last longer,” Megal said. “Maybe you should have worn armor?”

“You were without a helmet and breastplate too, so it’s fair,” Saron replied, breathing heavily.

The emperor crawled on one arm as Megal leisurely approached him, leaning his back against the base of the throne.

— Fight! — Mirana cried out in tears, but it was too late. Emperor Saron had lost too much blood. The initial wound proved too severe for this battle, and active movement only accelerated the bleeding.

— Please, spare them! — Saron pleaded.

— Sorry, but you’re asking for too much… — Megal replied.

— Please… spare their lives… at least my son.

— Well, if that’s your last wish… — Megal said. — So be it. I’ll let him experience what life is like. But to prevent your lineage from reaching the throne, I will fight him when he turns sixteen.

Emperor Saron turned his head towards the empress, but she was no longer there. He looked at his brother and smiled faintly.

— You’ve paled, brother, — King Megal said and thrust his sword into his brother’s chest.

Saron seemed not to feel the sword plunged into his chest. The brothers locked eyes, and King Megal pulled the sword from his brother’s chest. Emperor Saron began to choke on his own blood.

The young King Megal turned away from his brother, surveyed everyone in the throne room, and declared:

— Now, I am your emperor! — and everyone present bowed to the new emperor.

Silence fell in the hall, and Megal sat on the throne, while beside him, leaning against the base of the throne, lay his brother bleeding out.

CHAPTER 2 “CONFESSIONS OF AN EXILE”

From my earliest years, I understood that I wasn’t quite a prince, although that’s exactly what they called me. It felt like mockery. Every time I asked about my parents, I was told they had died, and now I was under the care of Emperor Megal — my uncle. If I inquired further about how… Well… Then, I was told they perished in battle, heroically fighting for what they believed in.

This continued for quite some time until, at the age of nine, I requested an audience with my uncle. It was so nerve-wracking. Until that moment, I had only seen him once when he was being celebrated by all the residents of Illyrion. No wonder. The war that lasted five years after the great schism had ended, as he reunited the empire. He swayed the neutral kingdoms to his side and regained control of the ancestral kingdom — Reyneia. Unfortunately, at that time, I could only observe it from the castle balcony. I was never allowed close to him. The national celebration in honor of the reunification lasted three days. I only know that many important figures arrived in Illyrion because I spent the entire festivity locked in a room in the castle. After the celebration, my uncle went to war again, this time for four years. And now he’s finally back in the capital. Another victory, but not another conquered kingdom. More precisely, after looting it, he simply leveled the overseas kingdom to the ground, seemingly leaving no trace. Like Emperor Zhol did with Forsia once. When he returned after this war, the people in Illyrion greeted him again with cheers, but I’m not sure if they were the same cheers and ovations for victory as four years ago. Still, everyone unquestionably feared and respected him. This time, there was no festive celebration. And now, I am finally approaching my uncle, accompanied by guards, a couple of servants, and my chief teacher — Magister Lemna.

As I reach the gates, my teacher tells me not to contradict him under any circumstances, and the guards open the doors to the throne room. Before us stood military commanders and some wealthy citizens of the city. Perhaps they were engaged in an active dialogue with my uncle, but as soon as I entered, everyone fell silent. My uncle, the emperor, with a serious expression, surveyed these people, me, and those who came with me, and said, “Leave us!” It was amusing; everyone immediately disappeared, closing all doors behind them. Then I became a little scared and bewildered. There were too many thoughts in my head. And then he said, “What have they taught you while I was busy? Have you become strong?”

And I replied, “I was taught the art of war, sciences, and the basics of magic.”

He asked, “In what have you excelled?”

And I said, “I enjoy history and astrology.”

He responded, “I didn’t ask what you like. I asked, ‘What are you good at?’ ‘What are your accomplishments?’”

Out of confusion, all I could blurt out was, “Why did my parents die?” This question had haunted me for too long.

“Well, I see you were taught nothing, or you learned nothing,” he replied with a menacing tone, then rose from the throne and said, “I killed your father right here. And your mother… It seems she’s also dead, as there has been no news of her for a long time. But I didn’t see her corpse… Anyway, by my order, enough people throughout the empire were killed who could have helped her. They all went against the empire, against their own people — and paid for it with their lives. The entire empire was horrified. It’s a pity I personally couldn’t enjoy all those moments — I was busy with the war.”

By that moment, being a young boy, I was almost in tears. I knew the “great schism” didn’t happen for no reason, but part of me, due to my young age, tried to deny it. My worst suspicions turned out to be true. Emperor Megal, my uncle, was the murderer of my parents. It literally blinded my eyes. And rage overwhelmed me.

In anger, I grabbed the smallest sword from those displayed in the throne room for decoration. This sword was as long as my height. It was monstrously heavy to lift. Despite being a royal Raidarian and training with a sword since the age of five, swinging the sword towards my uncle was the most challenging sword swing of my life. I swung, and he drew his sword from the sheath behind his back, effortlessly parrying my strike. By that time, I had already heard about his excellent swordsmanship and his legendary sword — Dark Harvester. I never understood the point of naming swords. Childish amusement. Even in my childhood, I didn’t give them names. But some people do… Royals and nobles especially love it. I never understood that.

So, what am I talking about?.. He parried my strike and said, “They did teach you something after all…”

This only infuriated me more. I swung, trying to reach him with the sword somehow. Doing everything my combat mastery teacher — Master Chiron — taught me. But the Emperor-uncle again blocked my strike. I was nine, but I believed and desperately hoped that I could defeat a man who crushed kingdoms.

“I understand you; like no one else, you have the right to be angry with me, but I would recommend you to conserve your strength. You will have a chance to seek revenge…”

When he said that, I froze. Just stopped.

“I’ll tell you like it is… I wanted to kill you even in your infancy, but your father, with his last wish, decided to spare your life. Could I go against my brother’s last wish? I could! But I didn’t. Because it was the right thing to do. But I couldn’t just let you live… I still have many enemies. And these… enemies… crave to put someone else in my place as the ruler. I can understand them… but I won’t hand over my empire to them because they are not worthy of this empire, and if they are worthy, they’ll prove it… But they won’t, because the ruler of this empire is me. I will fight with you on the day you turn sixteen. You will be full of strength and energy, like me when I defeated my brother — your father. And if you study and train well, you will have a chance to defeat me. And if you win, you will seek revenge and become the ruler of all Raidarian lands, rightfully.”

“And what if I lose?” I asked, but he remained silent. I asked again, but he stayed silent again. With each new question about my potential defeat, I raised the tone of my speech until I started shouting, but he remained silent. In rage, I ran, took the sword with one hand by the hilt and with the other by the blade. The blade cut my hand to the bone, but I was too angry, and this anger extinguished all the physical pain I felt. I ran straight at him, the man who killed my mother and my father. In a leap, I tried to thrust the sword into his heart, as if it were a spear…

But he simply struck the nine-year-old boy with the blunt side of the sword, and I probably just flew in an unknown direction. And I woke up in the infirmary with a head injury and a white cloth bandage wrapped around my hand. Well, it was white until they wiped away all my blood.

It scared me a lot. I exerted all my efforts, and still couldn’t do anything. Ha-ha. Now, I look at it with a light touch of irony. That’s what gave me strength. It angered me. I no longer wanted to meet with my uncle. I just wanted to become stronger, so that when the time comes, I could defeat him and seek revenge. Despite everything.

I started studying everything with tripled strength. At the age of nine, I already knew quite a lot. Mathematics. Not that I was good at counting, but I understood the principles of this science perfectly. It developed in me areas of thinking that often lie dormant in people. History. Relying on the past experiences of anyone, I could learn something as good as if it had happened to me personally. Reading and languages allowed me to develop intellectually possibly more than anything else I studied. Philosophy. It helped me understand the world, answer questions that tormented me, but not all answers I could find only with its help. The art of warfare. All I understood was that it is an art that teaches you to take everything you know and use it skillfully against your enemy, whether your enemy is an inconspicuous person or a whole legion, a state, or a God. I don’t know about gods — I haven’t seen them — but it definitely worked against states. At least, judging by what the Raidarian history says. I’ll let you in on a secret — mostly, it’s about war. I studied everything bit by bit. Even things that wouldn’t necessarily help in a one-on-one battle with Megal. I knew you could never know what would be useful to you tomorrow. Astrology, alchemy, geography, and so on. I even studied magic, like many in Raidaria. Usually, they only study the basics, so they understand how to fight against it. Only a small part of basic knowledge. But I am the nephew of the emperor. It was my duty to learn everything about this, from small to great. Honestly, it was harder for me than for anyone else. I didn’t see the point in such a deep study, as throughout history, magic had only submitted to one Raidarian — General and Magister of Sciences named Basaro. But I studied everything, despite all the pain and suffering that studying magic caused me.

Now, knowledge of magic is gradually fading from my memory due to the lack of opportunity to apply it, but I still remember how Magister Lemna explains the basics.

In the ancient times when people lived in tribes, and the most advanced race in the world was the Elven race, there lived an Elven mage named Rinon. He was a scholar, and like all Elves, he had an innate ability to perform simple magic. However, even as a child, he realized that magic could be more powerful and complex. In his youth, his talent for magic was noticed, and as a result, the Elven king invited him to live at the royal court. There, Rinon studied and taught others.

At that time, there were ancient writings and scrolls that were accessible only to the Elves. Even the Elves did not know who the writings belonged to. It was not even known which people used the writing system that created all this wealth. According to legends, the Elves discovered these manuscripts in an ancient tomb on their lands — but that is not important. What matters is that the Elves formed a special research team to study these manuscripts. This was because these were not ordinary writings and scrolls — they emitted magical energy.

Using the languages known to the Elves, they gradually translated the writings. They even learned to pronounce them correctly. It turned out that by speaking some of the recordings aloud, they could bring to life a magic previously unseen and unknown to the Elves. This further motivated them to study the writings. The more they studied, the more they understood about the nature of magic. They named the language used in these writings and scrolls “magical runes.”

Soon, Rinon joined the investigation of these runes. He spent as much time studying the manuscripts as a human could live. He grasped so much that no Elf could comprehend. In fact, most of what is known about magic is thanks to this Elf. He told all Elves that runes were not written symbols for words; runes were an incomprehensible invisible energy that described the entire surrounding universe. What the Elves called runes were just descriptions of those runes that Rinon referred to when talking about them. He confirmed the theory long spoken among the Elves that magic required energy. But he added that, for magic, the ability to move the energy was also needed. It turned out that every living being capable of performing magic unknowingly directed their energy towards these incomprehensible runes. For most creatures, it was an innate reflex, and they usually took energy from their own soul. Somehow, it seemed to replenish itself in a strange way, although it was not clear how. This Elf also discovered that these runes were built from other runes, and those, in turn, from others. A multi-level construction, as Master Lemn explained.

Finally, we come to the main discovery of that Elf. With the knowledge he possessed, he had enough life to somehow study even the level of runes below. “Slightly more fundamental,” as my teacher used to say. And using this knowledge, the Elf, so to speak, created a new magical language. More straightforward to understand — at least if you are an Elf. It is called Rinon’s language. The one before him was called Ashar’s language. The old one provides more extensive possibilities, but some spells on it sometimes require, for example, a certain amount of lives to be created. The new one almost completely eliminates such possibilities.

Because of this, the Elves split for the first time. Some practiced magic using Asharic writings, while others used Rinonic ones. There were many skilled mages, and there probably are still some today. They supplemented the writings by writing their spell books. Basaro, for example, is the only mage from Rhaedarian, and he even wrote a spell book in Rinonic. And he’s just a Lynx who somehow learned to control the energy of his soul in a strange way. Yes, yes, that’s why you and I, my friend, cannot perform true magic. Managing magic is not our strong suit! Although I can cast spells. Well, you know… Use various energy-charged ingredients. It is possible to place them in a special liquid if you are preparing potions. The main thing is to bring everything to the required energy potential for the spell from a special magical book. There are a lot of nuances and various branches. True, some, as I mentioned earlier, I began to forget. One thing I know for sure… Now, for me, the main potion is strong ale. It would also be nice to have good listeners like now. Occasionally, girls wouldn’t hurt either. But now, unfortunately, there are none.

It seems that in my attempts to recall something about the magic I once studied, I completely forgot about the main event in my life — the Battle for the entire… Empire. I could fight on equal terms against a dozen trained Rhaedarian warriors. I even managed to hold my own as the victor. It was a mere trifle. By the time of our duel, I was prepared like never before. But that didn’t instill even a slight confidence. Fear… it kept me from sleeping and eating.

When the time finally came, I shook hands with my mentors. The duel for the right to rule the entire empire was supposed to take place in a strictly designated location. In the capital of the Rhaedarian Empire, on the main arena of the military border perimeter of the city. The path to this arena led through the east-west passage of the city — a large street that extended from the city center, where it connected with other passages, to the center of the eastern perimeter zone. So… What am I talking about? Oh yes… And here I was, already approaching the exit from the castle. The morning sun blinded my eyes. I knew I had a long journey ahead. Ahead of me, with the imperial convoy, they took away my uncle — Megala. I was also supposed to ride on a special imperial chariot, pulled by young Irlings of a special breed with light fur. // Note: Irlings — resemble camels without humps with faces slightly resembling dogs. // I was also escorted by the imperial guard, starting from the castle gates. When we set off, I felt a very strange, incomparable feeling. As if the calm before the storm in my soul. The closer I got to the duel site, the stronger the storm in my soul woke up, as if feeding on me, and it tried to break free. At a certain point in this trip, I felt fear and excitement, not only because, as a prisoner of my uncle for many years, I had never been so far from the castle.

Here we are, almost at the first wall — the first monumental structure that encircles the entire city, built by the great Rhaedarian architect — Noran. He could have been a good ruler, but his element was not war, but architecture and construction. It was he who made the Great Wall of Illyrion even higher. Although, by the time of the conquest of Illyrion by the Rhaedarian Chief Sanre, who became the first Rhaedarian emperor, this wall was already called great — and not just like that — nevertheless, it was Noran who made Illyrion absolutely impregnable.

So… And here I am, accompanied by my convoy, crossing the first wall and, finding myself on the border perimeter, I see the arena with a crowd of people, and beyond it, I see the second wall, called the Great one, although, I think it does not need an introduction. The Great Wall also encircled the entire city, but already including the border perimeter. It shaded part of the morning sun and cast a shadow on part of the arena — it was so great. To see this wall so close in person, not in paintings. It also stirred up a storm of emotions. I must have been the only person in Illyrion who had not seen it so up close before. But still, I couldn’t be distracted because I was about to face not just an important battle, but the most important one… As the man who accompanied me immediately explained, all four kings of the other Rhaedarian realms gathered in the arena stands. I realized that the entire nobility from the entire empire had gathered to watch this spectacle. I was also accompanied to the arena under guard. When I reached its center, I finally saw him — my uncle, who killed my mother and father. I felt the blood in my veins flow with the same rage as seven years ago when we met face to face for the last time.

The musicians beat the drums and blew the horns. I was dressed in the standard armor of a Rhaedarian warrior. We were both clad in the same armor, excluding the helmet. Different helmets were then issued to us, so that the audience could easily distinguish between us. He was given his black and gold helmet. I, on the other hand, received a plain one in the colors of the Rhaenean wood, with uneven blue stripes, probably just to make me stand out a bit from the regular warriors standing around the arena on guard. Megal put on his helmet, then I put on mine, and the sounds of drums and horns abruptly fell silent. This was the moment. The moment when the storm inside me finally burst out. At that moment, my entire life path flashed before my eyes. It was either me or him — there was no other option. Swords were given to us. The sun had not yet warmed the day, but I was already breaking into a sweat. And a moment later, military trumpeters sounded the horns typically used by the Rhaedarians to announce a military siege or attack. This sound signaled that the battle had begun.

Megal approached me, dragging his legendary sword through the sand, the same sword with which he had deprived countless noble warriors of their lives. It seemed as if he was somewhat upset. Perhaps it angered him that during this battle, he was not the emperor of a mighty empire. Now we were… equals. This brought at least a slight relief to my soul. But I still had to win. The first strike, of course, came from him, and it wasn’t difficult for me to deflect it. I couldn’t help but compare this battle to our previous one. This time, I held a sword almost equal to his, though it was the most ordinary Rhaedarian one, and this time my sword was not much larger than me, and it wasn’t as heavy as it was back then. This realization strengthened my spirit. I convinced myself that my hope for victory was not unfounded. Filling my hands with my own fury, I directed it towards my enemy.

I dared to try to land a couple of ordinary strikes on him, and he blocked them with the same ease with which I did later. Well, then we decided to circle each other a bit and look into each other’s eyes. I think he was trying to see something in my eyes, but he could hardly see anything there except rage, although I tried to contain it. He, on the other hand, seemed completely calm. After a few moments, he took off his helmet, threw it aside, and said, “Now I see… You haven’t learned anything.” Then he sighed and immediately declared, “Today, it will kill you!” — and a barrage of strikes rained down on me. I could barely defend against them… Then I finally realized that he was just waiting and studying me — and he had enough time to see me as if in the palm of his hand.

Then we clashed swords like dogs ready to devour each other. I leaned on my sword, and he on his. We looked each other straight in the eyes. “Why measure strength when you should measure intelligence,” I thought — and then I realized that his fist was flying towards my face, covered by the helmet. There was no time to think. His foot immediately followed the fist, directed to the same spot. It seemed that he just wanted to remove my helmet in this way, as it flew off and fell somewhere near my feet. Then he gracefully shifted slightly to my left, so that I was directly between him and the helmet. In other words, the helmet was behind me, and taking advantage of my confusion, which still hadn’t left me after the previous blows, he began to advance. Accordingly, I started retreating. And where did it lead? Right! While retreating, I stumbled over that same sword. It was unexpected. In my position at that moment, it was already difficult to expect anything. Everything happened so quickly… I had no moment to think. I didn’t even realize that I had already lost. After landing on the sand with my back, he simply knocked the sword out of my hand, forcefully hitting the hilt with his own sword. After that, he immediately pounced on me and began to pound my head into the sand. Brilliant, fast, and simple. He had simply planned the sequence of actions in advance and executed it perfectly, as if he had done it many times before, leaving me no moment to reconsider and understand anything. Only after that did I realize how truly strong, experienced, and intelligent a warrior Megal was. He must have been born with a predisposition for this. All my strength, experience, knowledge, skills that I had carefully honed throughout my life, and even my will, simply crumbled into dust before his talent for killing. But, as you know, I am now telling this story, which means he did not kill me.

Drowning in my own blood, which flowed from my mouth due to the knocked-out teeth, and in a semi-conscious state, I managed to distinguish a few phrases spoken by him after the actual victory. “Another weakling,” he said loudly for everyone to hear. “So much strength and time were spent on you — all in vain. You’re too pathetic to kill. Even your father fought more honorably than you.” As a final touch, he decided to kick me in the face with his foot. Put a bold exclamation point in our duel, so to speak.

I woke up from unbearable pain in the cheek area. It felt like a hot metal brand pressed against my cheek. This was how the Rhaedarian Empire branded exiles so that if an exile decided to return to the lands now forbidden to them, they would be immediately executed by any citizen with legal citizenship. Each such citizen was obligated to either kill the exile or report them to someone who could. After that, they took me out of the empire in a cart with others of my ilk, who were deemed unworthy even of death. Only eternal suffering in exile… The remaining life spent in torment, reminiscing about the past.

CHAPTER 3 “THE LONELY WANDERER”

The lady who worked at the tavern approached the table where two men were sitting.

“Rein, would you and your friend like something else to drink?” she asked.

“Absolutely, my dear. As soon as I finish this,” replied Rein, glancing at his glass.

“Alright, I’ll come back in a couple of minutes,” she said.

“Sure thing,” Rein responded with a smile.

Most of Rein’s armor was covered by a dark cloak. It was evident that underneath it were the remnants of the armor of a Reydarian warrior, or rather, what was left of it. A Reydarian sword was visible at his back. However, nothing revealed his status as an outcast from the empire more than the brand on his left cheek.

Surrounded by a motley crew, difficult to categorize as human based on their behavior, Rein took a large glass and emptied its contents as if it were a mere glass of water.

“Well… What do you think of my thrilling story, Ain?” Rein asked the local drunkard sitting across the table.

“Won-derful, Uh-huh,” Ain responded, hiccupping and almost passing out right before Rein’s eyes.

Ain was an ordinary drunkard who looked like an old man, but determining his exact age was challenging. Despite his absurd appearance and the overwhelming stench emanating from him, despite excessive indulgence in the local brew, he behaved extremely politely. He rarely interrupted and almost never allowed himself to be unruly. He always tried to speak politely with people and only behaved recklessly when he was so drunk that he couldn’t control his own body. Rein found it difficult to imagine how a person with such manners could end up living such a life, so he drew parallels with himself and pictured Ain closer to old age.

Outside, thunder rumbled, and the night was coming to an end. The local tavern where Rein and Ain were situated was located on a high, expansive slope between two large villages, just beyond the borders of Reydaria but still in close proximity.

“Wishing you sweet dreams, Ain,” Rein said to the snoring drunkard.

“Saul? So that’s your real name,” came a voice from the side. “The man sitting with you may not be in his right mind, but it doesn’t mean everyone here is the same.”

“You! Whatever you heard — this whole story is nonsense,” Rein replied anxiously.

“Well, I don’t think so. I saw you in action when you scattered that Reydarian convoy like puppies. I thought, ‘What drives you? Just a thirst for loot?’ Now I understand. You fought not just to sell the spoils from that battle — you wanted to reclaim your own. The sword and armor. Reydarian ones. You could buy them, but now, with the local traders, it could cost a small fortune.”

“I don’t know where or when you saw, but I’m sure that was someone else. And even if I were the person you describe, you understand that this person, as you put it, dismantling Reydarian convoys like puppies, would hardly want everyone to know about him. And I’m afraid to even imagine what he would do to someone who goes against him and starts spreading the word about who he is. I hope that’s clear?” Rein said menacingly.

“Ah-ha. Don’t worry, I have no reason to spill anything about anyone. And all this tough look of yours. Nothing more than an illusion. Yes, I’ve heard the whole story, and you should drink less and talk less if you want to remain unnoticed in these parts. Honestly, I could have kept quiet altogether if I pursued such selfish goals. So, your threats are at least silly and entirely inappropriate.”

Rein, quite intoxicated, looked down.

“Indeed,” Rein thought.

“Forgive me if I said anything threatening, and for having to hear all this… Sometimes, someone needs to vent. My life… My whole life — it’s not a life at all. Fate has prepared an extremely unpleasant path for me, and it continues to laugh at me.”

Rein sat down at the table next to this stranger.

“Where’s your friend then? Won’t there be threats coming his way?” the stranger said, smiling.

“What? No. Ain… he’s harmless. I’ve already told him these stories more than once. Every morning he doesn’t even remember who I am. It’s some kind of madness!”

“Hmm,” the stranger smiled.

“At least take off your hood,” said Rein. “It’s unclear, are you even human?”

“And if I’m not human, then what?”

“I usually have a bad experience dealing with non-humans… And if you’re some kind of elf or even a force, which I strongly doubt, then I think I have nothing to worry about. In such places, they don’t tolerate elves and the like, so if anything, no one will believe you, which seems like a pretty good outcome to me.”

The stranger removed the hood and said, “Well, my name is Iziro.”

“You have a shaved head. And the name… You’re from the great mountains! Mountain monk. Are you one of them?”

“Yes, you could say that. But I was born in the capital of Raidaria and was once a warrior, far from the mountains.”

“So you’re one of us? A Raidarian. That explains your build. For a moment, I thought all those warriors from the mountains were like that. It’s even scary.”

“Haha, we’re not warriors, just defenders of our territories,” replied Iziro. “And you, I understand, think it’s all about how big you are? Right?”

“Excuse me, but size does matter. However strange or banal it may sound.”

“Although there are indeed tall and sturdy monks in the place I come from, most monks in the villages of Oi are much smaller than you — and they wouldn’t let you land a hit on them, let alone kill them. A big but slow warrior like you would be simply helpless against them.”

“And why, if they’re so strong and fast, does the Raidarians’ empire exist and not the empire of those bald mountain villagers?”

Iziro’s emotions changed slightly.

“At some point, if you’re not lucky to encounter an even stronger warrior on your path, you’ll understand.”

“You mean defeats in battles?”

“No! I mean endless victories,” Iziro replied sadly.

“And how?”

Rein didn’t have time to finish speaking when two Raidarian warriors entered the tavern. Iziro and Rein almost instantly pulled up their hoods. Everyone in the tavern, except for the arriving warriors, hid. All conversations abruptly ceased. Almost complete silence fell.

One of the warriors stepped forward, removed his helmet, and, looking around, began to loudly express his intentions in a commanding tone:

“Attention, please! We have information that people involved in the theft of the empire’s property may be in this area. Thieves,” he emphasized the word, “may or may have been in this tavern or nearby. We demand that anyone who knows anything about their whereabouts report it.”

After a short pause, the warrior continued:

“As besides everything else, gold has been stolen. For your assistance, you will be rewarded with this same gold. One to one for the amount stolen. We are not interested in your gold or your establishment; we only need the heads of the thieves. If you attempt to aid these thieves in any way, following foolish bravery, if it can be called that, you will be rewarded with death. And yes… fleeing from here is pointless! The tavern is surrounded — every entrance and exit is under our control.”

Two warriors began to inspect the tavern and its patrons. After some time, one of those sitting near the trio stood up and said:

“Here they are! It’s them you’re talking about. I heard… I heard everything. And he… he’s not an ordinary person, and the sword on his back is not ordinary. He’s a warrior just like you, only he’s been exiled.”

The gaze of everyone present turned towards the trio: Rein, Iziro, and Ainom.

“You! Stand up and turn around!” exclaimed the warrior.

Rein stood up and walked away from the table. Then, facing away from the warriors, he lowered his head and drew the sword from behind his back, placing its blade on the floor. He put his hand on the table and looked at Iziro and Ainom. Iziro continued to sit, and Ainom kept snoring.

“Even poor Ainom, you decided to involve. Well. We’ll talk about you later,” said Rein to the wandering traveler.

“My name is Acres, and I swear,” the traveler continued. “He said he can’t stand the empire for exiling him, and he will avenge it, no matter the cost. You can do whatever you want with us, but please spare at least my companion — Mirie. I beg you, be merciful, great warriors of the Raidarian Empire.”

“You and your companion have nothing to worry about,” replied the warrior. “As I said, you’re not of interest to us. You will receive your reward once we deal with these bold and shameful thieves.”

Rein snarled. He was extremely angry with this greedy and deceitful individual. Rarely did he want to kill someone so badly.

“Well, it seems that we can’t avoid a battle, right?” Rein said, looking at Iziro.

“Battles can always be avoided!” replied Iziro.

“Dying without accomplishing anything?” Rein asked.

“Silence, exile!” said the younger warrior.

“Traitor, who has so shamefully disgraced his name that even the right to a dignified death has been denied. Indeed, probably frustrating. But no matter… I will grant you that right. Even though you don’t deserve it,” declared the senior warrior.

Rein took off his hood but didn’t turn to face the warrior. The warrior approached Rein, drawing his sword from behind his back. When the warrior reached a close distance to Rein, everything fell silent. Not even the slightest whisper could be heard. Even the weather outside the tavern’s windows calmed. The warrior swung his sword to decapitate the traitor of his people and empire. However, at the moment the warrior’s sword approached Rein’s neck, Rein began to bend down, gripping the hilt of his sword with his hands for a counterstrike. The warrior’s sword passed so close to Rein’s head that it trimmed a part of his hair. Meanwhile, Rein’s sword was already moving upward towards the warrior’s head at a considerable speed, and the warrior had nothing to do but recoil in horror, moving backward away from Rein’s sword. As a result, the sword’s edge cut through the warrior’s armor along his entire torso, starting from the groin and ending on the warrior’s face, splitting his face into two almost equal parts.

“The problem is, I’m not just an ordinary traitor, but at least a trained one,” said Rein.

After that, Rein looked at the second warrior, who stood closer to the entrance of the tavern.

Although the warrior wore a helmet, it was evident that he was surprised and quite disoriented. Integrated into the armor of this warrior was a miniature arrow-firing device attached to a part of the armor on his forearm. This device resembled a rapid-fire crossbow without the usual stretched bowstring. The device only activated the bolt, housed in a casing, while the arrow’s tension occurred directly within the casing.

The warrior aimed the crossbow at Rein and fired several shots in succession, but Rein simply shielded himself with his hand, and all the arrows stuck in his armor.

“Don’t you know that arrows can’t penetrate Reinwood armor?” Rein asked the warrior in amazement. “You have one yourself. But a sword, if swung hard enough, can!”

After these words, Rein immediately, with a swing, forcefully threw his sword in the direction of the warrior, and then ran towards him. The warrior easily blocked the sword with his hand, and the sword didn’t even leave a dent on his armor. However, Rein, at a high speed, collided with the warrior, knocking him down and pummeling him on the helmet with great force.

While Rein was attempting to break through the helmet of the warrior he was fighting, another warrior emerged from the kitchen area. Without much hesitation, after seeing what was happening, this warrior moved to assist his comrade. But Acres, who had surrendered Rein, seemed to be waiting for this. As soon as the battle unfolded, he instantly positioned himself at the entrance to the kitchen, awaiting whatever might happen. Finally, the moment arrived. As the warrior barely started to move towards Rein, Acres followed behind him. And as soon as the warrior drew his sword to strike Rein, Acres stealthily stabbed a dagger into the gap between the warrior’s helmet and chest plate, precisely entering the warrior’s neck. The enraged warrior turned around and began swinging his sword towards Acres, but being agile enough, Acres evaded and retreated until the warrior, bleeding, simply fell from the loss of strength.

Rein, as if unaware of what was happening behind him, was consumed by rage and anger. When the warrior he was beating stopped offering serious resistance, Rein removed his helmet and continued relentlessly pounding him in this fit of fury. He clearly didn’t want to simply disable the warrior — his goal was the warrior’s death. Rein kept striking and striking, almost pulverizing. The face of the warrior less and less resembled a face, gradually turning into a beaten mess. After some time, Rein finally grew tired and slowed down. Then he saw before him the aftermath of what he had done. It was just an ordinary Raidarian youth who became a warrior. He was only following orders and nothing more. Realizing this, Rein understood what he had become. He felt repulsed by himself once again, contemplating what had happened, envisioning what actions could have prevented this.

Judging by himself, he knew that for a true Raidarian warrior, death was preferable to a life after defeat. He also understood that he couldn’t let any of them go, as they would then tell about him, complicating his life significantly. In the end, he convinced himself that it was unavoidable, and he did what he had to do.

Rein stood up from the fallen young warrior, lowered his head, and stood silently for some time. Then he quietly said, “You fought like true warriors. For a warrior, it’s an honor to die in battle.”

Iziro approached Rein, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, “My friend, you have serious problems. Luck has once again eluded you! And over time, the problems that will follow you because of this will inevitably become more significant.”

Iziro removed his hand from Rein’s shoulder and walked towards the exit.

“You’re disappointed, aren’t you?” Rein said to him.

Iziro stopped in front of the tavern’s entrance but, after a second, opened the tavern door. He was blinded by the rays of the rising sun. He shielded his eyes from the incoming sunlight with his hand, walked out, then closed the door, gently slamming it shut.

Unexpectedly, a voice rang out, “Is it already dawn?”

It was the old man, Ainom. He nonchalantly walked past the fallen Raidarian warriors, the astonished patrons of the tavern, and its staff, as well as past Rein. Then, he stepped outside, leaving the tavern door open.

“Good morning, Ainom,” Rein whispered to himself.

After that, anger suddenly gripped Rein again. He surveyed the tavern and asked the present with a stern expression, “Where is this Acres? Where did he and his Miri vanish to?”

However, there was nothing but a prolonged silence in response. Rein slightly calmed down and continued, “If anyone happened to see where they went, please inform me!”

Then, breathing heavily, Rein headed towards the exit. The closer he approached, the stronger the rays blinded him. When he stepped outside, he immediately realized that he needed some time alone. He walked towards the slope, which offered a decent view of the sunrise and the lands not yet captured by the Raidarian legions. When he reached the spot, he abruptly collapsed, sitting on the grass and began to breathe rapidly, gazing at the ground. Fear enveloped him. Then, he lifted his gaze slightly higher to look at the scenery from the slope. Small hills, forests, fields, and the village where life was beginning to stir with the dawn were blanketed by the morning rays, reflecting off the ubiquitous morning dew.

Rein, contemplating this wondrous scene, pondered and realized the meaning behind Iziro’s words. After spending some time there, he returned to the tavern’s horse stable. Rein untied his horse, a rather unusual one. Aside from a playful spot on its side, it had strange curly fur and a quite thick mane. Mounting it, Rein headed towards the nearest village located atop the slope.

Approaching the village, he noticed a sign on a wooden post in the form of a wooden plaque with the carved text: “Village of Afles,” followed by the continuation, “Land of His Majesty King of the Last Kingdoms, Great Alex Ford.” The text concluded with the Ford family coat of arms — a winged giant harpy, shielded by a blue shield.

People began to cross Rein’s path, hastily leaving the village. Moving closer to the village center, he saw some commotion. He hurried to avoid drawing too much attention and walked with his horse, holding its reins.

People who were clearly disturbed by some event caught his eye more and more frequently.

“Easy, boy,” suddenly whinnied his horse.

“Hey, calm down, friend. I’m uneasy too. We’ll find out what’s going on here. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems,” Rein said to his horse, stroking its cheek.

Meanwhile, from the village center came a voice:

“I remind you that any information about the Raidarian forces, such as their location or strength, provided to us — knights of His Majesty’s army — will be rewarded with thirty gold coins. It’s a substantial reward. We are also recruiting for His Majesty’s regular army with a monthly salary of fifty gold coins.”

These were King Ford’s people — his knights, his well-armed and trained elite guard. Riding on horses, five individuals with broad and dense metal shields on their backs came into view. They didn’t wear heavy and thick armor since, in most cases, it was simply impractical for them. Only shoulders, forearms, sides at waist level, groin, shins, and faces were protected by metal. This was necessary to perfectly combine acceptable protection with the agility and nimbleness that knights trained almost from birth. The main part of their attire was made of toughened leather from the thick-skinned bears roaming these forests. Their heads were covered with hoods made of this leather, while their faces were concealed behind a metal mask designed to intimidate the opponent. Handles of blades peeked out from sheaths attached to their belts. Special lightweight, ergonomic swords, resembling daggers. One of the five knights had a long bow instead of a shield on his back.

The village’s chief officer spoke to the people, distinguished only by a special mask on his face and specific patches on the lower part of the shoulders, indicating the warrior’s rank.

“It seems we don’t belong here, my friend,” Rein whispered.

Rein began to turn around with his horse amidst the crowd. One of the officers noticed this and swiftly rode towards Rein. He pushed through the people, unsheathed his sword, and aimed it at Rein’s neck from behind.

“You!” he said. “Show your face!”

Without turning, but only slightly tilting his head, Rein replied, “And why should I turn?”

“Don’t get insolent!” the knight retorted. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

The knight’s entourage began to surround Rein. Standing in place, Rein glanced around. To his left, an archer and an officer; to his right, the chief officer and another knight, all gripping the hilts of their sheathed swords except for the archer who was readying his bow and arrow. Rein envisioned the likely outcome of the situation, and it appeared unfavorable.

“Well, alright,” Rein said as the archer drew his bowstring. “I don’t want any trouble. I just came here in search of work.”

“What do you have behind your back?” asked the officer holding the sword to Rein’s throat.

Approaching from the front, the chief officer said, “Answer when a knight asks you something, or you’ll lose your head.”

Rein smoothly raised his hand and lifted the hood behind his head.

“You’ve caught me! It’s a sword. A Raidarian one. From Reinia.”

“So, you’re an exile?!” suddenly exclaimed the chief officer. “Well… An enemy of the empire is our friend. Bern, lower your sword!”

“But, sir,” objected Officer Bern, “he’s a Raidarian. He could be sent as a spy.”

“Enough of your objections! If the Raidarians brand their criminals like this, it’s worse than death for the criminal. Such a mark on his neck is eternal shame for a Raidarian. Lower your bow, Rich. He has clearly done something very bad to our enemies,” explained the chief officer. “You were looking for work, Raidarian — you’ll get it!”

“And what kind of work is this?” asked Rein.

“We need people for reconnaissance, but the locals seem to fear the raidarians more than anyone else. We need to scout the area near our borders. Ride as fast as you can in the direction of Aeris. If you reach our land borders and don’t notice anything unusual — meaning no raidarians on our lands — then return. But if you find something, return and report. Upon completion, you’ll receive twenty gold. Clear?”

“Clear,” replied Rain, “but why twenty? You promised them thirty.”

“Prove your loyalty, and next time it will be thirty gold,” said the chief officer.

“What if I refuse or change my mind about going to the border along the way?”

“Good question! If you refuse, my guys will have the pleasure of doing whatever they want with you.”

Rain felt uneasy at those words.

“Since I’m assigning you to the reconnaissance of a crucial path for us,” continued the chief officer, “you’ll go with Bern. You’ve already met him. If you turn back early, he’ll finish you. Trust me, he’s our champion in killing the likes of you.”

“What a tempting offer,” Rain said with a smirk. “In that case, it seems I have no choice. I agree.”

“Excellent! You’ll set out soon,” declared the chief officer.

“And one more thing… Can I ask?” Rain said.

“I’m listening,” the chief officer replied.

“Why all this? It wasn’t like this before. What’s happening here, anyway?”

“Don’t you really know?” the officer laughed. “We’ve received information that the empire is preparing a full-scale invasion for complete occupation. These beasts want to march through our land, putting village after village through the meat grinder. They want to take our lands and milk us like cattle.”

“Do you want to be put through a meat grinder?” the chief officer asked the people of the village loudly. “Do you want to be milked like cattle? If you don’t, then join the regular army or hurry away from the village towards Rinfoll. May the spirits of our ancestors and God help us.”

“Let’s go!” Officer Bern said somewhat discontentedly. “We’ll move along the Aisos River towards Aeris, parallel to the main trade route. I’ll give the signal. When everyone goes, you go too. I’ll be behind you.”

While most of the village residents and passing travelers hurriedly moved towards the village of Rosi, Rain, the knight watching him, and some others moved to the edge of the village towards the forest in the direction of the Aisos River.

“Leave the horse here,” said Bern.

“With him, I’ll definitely have a better chance of delivering the report to your commander,” Rain replied, objecting.

“No one will be upset if you don’t deliver it,” Bern replied with a smile. “But if you go there on horseback, you’ll attract more attention and might get ahead of the main wave, or even disappear from my sight and escape. So tie the horse there or leave it right here — makes no difference to me.”

Rain tied the horse to the nearest post. Then he followed Bern again. When they arrived, Rain saw a wide formation of villagers on both sides of him.

“If what your commander said is true, then we shouldn’t be here,” Rain said. “They won’t be able to return if the legions are already on the way. Maybe we won’t either.”

Rain was deeply saddened by what he saw and realized.

“Is the great raidarian afraid?” Bern asked. “Either way, you have no choice, you’ve already understood.”

Rain silently looked at Bern, then turned his gaze to the forest.

“Someone has to do it,” Bern said.

“Lucky if even one returns,” Rain said.

“That’s why there are so many of us.”

Bern looked up.

“Burning arrow! Let’s go.”

“Well, let’s go,” Rain replied to Officer Bern.

“You go — I’m behind you, haven’t forgotten?”

“Yes, yes…”

Rain walked ahead into the depths of the forest with people who had recently become scouts. When the first wave of people set off, a very small part of them stayed behind. Rain understood that they would follow a bit later but a little further away. The entire reconnaissance plan became clear to Rain as daylight. These people, along with Rain’s personal guard, would be responsible for conveying information about the reconnaissance. Those who went ahead were only meant to distract attention.

The further the scouts ventured into the forest, the more they spread out, moving away from each other. When Rain had gone far enough, he looked back and saw a small, almost imperceptible silhouette in the distance — it was Bern. The people behind kept their distance from those in front as much as possible to avoid losing sight of each other. The scouts continued walking, occasionally bumping into each other and then separating again. The terrain gradually became more mountainous. In such conditions, those in front could hardly remain visible to those behind all the time, but closing the distance was too dangerous. Therefore, those walking behind literally followed in the footsteps of those in front. Rain walked almost without breaks. He realized that this job was hardly worth those twenty gold, especially considering it felt like a one-way road. However, this expedition helped him distract himself from thoughts about what his current life had become. So, as much as he wanted to turn around and give this knight named Bern a beating, he kept on walking.

At some point, when Rain was almost exhausted, one of the scouts came across him again. It was a boy about fifteen years old, with unevenly cut hair, dressed in village rags. This time, the boy dared to ask Rain a question.

— You’re a Raiderian, aren’t you?

— What? — Rein responded.

— Well, you’ve got that hefty sword on your back, and you look stronger than people I knew before.

— Raiderian! — Rein replied. — That’s what they usually call us.

— Well, yes, yes…

— I used to be one, and now… maybe. Now I’m not sure I can still call myself that.

— Why?

— See the mark on my cheek? The tribunals branded me before they expelled me.

— What are the tribunals?

— They are warriors… who punish other warriors for their transgressions. Like royal knights or executioners? Something in between, — Rein explained.

— It’s funny, we’re out here looking for Raiderians who want to attack us and kill, and here I am walking with almost one of them. You could easily be mistaken for one of them.

— I don’t want to attack you. You don’t need to be afraid.

— Yes, I understood right away that you’re on our side, especially when I saw you in the village. But it’s so strange…

— I’m not on your side, — Rein objected.

— Then why are you with us?

— But I’m not on their side either. I’m for no one! I just need money.

— For no one? For money? In the empire, did you do something for money, and that’s why they expelled you? — the boy asked, getting angry.

— No, I wasn’t expelled for that, — Rein replied. — As for money… Sometimes people do things to survive in this world.

— My mother and father were killed for money, — the boy said. — I don’t understand why people are so obsessed with it. If you want, you can live peacefully without it.

— I would never kill someone for money, if that comforts you. Only to avoid being killed or to protect those who can’t defend themselves.

— And now? Aren’t you going into battle with us, killing for money?

— You’re incredibly naive! If we’re going somewhere now, it’s only towards death.

— I’m going into battle, not towards death! And if you’re going to death, I’m completely confused because I don’t understand how you’re planning to get your money then.

These words reminded Rein of the true reason for this expedition, so the boy’s words seemed to infuriate him.

— I definitely have a better chance of facing them in battle than you do, — Rein declared. — Honestly, I don’t understand why they sent a child here.

— I’m not a child! I’m going to fight Raiderians! Children don’t do that! Besides, you’re not much older than me!

— They’ll just kill you… — Rein objected. — If you want to survive this day, turn around and run to your family or friends, if you still have any. What awaits us there won’t be a battle; it’ll be a slaughter!

— Everyone says Raiderians are terrifying and bloodthirsty, scaring children as if they can’t be defeated at all, but knights defeat them. I know people have won battles against them long ago. And here you are. You don’t seem that invincible. I don’t want to be afraid. I believe I can defeat a Raiderian in a fair fight. Maybe there are none of them there at all. We’re just going to check if they are there. Maybe we’ll even reach Aeris.

— Listen, — said Rein. — I’m serious! There’s nothing for you to do here. You won’t beat an imperial warrior. Even the weakest of them are significantly more trained than you. They start training them practically from childhood to kill. Not to mention that they are stronger than you and not clad in rags. You’re too dreamy! Run while you still can, otherwise you and your grandmother might not survive the war that’s about to begin. Once you reach the village, just find everyone who wants to live and convince them to head towards the great mountains. War definitely won’t reach there. And then you’ll have a chance to live a long and happy life.

— I believe in myself! And our knights won’t abandon those in need. My grandmother has already headed towards the nearest bastions near Rinfoll. Thank you for your concern, but I’m not weak or a coward to just turn around like that.

— Fine. Stop. I need to rest. I’m tired of walking.

— I told you Raiderians aren’t all-powerful! — the boy said with a smirk. — Unlike you, I’m not even tired, even though I’ve been walking all day. The sun hasn’t even set yet.

— We might not be all-powerful, — Rein replied, — but you stand no chance against a Raiderian.

— Listen… I get it. You’re just scared! You want to run away, but as long as I’m here, you hesitate.

— I’m not hesitating. I just don’t want you to be killed just like that. After all, I’m sure you have something to live for!

— You’re not the first Raiderian warrior I’ve seen, — the boy said. — Their scouts have visited our villages before, roamed through our forests. Once I saw a knight kill one of your Raiderians. As I said, I definitely have a chance. And I want to take advantage of it. It’ll toughen me up; I’ll become stronger — and someday, I’ll avenge my parents.

— Alright. I’ve rested, — Rein said abruptly.

— Finally, — the boy replied and went ahead.

— Stop! — Rein said. — You won’t go any further.

— What? Why? — the boy asked in surprise.

— I won’t let you! If you can’t defeat me, then you certainly won’t handle an entire Raiderian legion on your own.

— What? I won’t fight alone. I’m not the only one who went into the woods for reconnaissance! Besides, there are others with me, and knights are following us.

— Don’t you understand? As soon as we encounter the Raiderians, everyone will scatter immediately — those who can, and the knights — they’ll run first!

— No. They’re knights. They can’t just abandon everyone.

— How naive you are if you really think so, — Rein replied.

— Fine, I’ll just go; you won’t be able to stop me anyway, — the boy said.

Seeing that the boy just continued walking, Rein followed him slowly and stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulder.

— Let go! — the boy exclaimed angrily.

— Fine… If you want to fight a Raiderian, fight me!

Rein clenched his fist and struck the boy in the face with half force, breaking his nose and causing him to fall.

— Well, how about now? Had enough?

The boy was genuinely angered. He stood up, clenched his fists, and in response to his own roar, he struck Rein in the face with all his strength. However, Rein just turned his face, not even flinching. The boy then hit him once more in the body and twice in the face. After that, Rein, unperturbed, wiped his nose and said:

— So, have you finally understood?

The boy got even angrier, turned around, grabbed a stone lying by a tree, and with an apologetic look towards Rein, he ran at him, holding the stone tightly. The boy intended to hit Rein in the face again, hoping that the stone would make it more painful. But as soon as the boy approached a close distance for the strike and swung, Rein grabbed him by the hand holding the stone and by the shoulder with his other hand. Stepping slightly to the side and making a swift move, Rein effortlessly threw the boy to the ground. As the boy lay there, his face was now covered in tears.

— You wanted to fight so badly! — Rein said. — Come on, I’m waiting! Why are you lying down?

The boy, even more enraged, picked up a broken stick lying under him and ran towards Rein, aiming the sharp end at him. However, Rein simply took the boy by the wrist holding the stick and squeezed so hard that the boy couldn’t hold it anymore. The stick fell, and the boy began to cry. With his free hand, he started hitting Rein in the face. He struck Rein about ten times before Rein finally hit him back. Since Rein struck the boy below the belt, he fell to the ground, stopped crying, and almost stopped making any sounds at all, curling up into a ball.

— I’m sorry, I had to do this to show you how it really is, not in your fantasies. If you don’t go back on your own, I’ll have to forcefully take you away from here.

Meanwhile, a sound was heard from behind.

— Well, you’ve made quite a spectacle here.

— Bern… Can’t say I’m thrilled to see you either, — Rein said.

— Mutual feeling! When I saw some commotion here, I tied my horse not far away and approached to observe you a bit. It was entertaining, but as I told you: “Move forward, or I’ll finish you.” And I wasn’t the only one who said that. You remember, right?

— Yes, I remember… but I’m not going where you directed me anymore.

— You’ve come almost to Raiderian lands… And now… you’ve decided to turn back because of this boy?

— I just want to get him out of here. I want to save whoever I can! And if you decide to get in my way, I’ll push you aside.

This statement offended Bern and elicited laughter from him, but he understood Rein’s desire to save the boy, even though it surprised him.

— You were clearly told what to do and what would happen. You gave your word! Now I just have to fulfill it, and I’ll take care of this boy, for what it’s worth. But if you think you have any chance against me, you’re clearly delusional! I hope you’ll face your death with dignity! — Bern said, playfully drawing his sword from its sheath.

Bern unsheathed his sword, holding it in his hand with a reverse grip. Changing the expression on his face, he assumed a combat stance. Reyn was curious about what to expect from this knight in battle. However, with little time to spare, Reyn made a leap and struck with his sword first.

Due to the smaller size of Bern’s sword, which was only a few inches longer than his forearm and narrower than his wrist, he couldn’t effectively block Reyn’s powerful strike. Bern employed a special combat technique, guiding the opponent’s sword along the edge of his own blade as if the enemy’s sword were sliding off. At the same time, he moved slightly to the side, deflecting or, more accurately, evading the direct blows of opponents stronger than him. This was how he deflected Reyn’s swift overhead strike.

As Bern was not encumbered by heavy armor and wielded a sword that weighed almost as much as he did, the knights of the Last Kingdoms were known for honing their combat skills to perfection over many years, increasing the speed of their execution. Almost instantly after deflecting Reyn’s strike, Bern changed the position of the sword in his hand, gripping it conventionally, and swiftly ran the blade along the gap in Reyn’s armor on the side.

Only the fact that Reyn instinctively tightened the gap in his armor due to the pain saved him from death. After this wound, Reyn had to place his left hand on the bleeding injury and wield his sword with only one hand, also using a reverse grip. Bern almost immediately unleashed a barrage of new strikes upon Reyn.

Bern changed grips between his strikes so quickly that it seemed as if he were merely showing off. All of this happened almost instantly. So fast that Reyn could only block the blows with the flat of his sword instead of counterattacking. Although at the moment Reyn thought that both his sword and armor were only slowing him down, the extensive blade of Reyn’s sword saved his life blow after blow from Bern. Each new strike from Bern pushed Reyn down to his knees.

At some point, Bern hesitated for a moment, and Reyn caught him off guard. With one hand, Reyn turned his sword and swung it from left to right, piercing the horizon with the tip. As Reyn’s concentration momentarily weakened, he saw small metal knives flying towards him. He managed to deflect some with his sword, but some got stuck in his armor. Finally, Reyn was able to stand up from his kneeling position and release the still-bleeding wound.

The guy whom Reyn had dealt with quite thoroughly caught Reyn’s eye. Still recovering from Reyn’s blows, he breathed heavily and silently watched the battle, leaning against a tree. Reyn turned his gaze back to Bern and said:

“You’re fast…”

“And you’re still alive,” replied Bern, “but only because I allow it. I was curious to see what you were made of, considering how confident you were. I am a knight of an order that has existed for over a millennium. Your people weren’t even on the world map, and the order had already been around for many years. But at some point, you appeared — arrogants who decided to rule the world on your own. Because of you, we had to embark on a quest for truths that would allow us to stand against you. Because of you, our order had to evolve. Because of beings like you, I am who I am. The one who fulfills his purpose over and over, killing raidarians like you. Do you know what number you are? One hundred! I thought that God would reward me with someone special for my efforts, but I’ve seen enough, once again confirming that miracles don’t exist. And now, answer me! After what you’ve seen, do you still hope to defeat me?”

“I couldn’t care less about you and your order,” said Reyn. “I’m just waiting for you to do something instead of running your mouth.”

“Interesting…” replied Bern, once again assuming a combat stance.

This time, Reyn, holding his sword with both hands, simply stood, lowering the blade to the ground, forcing Bern to initiate the attack. This time, Reyn decided to fight by countering, deflecting Bern’s slashing strikes. Bern understood that trying to break through his solid defense would be too foolish, so after another strike, he quickly somersaulted away. Coming out of the roll, he tried to pierce Reyn from the side again, but this time, Reyn managed to block the attack with a wooden plate strapped to his left forearm. At the same time, as he stood up, Bern drew a knife from his waist with his left hand and, with a sharp turn, tried to thrust the knife directly into Reyn’s neck.

Reyn had to release his sword to quickly block this attack with the armor on his right arm. In the process, the sword fell, embedding itself in the ground. Reyn’s hand barely reached the knife before it could pierce his neck, gripping it so tightly that Bern couldn’t pull his knife back. Then Reyn noticed his hand, which was bleeding from holding the knife blade. More precisely, he noticed the glove. At that moment, he deeply regretted not stealing a raidarian armor with gloves that protected the back of the hand. Bern was greatly surprised that Reyn somehow managed to escape what would normally be a deadly blow. While Bern was in a state of strong surprise, Reyn was already lifting his leg for a kick, managing to deliver a powerful blow to Bern’s torso and throwing him backward. The impact was so strong that Bern couldn’t stay on his feet and fell, but he quickly got up without losing composure.

Reyn imagined the expression on Bern’s face hidden behind the mask, which probably resembled a surprised lamb. Reyn only wanted to break the distance with a kick to gain a little more time against such a skilled killer. But Reyn didn’t have much time, considering that he had been wounded several times and was bleeding. At that moment, Bern roared, as if not expecting to have to fight for so long.

Bern tensed his muscles, gripping his sword with all his might. He took a short breath and exhaled. Then, with a slight toss of his sword into the air, he pulled out another object from under a strap on his chest, resembling a small throwing knife. Like lightning, Bern hurled this knife-like object towards Reyn and hit the gap between the protective wooden plates on his leg, penetrating just above the knee. Reyn didn’t know what to do. If he pulled it out, another bleeding wound would open, and if he left it, this thing would slow him down so much that his chances of victory would plummet.

Bern, on the other hand, wasted no time — he wanted to finish this battle as quickly as possible. Bern caught the thrown sword in the air, but then…

Out of nowhere, sounds of flying arrows were heard from behind Bern. He immediately understood what it was. He tried to turn around to swiftly deflect the arrows with his sword, which he managed to do, but one arrow still pierced his dense leather attire, lodging into his back. Before his eyes, a horrifying scene unfolded with numerous raidarian warriors appearing on the horizon, seemingly ascending a small slope. They appeared one after another, releasing arrows from large bows and crossbows.

Unexpectedly, one of the guys who had been watching the battle by the tree was struck by an arrow from a raidarian crossbow. He cried out momentarily, attempting to pull out the arrow, but any attempts ended in agony as he experienced unbearable pain at the slightest touch. In pain, fear, confusion, and complete despair, he remained silent, doing nothing, resigned to his fate.

Meanwhile, despite everything, no arrows flew towards Reyn, as raidarian warriors, seeing his sword and appearance, but unable to discern his emblem due to the distance, mistook him for one of their own.

At the same time, Bern was forced to take cover behind tree trunks, moving from tree to tree, fending off arrows to reach his horse, tied not far away.

Reyn, seeing an opportunity, decided to rescue the injured guy struck by an arrow. He approached the guy, looked at him, and the guy slowly raised his gaze to meet Reyn’s. Their eyes locked. Reyn took the guy’s hand, placed it on his shoulder, then turned around and, limping, headed towards Bern’s horse, dragging his sword along the ground, as their only chance of escape lay with the horse. The guy offered no resistance, although any movement must have caused him pain. He seemed to be in a state of shock. While Bern stood behind a tree trunk, being bombarded by a multitude of approaching empire warriors, Reyn managed to outpace Bern, as almost no one hindered him. However, at some point, the raidarian warriors realized something was amiss, as their own, whom they saw in Reyn, wanted to flee rather than join them.

Feeling the first arrow piercing his back through the armor, Reyn immediately dropped the guy from his shoulder, grabbed him with his left hand, and hid him behind, walking sideways and deflecting the arrows with the broad side of his sword. As much as Bern wanted to reach his horse quickly, the dense stream of arrows towards him proved to be a significant hindrance. Eventually, Reyn managed to reach Bern’s horse first. He placed the guy on the horse and intended to saddle it himself. However, as soon as he untied the reins from the tree, Bern’s throwing knife impaled his glove, causing Reyn to turn around.

At that moment, Bern was already charging at Reyn furiously with his sword. Reyn barely managed to block Bern’s strike with the armor on his arm. While Reyn blocked the strike with one hand, he began to swing his sword with the other, causing not only raidarian arrows but also his own sword to fly towards Bern. As a result, Bern had to step back from the sword strike, throwing another knife at Reyn. Reyn, anticipating the attack, used this moment to his advantage. He only needed to break the distance one last time to buy himself a few more moments to somehow get on the horse. Seizing this opportunity, he took the reins and mounted the horse, which was already getting restless due to the arrows hitting its armor.

“Let’s go,” exclaimed Reyn, tapping the reins, and the horse galloped away from the arrows flying towards them. Some arrows bounced off the horse’s metallic armor, while others pierced it directly. The horse ran as fast as it could, leaving Bern behind. The warriors and Bern were gradually becoming distant, but that was no longer important. What mattered was to bring the guy, weakened by blood loss, to the nearest village, as his time was running out. Moreover, Reyn was gradually losing blood, which was not a good sign. Because of the constant galloping, the guy occasionally made strange sounds, as if in pain. Perhaps these discomforts during the ride were what kept him conscious, preventing him from losing consciousness.

Riding with all their might towards the village, they arrived much faster than if they had walked on foot.

“Here is the village!” exclaimed Rein, seeing its silhouette in the distance. “Hey, buddy, can you hear me?” But the guy didn’t respond. “Hey, you! Are you still with us, hey?”

When Rein turned back and shook the guy by the shoulder, the guy showed no signs of life. “Damn it, buddy…” Rein muttered, pulling the reins with all his might. “Let’s go! Forward! Forward!”

It was getting dark, and sunset was approaching. The crimson light enveloped the fields as Rein urged his horse even faster. Finally, he entered the village.

“Hey, is anyone here?” Rein shouted loudly. But no one answered. It seemed like the village had been deserted for a long time. There were no knights even though they had promised to wait for reconnaissance reports.

Rein rode his horse along the main road of the village, constantly asking if anyone was there. As he reached almost the center of the village, he heard a sound resembling a human noise. Rein headed towards the sound.

“Where are you, damn it, I heard you,” he exclaimed. Again, no one responded, but after a while, a noise, like something falling, came from a nearby house. Rein hurried towards the building.

“I need a healer urgently. The guy on my horse… he’s dying,” Rein stated. No one replied. As Rein began to turn back towards the exit, a man behind him opened the trapdoor of the cellar, sticking his head out.

“Are you a Raedarian?” he asked.

“Yes, but I’m not part of that army moving this way. I just want to help that lad,” Rein replied.

“Well, if that’s the case, and this isn’t some trick, come in. But be sure, if you’re lying, we won’t forget it,” said the old man.

“I’ll bring the guy; he needs urgent medical help. He won’t last long! He has already lost consciousness from blood loss,” Rein explained.

“So, what are you waiting for? Bring him in quickly!”

Rein ran to his horse, picked up the guy, and carried him to the cellar.

“Be careful! Hold him by the hand and lower him!” The people in the cellar, several families judging by what Rein saw below when bringing the guy down, took him and carried him away. Rein didn’t go down to the cellar; instead, he stood there, seemingly lost in thought, and started waiting.

“Hey, are you coming or staying there?” the old man said.

This man turned out to be an old grandpa with a beard and completely gray, tousled hair, wearing a white sleeveless knitted shirt and brown-beige pants made of some herbal fiber.

When Rein went downstairs, he saw a multitude of people looking at him with some suspicion, if not disdain, maybe even fear, as if they had let a lion into their abode.

“Who are all these people?” Rein asked.

“Some of those who, for one reason or another, refused to leave their estates,” the old man replied. “Their entire lives are here, and they can’t imagine life without these places.”

“Are there still people in the village like these?”

“Probably… I know many here, and I’ve seen that many didn’t want to leave the village, especially the elderly like me.”

Passing through a surprisingly spacious cellar adorned with torches, accompanied by the people, they reached one of its rooms. Opening the door, the old man and Rein entered, while the others remained waiting outside. In this room, the guy lay on the table, and an old granny-healer examined him.

“Felix…” the old man said. “I’ve known him since birth. He hasn’t been very lucky in life. His father owed the leader of the local bandits, and they didn’t wait long to show up, came straight to his house at night. They killed his mother, then his father right in front of little Felix, and then hit the child on the head with some iron object and disappeared. The boy miraculously didn’t become a cripple.”

“He mentioned something like that,” Rein said. “Where is his grandma now? He talked about her too.”

“Yes, after those events, only his grief-stricken grandmother remained. Her name is Lysanna, but I haven’t seen Lys for a long time,” the old man replied. “Maybe she left with everyone, but she’s quite old for such journeys.”

Rein noticed the granny bustling around the guy. “What’s wrong with him? Can I help with anything?” he asked the granny.

“I’m afraid there’s not much that can help this boy now,” she replied. “No matter what I do, I can only bring him back to consciousness, but it won’t help much. To save him, I have to remove this arrow, but it hit one of the main arteries. If I pull it out, he’ll almost immediately bleed to death. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.”

Rein, angered, approached the granny and, grabbing her shoulders, pressed her against the wall.

“Hey, easy there!” the old man said to Rein.

“Granny,” Rein said, “don’t play games with me! Tell me what can be done to save him, or I’ll send you to another world along with him.”

“It hurts, let go,” the granny said plaintively. “I don’t know; he needs a better healer, and there are none left here. His wound is too serious; they don’t heal after such injuries. He needs magic. A miracle to save him. I can only help you. I can stitch the bleeding wounds, or else you might die too.”

After hearing this, Rein released the granny and sat on the couch where the guy lay.

“I can only ease his suffering,” the granny said. “I’m very sorry.”

Rein stood up and hit the wall several times with his fists, causing it to crack slightly.

“Don’t hit so hard! You’ll break everything! This wasn’t built yesterday,” the old man said.

It was so loud that one of those outside decided to check if everything was okay.

“Everything is fine, Oris, let’s go out; it seems we’re not needed here,” the old man said to the man who entered the room.

“But he!..” objected Oris.

“Come on, Oris, let’s go,” said the old man.

They left with the old man, closing the door behind them and leaving Rein with the granny and Felix.

The granny stitched Rein’s side wound and applied a healing mixture to his hand, then cauterized the knife wound on his leg.

“I used the same mixture on his wound as on your hand; it will relieve the pain,” the granny said. “And this should wake him up. I understand he’s dear to you, and you probably want to say goodbye.”

“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea…” Rein said.

But the granny was already holding a bottle emitting smoke to Felix’s nose. As soon as she did that, the guy immediately opened his eyes.

At first, Rein didn’t know what to say to the bewildered guy, but eventually, he decided to ask:

“Felix, right?”

“Where am I?” Felix asked.

“You’re in the village, Felix, and you’re dying.”

“How? How can I be dying?”

“You defeated them,” Rein answered, smiling. “All of them… But you got hit by an arrow, and now you’re dying.”

Felix pondered for a moment, and then, even though it was hard to call him cheerful, his face began to dull.

“No! You’re lying to me. I remember everything. I even lost to my own fear…”

Felix shed a tear and closed his eyes again, but this time it was forever.

“I’m truly sorry,” the granny said.

Rein left the room, closing the door. Walking through the corridor, he observed worried and distraught people sitting under torches, huddled against the walls. Each subsequent step of Rein was filled with pain and despair, trailing behind him.

“Stop!” the old man said to Rein. “How far are they from us?”

“With their pace, they’ll be here at dawn. But you shouldn’t be afraid if you’re not warriors. At least not for your lives. Raedarian warriors don’t often kill ordinary citizens of towns and villages. Now it’s more beneficial for them to make these people new citizens of the empire.”

“You won’t stay?” the old man asked. “We might need a warrior like you in case something happens.”

“No, thank you! I don’t think I can pass through that storm with you,” Rein replied.

Rein climbed the stairs, opened the hatch, and emerged from this spacious cellar, then left the house. There, he, taking out his sword, immediately started smashing everything in sight.

After some time, Rein cooled down and decided it was time to go. He then found his horse, saddled it, and headed towards the nearest village called Rosie.

Although the road between the two villages was not as long as to the border with the Raedarian Empire, the evening was nearing its end, and the sun was almost setting behind the horizon. Riding in pitch darkness seemed like not the best idea to him. Watching the sunset on the horizon, Rein could barely resist the urge to close his eyes while still on horseback. He couldn’t remember how long he had been without sleep. Stopping at the same inn was not an option for various reasons. The only reasonable option for Rein was to lie down in the depths of the forest and wake up before the Raedarian legion found him. That’s what he did, at one point turning off the main road and riding for some time. When it finally got dark, and it started to get a bit colder, as much as Rein wanted to light a fire, even that was dangerous in these troubled times. So, he just made his horse lie down and leaned against its fluffy fur.

Rein woke up from a sunbeam piercing directly into his eyes. He was literally deafened by the singing of birds and the sounds made by insects. He didn’t even notice when or how he fell asleep. Still, he was lucky — he woke up early in the dawn. Although his body told him it was too early to get up, his mind was sounding the alarm, urging him to move as soon as possible. Rein complied.

He cut through the forest, and as he reached the slope, he remembered the beginning of the previous day, which started almost the same way.

Approaching the village, he noticed that not everyone had left the area. It seemed that a significant number of people had only left this morning. Descending from the slope, he soon exited the forest. Rein was presented with vast fields, confirming his suspicions. Carriages, riders, and people on foot were visible on every road, most of whom were ordinary farmers.

What Rein saw shocked him, and he rushed into the village to warn everyone about what they might face if they delayed. Rein sped across the field along the golden wheat stalks to save as much time as possible. Although Rein wasn’t sure how far the legions were from this village, he was certain that there was no time to waste. He rode as if he were the only one who could save these people.

But everything changed in an instant. Rein heard a strange sound behind him. “Could they be here already? Impossible,” Rein thought. He decided to look back, and at that moment, a shadow covered him, passing by quickly. Rein looked up and saw something. He had heard of something similar before, but what he saw vaguely resembled the winged monsters described in the tales that frightened him as a child. And this something was flying towards the village.

Although Rein and his horse slowed down, after what he had witnessed, Rein urged his horse to move forward faster than before. Rein had a little time left to reach the village. Most of the time, Rein gazed at this flying monster. At some point, he noticed that it released a parachute from behind, causing the front part of this marvel to tilt downward. He knew that such a device was often used by aerisians to slow down the fall. After that, it started descending towards the village. Then Rein noticed that something, resembling a person, detached from this thing, and then that something also released a parachute. Rein suspected that this thing was connected to the Raedarians and their onslaught.

It fell from the sky at a tremendous speed. Rein, however, continued through the village directly towards this falling thing, observing astonished people. Finally, it landed, and at the point of impact, something so bright emerged that it momentarily eclipsed the sun. Almost instantly, an incredibly loud, booming sound followed. The horse, startled by this, began to turn around. In a couple of moments, Rein, together with his horse, was hit by a wave of air. The wave knocked Rein off his horse, and the horse toppled over.

Rein’s subsequent actions were confused, and his consciousness blurred. Ahead, he saw fire, and looking around, he noticed bewildered, frightened, and helpless people. Some showed no signs of life. Standing up, Rein wanted to focus his mind, but something seemed to hinder him. The constant, unpleasant noise that had appeared in his ears. After some time, forgetting everything, Rein gathered his strength and moved forward. Gradually, his consciousness returned to normal. Rein tried to remember what kind of weapon it could be, but nothing came to his mind.

As Rein approached the crash site of this strange imperial weapon, more buildings were destroyed, and more people lay unconscious. Around him, people were running. Some in one direction, others in another. People were crying and sobbing, trying to revive their once living friends and relatives.

At the point where Rein witnessed the moment of the fall, most people managed to escape with bruises and intense fear. However, closer to the impact site, there were only smoldering embers left of the people. At the spot where the temple and its occupants were, only ashes remained in a small crater. Meanwhile, every building that was lucky enough to survive was ablaze.

Suddenly, Rein heard splashing in a small pond near the now non-existent temple. Paying attention to it, he spotted a familiar figure. At first, he thought it might be a figment of his imagination, but he decided to approach and was finally convinced of what he saw. It was none other than Iziro.

“Iziro!” Rein exclaimed. “Is it really you?”

Iziro, however, silently stared at the horrifying scene around him, trying to catch his breath.

“Hey, how are you?” Rein asked.

Iziro finally turned his gaze to Rein and, with a horrified realization, whispered as if to himself, “Sol? Or Rein… What’s your name? What happened?”

He then headed towards the charred temple. Along the way, he leaned on Rein’s chest, almost pushing him away, and then slowly moved forward. Understanding dawned on him not easily, but he held himself together, displaying no significant emotions. Only faint traces of anger were brewing deep in his eyes, but it was incredibly difficult to notice.

“While you were swimming there, something fell from the sky and destroyed part of the village,” Rein explained. “And this building… Whatever was here before seems to have evaporated. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’m sure it’s some new weapon of the empire. It definitely used the concepts of old ideas about temporarily flying structures.”

“Today at noon, I was supposed to depart for Aeris on a transport carriage for my mission. The carriage was there, along with others waiting to depart. There were elderly people, women, children. They all perished in this fiery hell. You! You could have saved them all if you were in the current ruler of Raidaria. Your father proclaimed peace and tranquility for the empire… for the whole world… and you were supposed to continue that path. But you are here,” Iziro said, shaking his head. “I know… You must reclaim the throne. You must continue your father’s path! I couldn’t stop this, but I must help you stop it in the future. You must save these people!”

“I’ve tried to save someone many times. Just yesterday, a young man I tried to save from certain death died before my eyes. It just keeps reinforcing the thought that saving something heading for destruction is meaningless. The world itself is inclined towards destruction! I remember the words I once read in a book… ‘Better to rein in the steed that brings destruction than to fall beneath its hooves.’”

“The guy you mentioned… You said his death was inevitable. It’s different here! You… Right now, you can really save someone! Not just someone, but thousands upon thousands of people. And that’s a conservative estimate.”

“Wait! Let’s sort this out! Are you suggesting that I join forces with a practically unknown mountain monk for what? To convince the kings of the great city-states of the empire to believe that the current emperor is bad and that war is bad? Kings of an empire where military matters are most revered… Kings raised as warriors… They, of course, are great warriors themselves; otherwise, they wouldn’t be worthy of their positions. And then?… What?.. Are you proposing that I defeat, perhaps, the greatest of the great warriors in the whole world and take his throne, instantly changing the nearly millennium-old order of the empire? To just discard most of the traditions and teachings that have prevailed in it. Is that what you want? Am I understanding you correctly?”

“You’ve exaggerated all of that as much as the years of the Raidarian Empire, but yes. You understand me better than I could have dreamed. I know it sounds insane, but the most insane things in the world can be realized with just one will.”

“Oh… In that case, I forgot to mention, in relation to you, the word ‘insane.’ Or maybe ‘crazy’? Or perhaps ‘mad’? I can’t decide…”

“In comparison to the madness of this world, what I’m offering you is not insane at all,” replied Iziro. “The world will manage to accept it, believe me.”

“I don’t know what you do in these mountains of yours, but you’ve clearly gone mad!”

“If I’ve gone mad, I did so long before becoming a monk. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: ‘War is a curse that destroys the soul, and victory in it is a fleeting joy, ultimately bringing only pain.’ The world brought us together then and now, and it will bring us together again not just for any reason.”

“Alright. I think I’ve heard enough from you…” said Rein. “Listening to the nonsense of crazy people… That’s what I needed.”

“You can resist, but I believe the world has already made its choice. It’s within your power to give me peace, and in mine to give it to you.”

“Fine. Good luck to you! I’ll go find my horse.” Rein set off in search of his friend. A horse he still hadn’t named. Suffering people caught his eye, and with each step, he looked at them with increasing cynicism. In his search for the horse, Rein wandered through the half-destroyed streets of the village. Time passed, the village emptied, but the horse didn’t appear.

“Where are you, damn horse?” After quite a long time of searching, Rein couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Calm down, Rein! You need to leave! You don’t want to fight alone against all the Raidarian legions. And if you stay, you’ll definitely fight. You’ll find the horse somewhere else. Maybe it’s running around in that forest, and you’re looking for it here. It’s just an ordinary horse. Good thing I didn’t give it a name. I could have gotten attached.”

Talking to himself, Rein realized he had come back to the same place where he had last talked to Iziro.

“And what am I losing? I have nothing anyway. I even lost the horse. The insane story of Sol Illyrian, nicknamed Rein. Or better yet, ‘How to amuse the kings of Raidaria’? At least it’s a beautiful goal before death. Lived… Talking to myself without a horse.”

Rein shook his head and walked away from the village in the opposite direction of the advancing Raidarian legions. Upon leaving the village, he noticed the last desperate residents sitting on the ground, unwilling to leave despite the looming threat. Walking along the path towards the forest, he spotted a strange but familiar silhouette near a tree in the field. He then veered off the path and headed towards that tree. As he got closer, a smile became more evident on his face. Approaching the tree, Rein said:

“You found him…”

“He was running around here as if nothing happened, and I saw him and decided to calm him down. Haven’t seen horses like him in a while, and feeling so free. They’re usually quite disciplined. He would charge into fire and water without fear if given a worthy owner.”

Sitting under the tree, Iziro calmly stroked the horse’s fur, the one Rein had been searching for so long.

“You spoke of peace, destiny, and meeting. I don’t believe in such nonsense, and your life in blind faith is alien to me, and your plan is not just insane but absurdly foolish. I’m not sure I’ve done anything stupider. But despite all this… I agree… I’ll go with you! And I’ll try to save everyone… I’ll try to do what’s within my power, no matter how foolish it may be.”

“I was once a Raidarian,” Iziro said with a smile. “I understand you more than you understand me. You choose your path, but the world provides you with a way, and you choose whether to follow it or turn away.”

With that, Iziro lightly patted the horse’s coat, and it instantly stood up. Iziro walked towards the path leading into the forest, leaving the horse behind.

“Are you coming?” asked Iziro, stopping in his tracks, facing Rein. “We need to get away from here before the legions arrive and find a way to bypass them to reach Aeris.”

Upon hearing this, Rein took the horse’s reins and followed Iziro.

CHAPTER 4 “GOING TO MEET DESTINY”

“Do you know these places well?” Iziro asked.

“Not really well… I would say reasonably,” replied Rein.

“How do you think we should navigate through the advancing forces?”

“After being expelled from Raedaria to the kingdoms, I initially tried to survive in the forests. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t the best option and started earning a living however I could, usually by using brute force. But I rarely stayed in one place. It wasn’t safe. And one day, I stumbled upon a job at the local iron mine. I didn’t work there for long. As soon as someone started suspecting that I was a Raedarian, I had to leave. Overall… I’m getting to the point that there’s a path there. I’ve heard local smugglers often use it to get into the empire. Maybe we’ll be lucky to pass through it.”

“Not a bad idea,” replied Iziro.

“Yeah, you might be right.”

“And this increasingly sounds like not such a crazy plan after all,” said Iziro, pondering a bit. “Agree?”

“Yeah, it’s true. We have a long road ahead,” replied Rein.

Rein and Iziro decided to circumvent the advance of Raedarian legions through the largest iron mine in the kingdoms, located just south of their current location. To reach this mine, they needed to get on the road leading to it, with the nearest one passing through the way to Rinfall Castle.

Rein and Iziro walked along the road, surrounded by woods on both sides. It seemed like there was not a soul around. Rein rode his horse, while Iziro walked beside him.

“Aren’t you tired of walking yet?” Rein asked.

“I prefer not to burden your horse any further,” replied Iziro. “A walk on foot can be beneficial.”

“Well, suit yourself. Just, if you also got on the horse, I wouldn’t have to wait for you, and we could move faster.”

“I’ll stick to walking for now, if you don’t mind,” answered Iziro.

The journey was slow but long. Everything around increasingly resembled the calm before the storm. The only distraction from this uneasy feeling was the sounds of birdsong carried by the wind.

“It seems like the locals have long gone to the fort under Rinfall,” said Rein.

“Have you been there?” asked Iziro.

“A couple of times… Deadly boring. Even in warm weather, everything in Rinfall seems excessively gray. If you’re talking about Rinfall, of course. But if it’s the fort on… then it’s just a regular fort. Although it has two hefty stone walls built not so long ago… to withstand the pressure of Raedarian invasion and complicate movement along the main trade route. Essentially, it’s a large military checkpoint into the central region of Rinfall’s territories. Have you been to any of the castles in the kingdoms?”

“A long time ago, when I still lived in a village on the Lir River. I…,” Iziro began, lost in thought. “In general, I often visited Santris. Surprisingly, it was a very beautiful city, and its castle was equally elegant. And I came here through Fordrim. It will forever remain a mystery to me why the Fords from Fordrim seized power over the kingdoms, and not the Liharts from Santris.”

“When I lived in the Illyrion Castle, I heard about that. Santris and Fordrim… They had a bloody feud for centuries — and one fine day, the king of Santris decided to wipe out the entire family of Little Alex Fordrim at the wedding of King Rinfall — who was then a young Soral Rin. After the massacre, Alex miraculously survived, and he was smuggled out and hidden within the walls of Fordrim. Soral was furious but too young to take decisive action. Over the years, Alex transformed from a boy into a man and, seizing the opportunity presented by the conflict between the Raedarian Empire and Rinfall and Santris, decided to unite the kingdoms under his protectorate, ensuring their survival against the pressure of such a formidable enemy. But perhaps it was only possible if Bart Lihart — the killer of his family and still the king of Santris — was dead. The King of Rinfall was forced to take such decisive measures, forming an alliance between Rinfall and Fordrim. Santris simply couldn’t fight against two neighboring kingdoms and the Raedarian legions simultaneously. In the end, the king of Santris was betrayed by his own elder son in exchange for the lives of his family and the opportunity to continue ruling Santris, albeit in the role of its lord. Alex Ford stabbed Bart Lihart with a spear at the ‘Meeting of the Three Kingdoms,’ dedicated to opposing the Raedarians; after that, he wasn’t just the king of Fordrim — he was the king of the kingdoms. I used to find this story somewhat inspiring,” said Rein. “I’m surprised you’re not familiar with it.”

“I heard something similar, but they were just rumors. Wildly exaggerated tales. If you believe what I’ve heard from people, there were even dragons involved. After hearing all that, you don’t know what’s true and what’s fiction anymore.”

“I heard that the last dragon was seen long before the appearance of Reinia,” said Rein.

“Haha. Well, I guess they either never existed or are hiding somewhere,” said Iziro.

Finally reaching the desired road, Iziro said, “Alright. Seems like I’m tired of walking. Give me your hand.”

Rein smiled and helped Iziro mount the horse from behind.

“Well, what do you think?” Rein asked, grinning broadly. “Not so bad, huh?”

“Yeah, not bad,” replied Iziro, sitting behind Rein.

After a considerable amount of time on the road, passing through forests and fields, small laboring villages started appearing in the distance.

“Wow, I didn’t think we’d get here so quickly,” said Rein.

Iziro, sitting on the horse behind Rein, peeked over his shoulder and said, “Yeah, I thought it would take longer.”

“And there are people,” remarked Rein.

Four people were trying to fix a broken wagon in the middle of the road.

As Rein approached the group, Iziro immediately dismounted and began helping them lift the wagon so they could replace the wheel.

“I thought we had more important matters,” said Rein, smiling slightly.

Iziro saw three men, a woman, and even a little boy struggling to lift the loaded wagon.

“Thanks, we’ll manage,” said one of the men, straining to lift it.

“Let me help!” Iziro said to the boy.

Once Iziro joined in, the wagon almost lifted off the ground.

“Thank you,” said the man, while the other two started changing the wheel. The woman just watched Iziro and Rein.

As soon as the wheel was replaced, the woman immediately rushed to one of the men who was carefully inspecting the new wagon wheel and whispered something in his ear. The man abruptly turned, looked at Rein, and said:

“Are you a Raedarian? And you too? We don’t need trouble!”

“What are you talking about?” asked Iziro.

“We know about the invasion. We won’t be able to help you with anything if you’re here for that.”

“We don’t need anything,” replied Iziro.

“Let’s go, Izi,” said Rein.

Iziro looked at Rein and grimaced at being called “Izi.” The people quickly gathered and rode the wagon towards the nearest village. Rein extended his hand to Iziro.

“No, thanks,” said Iziro. “I think I’ll walk again.”

“Well, suit yourself,” replied Rein.

After passing a couple of villages, they finally saw a massive mine, more resembling an open-pit quarry. The pale sky and the workers in the mine, seemingly spending their entire days digging ore with pickaxes and hauling these rocks for processing, gave little resemblance to a happy life. However, these people had to do this day by day to earn some money for their survival and their families.

“A big mine,” remarked Iziro.

“Haven’t been here before?” asked Rein. “I can give you a little tour!”

“Yeah… I haven’t been here before,” said Iziro.

“Let’s go! You can’t easily go around this mine anyway. It’s easier to go straight through!”

And so, they descended into the vast pit, dug over the years for ore extraction. As they descended, the local workers dropped their tasks and began staring intently at them.

“Do you see that too?” asked Rein. “Any idea what’s up with them?”

“You’ve been here before! I thought you’d tell me,” replied Iziro.

“Maybe it’s somehow related to the legions advancing on Rinfall.”

“Or maybe they just don’t like us. Either way, it’s too early to turn back. Let’s just keep going calmly. I think if we don’t provoke them, they won’t do anything harmful.”

More workers gathered ahead, and those who remained behind began following Rein and Iziro.

“Not a good sign,” said Iziro.

As they passed halfway through the mine, the workers ahead blocked Reyna and Iziro’s path with a fairly large crowd.

“So, what are you all gathered here for?” Reyna asked loudly.

There was no response, only quiet whispers within the crowd and some laughter.

“Why are you silent?” Reyna shouted at them.

“I think shouting at them is not the best idea,” Iziro said quietly.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Reyna shouted again.

“Maybe they are contemplating why two raidarians ended up in the royal mine in the midst of the war between the last kingdoms and the raidarian empire?” a female voice said from the side of the crowd.

Reyna and Iziro began to look around, but it wasn’t clear who exactly said it behind the crowd.

“Get them!” the female voice said again.

Workers armed with spears started emerging from the crowd. There were so many of them that fighting against them would be pure madness, or rather suicide. Reyna immediately calmed down, as the spears poking at the horse frightened it, and it might throw Reyna off. Reyna drew his sword, while Iziro simply sat down, folding his arms and stopped doing anything.

“What are you doing? Don’t you want to help?” Reyna said, waving off the spear bearers. “I can’t handle them alone,” Reyna said, continuing to fend them off.

“Drop your weapons or it will get worse!” the female voice from the crowd said.

“Although, one could think, I can handle them alone,” Reyna thought. Then he plunged the tip of his sword into the ground and raised his hands. Reyna was seized by a slight panic attack from what was happening, but it quickly subsided when Reyna felt as if he had been hit with something heavy on the head.

Reyna woke up already shackled to a low wooden pole driven into the ground, soaked with cold water.

“What?” Reyna said softly.

Reyna was in the same mine, only at the very bottom of its large pit. And Iziro was shackled nearby.

“Well, what? Good morning!” the girl said.

That was a girl who could already be called a woman. She was approximately a little younger than Iziro. Dark hair and a masculine style of clothing suited her well. She was quite well-built, resembling a Raderian warrior to some extent.

“I know that in Raderia, female Raderians are prohibited from holding leadership positions, but I am the leader among these people, and I express their will,” she said.

“In Raderia, women are only prohibited from holding such positions in the military and government. If you have your own business, like mining, it is allowed,” replied Iziro.

“Well… I haven’t been in the empire for long or much. Please forgive me for that,” she said.

“May I ask why we are here and how long we are stuck to these wooden posts?” asked Rain, raising his voice, jerking and trying to break the chains of the shackles from the wooden post.

“You can jerk as much as you want — they are deeply embedded, and everything is securely done,” said the brute standing next to the girl.

“Let him jerk as much as he can,” the girl replied.

“Alright then… Let’s get down to business,” the girl said. “Why are you here? For reconnaissance or something else?”

“Why do we need this?” Rain asked her.

The onlookers literally surrounded them.

“Izi, how are you?” Rain asked. “Did they hit you hard?”

But Iziro remained silent.

“My people were concerned that you came here at this difficult time without any problems. You could conduct reconnaissance or something worse. My task is only to ensure the safety of my people, so I hope you understand me. And I hope you also understand my people. Not answering is your right. But these people chose me not for nothing. I am responsible for every person here. And I will do everything in my power to ensure their safety. And you are diminishing their safety in my eyes. At least until we know anything about you. If you have something to tell, you can tell it to one of those who will pass by you. We hide nothing from anyone. Everything said will be reported to me immediately. You can be sure of that,” she explained.

“And what to say if there’s nothing to say?” Rain said to the departing girl.

“Anything you want!” she shouted, disappearing into the crowd of onlookers.

“And why were you silent?” Rain asked Iziro.

“What could I say? It would hardly help us. You could tell her your story, and I could tell mine, but then they would take advantage of it, and we might never leave here. So the only thing left for us is to wait.”

“Excellent tactic,” sarcastically remarked Rain.

As evening approached, a laborer came and threw something vaguely resembling food in iron bowls. He also brought a trough of water, from which, it seemed, pigs could have drunk at some point.

“Yeah. We need to get out of here,” said Rain. “Do you have any ideas, Izi?”

“Don’t disturb my sleep,” Iziro replied.

Memories from Iziro’s childhood flooded back to him.

“Interesting,” Iziro said out of the blue. “The last time I was called that, I was almost like that kid who helped lift the cart.”

“What was his name?”

“Izi.”

“Well, that’s easier. If you want, I can stop.”

“No, it’s okay… It just brings back memories… This and everything around,” Iziro said, lying on the ground.

Rain leaned against a wooden post, exhaled, and closed his eyes. He woke up in the morning to a strange noise.

“What are these two Raderians doing here?” Rain heard.

Rain woke up and saw something that made his body wake up rapidly. It was a group of five knights from the royal order. The story was repeating itself, but these knights were different from the ones he had seen before.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” one of the knights asked.

At that moment, all of Rain’s doubts disappeared. These were definitely different knights if they didn’t recognize him.

“One exile, and the second… He doesn’t look much like a warrior. More like a monk from the southern mountains,” another knight said.

“Bring me your leader!” said the main one among the knights to the people gathering around.

One of the knights dismounted, approached Rain, grabbed him by the hair, and said:

“Well, Raderian, your time has come. Will you tell us something valuable, or will you die like this?”

Rain just looked at him with furious anger in his eyes.

“We should interrogate them properly before that,” said one of the knights.

“They’re unlikely to say anything. It’s better not to torture ourselves and finish with them right away, and then deal with this local troublemaker,” one of the knights said.

Meanwhile, Iziro simply sat on the ground with his hands folded, still in chains, and did nothing.

“And what about this one?” asked one of the knights.

The knight closest to Iziro delivered a strong blow to him. Iziro briefly opened one eye, then closed it again.

“Seems like some sick Raderian. Definitely a mountain monk!” the knight exclaimed.

People around began to gather and surround the knights, just as they did with Rain and Iziro.

“There’s something wrong with these people,” one of the knights whispered, observing the situation.

“Disperse and get back to work!” the main knight shouted loudly. “I command in the name of His Majesty!”

But the crowd continued to gather around the knights. At one point, there were so many of them that the knights had to stand closer to each other, feeling the danger in the disobedience and the workers’ behavior.

“Disperse, or serious punishment awaits you!” the main knight menacingly shouted.

The crowd pushed the knights away from the Raderians chained to the posts and, one could say, absorbed the Raderians into itself.

“Iziro, do you have any ideas on what to do?” Rain asked anxiously. “Izi! Izi! It’s not time to sleep, damn it.”

Rain began to desperately try to break free from the shackles, but the brute spoke the plain truth: “Everything here is done to perfection.”

Meanwhile, the knights drew their swords. One of them approached and killed one of the workers. However, the workers didn’t scatter. Instead, one of them exclaimed, “A-ah,” and everyone began to repeat it in rhythm, raising and lowering their fists. “A-ah, A-ah, A-ah,” the workers chanted, and suddenly spears emerged from the crowd, forcing the knight who had come close to step back. The knights were forced to group even tighter.

“Iziro!” Rain shouted.

Iziro finally opened his eyes, exhaled, and first took one hand, shifting one of the wrist bones to pull his hand out of the shackle. Then he did the same with the other hand.

“Could you have done this seriously all this time?” Rain asked. “What were you waiting for?”

“I thought sleeping under the watchful eyes of the locals would be safer.”

“We could already be halfway to Aeris.”

The workers didn’t care about what was happening with the Raderians. They were dealing with a more serious issue. Two knights attempted to break through the cordon by mounting their horses, but the horses were afraid of the spears, so they didn’t approach the crowd. The knights then began throwing knives at the workers and something resembling miniature versions of them. The deaths of close friends and companions started frightening the workers, and some began to step back. Some of the spearmen started throwing their spears. Despite everyone being extremely serious and martially inclined, some still distanced themselves from their fallen comrades, thus disrupting the powerful blockade. Nevertheless, the crowd still seemed like a genuinely formidable force against so few knights, even though they were highly trained warriors. Especially considering that almost every member of the crowd was armed, whether with a spear, pickaxe, or shovel.

“I can’t do it this way, Iziro,” said Rain. “You need to somehow break my shackles.”

“Too bad they took your Rainian sword,” replied Iziro. “It would have come in handy here.”

Iziro saw a worker running toward the crowd from the other side of the blockade, approached him, and snatched his pickaxe, saying, “Sorry, I’ll return it.”

“Raderians are escaping!” the worker started shouting, but almost no one paid attention to him.

“Tighten the chain as much as you can,” said Iziro. “If I hit a link in the chain accurately and with great force, it might come apart.”

“Yeah, just don’t hit me,” replied Rain.

“Don’t worry. I’ve been pretty accurate all my life, and I haven’t lost that talent yet. A-ah!”

Iziro struck with all his strength at one link in the chain.

“A-ah!”

Then he struck at the second, freeing Rain from the post with the shackles still on him, while the remnants of the chains dangled from his hands.

“We need to help them,” said Iziro.

“They chained us here and made us eat scraps, and now you want to help them?”

“They’re clearly not against us. They have some plan of their own.”

“But not for us either!” Rain replied.

Iziro threw the pickaxe he had taken from the worker back to him, surprising the worker greatly. After that, Iziro walked into the crowd.

Rain was so angry with Iziro that he even shouted something in his direction. Looking at the shovel stuck in the ground, Rain said, “Not a Rainian sword, but it’ll do.” Rain approached the shovel, took it, and followed Iziro.

By this time, many workers had already fallen in the skirmish, and the knights continued to kill them one by one. The crowd had dispersed considerably, and one of the knights managed to enter the crowd with a sword, starting to cut down the workers with tripled force. The other knights continued to kill the workers gradually, throwing knives at them, while the main knight observed, sitting on his horse. When the knight in the crowd swung again, his sword was sharply deflected aside by a palm, and then he was struck in the center of the torso with the base of the palm, causing the knight to fly back and slide a bit on the ground before falling on his back. It was an irate Iziro. Everyone who was present noticed, and even the crowd dispersed from the fallen knight. Everyone was curious about how it would end.

Iziro approached this knight and said, “You shouldn’t be killing anyone here.”

Seeing this, Rain remembered that he had a hard time fighting just one knight, and now there were many of them. However, Iziro simply walked into their midst, passing through the crowd without fear or hesitation. Rain realized that he had seriously underestimated Iziro, especially considering that he supposedly didn’t like fighting much.

The fallen knight, pushing himself up from the ground, quickly stood on his feet and began to swing his sword very fast and gracefully towards Iziro. However, Iziro dodged each knightly strike with the same speed and grace, as if he were smoke drifting in the wind, avoiding every obstacle. When the knight attempted to strike at his legs, Iziro jumped, and upon landing, struck the knight in the same spot, causing him to fly even further, almost reaching his fellow knights, and cough. Everyone was once again extremely surprised, and some were unable to close their mouths, including the main knight who, sitting on his horse, ordered all the knights to defeat Iziro at all costs. He waved his hand, and four knights began to attack Iziro, forcing him to evade as much as possible. However, Rain suddenly entered the fray.

“How’s the assistance?” Rain asked Iziro, blocking one of the sword strikes with his own.

“I thought I’d be alone against all of them,” Iziro replied.

Iziro continued to dodge the attacks of the knights as if nothing had happened, now facing only two of them. Meanwhile, Rein struggled with two knights simultaneously, which proved to be much more challenging for him due to their skills. Although the knights he faced were weaker than the one he had fought before, Rein found it more difficult than Iziro did. Rein defended himself with a shovel, attempting to dodge similar to Iziro, but with less grace, resulting in a few minor wounds from the sword blades.

Although the leader of the knights wore a mask, his displeasure was evident. The knight leader took a small knife from under the strap on his chest, pressed it against his mask, and threw it at Rein. The knife hit him in the shoulder, causing him to lose balance, almost costing him his life.

At this moment, one of the laborers with a spear decided to help Iziro and Rein, ultimately saving Rein. Other workers witnessed this and joined in, converging on the knights and trying to separate them. Iziro, on the other hand, pushed one of his opponents away again, and the group of spear-wielding workers immediately surrounded him. Iziro began assisting Rein without seriously harming the knights. It was amusing, considering these were trained assassins guarding the kingdoms, but Iziro played with them as if mocking.

He took a sword from one, sheathed it in its scabbard, removed the mask from another, created distance, and then threw the mask back at him, making him catch his own mask. However, Rein was not having an easy time. Accustomed to fighting with a Reinian sword and sturdy armor, he now had to battle with a dirty, semi-rusty shovel against an opponent who far surpassed him in speed. Moreover, the mounted knight aimed his lance at him.

Meanwhile, the chief knight finally drew his sword, seemingly prepared to charge on horseback and end this pathetic spectacle. However, unexpectedly, a boy with burning hands emerged from the crowd and unleashed flames upon the knight, causing him to fall off his horse and attempt to extinguish himself in vain. This distraction allowed Rein to take advantage, grabbing the knight by the neck and forcefully slamming his forehead into the knight’s face. Realizing he was finally gaining the upper hand, Rein began to smile.

The boy, like a meteor, flew towards Rein, extinguishing his flaming hands and freezing Rein’s opponent’s feet to the ground, causing the boy’s hands to turn blue. The knight was bewildered by what had happened. In the midst of it all, Rein, without losing his composure, gracefully beheaded the knight with the sharp edge of the shovel.

“Maybe the shovel isn’t so bad after all,” Rein remarked, looking at it after the victory.

Next, the boy looked at Iziro and began to breathe deeply and evenly, causing his hands to return to their normal appearance. After a couple of moments, winds started swirling around him and his hands. The boy directed his hands towards Iziro, and a hurricane-like wind swept towards his two opponents, Iziro himself, and the workers gathered behind them. The two knights closest to the boy were simply blown away — one fell near Iziro, and the other flew into the crowd. Many workers also struggled to stay on their feet. Iziro, however, managed to stand firm by anticipating what would happen and assuming a special stance, kneeling with his side facing the direction of the wind. Once the hurricane subsided, Iziro subdued the knight who fell next to him to prevent any retaliatory actions. The knight who was blown into the crowd surrendered. The other knight, who had been separated by the crowd of spear-wielding workers earlier, had already been killed, as he had killed more workers than anyone else. The girl who led all the local village workers and this mine personally subdued the surrendered knight.

Stepping out of the crowd, she said, “You did well… I didn’t expect… You took care of our guests in my absence.”

“Not bad yourself, but I almost handled it on my own,” Rein said to the boy. “Wait… you’re the kid from that carriage! For your age, you handle elemental magic pretty well. You used almost everything…”

The boy clenched his fists and aimed them as if targeting the ground beneath Rein. As a result, the ground disappeared from under Rein’s feet, and he sank waist-deep into the pit that formed beneath him. When the boy released his fists, the earth enveloped Rein up to his waist.

“Hey, I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” Rein exclaimed in protest.

Ignoring Rein’s complaints, the boy turned his attention to Iziro a few moments later.

“You seem kind, right?” the boy asked Iziro.

“I don’t know… I’d like to be,” Iziro replied.

In response, the boy lowered his hands.

“He can go,” the girl said to Iziro. “Well, if you trust him, I trust him too. Escort him to the evening bonfire,” she told the boy about Iziro.

The girl approached Rein and scrutinized him closely.

“What do you want? You want to have a laugh?” Rein said.

“No, I was just impressed by how you fought. Too good for an ordinary Raiderian warrior,” she replied.

Meanwhile, the boy named Wel waved at Iziro and said, “Let’s go, I’ll show you where we relax. They also serve delicious food there.”

Iziro somewhat discontentedly glanced at Rein and followed the boy.

“You may not be as good as that Raiderian monk, but you fought very skillfully,” Wel remarked.

“Thank you, glad you noticed,” Rein sarcastically replied. “But here I am, fighting for you, almost dying, not even sure if you deserved it, and now I’m plagued with vague doubts about the validity of my decision again.”

Distraught, Rein stared at the ground, unsure of what to do next.

“What do I need to do to earn the right to be unshackled by you, anyway?” he asked.

“And if I set you free, how do I know you won’t attack me or my people, just as retaliation for how we treated you? You’ve shown yourself to be quite a bloodthirsty warrior,” the girl said.

“You mean when I beheaded that knight? He was trying to kill me, by the way. Sorry, but I didn’t like that. Maybe he would have succeeded if it weren’t for your people,” Rein replied.

“And I’m talking about the same thing. You were wronged, so you killed,” she stated.

“Well, what should I do, apologize or something?” Rein asked.

“No, forget it. I understand perfectly. I would have done the same in your place, but I’m not sure I’m ready to let you go just yet.”

Rein shook his head as the girl walked away. This deeply saddened him, and when the girl left, his sorrow turned into temporary anger, which he vented by shouting something into the evening sky.

“Well, fine, I’ll get out on my own then.”

Rein tried with all his might to lift at least one leg, but he could only raise the earth slightly.

“Okay, let’s dig a bit.”

Rein started digging the earth with his hands.

Meanwhile, Iziro was led to a large bonfire at the bottom of the mine. The locals were sitting around the fire, and people were distributing bowls of food to each other. Iziro and Wel sat in the front row, and they were served food that was much better than what they had been given yesterday.

“It’s beautiful here,” Iziro said.

“I like it here too,” the boy replied.

“You’re so skilled in magic — did your parents teach you?” Iziro asked.

“No, my parents died when I was born.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay, I’ve gotten used to it.”

“No, you’re really good for your age. I used to think that you needed to chant spells for such magic, but it seems I was wrong.”

“No! That’s true. I’ve really mastered all this. They say I have talent. I can perform magic with the power of my mind. They say only the strongest mages in history could do that.”

— Isn’t it frightening to possess such power at such a young age? Sometimes it seems to me that magic turns those who wield it into something akin to the gods described in myths and legends of different peoples,” Iziro pondered.

“Not at all! I’ve learned to control it. And I teach myself new things to avoid accidentally harming anyone. I used to have problems with that…” Wel explained.

“I wish I were as disciplined as you at your age,” Iziro said.

“What about your friend? Is he kind too?” Wel asked Iziro. “Idia said he might be one of the most dangerous Raiderians among those we’ve known.”

“Where did she get that idea?” Iziro asked warily.

“She mentioned something about him not being an ordinary exile but an exiled king of all Raideria, and then she laughed. I defeated the king of the Raiderian Empire. Ha-ha.”

While Wel laughed, Rein was extremely uneasy. He tried to figure out the best way to leave before it was too late.

“I’ll step away for a moment,” Iziro said.

“Sure, the bathrooms are over there if you need them,” Wel replied.

Iziro went to free Rein from his earthen prison. However, by the time he arrived, Rein was nowhere to be found. “Did he manage to dig himself out?” Iziro wondered. Meanwhile, with a bag over his head, Rein was being led somewhere by a couple of burly miners.

They brought Rein, removed the bag from his head, and he found himself in a room with a decent view from the balcony overlooking the entire mine. Rein went to check the mine, hoping to see Iziro, but before he could get a good look, Idia’s voice came from behind.

“I apologize for how I treated you,” Idia said. “It wasn’t the best decision on my part.”

“Seriously, I haven’t eaten in almost three days, spent almost a day lying in the mud, and almost died for those who put me in chains and then buried me in the ground. You were right — this isn’t enough,” Rein replied.

Rein looked at the sword displayed on the wall, almost identical to his Reinian sword. He rushed to grab it, but before he could make a swing, Idia drew her own sword from its sheath at her waist and pointed it at Rein’s throat.

“Well, what’s it like being killed by an ordinary woman?” she asked.

“I’m still alive if I can talk…” Rein replied.

Rein casually pushed her blade away from his throat, once again cutting himself on the edge of her sword. In a swift leap, holding the sword in one hand and directing it with the other, he executed a slashing blow. Idia stumbled backward, almost losing her balance, but a wall behind her stopped her fall. Rein extended his sword towards her neck with his arm fully stretched. The blade of his sword almost touched her neck.

“Now I’ve killed you,” Rein said with complete seriousness.

“My name is Idia, in case you’re interested,” she said, smiling as if it was all part of the plan. “I was told you were almost dug out when they came for you. You dig quite fast, it seems. It’s respected here. But I thought that wasn’t the most dignified occupation for the king of all Raideria.”

“What?” Rein asked in surprise. “Where did you get the idea that I’m the king of Raideria?”

“I mentioned several times that I’ve been to Raideria. I heard such a legend there.”

“What legend?”

“A legend about an exile with a mark on his cheek who was the rightful king. Or something like that.”

“You do understand that a legend is fiction, right?”

“I thought so too until I put two and two together. You fight as if you were trained in a castle. You sometimes behave as if you grew up in a castle. You appear to be the age of the guy from that legend. And the mark of an exile from the empire on your cheek. You really stand out in that regard. Probably, it’s hard to notice it under the hood of the cloak you came in here with, but without the hood, only a blind person wouldn’t see it.”

Rein became noticeably uneasy.

“What’s your name?” Idia asked. “Does it start with an ‘S,’ if I’m not mistaken?”

“Who have you told already?” Rein asked angrily.

“Everyone I could,” she replied.

Rein got angry and grabbed her by the neck, pressing her against the wall. She dropped the wine flask in response. In return, she pressed the blade of her sword against his torso, causing another stream of blood.

“I should kill you and everyone you told because my life depends on it… But I can’t.”

Rein sighed, holding her by the neck.

“My name is Rein! That’s all you need to know. Forget it!”

After these words, he released her.

— I’m sorry! Those whom I told… they won’t tell anyone. I vouch for them. I had to protect myself so that, upon learning that I know everything, you wouldn’t kill me alone. I’m not your enemy — I’m a friend. Even if you can be quite rough at times.

— Where is my friend Iziro? — asked the still angry Rain.

— Your friend is fine; he’s with that boy — his name is Wel — at the evening campfire — that’s where we rest. I’m sure they fed him, and he’s in good health now.

— You say I’m your friend… Does that mean you’ll let me go? I can’t continue to stay here, waiting for those you vouch for to sell information about me to my enemies and come after me.

— Yes, you can go, but…

— What — but? — asked Rain.

— You’ll leave tomorrow, wherever you plan to go, I can even provide you with escorts, but only if you give me what I want.

— What is it? — asked Rain with a serious face.

— You see… those knights didn’t come here for no reason today. And they will come again. I went against the kingdoms because I couldn’t stand watching my people being exploited. Before, they would come to take the majority of people to their death in the battle against the Raidarians. That was the last straw for me. We work for them, pay taxes, and even our lives are needed by them. This couldn’t just continue. I rebelled against Lord Rinfoll, and now there is only one path for me and the people who chose me. This path involves fighting the kingdoms for power. Most likely, Rinfoll will soon fall under the pressure of the Raidarian legions. But Santris… they won’t just leave us alone. So the only way for us is to fight. To fight against Santris and hope that when the Raidarians come, they will be merciful to us. I consider myself a warrior, just like you. And I will probably die in my pursuit of battles, but I don’t want to die without leaving someone behind. Do you understand me?

— Maybe. But if I understood you correctly, you should know that I’m not the best choice. If you’ve been to Raidaria, you must know that the offspring of a human and a Raidarian often dies, and women often die during the… process of such birth.

Idia approached Rain closely and hugged him, looking straight into his eyes.

— I have my own opinion on this matter. And even if you are telling the truth, I believe this risk is justified. I would like to have a child who is strong in both spirit and body. I have a strong spirit, and the body… It’s unlikely that there is anyone in the world stronger physically than a Raidarian, especially one with your blood.

Rain looked at her and was about to kiss her, but then she said:

— But first, please take a bath. It’s over there!

Meanwhile, Iziro was trying his best to figure out where Rain had gone. He could only hope that everything was okay with him. Suddenly, Wel appeared out of nowhere.

— You won’t find him here! — he said. — Idia took him. She’s probably having fun with him, like with the others.

— What is she doing with him? — Iziro asked threateningly, approaching Wel. — Where can I find them, kid?

— Don’t be angry, he’s fine. I told you: “She’s having fun with him.”

— Having fun? — Iziro asked in surprise.

— Yeah, having fun. She likes guys like your friend.

— Oh… And how long will they be… having fun there?

— I don’t know, — the boy said and laughed.

Wel ignited a fire in the palm of his hand and began to examine it.

— Aren’t you too young to know what they’re doing there?

— Am I too young to kill people? — Wel asked Iziro in surprise.

A day passed. The next morning, Idia was lying in her bed, and Rain was putting on his armor and new clothes that Idia’s people brought him.

— It suits you, — Idia said to Rain.

— I think white looks a bit too flashy. Especially considering that for me, every day is a battle, — Rain replied.

— If you’re really going to Aeris to meet the local king, dressing nicely is not the worst idea.

— Maybe you’re right.

— Just try not to provoke conflicts, — Idia said with a smile.

— My talent for provoking them will get in the way, — Rain replied with a slight dissatisfaction.

— Well, I did promise to provide an escort… My people and I control everything here, including smuggling into and out of the empire, so you’ll go through the Rabbit Hole with the local smugglers who owe me.

— Perhaps, going with smugglers might not be the best idea, don’t you think? — Rain asked in surprise.

— It’s your only chance. They won’t know anything about you. I’ll introduce you as their escort.

Rain pondered.

— But if you don’t want to leave, I’ll be happy to see you here. In the upcoming battles, I wouldn’t mind having your help.

— Hm, — Rain said, thinking. — Just a couple of days ago, I would have told you a definite “yes,” as I had no goal or aspirations, but now… Something has changed in me. It’s as if my crazy idea is tempering my anger and sorrow that haunted me all the years of my exile, or even more. The feeling that I can’t help but go there, as foolish as it may seem. Do you understand?

— Stronger than you think, — Idia replied.

Rain fastened the belt on the final part of his armor and looked at Idia.

— Well, then… Until we meet again… Idia. You’re not mad that I’m leaving you just like that after what happened between us?

— No, — said Idia, smiling and blushing. — You were only needed for one thing — and I got that. Now you’re free to go wherever you want, as we agreed.

Rain approached his sword, took it, and sheathed it behind his back.

This time, it was a completely different Rain. The same sword and Raidarian armor he had stolen once, but a different gaze, different fabrics over and under the armor, a clean and neat appearance not so characteristic of him due to his previous lifestyle. His white attire with golden trimmings on the fabric contours, worn over the armor, especially stood out. It was a sleeveless cloak with a hood and a wedge-shaped cut in the middle.

— It really suits you.

— It’s been a long time since I wore such clean clothes, — Rain replied to Idia.

Rain looked at Idia as if for the last time, and they looked at him the same way. They both smiled at each other, and Rain said:

— If I survive this, I’ll repay you. Hear me. I’ll do everything in my power.

But Idia just smiled, deep down understanding that she herself is unlikely to survive the turmoil she created. And even if she does, the Raidarians might still finish what the people of King Alec Ford and his lords couldn’t accomplish.

And Rain stepped outside her house…

Iziro sat on his knees, folding his hands, near a sturdy boulder.

— I was told I could find you here, — Rain said, approaching him slowly from behind.

Iziro quickly stood up and brushed off his knees.

— No, I just had time to wash my old clothes, — Iziro replied.

— Oh… I see.

— And you got that girl who rules everyone here, — Iziro said with enthusiasm. — Not bad.

— More like she got me. If we’re being honest, — Rain replied. — What have you been up to all this time?

— Various things… Talked with that boy-wizard, ate, meditated, slept, trained, washed clothes, — Iziro said with a smile.

— And what were you doing just now? — Rain asked.

— I know it’s not accepted in Raidaria, but it’s something like communicating with those who are no longer in our world, those who have died.

— There’s nothing beyond our world, Izi, — Rain replied.

— Perhaps, I can never prove something like that to you, but I have seen it myself. There’s such powerful magic in the world that allows you to see that realm and those who inhabit it. If you saw it the way I did, you would understand too.

At that moment, one of Idia’s servants approached them and said:

— Lady Idia said for you to follow me. I’ll show you the gathering and departure point.

Iziro looked at him and then at Rain in confusion.

— Today, we’re heading one way across the border of the Raidarian Empire, and with an escort, no less. I made a deal with Idia — she arranged everything! — Rain said enthusiastically.

— Well, finally. Okay, let’s not waste a minute.

— Alright! Just let me get my horse. — replied Rein to Idia’s servant, and they went after him.

When they arrived at the location, Wel in the clearing in the woods was shooting fire from his hands into the sky. These pillars exceeded his height by twenty times. Nearby, horses were tied to the branches sticking out of a log. Some people were sitting on the log, talking about something. As Rein and Iziro approached a bit closer, Wel released the last pillar of flames from his hands, which was even larger than the previous ones.

— What are you doing here? — Rein asked the boy.

— Hi, Wel, — Iziro greeted the boy.

— Hi, Izi! You can’t open the passage to the Rabbit Hole without me. If you have another earth mage, I’d be happy to leave, — Wel replied, smirking.

— Wait… I know her! — Rein said, looking at the people sitting on the log. — She was in that tavern. What’s her name… Miri!

Rein got angry, dismounted his horse, and quickly walked towards the girl.

— Miri, isn’t it! — Rein said, pointing at her menacingly.

The girl literally didn’t know what to do. She immediately jumped to the other side of the log and put her hands on it.

— You! Where’s your damn friend, Acres?

— How should I know, — she replied. — I understand that you’re angry, but can we discuss everything peacefully?

— No! I owe something to your friend, and I really want to repay that debt.

— I don’t know where he is, — she said, looking up at the sky, then to the side, then at the ground.

Rein looked to the side and saw a hooded figure sitting with his back to him.

— Wait… Is that him? — Rein said angrily.

When she remained silent, slightly contorting her face, Rein immediately went to the person. Taking him by the shoulder, he turned him around and saw a painfully familiar face.

— Acres, damn bastard, — Rein said before punching him in the face with all his might, causing him to fall.

— Ouch! — Acres said. — Are all you Raidarians so unforgiving?

— You betrayed me in that tavern, even though I saved you from that convoy of Raidarians.

— Yes, but you’re alive — and I’m alive. Everyone is alive! And when you saved me, you got armor and a sword in return… It’s a win-win!

— You bastard! I should have let them kill you back then.

Rein moved to give Acres another punch, but Wel sent a pillar of flames between them, allowing Acres to crawl away and stand up.

— Don’t tarnish our reputation, Rein, — Wel said. — You need to forget your grudge, or you’ll have to find another passage to the empire.

— Because of this bastard, I killed many, possibly good guys, and then he betrayed me.

— Don’t pretend to be a saint, Rein, — Acres said. — You’re no less of a bastard than I am, and you know it. Just like me, you killed all those not-so-bad guys and benefited from it. You could have really spared them if you considered yourself so righteous. All you Raidarians loot, kill, and violate the innocent. It’s the foundation of your life. And now you come and try to lecture me about moral standards… Seriously?

— Have you known each other for a long time? — asked Iziro.

— You’ll answer for betraying me, — Rein said.

— If I hadn’t done that, who knows how many more would have suffered there.

— You just saved your damn skin. Don’t lie to anyone here.

— And even if I did save it, so what? You’re alive! Everyone is alive! But you’re not satisfied with something.

— Those Raidarians are dead!

— You need to cool down, — Wel said to Rein. — You’re his escort, after all! Or have you forgotten?

— Listen! Let’s go through this Rabbit Hole and just go our separate ways, — Acres said. — I think it’s a great plan.

— He’s right, — Iziro said.

— So are we going today or not? — said one of the smugglers sitting on the log next to Miri.

— Trusting him is like signing your own grave.

— We have no choice, — Iziro said.

— Alright, — Rein said. — But if you even dare to think anything unfavorable towards us — I will personally execute you, Acres.

— Glad that everyone reconciled, — Wel said.

And they went into the depths of the forests that ended in Raidaria itself. Wel kept approaching the trees and placing his hand on them, pausing briefly, as if listening to them.

— We’ll be walking for a couple of days, the first rest stop is halfway to the cave, and we’ll arrange the second one before the burrow, — Wel said loudly so that everyone could hear. — The Rabbit Hole is also a long cave. The passage through it will take about a day, and it’s not the best idea to spend the night in it.

— Didn’t expect to be commanded by a ten-year-old boy, — Rein said to Iziro.

— In his soul, he’s much older than he seems, — Iziro said.

They set up their first camp in a similar place to where they all met, with several logs scattered around a large bonfire. Rising at dawn, they continued their journey — and they walked until the evening.

— And here is the burrow! — Wel exclaimed joyfully. — Better step away from that tree!

Surprisingly, everyone quickly stepped back, and with clenched fists, Wel effortlessly toppled the tree with a small hand movement. Then, loosening his fists and raising his palms to shoulder level, he evaporated all the moisture in the tree.

— You can detach the branches for the fire yourselves, — Wel said, a bit less cheerfully.

They quickly managed to break off the branches from the tree. Rein used his sword to chop the larger ones. When it got dark, some sat on the fallen tree, some lay down with their backs against the fallen horse, and some constructed a makeshift shelter near the fire from branches and leaves. They were preparing rabbits on the fire. Everyone engaged in simple, friendly conversations despite their differences.

Rein and Wel sat in front of the fire, watching the food.

— Shouldn’t you be punished in Raidaria for your mark on your cheek? — Wel asked Rein.

— I hope for the best. And I don’t wear the hood for nothing.

— Brave of you! I could remove the mark if you want.

— Can you remove it? — Rein asked in surprise. — How?

The boy directed his hand towards Rein, strained, but nothing happened.

— Your protective seal interferes, — he said.

— Do you want me to remove the seal? — Rein asked with a smile.

— That’s the only way I can do it. It hinders me from using magic on you. I can even remove all your scars, even those you sewed recently.

— Do you possess life magic?

— I can’t resurrect, though, — the boy replied.

— You do have a talent… — Rein said.

— So, what do you say?

— I’ll remove the seal, and you’ll cast something bad on me… How do I know you won’t deceive me?

— Well, as you wish. I just wanted to help.

The boy checked the food’s readiness. After a brief thought, Rein said:

— Okay. Fine. If you’re not lying to me, then I must give it a try.

— Good, — replied the boy and looked at his seal hidden under his pauldron.

Rein removed his pauldron and took a knife used for cutting rabbit meat. He placed the knife in the fire to sterilize it, but the boy immediately took it out and heated it in a matter of moments.

— Thanks, — said Rein.

Rein took the knife and pressed the still very hot blade to his shoulder. When the skin made contact, smoke rose from it, and then with a swift motion, he cut off the part of the skin with the protective seal.

— Ahhhh, — escaped from Rein’s mouth. — That hurt.

— Ready? — asked Wel.

— Let’s do it!

The boy directed his palms at Rein, and a faint white glow began emanating from his hand, easily visible under the night sky. This white glow, resembling light smoke, first headed towards Rein’s shoulder. Fully healing his shoulder, the light penetrated through Rein’s armor and clothes to wounds that the boy couldn’t even see.

— Leave some battle scars at least, — Rein told the boy. — Let’s get rid of the stigma.

— As you wish, — the boy replied.

And the light moved towards his cheek. Rein placed his palm on his cheek, trying to feel the scar from the disgraceful brand left on him, but he couldn’t. He tried again but still couldn’t feel anything. Then he felt a tear rolling down his cheek. After that, Rein turned abruptly away from the boy with a smile.

— It’s all magic… — Rein said.

— You’re welcome, — Wel said.

— How do I fight with mages now? Without the mark, I’ll become a punching bag for them.

— A good mage won’t be bothered by your mark, but if you want, I can return it.

Rein turned to the boy in profile and nodded. Wel extended two fingers of his hand, and they ignited. Wel burned away the seal on Rein’s shoulder that had been there for many years.

— I thought you’d tattoo it with magic drawing on my body, — Rein said discontentedly.

— You’re welcome! — the boy said with an emotionless face.

At the same moment, Rein hugged the boy.

— Thank you.

— Wow! — the boy exclaimed unexpectedly. — You really shouldn’t have. It wasn’t really difficult for me.

The boy didn’t expect a Raidarian warrior to behave like that.

The campfire crackled, the sky was full of stars, and even shooting stars were visible.

…But suddenly, in the distant sky, a strange glow appeared.

— Do you see that too? — Rein asked.

— That light is coming from the direction of Rinfoll, — Acres unexpectedly said, lying on his makeshift bed. — I heard something cruel is happening there. They say King Alex sent a couple of personal mages there. They will surely have a significant battle.

— If seven hundred years ago, getting out of the jungles, Raidarians managed to capture Illyrion armed only with Raidarian armor, swords, and catapults to breach the Illyrian wall, then taking Rinfoll for them is just a matter of time, — Rein said. — And then, all the Last Kingdoms.

— The question is how many lives it will take, — Iziro said, looking at Rein.

— I’m only interested in where the Rabbit Hole is, — one of the smugglers said. — We were supposed to be in front of the cave.

— There it is, — Wel said, pointing to the rocky formation. — You just need to move that huge stone. I’ll move it tomorrow — today I’m tired. And now, I’m going to sleep.

Having finished the last piece of rabbit, Wel put the plate aside and lay down by the fire, closing his eyes. Soon, many followed his example, but Rein continued to gaze at the stars, leaning against his horse lying on the ground.

The next morning, Wel was the first to wake up, and Rein was the last. It happened due to an incredibly loud sound of grinding stones and crashing. The boy, in a stance, fists clenched, strained and slowly but surely moved an almost gigantic stone, resembling a rock.

— Well, lucky for the ruler whose servant this kid will be when he grows up, — said a robust smuggler who looked more like a Radianian than Rein, although he wasn’t.

— I won’t serve anyone! — the boy shouted. — Because I like freedom.

— I thought you serve Lady Idia.

The boy, completely sweaty and wiping his face after fully opening the passage to the cave, said:

— Idia is my friend, and we work together! As for you, it seems it’s time. Let’s go faster; I still need to close this and tidy up a bit here.

— Well? Let’s go! — said Acres and moved into the darkness.

— Is it long? — asked Iziro.

— We didn’t even reach the border with the empire, and it goes a bit further, — said one of the smugglers leading a herd of horses.

Rein looked at Wel, smiled, and nodded slightly when Wel noticed him and went into the cave.

— Let’s go, — said the robust smuggler.

And they all went into the long and dark cave. When everyone entered, Wel, standing outside the cave, said:

— Hey, Izi, you’ll need this.

And he threw a torch he had lit to Iziro, then started closing the entrance by moving the stone block back.

— Will it be enough for him? — asked Iziro.

— It’s better to move faster, — the boy replied.

Iziro illuminated the low cave, which seemed to extend into absolute darkness in the distance. Then everyone moved forward straight into the unknown.

CHAPTER 5 “SOARING MOUNTAIN”

After half a day, the long journey through the cave known as Rabbit Hole was completed. Ahead, the first glimpses of light appeared.

“Why hasn’t anyone sealed off this cave from this side?” one of the smugglers asked.

“I think they’ve never been in these caves themselves,” another replied. “Finding them here is not easy.”

“There are plenty of entrances on this side of the cave, and only one on the other side, which is closed. Even if they did find it, they probably wouldn’t figure out where to go,” said a robust smuggler. “Not knowing where these caves lead, you don’t know if they pose a danger.”

They emerged in a dense forest. Birds were singing, and crickets chirped. It was getting dark, and something came into view in the distance.

“So, we are in the Kingdom of Floating Mountains,” Miri said with a smile, looking around.

“I can’t believe it… These are the Legendary Floating Mountains,” said Rein.

“A Reydarian who has never seen the Floating Mountains,” Akras said, smiling. “That’s amusing!”

“Mountains are just mountains,” the robust one said.

“Beautiful… You’re wrong! Seeing them again and again, time after time, I never cease to admire them,” Miri retorted.

Rein went to his horse, which was tied to a small column of horses.

“Well, how are you, my friend?” Rein asked his horse. “Isn’t the local company getting on your nerves?”

Rein began to untie him from the common tether.

“Well, finally, freedom!” said the man leading the horses through the cave. “The air is fresh!”

Iziro approached Rein and asked, “So, ready?”

“Almost,” Rein replied. “I just don’t understand which way to Aeris.”

“How do we get to Aeris from here?” Iziro asked loudly.

“We’re all going there!” the robust one said.

“Since you’re our escorts, then escort us!” Akras said, smiling.

Rein clearly got angry again and said, “You’ve long understood that the escort is over as soon as we left the cave. And now, please, don’t let us down and fulfill the agreement at least once in your life.”

“Go that way!” Akras said, pointing towards a massive floating mountain. “Behind that gigantic mountain is Aeris. However, it’s faster for everyone to go the same way. Since we agreed to part ways, but we’re all going there, it means we’ll go first, and you follow us. If you don’t want to keep meeting along the way, of course.”

“Why are you leading the way again?” Rein asked. “Planning to betray me once more?”

“There are more of us!” the robust one said. “We go first!”

“Let them go!” Iziro said. “We don’t need unnecessary conflicts.”

“Why are you always on their side?” Rein asked Iziro.

“What do you want? To overpower them all? Cut someone’s head off?” Iziro replied. “Maybe just support instead of unconditionally taking their side every time. You belittle us in their eyes…” Rein added sadly.

“You definitely have self-control issues. You’re overly aggressive all the time. Your anger rules you, not your reason. That’s your problem,” Iziro stated.

Meanwhile, the group of smugglers moved forward into the depths of the forest towards Aeris.

“You talk as if I was wrong, and he doesn’t want to betray us…” Rein said, rolling his eyes like a little girl.

“Whether you’re right or he is doesn’t matter,” Iziro responded.

“Fine… Then tell me. Explain what you think is important and why, because I simply don’t understand you,” Rein said.

Iziro pondered, looked at the sun, and said, “Let’s make a camp! We’ll set out in the morning. I think if Aeris is beyond that mountain, the journey won’t be a short one.”

Rein, still not hearing explanations, interpreted the silence as irony. Some time later, Rein gathered firewood, and Iziro gathered leaves and berries.

“Where’s the game?” Rein asked indignantly.

“You’ll be on a diet until Aeris,” Iziro replied. “Consider it the beginning of your training.”

“What training?” Rein asked in surprise.

“You wanted explanations, right? You’ll get them! But first, we need to fill your cup,” Iziro replied.

Seeing plants instead of food, it was hard for Rein to contain his anger, but he held on as best he could.

“Well, that’s fine,” Rein said somewhat sarcastically. “Training… Interesting. Maybe you’ll explain something at least…”

Iziro and Rein set up tea and food from a set of various herbs cooking on the fire.

“Do you want me to explain what usually takes a long time to learn? In normal circumstances, such training needs to be earned before grasping it,” Iziro said. “I wouldn’t say you’ve earned it, but in your case, your behavior and lack of skills could hinder the accomplishment of our most important mission, so I will teach you. And mind you, it will be difficult! You expressed the desire yourself!”

Iziro stood up, closed his eyes, and folded his hands.

“Repeat after me,” Iziro said.

“Isn’t this foolish?” Rein asked.

“I can stop the lesson,” Iziro replied.

So, Rein stood up, closed his eyes, and folded his hands. The rays of the setting sun penetrated through the forest canopy, falling on their faces and clothes. Iziro began speaking over the crackling sound of the fire.

“You can think during a battle. For many, this is challenging, but it’s not enough to fight a legion alone. I will teach you control over your emotions, allowing your mind to unlock its potential and enabling you to calculate more and feel better. Breathe deeper and feel the slightest breeze of the spirit in your body. Your task is to feel and understand how the soul is connected to each organ in your body. With the mind and spirit, you will learn to control your emotions. It’s difficult, but it’s possible. It requires a strong mind and an even stronger spirit.”

“I have a strong mind and spirit,” Rein said.

“Your spirit is broken,” Iziro countered, “and it has only just begun its recovery, and your mind is not strong enough.”

“I defeated everyone I fought before, and I’ve fought a lot…” Rein argued.

“Don’t argue with your teacher! Back in my day, you’d get a beating for that. All your previous opponents were children,” Iziro said.

“Then maybe you can fight Magala for me?” Rein suggested.

“Be silent and meditate!”

After that, Rein took a deep breath and got to work. Throughout the evening, Rein tried to identify the movements of his soul in his body but found nothing.

The next day, as they set out on their journey again, Iziro began moving strangely in the middle of the forest, smoothly progressing along the path sometimes facing forward, sometimes sideways, sometimes in one direction, sometimes in another.

“Tie up the horse!” Iziro said. “Our path is important, but it makes no sense until you have enough wisdom to continue our journey.”

“Is this some kind of dance?” Rein asked.

“Your body is large and strong, allowing you to fight against the weak and slow, but I will show you how to fight against the strong and fast. What I am doing is the defensive technique of the mountain monks. But to fully grasp it, you need knowledge and wisdom; understanding all the interconnections of this world; you need to achieve unity with it… with everything that surrounds you. This will allow you to temper your body and mind, enabling you to toughen your spirit so that it cannot be broken again,” Iziro explained.

“And will this dance help with that?” Rein asked in surprise.

“It only seems simple, but to apply it in combat, you will need to train your body every day… I thought this would be familiar to you,” Iziro replied. “And to apply it most effectively, you’ll need the next lesson.”

“I’ve trained not only my body but also my mind… You’ve heard my story,” Rein argued.

“Then your mind was trained by your teachers long ago. Remember when was the last time you seriously did it yourself, unlike training your body?” Iziro said, looking at Rein’s muscles.

“Alright… maybe not for a while,” Rein admitted.

“Repeat after me,” Iziro said.

“Hmm… okay.”

“This dance is a set of movements used for attack and evasion in most possible situations, and this dance is not the only one.”

“It looks strange,” Rein said. “I feel even stranger doing it.”

“Don’t you see the resemblance between what I did in battle before and this dance?” Iziro asked.

“It looked different back then!” Rein retorted.

Then Iziro turned to Rein and, dancing, slowly began moving towards him.

“What are you doing?” Rein asked.

“Dodge!” Iziro commanded.

“If these are attacks, they are too slow. I can just step aside,” Rein said.

“Approach and dodge!” Iziro insisted.

“Alright… but it’s too slow, so it’s too easy!” Rein remarked.

“You want it faster? Fine…”

When Iziro sped up, Rein dodged for a short while, or more accurately, until he was sent flying into a tree from a strike to his body.

“Ah… When you sped up, it felt more like how you fought before,” Rein said, rubbing the spot where he was struck. “You hit hard!”

“Do you want to do it too?” Iziro asked. “Train your speed and striking power every day on anything.”

Afterwards, Iziro approached the tree under which a bewildered Rein sat, and he struck it hard and fast with his palm and then with his fist.

“Like this!” Iziro said, offering a hand to help Rein stand.

“Alright… I got it… The dance is good… Train the body every day… But what about the mind?” Rein asked.

“I’ll tell you about that in the next lesson. Usually, it’s done earlier, but I thought this lesson would be closer to your understanding, so I decided to start with it.”

On the long journey, they stopped near water bodies and large boulders, as Iziro instructed Rein to train his spirit and body.

Once, during spirit training, Iziro said, “Meditation is the pinnacle of concentration and also the most powerful manifestation of spiritual strength. You must learn meditation, but it is extremely difficult. Preceding it will be concentration, as it is easier. Still, it requires practice as it is challenging for the unprepared. For now, just practice meditating and focus more on sensing the movements of the spirit in your body.”

Frequently, during the regular breeze, they stopped so that Rein could feel it, concentrating his mind on these gentle gusts. Iziro said that the wind is one of the manifestations of the soul of this world.

During their physical training, in addition to the regular muscle workout, they trained something else. Moving slowly, they practiced dance-like combat movements with and without weapons like sticks. One day, Iziro said:

“While training, it’s not always about hitting faster and harder… When starting to learn something, it’s smarter to move slower so that your body can adapt. Then it’s important to build up strength and speed.”

When they took a break near a river, Iziro, noticing a fish swimming near the riverbank, said:

“Watch that fish and mimic its movements. Fish are one of the many animals that can be in harmony with the world almost from birth.”

“So, wisdom is in their blood?” Rein asked.

“Not entirely,” Iziro replied. “Some might say that to some extent, fish are wise, but for now, it’s important to learn how they move, so mimic them.”

“Just don’t tell me you learned to move like that by watching a fish…” Rein commented.

“No… In the village of Oi, there were teachers. They taught entire groups of those who deserved such a right. My teacher always said that the whole secret is to move like a fish, using your mind, but if necessary, to strike like lightning.”

“Well, I hope this slave will help me move like her and strike like lightning,” said Rein.

“This slave won’t teach you to strike. You’re already not bad at it…” Iziro laughed. “But if you train more often, you’ll strike even harder.”

“In essence, everything related to physical training depends on practice,” Rein said.

“You’re right about that,” Iziro said. “You gain wisdom.”

They walked along the forests under massive stone mountains hovering in the air above them. Iziro stood in the midst of the mountain-shaded forest and said,

“Finally, the time for the last lesson has come,” Iziro said.

“Really?” Rein replied, stopping.

“You probably already understand that understanding everything depends on practice. It may seem banal to you now, but realization comes to a person not immediately — and so it is with everything. You know a lot, but there’s also much you don’t understand. I’ll teach you how to quickly grasp everything you didn’t know before.”

“Do you see that berry?” Iziro asked.

“Yes,” Rein replied with confusion.

“You need to look at it. You should do it for a long time, thinking about nothing else. Don’t pay attention to anything else. If you do this often, over time, you’ll be able to concentrate on your own specific thoughts just as easily — this will mean that you’ve mastered concentration.”

“After my concentrations on the wind around and searching for its breezes inside me, which I still haven’t been able to detect, this seems quite easy,” Rein said.

“Exactly! Thanks to your past training, it’s already easy, but I should have said this so that you understand why all this was done. By now, you should be closer to meditation. Thanks to the search for the spirit’s breezes, even concentration on nothing seems not so difficult anymore. Previously, in challenging situations, you were indecisive and couldn’t determine your actions, which significantly slowed you down, in addition to your armor and sword. The ability to concentrate, which you probably have already mastered, will help you think only about the most important things at the right moment, significantly speeding up your actions. But all of this was not just for that — the ability to concentrate easily is needed to grasp this lesson. The easier concentration comes to you, the easier and faster the understanding of things you need will come to you at the right moment. And this speed of understanding increases from the knowledge you already have. It’s impossible to grasp everything at once. Perhaps it’s impossible to grasp everything at all. But you can maximize preparing your mind for what awaits you. Reflections contribute to this preparation. Meditation helps the mind rest and the ability to concentrate on essential thoughts. Meditating, you also relax your spirit, not just your mind. But a tempered mind, through reflections, tempers your spirit. Knowledge dispelling fear tempers the spirit. The spirit also tempers the body, prepared for the trials of fate. I’ve given you the path to acquiring knowledge. I’ve given you the path to strengthening the body. Everything, as I’ve already said, tempers your spirit. If you were looking for a secret, here it is. Everything is interconnected! And all your questions will dissipate over time with your alignment on this common path.”

“Wow!” exclaimed Rein. “And what’s next?”

“Next is just training!”

“Alright,” said Rein with a strange expression on his face.

Then they continued their journey. As they moved forward, Rein repeated the movements that Iziro showed him. In the morning and at sunset, they trained their bodies, reflected, and meditated, trying to feel the interaction of body, mind, and spirit. The training went on day after day.

At one moment, under the moonlight, near the glowing campfire, Rein asked Iziro,

“Today, I was contemplating how to use my mind more effectively in the upcoming tough battles. I’ve come to a rough understanding, but can you give me some guidance on how to do it better?”

“Do you see that leaf?” asked Iziro.

Rein looked at the leaf swaying in the wind.

“Do you understand why it moves up and down?”

“The wind hits it from below and above,” replied Rein.

“Exactly like with an opponent… They move up, down, left, right — your task is to understand why, to anticipate how they will behave in the future. His movements can be influenced by both his thoughts and external factors. The goal of your contemplation is to calculate what can be anticipated in advance and what cannot be quickly calculated during a battle.”

After these words, Rein lay down, closing his eyes.

The rest of their journey was beautiful. Moving along the forests, Rein couldn’t stop marveling at the floating mountains — their size, beauty, and the fact that a massive piece made of rocks and soil could simply hang above the ground. The so-called floating mountains were everywhere, large and small, covered with greenery or completely lifeless. The largest mountain obscured the sun on the ground, creating a huge shadow. In these darkened places on the ground, strange plants grew, completely unlike others. And in the distance, the city-state of Aeris could be seen.

“Look!” said Rein. “We’ve arrived.”

“Not yet,” objected Iziro. “I have to tell you something else.”

Rein stood up, pretending to listen attentively.

“No matter how much I tried to teach you to resolve any conflict peacefully, Raidarians are a warlike people. Who else but us would know that? Today we’ll have our last break before Aeris, and by tomorrow evening, we might be there. But until we reach it, I want you to know… Don’t rely on your heart in battle; it’s not your friend. Rely only on your mind, and under its command, you can use your heart for your benefit. I know you might have figured this out after all these training sessions and my instructions, but I decided to say it because it’s particularly important. And now, let’s have a break right here, and let’s increase the number of training sessions since we probably won’t have much time for it in Aeris. Let’s start right now!”

The next day, Rein greeted with unusual muscle pain. After a terrible storm, not forgetting the morning meditation and their regular training, they set out towards Aeris.

Having traversed a long and challenging path through the mountainous terrain, Rein and Iziro finally entered populated areas. Carriages and wagons often traveled the roads they passed, people walked, or another rider quickly galloped ahead. Occasionally, they could encounter Raidarian soldiers in full gear, usually passing in small groups, but they paid no attention to their fellow Raidarians.

“Look,” said Rein. “I used to be so afraid to return to my homeland, and they don’t even pay attention to me.”

“Yes,” said Iziro. “Your fears were not as significant, but if you had the mark of an exile on your cheek, I think it could have been much more difficult.”

Rein walked, observing the local stunning landscapes, and suddenly decided to ask Iziro:

“Iziro, how did you become a monk? How could a Raidarian come to that? You weren’t even exiled like me. You’ve told me so much, but you haven’t shared your story.”

“Oh,” Iziro began with sadness. “Honestly, I was hoping you wouldn’t ask about it. It’s an extremely sad story.”

“What’s sadder than mine?” Rein asked, smiling.

“Alright… Since you’ve shared your story with me, I think it’s fair for me to tell you mine. When I was a child, my father died in one of the battles, or at least that’s what I was told. My mother struggled to live alone with a child, especially in Illyrion. She did her best until she fell ill, and we ran out of money even for food. That’s when I decided I had to follow my father’s path, that I had to become an empire warrior, but a better one than he was. In my eyes, it would solve all our problems because the empire always paid generous money to warriors. I still remember the day they executed Emperor Saron; it was a sad day, but everyone quickly accepted it and continued living as if nothing happened. Soon after that, I joined the military academy. Years passed, and I grew stronger and faster. As I matured, the first military campaigns in barbarian lands or beyond the Sea of Seos seemed so easy for me, as if I were born for it. Since childhood, I was passionate about drawing, so my brothers in arms nicknamed me ‘the artist.’ Every time after another massacre for the glory of the empire, they teased me, saying I had painted another beautiful picture. Through friends, I sent letters with money to my mother in the capital, but soon I learned that she had died. That’s when I lost the meaning of what I was doing, but I continued because I knew nothing else and couldn’t do anything better. One day, I was assigned to reconnaissance in the territory of the Last Kingdoms. In a small group, I stumbled upon dozens of squads of local knights. I fought as best as I could, but there were too many of them. Winning was impossible, but I somehow managed to escape the pursuit. On horseback, I reached the nearest village and lost consciousness due to blood loss. But when I woke up, I realized that I was helped by a wonderful young lady who lived there. Despite considering me an enemy on her lands, she saved my life and nursed me back to health. And I was doomed to fall in love with her head over heels. Raidarians, as if deliberately delaying retribution for so long, allowed me to become attached to her and the people of that village as much as possible. When they came, I killed many of my own to save her and everyone I had come to know in that village during the long time I spent there. In the end, I lost her and almost everyone I intended to save. Raidarians burned the village to the ground, as if mocking me for saving my life. My spirit was broken… But I kept going until I stumbled upon a person who showed me the way to the village of Oi in the mountains. The teachers healed my spirit, body, and mind, and tempered them in exchange for my vow never to kill again. And then they released me when I was ready for it. I left the village of Oi with a mission — to help those in need, those who couldn’t help themselves, especially those with broken souls like mine. That’s how I met you, and that’s how I found a mission even more important than my previous one.”

“You’re right, it’s indeed very sad,” said Rein. “I sympathize, friend! Or should I say, teacher now?”

Rein placed his hand on Iziro’s shoulder, slightly surprising him. At the same time, Rein noticed people and cargo being lifted onto a huge floating mountain.

“So that’s how they do it. I thought the pictures from the books I read as a child were lying to me. Isn’t it amazing?” asked Rein.

“But you lived in Illyrion,” Iziro wondered. “Have you ever been to the underground part of the city?”

“You know I was forbidden to leave even the castle until… Until my uncle banished me.”

“Oh, right. I apologize; I assumed maybe you didn’t tell everything back then.”

“Whatever it was, it ascended towards the floating mountain. A special lifting mechanism was used for this purpose. Long and extremely strong Reynian vines were stretched from the mountain to the ground. Tightly pulled vines helped stabilize an extensive platform made of interconnected logs, where the cargo was placed. There were also vines pulling the platform upwards, so the lifting mechanism itself was located on the floating mountain.

“I wonder how they stretched these vines up to these floating mountains. They are so high that only birds could deliver the vines there,” mused Rein.

“It’s strange that you didn’t learn this from those who trained you in the castle,” replied Iziro. “Although I learned it from the locals when I was still an empire warrior. It’s quite simple… They built large bows and launched special harpoon arrows with vines attached to the ends. That’s how they built all this over time. Interestingly, these mechanisms were the work of the Raidarians, and before the capture of Aeris by humans, only magic was used for lifting.”

“I heard about the Raidarian capture of Aeris, and I knew that these lifting platforms were built by the Raidarians too, but for some reason, I didn’t know how it was done. Although it was obvious,” said Rein. “Look at Aeris! I knew that Reynian vines were as strong as steel, but to this extent,” Rein observed, clearly surprised.

“Apparently, there’s still much here that will amaze you,” remarked Iziro.

Walking along the Lis River, Rein and Iziro approached Aeris so closely that they could clearly see it. A massively built platform with a huge number of people and various cargo ascended towards Aeris. It was held by an astonishing number of Reynian vines. And there was not just one such platform. They all ascended from a large structure in the center of the extensive village beneath Aeris. In addition to these truly gigantic platforms, many other vines descended from Aeris, intended for smaller platforms. Aeris itself was an unseen marvel of light. The city-state was situated on the top of an enormous floating mountain. Although it was not the largest among the local floating mountains, it was far from the smallest. Inside the mountain, a system of passages, tunnels, and various structures had been created. One could say that the inner part of the mountain was half-hollow. On the side of the mountain, an image was carved, resembling a bird spreading its wings in different directions, although the bird’s head was partially destroyed. The edges and the bottom of this floating mountain were paved with various metallic or wooden structures.

Iziro and Rein entered the village, surrounded by an incredible number of people. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, as if rushing somewhere.

“I can’t believe I’m finally in Aeris,” Rein said.

“I can’t believe we’re in a village, not a city,” Iziro replied immediately.

The village was frequently patrolled by Raidarian warriors. The noise echoing in the village seemed to come from everywhere, never ceasing for a moment. The closer they got to the platform for ascent to Aeris, the more people they saw around them. When they approached even closer, they saw long queues of people eager to enter the city.

“Is it always like this?” Rein asked.

When their turn was almost up, the checker in front said, “Thirty coins!”

Those ahead paid the checker thirty coins, and he let them onto the platform. When it was Rein and Iziro’s turn, a bit of confusion ensued.

“Thirty coins!” said the checker.

“Do you have coins?” Rein asked Iziro.

But Iziro remained silent.

“To ascend on this platform, you need thirty coins. If you don’t have them, leave the queue.”

While Rein, dressed quite elegantly, tried to find something in his pockets, Iziro took out a small pouch and spilled some coins of the Raidarian Empire, giving part of them to the checker.

“Pass,” said the checker, and they proceeded onto the platform.

“Phew, I thought we wasted all this time in this queue for nothing,” Rein said. “Why did you wait so long?” he asked, rightfully noticing.

“To be honest,” Iziro said, after a short pause, “I just wanted to see the look on your face,” and Iziro laughed.

“Very funny,” Rein said, looking bewildered.

Suddenly, the platform jerked and started moving upward.

“Wow,” Rein said, “I think I felt a gust of wind.”

But Iziro remained silent.

The platform continued to rise, lifting everyone to an unprecedented height for a human, usually only reachable by birds. Rein, looking over the railing at the edge of the platform, noticed that his mind was slightly clouded, and his legs began to wobble. Surprised, Rein observed this.

“There’s something wrong with me,” Rein said to Iziro.

Noticing Rein’s familiar behavior, Iziro replied, “It’s a fear of heights. Many people experience it. Live on Aeris, and it will pass.”

The platform ascended into a voluminous structure hanging from the bottom of the floating mountain. Inside the structure, there was a vast open space with numerous stairs and tunnels leading in various directions. People immediately started dispersing, but to enter the city, they had to go through the inspectors. Each person entering or leaving the city was carefully inspected by one of the specialized checkers.

When Iziro and Rein approached the checker, he first asked Iziro, “Do you have an Aeris resident permit?”

“No,” Iziro replied.

“All right, newcomer,” the checker nodded, inspecting Iziro before letting him pass. Nearby stood warriors and guards who would punish anyone entering or leaving the city without the inspector’s permission.

“Do you have an Aeris resident permit?” the checker asked Rein.

“No,” Rein said.

“Newcomer,” the checker said, noting something on a piece of paper. “Welcome to Aeris.”

Both of them were allowed through. On the sides, there were several expansive spiral staircases, and in front, there was one straight and incredibly wide staircase.

“Now, where are we going?” Rein asked, not understanding where to go.

“In essence, we are already in Aeris,” Iziro said. “However, Aeris is usually referred to as what is up there under the sunbeams. So, we have a long way to go up that staircase.”

“It seems quite long.”

“In reality, it’s even longer than it seems. Trust me.”

They moved upward, surrounded by a crowd of people, ascending the large straight staircase leading directly to the top. At its end, a light was visible at the end of the tunnel. Although the climb was long, they had already become accustomed to challenging ascents and paths. When they reached the top, an extensive, beautifully designed city greeted their eyes, resembling Illyrion from a distance. Although the local palette had less yellow, it featured more blue and green. Closer to the center, a large building resembling a palace could be seen. Overall, there were few tall structures on the surface of the floating mountain that housed Aeris, especially compared to Illyrion. In comparison, there were none here. People, surprisingly, seemed calmer than those in the village below, but there were still plenty of them.

Iziro led Rein to a local inn.

“Can we get a room?” Iziro asked. “Is anyone here?”

The local manager rushed in from the adjacent room. Her appearance suggested a slight nervousness and shortness of breath.

— Yes, yes. I apologize. There’s a lot of work today, and some of the staff is sick. So, I have to handle almost everything alone. A double room costs sixteen coins per day.

Rein and Iziro entered the room on the second floor of the inn, featuring two beds on either side.