ALIOS – that was the name of the deity venerated by the Holy Church. A god who was, in reality, such a threat that it had driven the nine others to sacrifice themselves to seal him away. Did the Church have a role in all this? Were the strangers who attacked Senerith connected to it? And why had we been teleported to this world? For now, the answers remained out of reach. Especially since, according to Ethilos, the forest continued to proliferate because of this sanctuary, still saturated with Gilliin's mana, whose influence would be felt for years to come.
"Don't worry too much about the forest. Everything should return to normal once the animals come back."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's very simple: there is nothing left to scare them away. They can finally return and consume the ambient mana. After that, everything should stabilize."
According to Ethilos, as long as Senerith was corrupted, her presence repelled most animals, who refused to approach the forest. That was also why, upon our arrival, we had encountered almost no creatures, aside from the trartos that Senerith's corrupted version had attacked. That explained why the forest was so strangely quiet, despite the astonishing profusion of plants and fruit.
"I'm sorry... I suppose," Senerith said, visibly embarrassed. She nervously clasped her hands and averted her gaze.
"I can't tell you anything more for now, but remember three things: first, be absolutely wary of the Church; second, never reveal the existence of Raysley's or Nico's spheres to them; and third, protect the other tombs as best you can."
These were the instructions Ethilos had given us. Even so, it remained too vague to be perfectly understood.
"I have another question, if you'll permit me..." Estris asked with his usual calm.
"I'm listening."
"What exactly do you mean by 'not revealing the existence of Raysley and Nico'?"
His question elicited a soft, melodious smile, as if he had anticipated it.
"It's very simple: because your two friends possess a large part of Gilliin's body – her mana cores, a crucial component. Without them, three-quarters of her power vanishes. That's why I'm asking you to watch over them: they will soon become targets of many attacks."
His explanation was logical. If our existence were discovered, we would be attacked to steal Gilliin's mana cores. For Raysley, it was still manageable, as the sphere wasn't inside her... but for me, the situation was much graver. An anxious question came to mind:
"And... is it possible to remove a mana core?"
"Of course. And it's very painful. You might even die from it," he replied coldly.
Several of my questions now had answers: the nature of the spheres, what had happened here, the reason for our coming. But also some answers I hadn't wanted to hear.
"Perfect. If there are no more questions, I will send you back to Meylir, the central capital. Consider it my last little farewell gift."
Just as we were about to be teleported, a voice spoke up one last time. It was Raysley's.
"How... how were you able to come here? If we follow your logic, you shouldn't be capable of being here!" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Good question. Let's say that we gods can move within each other's domains. It's a restriction we imposed on ourselves to better concentrate our power. In essence, we can act here almost at will, but with great difficulty outside. By the way, the reason I am here is that my body hasn't been stolen yet. So, find it quickly. And when you meet Fejan..."
He snapped his fingers. Gradually, our bodies dissolved into a myriad of white, luminous particles. During this phase, his voice still reached us.
"Tell him this: 'The chapter of the Cherry Trees turns to make way for the snow.' He will be more cooperative."
With these words, we had completely vanished, leaving behind only a luminous trail. Ethilos remained alone, as if no one had ever disturbed him. He was a truly strange being.
"I hope you succeed..."
Everything turned white and confused. The sensation was very similar to our arrival, but much less painful – almost pleasant, even. That was the effect of teleportation: an extremely complex process requiring the movement of every atom in a body with absolute precision. One misstep, and I preferred not to imagine the consequences. Yet, he was capable of it with a simple snap of his fingers. It was unsettling.
...
We found ourselves in the very heart of the central capital of the Asros Empire: Meylir.
Asros was an empire founded nearly three centuries ago by the first emperor, Parath Asros, at the end of the Hundred Years' War. The empire's center was its main stronghold, which had ensured victory back then and had become a place of legend, symbolizing imperial power and sacrifice.
Meylir was a city surrounded by four large, downward-curving coasts, evoking the carcass of a long-extinct creature, slowly covered by earth and vegetation. The buildings, however, were strikingly charming: architecture that was rich, varied, and cosmopolitan, both sober and elegant. That was, at least, the first impression that struck us.
We were all sitting on the ground, drawing curious stares and mockery from passersby.
"What are they doing on the ground?"
"They appeared out of nowhere; it scared me!"
"Aren't they knights?"
I was dying of embarrassment. We looked like fools, sitting right in the middle of such a busy thoroughfare.
"Do you feel like getting up, or do you prefer to stay planted here for hours?" Hiyro muttered, watching the passersby with an annoyed look.
"I think that's a good idea," Karla added, equally embarrassed.
We stood up as quickly as our numb legs allowed. This minor pain was better than public humiliation.
Once on our feet, we slipped into the crowd to find some rest and sit in a more suitable place.
"My body is in agony. What is this unpleasant sensation?" Estris said, massaging his shoulders.
We found public benches where we could finally sit down. Even if they weren't the most comfortable, they would at least preserve our dignity.
"Tell me about it! It's nothing compared to what we've been through, right, Raysley?" Nico quipped.
"Don't remind me. I couldn't move for minutes. It's even worse," Raysley admitted.
"Oh, really? I can't even imagine..." Estris concluded.
While we were chatting, Karla drew our attention to the next steps.
"We need to get organized now. There's too much to do, so we'll proceed step by step. But before that... wouldn't you all like a good night's rest? I'm completely drained."