"Is there another god besides Avocios?" Golden wondered aloud, his voice thoughtful. "Perhaps one of his brothers... Who could this Serlet be that Lucca mentioned so much?"
Golden continued to ponder in silence as he watched Paltio train with Toco-Toco. The purple light Lucca described, and the fact that this being had gifted such valuable weaponry, intrigued him deeply. "Who could it be? And why would one of Avocios's siblings be around here?" he questioned himself, searching for answers in his mind but finding no clear conclusion.
Meanwhile, Paris and Kilibur were arriving in a frozen desert. The landscape was desolate: enormous dunes covered in ice shimmered under the faint moonlight, and the icy air cut like invisible blades.
Paris stopped in front of the group. "We must dismount and follow a narrow path on foot," she instructed calmly.
Kilibur nodded and dismissed the illusory horses with an elegant gesture. Without wasting time, they began to make their way along the narrow trail, surrounded by towering frost-covered rock walls.
Suddenly, they felt several pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows. Figures clad in brown suits and masks that completely concealed their faces began emerging from among the rocks. Each carried bows and arrows, aimed with military precision.
One of the figures stepped forward with firm steps. "What are you doing here? Any intruder will be annihilated," he warned in a cold, threatening voice.
"Relax, it's me, Paris," she responded, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. Her tone was calm but firm, attempting to ease the tension.
The figures remained motionless, tightening their grips on their bows even further. "Who is Paris?" one of them asked, his voice laced with distrust.
The tension in the air was palpable when, suddenly, a gruff voice echoed among the rocks. "Stand down, soldiers! It's alright, I know her."
A muscular man emerged from the shadows. His body was covered in stripes, both on his skin and face, and a prominent horn protruded from his forehead. He wore a fitted black vest, gray pants, and massive boots that resonated against the icy ground.
"I can't believe it… Gikel!" Paris exclaimed, a mix of surprise and relief in her voice.
"Hello, little one. How did you manage to get here on your own? And who are you with?" Gikel asked, stepping closer to embrace Paris protectively.
"What do you mean, 'how did I do it'? Thanks to you all who launched an attack on Pinkertalia where the Purple Shadows were," Paris replied with an ironic smile.
"Well, you're not wrong; we haven't returned to that place since our failed mission," interjected a woman who appeared behind Gikel. Her wavy, lettuce-green hair and piercing blue eyes seemed capable of reading minds. She wore a fitted white suit, as if ready for training.
"Ah, it's you, Ludra," Paris responded with a slight nod of her head.
"Who else did you expect? 'X' or Karpi to come deal with all this commotion?" Ludra replied with a sarcastic smile. She looked at Paris with restrained admiration, though her tone remained teasing. "But it's good to see you're alive, Paris. And I see you brought the fox kid."
Ludra couldn't believe how her companion had managed such a feat. She wasn't even someone who knew how to defend herself—how had she survived and made it all the way here?
"Well, it's a long story," Paris replied calmly, crossing her arms.
"I think I'd like to hear it," interrupted someone behind Ludra and Gikel. Both turned quickly and saw their leader, X, accompanied by Karpi. The latter, wearing a blue jumpsuit with a white shirt and a yellow helmet lined with orange fur, grinned widely upon seeing Paris and said, "Hey, girl! How's it going?" while raising an oil-stained hand, clear evidence she'd been repairing vehicles.
As for X, he wore a long cape that covered nearly his entire body, including a mask that concealed his face and dark glasses. Only a few strands of yellow hair peeked out, shimmering under the dim light. Their imposing presence filled the space instantly.
"You'd better come inside and discuss it," X said in a firm but calm voice. Everyone followed, including Paris, Kilibur, Nakia, and Chiki.
Kilibur looked at X curiously, trying to determine if it was some kind of illusion or visual trick. However, he soon concluded it was simply someone with an extremely meticulous disguise.
Once inside the dome-shaped structure, they found themselves in a large space with several adjacent rooms. X led the team into the main hall but instructed one of the guards to take Kilibur and the two animals—Nakia and Chiki—to another location. With no other choice, the three obeyed and entered a room where a table laden with plates of food awaited them.
"First of all, I'm glad you're safe," X began, his voice calm but laced with seriousness. "But second, what's this about you having the fox kid? And third, who helped you?"
Paris raised her hands as if trying to stop the flood of questions. "Wow, that's a lot of questions."
The girl took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. Though she knew X was their leader, she couldn't help but feel this was more of an interrogation than a reunion to celebrate her survival.
"Alright," Paris began, taking a deep breath. "First of all, I ran into Lukeandria. She was traveling with the prince of Avocadolia, a butler, and two other young individuals. They helped save the fox kid and me, obviously. And well… I believe you launched a counterattack to help us escape."
"What are you talking about, girl?" Ludra retorted, frowning and raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Didn't I just tell you it wasn't us?"
Paris looked at her, confused. "After entering that city and losing someone as important as Chip… Well, leaving you at the mercy of the enemies hurt all of us. You know it's not personal—it's just part of the mission. The cause always comes before attachment."
"Yes, I know," Paris murmured, lowering her head in resignation.
"Don't feel bad," Karpi interjected, trying to soften Ludra's cutting tone. "You know how direct she can be."
"Are you sure there were explosions? The only one who could do something like that was Chip," Ludra added, crossing her arms. "Are you sure you didn't imagine it?"
"Of course not!" Paris exclaimed, her voice rising slightly.
"But we all saw him perish," Karpi interrupted, her tone tinged with sadness that echoed through the room.
"So, if it wasn't you, was it someone who copied our weapons?" Paris asked, confused, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"I don't know, girl," Ludra replied, crossing her arms in a thoughtful gesture. "But where are the prince, the butler, and that reckless Lukeandria? I wanted to see if she's still on our side."
"Of course she's on our side!" Paris exclaimed firmly. "And the people traveling with her protected me and kept me safe, on top of being sent on a major mission by the leader of the shadows himself."
"That means we owe your return to them," X interjected, his calm voice laced with curiosity. "But what is a prince from a distant kingdom doing so far from his land?"
Paris proceeded to explain Paltio's quest and his mission to recover the scepter. As she spoke, everyone in the room adopted expressions of intrigue, as if trying to process the magnitude of what she was saying.
"You should've started with that," Ludra commented, interrupting again with her characteristic directness.
"Don't be so harsh on the girl," Karpi said, shooting Ludra a reproachful glance.
"That prince sounds interesting," X reflected, leaning forward with renewed interest.
Paris, nervous but resolute, spoke again: "Leader, that's why we've come. The prince believes his friends are still alive, and we thought perhaps they might be here. But now that you say it wasn't you… Then who had the audacity to attack the Purple Shadows?"
X fell into a contemplative stance, his cape shifting slightly as he remained silent for a few moments. Finally, he spoke:
"No, we haven't seen those kids with the characteristics you described. Remember, all our kingdoms succumbed to the shadows. Only refugees remain with us, and the only intact realms have been those of the Avocados, though I'm not sure why. However, in that case, you should return to that prince and bring him into our resistance, now that we have the secret weapon: the fox."
"But, sir, we can't!" Paris retorted, her voice rising slightly. "As I mentioned, he's in pursuit of the last piece of the scepter. We must support them; otherwise, they'll destroy everyone in his kingdom. Tejod himself is there!" she insisted.
"So the leader of the shadows is personally in Avocadolia… Then we must prepare and head there," X declared, shifting focus from Paris's plea for help to the strategic mission.
Everyone began voicing opinions and debating without reaching an agreement, setting aside what Paris truly wanted: to find Paltio's friends. Meanwhile, Paris silently asked herself: "Where are Alita and Ron?"
In another place, in what appeared to be an endless desert of sand, a figure stood with it back turned, pulling a sled. On the sled were nets covering something that moved beneath them. The wind blew fiercely, raising whirlwinds of sand that made it difficult to see the scene clearly. The figure advanced with determination, as if it knew exactly where it was headed.