As the cool night descended upon Vitrifex, the gentle glow of the moon cast a serene light over the chaotic scene. The people of Vitrifex were scattered throughout their homeland, desperately evading the relentless onslaught of the ruthless skeletal invaders. Amidst the terror, Moana and another young girl stumbled and fell, their cries echoing through the darkness.
Seizing the opportunity, a skeleton charged forward, raising its sword to strike them down. Solomon, with unwavering courage, rushed to their defense, blocking the blow and shoving the attacker away. "Moana, gather the elders, children and teenagers and find safety!" he urged, his voice unwavering. "We, the young men, will hold them back and buy you some time."
"But our attacks are useless against them!" Moana protested, her eyes wide with fear.
"Don't worry-" Solomon attempted to reassure her, but in that brief moment of distraction, the skeleton rose to its feet, preparing to attack once more.
"Solomon!" Moana cried out in horror, her heart racing wildly in her chest. Just as the creature lunged at Solomon, a powerful gust of wind sent the skeleton hurtling through the air.
As Solomon and Moana turned to locate the source of the mysterious wind, they were met with the sight of Valerus and the assembled members of the Shield.
"We're the Shield, and we're here to help!" Valerus declared, a smile playing at his lips. "Nice to meet you!"
No sooner had he spoken than the same skeleton, refusing to be defeated, rose once more and launched another assault. In response, black flames erupted, consuming the skeletal horde in a blazing inferno.
"Don't forget about us," called out Prince Sunday, his six brothers flanking him. "The Seven Days are here too!"
"That's right, Valerus!" Banabas chimed in. "We're here to help!"
Valerus chuckled, his eyes shining with gratitude. "Sorry about that. My mistake."
The people of Vitrifex stared in disbelief as the combined might of the Shield and the Seven Days effortlessly obliterated the undead menace. Moana, her heart still pounding, couldn't help but marvel at their mysterious saviors. "Who are these incredible warriors?" she wondered, awe and confusion mingling in her mind.
As the house-like structure came to a halt, its doors opened to reveal the people of Chronohelix, who filed out one by one. The people of Vitrifex cautiously approached their newfound companions, their numbers a mere fraction of Chronohelix's sizable population.
Luisa stepped forward, accompanied by the Thorenzian elders, ready to greet the strangers they had just encountered. Meanwhile, Valerus extended a helping hand to Moana, his eyes locked on hers. "What's your name?" he asked, a gentle smile on his face.
Moana hesitated, lost in thought. They saved our lives, she mused. We can trust them. Finally, she looked up, her gaze meeting Valerus's. "I'm Moana El Vitrifex."
At the mention of "El," Luisa's curiosity was piqued, and she immediately grew more guarded. Valerus, seemingly oblivious to the tension, simply smiled. "What a lovely name."
"Moana, we can't just reveal our secret identities to strangers!" Solomon scolded, his voice low and urgent.
"These people are different," Moana retorted, her tone insistent. "We can trust them!"
Luisa cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both groups. "Pardon my manners," she began, her expression serious. "But I must ask, do you have any ties to the House of El?"
At Luisa's question, the people of Vitrifex froze, their guards raised. Even Solomon and Moana fell silent, their argument forgotten. Noticing the sudden tension, Valerus glanced around, his confusion evident. "What's going on?"
Sir Lancelot, however, studied the people of Chronohelix, his gaze calculating. As he began to approach, Solomon tried to warn him, but Lancelot simply ignored the young man's protests.
"The House of El is known to only a few in this world," Lancelot stated, his voice firm. "May I ask how you came to know of it?"
"I heard it from a friend," Luisa replied, her tone cautious.
Lancelot nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "I can tell you mean no harm," he declared. "I will share what I know."
As Solomon tried once more to protest, Lancelot silenced him with a wave of his hand. The group settled down, and the women began to prepare food for everyone. As they did, Valerus made a bold declaration.
"Everyone, get some rest tonight! Tomorrow, we continue our journey in search of the Oathkeeper's Shadow."
Shock rippled through the people of Vitrifex, their eyes widening in surprise. Moana approached Valerus, her voice low but steady. "How do you know about the Oathkeeper's Shadow?"
Valerus paused, his gaze flitting from Moana to the rest of the Vitrifex people, then to his Chronohelix companions, before finally returning to Moana. "Since you took the risk of telling me your name, I will do the same," he said, his voice strong and sure. "My name is Valerus El Joranda. Though we are now a new nation called Chronohelix, we used to be Thorenzia and Vylonia. I am a Thorenzian."
The people of Vitrifex were utterly stunned, their faces frozen in a mix of awe and disbelief. Some stumbled backward, hands covering their mouths, while others fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces. The air was filled with gasps, whispers, and sobs as the weight of Valerus' revelation sank in. The mention of Thorenzia seemed to awaken a deep-seated hope, a long-lost connection that had been buried beneath the sands of time. The crowd's reaction was a palpable, emotional tidal wave that threatened to engulf everyone in its path.
The people of Chronohelix exchanged astonished glances, attempting to process the emotional scene unfolding before them. Sir Lancelot, tears streaming down his face, stepped forward, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sorrow.
"My name is Lancelot El Vitrifex. We all belong to the El Vitrifex clan. Our clan originated from Thorenzia. We are all Thorenzians!"
The Thorenzian members of Chronohelix stared at the El Vitrifex clan members in amazement, their eyes locked on the group in disbelief. Luisa, her shock evident, struggled to find her words. "How is this possible? I thought the ancient Vylonians took the Thorenzians as slaves."
Sir Lancelot took a deep breath, preparing to share the tale of his people. "We all know of the great fall, when the Vylonians attacked Thorenzia, decimating countless clans. However, three survivors from the El Vitrifex clan remained, determined to rebuild what was lost. A century later, when the Aethelgardians set their sights on Thorenzia, a wise warrior divided our clan in two."
Lancelot paused, his voice heavy with emotion. "He instructed the first group to claim they were a small neighboring country called Vitrifex when the Aethelgardians came for them. He took the second group to fight, leading the Aethelgardians to believe that they were the only survivors of the Vylonian attack. This warrior sacrificed his life to save our clan. His name was Bronson El Vitrifex, and ever since that day, we have deceived our enemies into believing we are a small country known as Vitrifex."
Princess Athena, her expression filled with admiration, responded, "That was a wise strategy."
A brief silence fell over the camp before Luisa broke it, her curiosity still unsatisfied. "What about the House of El? Who are they?"
Lancelot wiped away his tears, his voice growing steadier. "Let me ask you this: Are there others here who carry the 'El' in their name, aside from Valerus?"
Luisa nodded, her gaze briefly shifting to the El Zoranda clan. "Yes, the El Zoranda clan is among us."
"Just them?" Lancelot inquired, his brow furrowed. "What of Valerus' family? His clan? What happened to them?"
Luisa hesitated before replying, "Valerus El Joranda is the sole surviving member of the El Joranda clan."
"How?!" Lancelot exclaimed, disbelief and concern etched on his face. "What happened to the others?"
Luisa sighed, her eyes filled with empathy. "It's a long and painful story."
Lancelot took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "The House of El, once known as the Sons of El, was a powerful family in Thorenzia, composed of seven influential clans. The El Joranda clan was the strongest and most prominent among them. In addition to the El Zoranda and El Vitrifex clans, there were also the El Drodragon, El Zaa, El Max, and El Necro clans."
At the mention of the El Drodragon clan, Princess Alexandra abruptly rose from her seat, her eyes wide with shock, revealing a previously unseen connection to the powerful lineage.
"Do you have any leads on the current whereabouts of the other clans?" Luisa inquired, her gaze shifting between Sir Lancelot and the group.
Lancelot's focus remained fixed on Princess Alexandra, whose eyes were wide with shock at the recent revelation. Following his gaze, Luisa soon understood the situation. "Ah, I almost forgot," she admitted. "Princess Alexandra's full name is Alexandra Drodragon, or more accurately, Alexandra El Drodragon. She, too, is a member of the House of El."
Intrigued, Sir Lancelot asked, "So, she is a descendant of Rufrius, correct?"
Luisa nodded in confirmation, noting the shared connection between the various members present. "Yes. I can imagine this must come as quite a shock."
"I see," Lancelot mused. "It seems we have four members of the House of El present here, yet the fate of the remaining three clans remains a mystery."
As the conversation continued, Caius listened attentively, his thoughts unspoken. Forgive me, old man, but you've miscounted, he mused silently, his fist clenched. There are actually five members of the House of El here right now!
Lancelot turned his attention to Valerus, a question in his eyes. "Earlier, you mentioned your intent to retrieve the Oathkeeper's Shadow tomorrow, is that correct?"
Valerus nodded in affirmation. "Yes, that's our plan."
"And how did the sword end up in Aethelgard's possession?" Lancelot asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It was brought there by Sariel, the former Queen of Vylonia," Valerus explained. "As it turns out, she was actually Lysandra Delacronix, and she had the Oathkeeper's Shadow with her."
Sir Lancelot absorbed this information, his brow furrowed in thought. "Guys, have you ever wondered why the Aethelgardians are so fixated on claiming Thorenzian artifacts and possessions?"
His question hung in the air, a palpable curiosity settling over the camp. Luisa voiced the thought on everyone's mind. "What do you mean?"
"To understand their motivations, we must look back to the age of the Great Conflict," Lancelot said, his tone solemn. "Only by examining our past can we hope to uncover the truth behind Aethelgard's obsession."