 
### Magic Leg

Copyright 2015 Priscila Barone

Published by Priscila Barone at Smashwords

Cover by Daniela Jacinto

Translate to English by Bianca Pereira Carlos

Proofreading by Carol Pimetel
Table of Contents

Prologue

01 – Meetings and hope

02 – Magic and dimensions

03 – Curiosity, empty rooms and rancor

04 – Secrets and irony

05 – Despair and lull

06 – Confessions and resolution

07 – Fights and departure

08 – (Dis)Encounters

09 – Routine, minds, discoveries

10 – Past, history and purpose

11 – The day before

12 – Conflicts, fire and heat

13 – Memories

14 – Elementals, artifacts and conjuring

15 – Battle and blood

16 – Pacts, insanity and joy

17 – Fights, ice, and water

18 – Past, life and death

19 – Unexpected turns

20 – Consciousness, power, awakening

21 – Clashes and illusions

22 – Appearances and clashes

23 – Measuring strengths

24 – Research and decisions

25 – The brightest gem

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About Priscila Barone

Connect with Priscila Barone
Prologue

"Make up your mind, kid. Hihihi. It's your life anyway."

The boy was exhausted and beat. He had crept for hours deep into the woods, in the dark and with that disturbing noise echoing across the sky, burdening his useless leg.

The sound was like a roar, intermittent, with a metallic tone. It sounded like a giant machine operating, so magnificent that the echo resounded for several kilometers. But the boy could hardly notice.

His clothes were filthy, his knees were skinned and his nails were broken and dirty with mud. His skinny arms were beat, he could barely move them. But no matter how much he crawled and how much he ran away, he could not get rid from the weight of guilt.

He was a cripple now and when his family needed him the most, there was nothing he could do. Anger and despair made him get tangled in the woods. But once the anger was gone, he was left only with despair.

He screamed, cried and squirmed. Dirt got into his mouth and eyes. He spit, rubbing his eyelids and when he looked ahead, he realized he was not on his own.

At first, he thought it was someone holding a lantern, because such figure dazed him. However, as he paid more attention, he noticed that the radiance came from that person's whole body. It did not actually look like a person, but it was something like a human trunk. There was also a long ophidian tail.

That thing emitted a uniform light. Its body seemed ectoplasmic but the expression upon its face was unmistakable, because even though its eyes were only two dark strips, its gigantic mouth ripped its face in a sharpen-tooth smile. Whether it was smiling with joy, euphoria or less noble feelings, it would remain unknown for whoever saw it.

— What a delightful sound echoing, huh? It's a big day. — The being seemed to wonder while gazing at the sky. — I can set you free from this useless limb, preventing you early death, boy. I'd like to devour this leg of yours. In return, I can teach you a little trick. You'll thank me a lot later.

The boy could not articulate his thoughts coherently anymore. He only knew he was supposed to be scared and yet he could not. That leg was, in fact, useless; it would never work again. And on top of that, it surely would decrease his lifetime.

That half person, half snake thing rushed him, demanding that he should make up his mind soon. Without putting much thought into it, he accepted and allowed the being to go on. So it stuck his whole leg in its mouth up to his thigh. The ghostly throat was bottomless. It warned the boy one last time.

— It's going to hurt, but knowing your roots, I think you can handle it.

And it pressed its razor-sharp jaw in his tender flesh.

A piercing scream throughout the woods joined the metallic roar in the sky.

01 – Meetings and hope

It was a beautiful morning. The sun rose slowly in the bright warm sky. It brought comfort and a promising inspiring day. The temperature was pleasant in a day when one could just wear light clothes and feel the breeze.

The ship sailed across the sky under that light and the excellent timber absorbed some of the heat, which seemed to give it life, almost as if it were breathing. That timber was magic.

The light-eyed lady just watched the landscape below. The verdant mountains passed slowly and gently as the wind stirred her coal-black hair. The only sound that could be heard was the running boiler and the steam being released into the atmosphere to put the ship in motion. She closed her eyes to better enjoy the relaxing moment. Times to meditate were rare, especially due to her agitated personality.

The swing of the vessel created a serene environment, causing the young lady to almost fall asleep on her feet, with her hand on the rudder, in peace. It was when the sound of the cabin door opening and slamming violently on the opposite wall made her heart skip a beat.

A vigorous young man came out, filling his lungs with air and walking quickly to the light-eyed girl. His tresses were as dark as his companion's, although his hair was cut close to his head and he had a tiny quiff next to his forehead. He wore travel clothes. A white overcoat covered in buttons layered a zipper shirt and light trousers. He let the sunlight flood his face, enjoying the heat. His very light brown eyes sparkled with excitement. He shook his fingertips and rubbed his eyelids, as if he had just woken up. And indeed he had, as he let out a loud yawn. He walked to the tiny prow and, as he came to the gunwale, put his left leg over it, which was immediately illuminated by a dull blue glow. Actually, this is an unsuitable description because he did not have a left leg. It had been cut off at the thigh. In its place, there was a light spectrum that took the form of the missing limb, with enough consistency to support the weight of his body. It was, indeed, a leg made of magic.

Toni felt great that morning and his magic leg acted accordingly, shining brightly.

— You look good today, Toni.

— And I am, Ren. I slept pretty well.

— That's why they say the nights are made to sleep.

— Oh, come on, Ren! You know we have to find her...

— We don't even know whether she exists or not... — Ren unburdened, turning away from her blood brother, staring at the horizon.

Toni took the spectrum off the gunwale, covered the distance that separated him from his sister and held her by the shoulders, causing her to look at him.

— Renata, believe me, she exists.

— Oh, you only call me Renata when it's serious. Ok, Antonio, let's keep on moving.

— Pff... Toni, please.

— Ren, please. — the light-eyed lady aped him. They had been on that quest for a while. Ever since, her brother had stuck in his head that the Weaver existed.

The Weaver's tale was one of the oldest in the land of Novea. It was from the Age of Wizards, which meant it was at least two thousand years old. It was just an old wives' tale, told as a bedtime story or to frighten children. Ever since the world was the world, the legend existed. It was about one of the guardians of that land. The legend said that she lived isolated in any given high mountain, had a horrible humor and her main activity was weaving life. Both, good and bad things. She liked to rest in peace while weaving, and if for some reason she was disturbed by something or someone, usually the unfortunate had their life thread cut. People also told that sometimes, when she got really upset, she broke the thread and sewed it over again. Nobody knew whether the final result would be a living dead, a vampire or a zombie. Stories about these three beings were also current in Novea.

However, according to a not-so-reliable source, the Weaver indeed existed. Still, Toni started to face it as the truth, because it was the last hope he had to figure out the problem that plagued him. Ren knew her younger brother was like that: when he stuck something on his mind, no matter how absurd, the fool ended up taking it very seriously.

So, if it was so important for Toni to find the Weaver, she would join him on his quest. Of course it was not easy for the boy when she said she would join him. Even though he was the youngest, he had an excess of zeal for the women in the family. He was the only man and, even if he did not put that down in words, he felt as he was their protector. But it did not matter to Ren. She always won the argues because of her bad temper. Besides, she could not let her little brother go on his own. After all, Toni has needed to be taken care of since he was a child. He had always had mobility problems. When he was two, it was possible to notice that his legs were not very firm. He used to fall down and to get hurt all the time. His arms and hands were stiff, but nothing as impactful as his lower limbs.

Their mother, Amanda, and their older sister, Adriana, took care of Toni in the best way they could. Ren was advised to be careful with her younger brother, but as she was only a year older than him, she had little notion about condescension.

That is why they played and ran, jumped and had fun, until Toni could not walk anymore or when their mother found out about it. Aside from the boy's little health problem, their life had been peaceful and happy.

Until one day, as he turned 15, the boy completely lost the movements of his left leg. This was only the trigger of a family tragedy that changed the life of the Maro family. Toni, Ren, Adriana and Amanda would never be the same again. Even though the years went by and everyone was fine, the scar still burned somewhere in their souls.

Amid the chaos reigning in such period, Ren thought Toni's learning to generate a pure magic leg was one of the best things that happened to him, after all the family went through.

It must be said that in Novea, magic was not that common among average people. Everyone knew it, knew what it was about, but considered it something fantastic, just like they considered the Weaver a myth. For most people, it was an occult science that few people had access to. But some rare men and women had a natural aptitude for its use, and ended up learning by themselves, even if with no technique or refinement.

What the inhabitants of Novea dominated well was the strength of the machines and the steam. They could control the technology that moved the world. That is why they distrusted people who used magic. There was no declared animosity against them, but in the collective imagination lived the maxim of always being careful with individuals that could manipulate the forces of nature.

— Alright then, Ren! According to the last information I got, the Weaver lives somewhere in this region of Novea! — Toni exclaimed, pulling Ren out of her melancholic memories.

— As far as I know, she could be in this region or in any other region within a thousand-kilometer radius... What's the difference between this one and the ones we already checked?

— The difference is that we didn't check this one! — Toni replied smiling. — You must be more patient, sis.

— And you need to get your ass kicked. Hey... wait. What the hell is that?

Toni looked towards the direction Ren was pointing to. Besides their ship, in the middle of the sky, there was someone out there. More specifically, a woman. She seemed to float. Of course a floating steamboat was an unusual mean of transportation in that land. But a person suspended in the air was totally unthinkable.

The woman did not move, only flew slowly, giving her back to the observers in the ship's prow. She carried a small shoulder bag.

— I wonder if it's a spirit of someone who died. — Ren speculated, worried.

— And have you ever seen a spirit of someone who's alive?

— You know what I mean! I wonder if she died here.

— In the middle of the sky, Ren?

— Shit, I don't know! Maybe she was a sky pirate. Ghosts freak me out.

— Well, maybe we could find out if we asked.

— Ask... the spirit?

It did not seem a reasonable thought. But, in that exact moment, the "spirit" finally noticed their presence. The flying woman turned around and looked their way, without seeming surprised. As she stopped moving, the boat approached her and the siblings could notice she was not floating into space. There was a kind of metallic board under her feet, which had no device or mechanism that made it run on steam. On the contrary, it looked like a regular piece of metal. Toni thought it was as absurd as the idea of a ghost floating in the air. But a closer inspection revealed that the mysterious woman's board was enfolded in magic. Invisible magic, hard to be detected, due to the little effort she made to handle it. It would go unnoticed to anyone who did not have the slightest knowledge in handling this type of energy, as him or his sister.

— Erm... Hello, lady... — Toni started, interested.

— Good morning! Well, if it isn't the famous Magic Leg! And, of course, his sister Sound Wrath! We meet at last...— The floating woman uttered, staring at the siblings with narrow eyes and a dubious smile on her face. The fact that she called them by their nicknames showed that their fame was growing throughout Novea. A while ago, they were only Toni and Ren. But Toni's admirable leg plus his bad tempered sister had built their reputation around. Which was comical, as neither sought it. They were on that journey for personal reasons, which did not involve helping wronged people along the way, playing heroes. But that was exactly what they ended up doing due to their inability to stay quiet while watching something wrong.

But for Toni, nothing explained the bizarre situation of a woman alone in a piece of flying metal in the middle of the sky calling them by their nicknames. He put himself immediately on alert.

— I can see you know us somehow, lady, but we are at a disadvantage as the converse is not true.

— It actually is, Magic Leg, for in some point of your life, you had heard about me... — The woman said, mostly to herself, whispering in between smiles.

— Excuse me?

— Never mind. My name is Irene. Nice to meet you, youngsters.

— Youngsters? You're not much older than us... — Ren was intrigued with the whole situation.

After the initial apprehension, as she realized that the woman was not a spirit, she started getting worried. There were not many people with enough knowledge to magnetize objects with magic to the point that it would make them fly and serve as transportation. And on top of that, it was such an exquisite magic. Toni's leg, for instance, needed to be denser in order to materialize and sustain his body, but it was nowhere near that refinement. Neither was Ren's magic. Only great users, who were old enough, had that kind of intimacy with that art. And as it was noticed by Ren, Irene did not seem older than they were. She was beautiful, slender, with long wavy glossy brown hair, pulled back on the top of her head. Her hazel eyes conveyed maturity and depth, inconsistent with her smooth and delicate face. She seemed slightly taller than Ren, but did not reach Toni's height, who was about six-foot tall.

In any case, that board was disturbing. In their journey, the siblings had faced several mercenaries. As they were theoretically vigilantes, many people wanted their heads. There were rewards on them, for whoever was crazy enough to go after them. Therefore, mercenaries, pirates, murderers and the worst kind of people were expected. But definitely not a magic user. Not to mention a user in that woman's level.

— My dear Sound Wrath, I am a little older than I look. If you don't mind, would you tell me which way are you going?

— And why do you want to know? — Ren asked, angry, with a sour look on her face.

Toni looked at her, the corners of his mouth almost drawing a smile. The "Wrath" in her nickname was not for nothing.

— Just plain and simple curiosity... Wow, what a sudden burning smell. Don't be nervous. You don't deny your nickname, do you?

— I'm just prepared for eventualities...

— Well done. Cautious girls are so adorable. Too bad that in this case it might not mean much...

— What do you mean? — Virtually, all of Ren's hair stood on end as she assumed a position of attack, snarling and getting ready to jump into the jugular of the strange Irene. She had also forgotten about the fact that Irene floated on a tiny board, and it was likely they would plummet to an unfailing death. If Toni had not held her by the waist, with one hand, and by the shoulder with the other, that is exactly what she would have done.

— Hang on, Ren. Irene, we are looking for the Weaver.

Ren almost bit her tongue in astonishment. Still held by her brother's strong hands, she threw back her head to whisper close to his face.

— Are you nuts?! Are you going to tell her where we're going just like that, you idiot?!

— And do you think she is going to believe it? — He answered in the same low tone, hoping to mislead the woman with it. Maybe she would think they were crazy or fools, and would lose interest on them. What a surprise it was for Toni to look back at her and notice she had a grim smile on her lips.

And as the lad decided how to better interpret that unexpected reaction, a gigantic shadow arose over them, covering the whole ship. As they lifted up their eyes, the trio came across the shell of a giant vessel, not sighted before because it was well above the point where they were. As it assumed a position exactly above Toni, the ship plunged to them. Immediately, without thinking, the young man grabbed the rudder and went out of the way, avoiding the impact by a millisecond.

They barely had the time to recover from the shock when a well-aimed arrow flew towards Ren's face, who was not even able to notice its approach. But Toni was alert and parried the arrow half an centimeter from his sister's cheek, and caused them to duck, for more arrows streaked across the sky.

Irene, after overseeing the siblings' ship in the evasive maneuver, remained exactly where she was.

— Hahahahaha, look, it's them, all right! — The pirate with the yellow bandanna cheered.

Most of the men on board had repeating crossbows. They could shoot at least three arrows per second. Some still had swords. A few others handled firearms. Their ship was much larger than the siblings', and if it was unusual to see a steamer in the sky, what could be said about two at the same time?

They shot another rain of arrows and some even fired guns, precluding any attempt of escape. Interestingly, however, the arrows and bullets were not stuck on the ship's timber. They ricocheted.

Irene stood still. She occasionally deviated an object flying towards her just by staring.

The pirate with the yellow bandanna was the first to invade the smaller ship. He carried a huge sword, so huge that it should be held with both hands and yet, curiously, he could handle it with only one. He watched the two siblings ducked behind the ship's rudder, and the arrows around them, without touching them. He noticed they were not stuck anywhere in the ship. He scratched his head, not quite understanding that and with no time to do so. While the other pirates took possession of the place, he went towards the two crew members, intending to imprison them alive. But if they did not cooperate, he saw no trouble on bringing them as dead meat.

— Get out of Newcomen right away. — Toni was annoyed with the treatment given to the boat that he had built with so much effort. He rose slowly while staring at the pirate with the yellow bandanna. Ren rose with him, barely holding the attack.

— Newcomen? Oh, of course, that's the name of the ship, right? It's a nice ship, we'll get a lot of money with it. I, Bartholomew Roberts, am very grateful.

— For an ignoble pirate like you, you're a quick thinker, Roberts.

— And for a little bitch like you, you have a lot of fiber. We will get a lot of money for your head too, but nothing may stop us from fucking you a little before that!

Without patience, Ren went for the man, armed with a punch. But he was not weak, as he parried her blow only with the hilt of his stout sword.

— Wooow, what a bad temper! You must be delicious. You caused a lot of mess in the last city you've been to, and its mayor promised us a nice reward for your heads.

— You mean the former mayor, right? After we swept that bastard away, he was arrested by his own people... How did he hire you from prison? — Tony asked, grim, taking a good look at the pirate's face.

— You would be surprised with the range of certain people's influence, son... — Bartholomew Roberts said, with a smile, grabbing Ren's hand and trying to turn her around.

Meanwhile, the horde of pirates massively advanced to Toni. Without batting an eye, he knocked three of them out right away. Even with some sword cuts and dodging bullets, he kept on knocking them out.

Ren tried to punch Roberts's face while dodging the strokes of the powerful sword. He turned out to be an excellent swordsman. He was undoubtedly the captain of the gang. Five other men surrounded her to help their leader, but they did not have the same agility. In a dizzying sequence, the girl hit two of them in the nose. The third one, waiting for the same stroke, was hit on the throat and fell, twitching. The remaining two went for her, who used their own strength to make them lose their balance. She scooped with a leap, planting one foot in each nape and sinking their faces to the ground. Soon, another five replaced them.

Irene kept watching, with arms crossed over her chest. Until one of the pirates spotted her.

— Captain, what about that one? — The snitch asked the pirate with the yellow bandanna.

— I don't know her. Shoot her!

With that, the thieves assumed a position next to the gunwale. There was no way they would miss it, she was only 3 meters away. They were in such an adrenaline rush that no one was surprised that she was not inside the ship. Irene did not seem shaken at all.

Three shots from three shooters flew towards her. She just looked at the bullets and something happened. It was all very quick, but whoever had agile eyes could notice that, first, the bullets froze in the air. Then they simply reversed their motion, going back at the shooters. They barely knew what hit them, but mixed with the blood coming out of the holes in their heads, there was water.

In the fury of the moment, no one noticed the fact, except for Toni and Ren. But there was no time to be impressed, or they might lose their heads.

Ren had knocked out around twenty men, but she could not bring the captain down. The huge saber prevented her from going into his personal space and hitting him in the face. She was only dodging, skillful. But she could not do that forever, and her fatigue started dominating her. Then, in one of the violent movements of the sword, Roberts managed to make a cut on her forearm. She recoiled, cursing more over shock than pain and, at this moment, the captain kicked her in the stomach and brought her to her knees. He immediately got behind her, grabbed her by her long dark hair and pulled her head back.

— Well, little bitch, you are rendered now. Stay still or your neck will be split in two. — The intimidating blade on her neck did not let him lie. She made a grimace, as if she was about to cry. She slowly raised her right hand to her face, as if she was trying to hide the tears. This fact did not go unnoticed by the captain.

— Well, is the great Sound Wrath going to cry now? — The man teased her. Ren did not cover her eyes, like Roberts expected at first, but her lips. Actually, it was more like she was blowing into her hand. A rapid intermittent chirp, like a bird's voice, was heard.

— Dear ignoble, you really don't know the reason for my nickname, do you?

Before he could react, the pirate was touched by Ren's hand, the same that had been in her mouth, and now held a tiny ball of energy. That tiny sphere penetrated Roberts's skull, reaching his ears flush, which were shaken with the sharpest sound that the human ear can endure. The man's eardrums were ripped like rags and blood began to drip down his ears. He fell stretched on the ground, with an expression of pure surprise in his eyes. He yelled, but could not hear his own screaming.

— Jackass... That's what you get when you don't pay attention to people's nicknames...

Meanwhile, Toni faced the gang surrounding him, already covered in cuts and scrapes. But he kept a smile on his face. He was loving the exercise. The pirates did not pose a threat, despite their number. Fifty men against one was not exactly fair. But it was not a problem for the guy with a magic leg. If there were another 100 of those lackeys, maybe they would stand a chance. However, Toni had eliminated most of them, remaining only ten more, for the others lied unconscious on the ground. He could no longer hold the anxiety of testing his leg, to prove its complete recovery.

He stopped moving and focused. His leg shone with an absurd intensity, enough to daze the men. Toni felt very, very good. His limb was perfect and the energy flowed and shone through his body without any blocking. Flowing from top to bottom, the power was concentrated on his leg. When it became too intense and he realized he could no longer hold it in, Toni gave a powerful circular kick in the air. The accumulated energy detached, traveling the distance between Toni and the pirates at an immeasurable speed. Those men, who formed a circle around the lad, got hit practically all at once. Of course they did not process the fact in a proper way, for what they could see was Toni taking a deep breath, his leg dazing their eyes and then darkness.

— Well, Toni, apparently your leg is fine, that's great!

— Ren!! Is everything alright with you? — Toni asked, running towards his sister and touching her bloody arm.

— Don't worry, it's not too deep. But what about you? Are you really okay?

— Sure, I'm fully recovered.

— I can hardly hold my tears with this touching family reunion, but I'm obliged to interrupt you for the sake of maintaining my sugar level. Can we talk?

Strange Irene was on top of the gunwale, holding her "board", also supported on where she was standing. As if she was asking for permission to enter the ship. Toni looked deeply at her face and nodded. While Irene got in, he started to cast the lame pirates out of Newcomen. Irene even helped them in the task.

The whole process took a while, which the three carried out silently and not necessarily kindly. They made those who were minimally well carry those who were knocked out, or just threw them back at their ship. Two men helped their captain, whose ears dripped blood, and who was now deaf. When the last one got out, Ren steered the ship away from them. Newcomen made its characteristic steam noise and quickly went away.
02 – Magic and dimensions

— Magic Leg... Are you really looking for the Weaver? — Irene broke the silence.

Toni analyzed the woman. She was about as tall as his sister. He thought she had very beautiful eyes, with a touch of hazel and green splashes here and there. Her face was unreadable, but she seemed to be taking that whole Weaver story seriously. At least she did not hold that incredulous and mockery expression they all showed when this matter was handled. But she did showed a slight disbelief, as if they were unable to accomplish what they were pursuing. Not because the Weaver did not exist, but because they weren't capable of reaching her.

— And do you know her? — Toni tried to steer the conversation.

— Let's just say she's an old acquaintance that is not very fond of me... But let's face it, you wouldn't make it by yourselves.

— Why not? — Ren asked with a sour look on her face.

— Because you have to know the path and use the right spell to open the gates. That old witch doesn't like visitors. But fortunately you're with me, who knows all the sordid details. — She gave a huge smile.

— If she's not very fond of you, how do you know the right spell to get in? And why would you help us?

— I know the right spell because I have my contacts. And I'm going to help you because I'm just like water, my dear Magic Leg. I go wherever the path leads me. And now that I'm here, I want to see how you two newbies will manage in this journey.

— You are so vague, it scares me. Why don't I believe a single word you've said?

The mysterious Irene gave an effusive laugh. She was actually a person with warm, expansive gestures. She stared at the siblings with a warm smile. Apparently, she considered his comment a joke. Or, if she realized how much Toni distrusted her, she made sure to paint herself as impassive.

— Stay cool, Magic Leg. Right now, all I want is to eat.

— Well, whether she is suspicious or not, I'm hungry too. Let me see what can I get us to eat. — Ren disappeared deep into a door.

Without a shred of embarrassment, Irene sat on a stool that was lying nearby, showing a half-smile. Toni observed the lady as he took the rudder.

— So, I can assume you're not a mercenary after our heads, right, Irene?

— Yes, you can. Well, come on, you must have realized that, if I were actually a mercenary, I would've got you.

— I must admit you're an amazing magic user. You're really good at it!

— That's practice, kid! There are many ways of using magic, and I see you know some variations of battle magic, even though you refrain from using it the most.

— So you noticed it? Of course, if we used magic in any way with those poor devils, we could have killed them!

— They were just some pirates. It shouldn't bother you so much. If you had used it right away, you would have avoided all those injuries.

— Well, we'd rather not exaggerate. So you know the way to the Weaver?

— Yes. Like I said, she's an old acquaintance. We're pretty close, actually. Let me just eat something and I'll show you.

******************

The day was almost half over, and they were eating. The sun was still bright in the sky and a light breeze was blowing. They did not speak while they were tasting the food. The siblings were still not comfortable to act normally around the mysterious brown-haired lady. They were very similar in some aspects, for example, as they acted in an introspective way with people from outside their family circle. They were kind of savage, some would say, for they were awkward with external social relations. The village where they grew up in was extremely small. But it had been slowly changing ever since they went on that journey with an uncertain destination.

The siblings took turns to cook. Toni really enjoyed Ren's food; he thought it was better than his. He had always been clumsy for a lot of crafts, except for building things. He had created several versions and models of a metallic leg before he got his magic leg. He even created one that ran on steam.

The Newcomen ship was also an invention of his, made of scraps and timber of the forest growing a few meters away from the house he lived in. He was especially proud of that construction because it had been made with blood and suffering, literally. At the time of the beginning of the production, Toni's left leg, the magic one, was the only limb that did not bother him. At each hour he spent on that project, he could feel his arms getting number, with pains that would go through his nerves and reach his brain like needles. He frequently needed breaks of, at least, half an hour to put himself together. He did not dare to rest inside his house. In case his mother or his older sister suspected of the terrible state he was in, they would have made him stop it immediately. Not even Ren knew about his difficulty with heavy works.

The scar he carried in the palm of his hand did not let him forget all the painful process of the conception of the ship, when he pierced severely the thenar space with a nail. On that specific day, the pain embracing his body was so deep it hampered his movements, and yet he could not stop. Disregarding his determination, his right hand stopped functioning anyway.

With a rage that was not peculiar to him, he slapped the table surface with his bad wrist, hitting the box of nails he was using. When one of them planted, crossing his skin from side to side, he immediately felt his palm again.

He took the nail off with the other hand, clumsy, which only hurt him even more. It was on that day that he had to beg for Ren's help, who was astonished as she realized how much it cost her brother to continue with the ship. The girl only agreed to cover for him when Toni allowed her to help him with the rest of the construction. And she also ruled that she would go with him in the trip.

Toni resisted to such requirement at first. Ever since they knew about the existence of the Weaver, Ren demanded to join him in his quest. He did not want to expose his sister to any unnecessary danger. If something was to happen, it should happen only to him. But Ren was stubborn and hot-tempered and announced loudly that she was not negotiating. The young man had no other option but to accept his companion. He promised her that, as soon as the boat was finished, they would leave together.

However, traveling with her for several months made his reluctance disappear. They were a great duo, one could always guess what the other one needed. Over time, Toni was convinced that it would be foolish to go at it by himself.

Leaving those thoughts aside, he focused on Irene's directions, who taught the way while she ate. They were quite close, for it was possible to see the mountain shrouded in mist on the horizon. But as the distance decreased, Toni and Ren became intrigued. That was a steep mountain, with no flat lands where they could land Newcomen or even where someone could build a residence.

When they brought this matter to Irene's attention, she laughed and kept eating. She also asked them to be patient. She was going to show them how to get there. As soon as she finished with her chicken, licking the oil off her fingers, Irene stood up and went to the gunwale. The ship was still and the hill grew before them. The sibling asked themselves, exchanging wary glances, what the unknown enigmatic lady intended.

— I have told you that it's necessary to know the right spell to get to the Weaver's home, right? Well, actually, there is no right spell. There aren't several kinds of spell. There's only one and it's always the same. We could use battle magic here. Like the one you use, for instance. What changes is that you get to tell the spell how you want it to work.

— What? What do you mean, you crazy? — Ren asked very articulate, with a spark of temper.

— You are really amateurs. As I was saying, you must tell the spell how to act. It's possible with some hand gestures. There are certain gestures for practically any kind of job, and whether the spell will work or not, it only depends on the user's level of experience and strength. Opening gates is ridiculously easy, piece of cake. But not when we're talking about the Weaver and her portal to another plan.

— Another plan? You mean another dimension?! Seriously?!

— Sure, Magic Leg. Didn't you find it weird someone living in this mountain? Of course, because she doesn't live in this plan of the mountain. We have to open the doors to her house.

— Hm, and you have the keys to her house? Why did she give them to you?

— I think she stole it. She really looks like a thief. She's hiding something.

— You're perspicacious, Sound Wrath. Indeed, a friend of mine told me exactly what hand gestures to be used. But let's not get in so many details. Watch.

Irene put her hands together and slid the left one down, towards her wrist. She stopped when her middle finger was placed in the center of her right hand's palm.

— This is the standard motion for opening gates, portals, etc. Here you're telling the spell that you want it to open something. Of course the Weaver's keys aren't that simple. We still have to define what we want our spell to open. A regular door or a portal to another dimension, for instance. And the hand gestures must follow an order. This order is established by the person who creates the "key". In this case, the Weaver. And also, if the person really wants to hide, they use a spell with a gesture of the "hiding" kind. So the person who wants to come in must use a "revelation" gesture.

— That sounds really hard. — Toni whined.

— It is a little, but think of the spell as a deaf-mute. It won't understand what you want unless you make it a gesture. It's almost like a language, you get used to it if you use it a lot.

— But then... wait. There are exceptions, right?

— Yes, there are, Sound Wrath. The spells you use, for instance. It's something you learned on your own for having a unique ability. It is very difficult for someone to learn to use it as naturally as you. But battle spells don't usually require gestures to be cast, even though they refine the user's style. There are magical martial arts that are practiced only through hand signs and gestures.

— Hey, I think we've seen a guy using this magical martial art, remember, Ren? He moved his hands like crazy, and each movement was a different spell. But I thought he was just dancing around.

— And I thought he was effeminate.

— Heh, depending on the style, it can actually be a very subtle art. But keep in mind what I just explained to you. Maybe you won't open the gates to the Weaver because the spell used here is very powerful and requires the user to have an equal or similar power, but it will be useful in several moments of your life.

That comment made the siblings realize that Irene could be much stronger than they initially assumed. If so, they should be very careful though. After all, why was she with them? They could not identify the cause for so much free promptness. Through an exchange of glances, they decided to redouble caution regarding the stranger. She could be a bounty hunter or a mercenary.

— Now, pay attention to all of the gestures and learn them.

Irene repeated the gesture that meant "open". And as she made other gestures, she explained them to the siblings. Gestures to "open", "dimensional portal", "reveal", "enhance", and some other gestures made up by the Weaver. In all the process, the siblings were aware that it could be a trap, so they were ready to cast the first stone at the stranger in case they needed to. And so it happened. Right before their eyes, the void in front of them shimmered and twisted. Toni grabbed the gunwale as he watched it, astonished. They had never seen anything like it; the air seemed to fold in on itself, opening a path. Ren stared at Irene as if she was making sure that the stranger was still there. Irene only watched as the process developed, with a smile on her face. She also rubbed her hands, as if they were suddenly numb.

However, Toni could not look away from the hole appearing in reality, not even for a second. He started to feel a wind sucking them and the boat. With that, he could discern something beyond the slit. It looked like the same scenery, but slightly modified. There was the same mountain on the inside, but it was different from the one that could be seen from the outside. On the inside, there was a plateau. When he realized it, Toni noticed what was on it. The pointed shape... of a tower. He considered the idea of his eyes deceiving him. The tower flickered intermittently, timid in the distance, but perfectly noticeable. He wanted to get closer.

— What are we waiting for? We can get in! — Irene slapped Toni's back, laughing loudly, taking the guy with the magic leg out of his torpor. Ren just startled with the action, but just glared at Irene.

Toni ran to the rudder, making the ship sail smoothly. They got closer to the slit and the whole structure of the ship trembled as it went through the passage. The spasm was alarming; as if the wood noticed it was in a different place. Actually, almost as if it noticed that it could not exist in a different dimension. Everyone held their breaths, including Irene, restless, waiting. They knew something was wrong. Toni held on to the rudder with his eyes wide open. Ren, still next to the gunwale, grabbed it with both hands, as if she tried to convince the ship not to disappear. Irene, with an astonished expression, seemed to remember something that was too late to solve.

After a moment of agonizing indecision, in which the crew felt as if they were floating in a void, waiting to plummet, it was as if Newcomen decided that it could exist there. And so it stayed still.

Irene leaned against the gunwale and laughed heartily, with more relief than anything else, and the siblings were able to notice it.

— Well, well, well... It's been such a long time since I've entered a parallel dimension that I totally forgot that some objects disappear when we do it! — And kept on laughing spasmodically.

— And why are you laughing?! If our ship had disappeared, I would've kicked your ass, you bastard! — Ren said with tightly closed fists, spitting with rage, glaring at the other woman.

— I highly doubt it. It would be very difficult for you to do that in a free fall while I floated like an angel over there on my board. — Irene pointed with love to the board on the ground.

— You'd be surprised with what I'm capable of when I'm pissed off. Just like, right now!

— You mean, besides having to wash your mouth? You kiss your mother with that? Oh, come on, everything worked out just fine! Your ship is terrific. Large objects like that hardly resist a crossing of dimensions! Did you use any special material?

— This ship was build with timber from the forest near our house. Now, tell me, Irene, are you always this reckless?

— Oh, come on, dear Magic Leg, living with no emotion is dull. What is life without a little scare?

— Shit, you're annoying! You're a crazy inconsequent! I'm going to punch her, Toni!

— Calm down, Sound Wrath. Oh, this is contradictory. Anyway, isn't it better to focus on what you came here to do? Look, the Weaver's tower is just in a landing distance!

The ship floated right in front of the tower, which remained peaceful, as if nobody had noticed the arrival – or invasion, depending on one's point of view – of the trio. Toni decided to leave aside Irene's failure and started maneuvering the ship for the landing. He was still very interested in the tower's appearance. Now that they were getting closer, he could notice that the building seemed to be made of strings. A giant ball of wool came into his mind, and he almost laughed at the idea.

The strings joined to form bricks, walls, balconies, windows, gates. And the strangest thing was that the entire set was shining. It emitted a rosy and comforting light, like a heart beating peacefully. Toni was sure that was the place they had been seeking for so long. In his mind, such an amazing place could only house an equally amazing entity like the Weaver. He was uncertain, thinking that the amazing building could be just a trick from Irene. That was too bold and demanded a lot of work for someone to bother in represent just to get a prize for a couple of heads.

The lad could barely believe it. After so many months of an uncertain quest, chasing old wives' tales, misleading information, old libraries, legends, myths... They were finally at the right place! She did exist! He cast a meaningful look at Ren. Ever since they were little, they used to exchange looks, talking with no need for words. Through his light eyes, very similar to hers, Ren could translate an "I told you so!" There was also an "It was worth it! We did it!" And finally, a "Thank you for coming with me so far." Ren smiled sheepishly, as if she said "Oh, come on."

— It's funny how I feel I'm missing out on dialogues. — Irene interjected in annoyance.

— Oh, shut up.

— You're sweet as always, Sound Wrath.
03 – Curiosity, empty rooms and rancor

— My lady! My lady!

A middle-aged man, with extremely fair skin, entered the quarters of that place's sovereign, puffy. He only wore a light woolen tunic and resembled a priest. He was clearly nervous, even with trouble breathing.

— Ma'am, I'm terribly sorry for invading with such boldness thy quarters, but we have an emergency, and ...

— Calm down, Basco. I just found out about the emergency by looking through the window.

— So... What shall we do, your Holiness? What are thy orders?

— Allow the strangers to enter the tower.

— What? But...

— Do it, Basco, I'm curious.

— Yes, Mrs. Weaver.

The man threw himself out the door, with the same bewilderment with which he had entered, to transmit the orders.

The Weaver, who was not only the sovereign in the tower but in that whole world, kept watching through the window, intrigued. She was at one of the highest floors, but she could perfectly see the steamboat. The room was austere: the furniture comprised a nightstand, a bed and a trunk, and the walls had a dull lead color. She fidgeted the small golden threads circling the hood of her tunic, trying to remember. Did she not change the codes of the opening spell for her dimension since her old colleague's last visit?

Whenever she hosted people from the original dimension, which hardly happened, she changed the settings of the key to Weavelli, her world. Her last visit had happened only two weeks before and at the time, she remembered changing it. So what that ship arising in the sky really meant?

That was practically impossible. How could they have entered Weavelli without contacting her first? There were forms of magical communication among dimensions, which was an indispensable factor for her to allow visitors. So there was someone on the ship who not only knew the codes for the key, but also had enough power to cast the spell. She had to take a look into that.

She continued to watch as the ship landed and two people jumped out of it. It looked like a man and a woman, but they were quite far and she could not tell for sure. After a while, a third person jumped off the ship. That person looked extremely familiar to the Weaver.

— Let's figure this mystery out going straight to the source.

The old woman straightened her tunic and left the room calmly, to go to the main hall of the tower, closing the door behind her.

******************

They moored. With the vessel close to the ground, but without effectively touch it, Toni and Ren jumped off. As they observed the place, they could notice how arid it was. No plants grew at that height and, despite the lack of snow, the ridgeline was pretty cold. Even though they were in another dimension, everything seemed quite similar. The sun was at the same position in the sky, the wind blew towards the same direction, the height of the mountain was the same. The only exception was the ridgeline itself that housed the Weaver's tower, which duplicate was not possible in the original dimension.

Toni looked around and there was no animals either. A lonely desolate place. Why would anyone want to insulate themselves that way? At least something that was told about the Weaver was true. She did not like visitors.

— Is this all because she doesn't like visitors? Only because she leads a hermit life? Doesn't it look like someone's trying to hide?

— Oh, yes, or someone's trying to punish themselves, maybe... I can see no other reason for someone to live in such a sad place. — Ren wondered as she observed the place.

— This is not a punishment. The crazy old lady is too hardheaded to see things as self-punishment. She is just lame and has no creativity. But it is also a hideout. Just go confabulate with the nice lady, I'll be here waiting. — Irene waived joyfully to the siblings from the ship's gunwale.

— What?! And we're going to let you stay so you can vanish with the Newcomen? No way! — The safety of the vessel was something that drove Toni insane.

— Come on, Magic Leg! I don't even know how to maneuver this thing. I already told you that the Weaver is not very fond of me. If I go in with you, she might not even listen to whatever you have to say to her.

— Ok, but you're not staying on my boat either. Get off now!

— Magic Leg, remember that I don't need to steal your mean of transportation, I already have mine, which is very effective, by the way. — Irene bragged as she picked up her board and jumped over the gunwale to the ground.

— I don't even want to know. At least walk us to the tower.

— Alright, then don't say I didn't warn you.

They walked to the base of the construction. There was only one door, with a web of handcrafted threads resembling a piece of hardened crochet. It had a unique beauty and delicacy, but it was also massive as an old oak. It emitted an opaque intermittent glow.

What a surprise the trio had when they found out it was open.

— Should we go in?

— I don't know, Sound Wrath, I just know I'd better not go beyond this point.

— Alright, Irene, we'll leave you here because our subject to be dealt with the Weaver is really, really important. But we'll keep an eye on you, and if this is an ambush or if you steal my boat, I'll hunt you down to the end of the world just to kick your ass, got that?

— Perfectly, Magic Leg, sir!

Irene watched the two youngsters go through the big door. Toni entered without looking back, while Ren took her time watching Irene for a few seconds, making a V with her index and middle finger, pointing to her eyes and towards Irene. The brown-haired woman could do nothing but snicker.

******************

The interior of the tower was huge and comprised several rooms and quarters. The area occupied by the base was really enormous. It rose perfectly vertically, so the other floors were exactly the same size as the base. The whole structure seemed to be made of hardened crochet, with elaborate webs and with no spaces between threads. Despite that, the furniture, the paintings, chandeliers and candles seemed to be made of regular materials.

The siblings went through several doors, some were closed, some were ajar. And throughout the way they did not find a single soul. They looked through the door openings to check whether there was someone in any of the rooms without actually entering them. Both felt like they were trespassing, which was not a lie. From what they could see inside the quarters, they seemed simple and conservative. Most of them had a bed and a desk. Some did not even have a desk.

The tower had no sound. They could not hear voices or machines. There was no motion, whispers, steps. The place did not seem to host life.

Still, the siblings went on. They checked every corner of the hallways in that floor until they found a staircase, which they went up. Upstairs, the pattern of the ground floor repeated itself. Rooms, rooms, rooms and a staircase. The next floor comprised different rooms: one that looked like a bathroom, with a giant bathtub, another one that looked like a sauna, another one that had spinning machines. Still without meeting a living being, they seemed to have walked for hours through the floors of the tower, and they had only went up ten of them. The twentieth floor seemed to be the last one, and they went through all portals and hallways until they found a spacious salon, which entrance was not barred by a door. There was a stout rectangular table with several chairs. At first, they thought it was a place for meetings, but from the plates, the silverware and the napkins in the table, they reached the conclusion that it was a dining room. There was no food, the utensils just laid there.

Toni looked left and Ren looked right. It was the last room to be checked, and it was as empty as the previous ones. There were no windows or regular chandeliers. It was enlightened by globes of light. Concentrated magic, positioned in some strategic points to provide the best lighting possible. The siblings communicated through a gaze: if there was such a spell in the room, there ought to be people.

They both approached the table. The girl counted 20 chairs. The seat at the end of the table was the most ornate, with a pure silk cloth over the chair, gold cutlery and fine ceramic dish with floral motifs. Ren reached out to one of the golden cutlery and almost managed to grab it if it was not for a voice that interrupted her.

— Greetings, youngsters. What do you wish in my home?

Toni, who had been watching the globes of light as if it made him understand how they worked, gasped and widened his eyes. Unprepared Ren's heart almost came out her mouth.

There was no one there a millisecond before. However, an old lady in a purple robe with golden thread details, stood before them, on the opposite side of the door through which they had gone. And that seemed like the only entrance to the room.

The trio stared at each other for a few minutes. One of them with a patient expression, even with a slight smile, and the other two frozen in the same position they were before they gasped, with eyes wide open. Ren dared to break the silence.

— Erm... Are you a ghost?

— No, my dear. I'm a Draziw.

— Oh, thank heavens. What did you say you were?

— A Draziw. That's weird, your little friend's got this interesting magic leg...You managed to get here... And you don't even know what's a Draziw?

The Weaver had already analyzed the lad's unique feature... The way he used magic to replace the absent limb was very ingenious. As far as she could remember, she had never seen anything like it. The spell was rough, but he needed it that way, she wondered, or it would not be consistent enough to sustain his weight. She was more and more curious.

— It's just that we've been on this journey for a very short time, miss Weaver. You're the Weaver, right? — Toni finally spoke, now that he had started breathing normally again.

— Yes, that's me. You have aptitude, kids, I can feel that. You're... different. However, that doesn't explain how you got here. Could you clear that up for me?

— Well, it was all thanks to someone we met on the way over... She showed us the way and how to use the magic to get to this plan.

— Interesting, very interesting... I wish I could be face to face with this person, if it's possible.

— Yes, we can get her if you want, even though she was a little reluctant about coming here. Erm, Mrs. Weaver, I'm Toni, and this is my sister Ren. Ren is short for "Renata". Would you mind telling me what is a Draziw?

— Not at all. It's basically a wizard, but what defines them is the scale of power. You can be considered wizards or sorcerers, given the level I feel you're in. A Draziw is in a new level, and they can be in several scales. From 1 to about 12 or 13, sort of. 13 is the highest I've seen, and they are very rare.

— And you, well... Excuse me for asking, but in what level are you? — A hesitant Ren asked.

— Ten.

— But hang on, Mrs. Weaver. Does that mean that you're regular human?

The hitherto calm old lady let out a hearty laugh at Toni's question. The siblings got a little scared at the sight. They could notice an irregular tone in her laugh, as if the lady was not as nice, and the sweet face, just a façade to earn their trust.

— If living for two thousand years and building a civilization in another dimension makes me a regular human, then, yes, I'm a regular human. What exactly did you expect? A goddess?

The siblings exchanged glances.

— Well, you have to consider that you're a legend in our reality, and living in another dimension is not a very regular thing.

— That's true, Toni. The fame I got in the original dimension is somewhat weird, but I spent so much time away that I think it's understandable.

Toni and Ren exchanged glances again. They indeed thought the Weaver was a sort of goddess, after all the legends told that she weaved life and destiny. Who could do that but a goddess? Maybe she had such great power that she earned a goddess status, even though she was human. No one crossed dimensions or built crochet towers without having some material power. Anyway, they succeeded; they gathered information about the Weaver, sometimes risking their lives in exchange for a rumor, they made friends and enemies, they met charlatans and people who just wanted to fool them for favors. And, finally, thanks to a providence of fate, they met Irene, who brought them there. At least she did not lie about it, so they could only thank her.

With all that in mind, they had to jump at the chance and reveal the reason for the visit. Toni cleared his throat and stepped up.

— Mrs. Weaver, I have a favor to ask you.

— Yeah, Toni?

— Well, you must've noticed my leg, or my lack of it. Did you also notice that I'm dying?

The Weaver did not change her expression. She had noticed, ever since she had laid eyes on Toni, that something was wrong with his energy flow. Sometimes, it circulated around his body with difficulty, sometimes in leaps. Like a closed hose with a lot of pressure, which is suddenly opened, releasing a jet, to be closed again. The interesting thing was how he managed to keep his leg stable. A lot of energy must have been used for it. She was not a healer, but it was easy to see that something was very wrong.

— No surprise so far, young man.

— Well, I wanted to ask something regarding this fact. I don't want to die. I wish you could help me, ma'am.

The old woman stared at the open face of the young man with tar-black hair, with kind of garish clothes, as he was wearing a flowing white overcoat. She looked at his light eyes, just like his sister's. She carefully examined the way the boy would rather fold his pants above his thigh to give passage to the leg of magic, rather than simply tearing it. The expectations grew among them as the Weaver remained very severe. Toni started feeling worried. Ren waited in the most extreme silence, just monitoring the development of the facts. Anxiety gripped her chest.

The old lady thought about how much those two reminded her of someone. Especially the girl, Ren: her appearance reminded her of a woman she had met in the past. A powerful stray Draziw from the Guild, just like her. But that thought faded just as it came to her mind, for a relationship between them would be impossible.

She got closer to the siblings. She had nothing to do with the humans in the original dimension and did not even care about them. But she did not like to be the bearer of bad news. She placed her hands in front of her body, firmly squeezing them.

— Toni... I am extremely sorry and I am forced to say that I can't help you.

It was as if the ground opened, and Toni plunged through the slit. His last hope had faded.

— Ma-ma'am, but why? You weave life...

— I weave the life of my own, kid, the life of the beings that live in this dimension. Those that exist here are not my children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of blood. They are my creations, you see? I weave them with magic threads. Ironic, isn't it? It's frustrating that an apparent goddess in this world can't do anything for you.

The Weaver was someone extremely proud of her own power. Somewhat narcissistic, in addition she felt extremely pleased in being admired. The greatest proof of her pride was recorded in her people's lives, who she had named weavillians. They were the perfect image of humans, generally with very light skin. They were fully convinced of their superiority among all the other races, because they believed to be the direct children of a deity. They knew about the original dimension but did not like to mingle with other people. Life in that plan was enough for them.

Nevertheless, the old lady was very empathetic to the suffering of others, if she thought it was true. Somewhat similar to an adult feeling merciful about an injured small animal. She did not feel any threat from the siblings since the beginning. However, there was nothing within her reach to, at least, comfort the young man.

Ren sat on the floor, cross-legged, and punched it. She punched it again and busted her knuckles. The sword cut caused by pirate Roberts was burning. Tears of pure hatred and frustration formed in the corner of her eyes. Toni was still staring at the lady, speechless, but now with a total defeated look. He could feel his arms dropped beside his body and the oscillation of his energy, to the point of losing his leg consistency. His mind searched for some alternative and he was almost crazy for realizing that there was none.

— Listen, young man, I can't help you, but if you're really diehard, there are two alternatives.

Instantly, the siblings stared at the lady at the same time.

— As you are both newbies, I believe you are not familiarized with the term "Magic Heart". — Both shook their heads and the Weaver went on. — Very well. When a wizard or a sorcerer starts dealing with magic of any kind, a sort of "organ" starts developing inside their body. — The old lady air quoted. — It's an "organ" that controls the whole magic flow within their body. That's what we usually call "Magic Heart". The featuring in a Draziw is having more than one of them. It makes them immortal. You can try to obtain a second one and then become an eternal being.

Both listened closely.

— The other option... Well, maybe it's not really an option, but... you can make a wish to a genius...

At that moment, voices could be heard from outside the dining salon. Raised voices. Enraged voices. Curses and insults, curses and plagues could barely be distinguished. They were becoming louder and louder, approaching closer and closer, calling the trio's attention. They finally busted into the room. Some of them carried weapons, like knives and sticks, and others magic spheres. Everyone aimed at someone who was at the center of the mob, which had been driven up there by the coercion of violence. Basco, the middle-aged priest, broke free from the mess and ran to his madam. He tried to apologize and to explain what was happening, but the Weaver was not listening anymore.

The air in the room was heavy, together with the expression of the lady, as she raged and screamed:

— YOU!

— See why I said it would be better if we did not enter here?

From the center of the enraged mob, Irene addressed to the sibling that were speechless and helpless.

— So it was you, Irene! Did you bring these two innocent kids here! With what purpose, I wonder. And how the hell could you know the sequence of magic symbols to the key?

— It's nice to see you too, my old Mikaela.

Mikaela, the Weaver, had gone from the state of serenity to pure hatred in a second. Apparently, Irene was absolutely right about not wanting to get in. Toni wondered, in a burst of despair, what is the relationship between these two and why the Weaver seemed to hate her so much. And not just her, but also her followers.

The lady glared at her with sparks in her eyes, also as if she felt some disgust. With a gesture from her hand, the crowd moved away to the sides, staking near the wall. But they were attentive and still holding weapons and with magic prepared.

— Irene — the name dripped from the lady's lips as if it was poison — I won't repeat. What do you want here? How did you get in?

— I'm just helping these two. But you wouldn't believe a word I'm saying, would you?

— But what's in it for you?! I highly doubt that you're helping them for free!

— You're too stuck to your past, old bag. You'll resent me forever, won't you? I don't regret anything I did, but it's gone now, alright?

A deathly silence fell over everyone. The weavellians stared at Irene, astonished, as if they could not believe what they were hearing. The siblings monitored the development of the events, without understanding it at all, but silently and very focused. They analyzed what their chances would be if something happened and they had to flee off quickly. Whatever it was, the lady had very old grudges for Irene and at that moment, her wrath grew and approached as a wave reaching the shore. She watched Irene with a scathing glare and her eyebrows were almost joined.

— I have co-existed with you for too long. Goodbye, Water Dragon.

Ren's eyes widened upon hearing the nickname, but she had no time to think about it. The lady made 4 hand gestures. Two in front of her chest and two behind her back, all with the same hand. She did it so quickly that virtually no one in the room could see how the gestures looked like. Not even Irene.

From that moment on, everything happened in a millisecond. The Weaver's palm shone and from within it came a magic thread towards the enemy's chest, without giving her a chance to react. When she thought that would be it – because Irene knew that it was a killer strike – she noticed that she was still breathing. In front of her, in a frenzy, she noticed that Toni had come out of the blue, and he was the one who was not breathing. He had unexpectedly thrown himself in front of the woman and received the strike for her. As a consequence, he was lying on the floor. His magic leg had vanished completely and, no matter how hard he forced his rib cage, he could not pull air in. But he was perfectly conscious and staring at Irene.

Everyone in the room was astounded, but the Weaver was the most incredulous one. She could not believe that the lad had stood in front of that bitch, and she did not understand why. She was afraid. She did not know where that feeling came from, but she was really afraid, almost paralyzed. That was irrational, but as she condemned him, she was sure that he and his sister were, somehow, important. She took a step, with her hands in front of her body, her voice tried to form words, but only diffuse sounds were heard.

As she saw her brother lying and fighting to catch his breath, Ren could not hold herself.

— FUCK!

While Ren rushed as fast as lightning towards Toni, Irene woke up from her torpor thanks to the screaming girl. In a quick move, she bent, giving him her back, making a motion for him to hop on her back. Eye to eye, the young man obeyed, without actually knowing why. He gave a boost with his right arm and the remaining leg and clung to her neck, as she immediately stood up, straightening Toni's only leg to her side and putting a hand under his buttocks. Then, she ran out, as quick as a flash. Ren, who had almost caught them, had no alternative but to follow Irene, not without cursing her, demanding her to stop.

— Drop my brother, you bitch!

— GET THEM! — Basco gave the order and the mob followed the trio, leaving a petrified Weaver behind. She couldn't react and just observed, like a statue.

Meanwhile, the trio flew across hallways and stairs, dodging fireballs, knives and sticks thrown at them. Several members of the horde knew how to use teleport spells, which made Irene fill them with punches and kicks whenever they showed up before her. And they ran, ran and ran. As they arrived at the foot of the stairs, a brute appeared before Irene's eyes, hitting her on the shoulder with an iron rod. She staggered and almost dropped Toni, but Ren came forward and kicked him sharply in the face, taking advantage of the momentum of the descent. The man rolled across the floor as they resumed the racing. When they were halfway across the corridor, Ren braked and turned back, letting out a scream mixed with her magic, which resulted in a sonic wave that swept away her chasers.

And yet, three of them reappeared right in front of Irene, throwing fireballs. The woman blew and the incandescent spheres dissipated into ice crystals, floating through the air before melting. Catching three wizards off guard, Irene moved forward and touched their thighs, freezing them though.

And they ran, ran and ran. Toni felt his chest burning due to the lack of oxygen, but he was hanging in there. He did not want to faint and make things more difficult for the two women. They were already on the first floor of the tower, it was almost done. Only a few pursued them, but those who stuck to the hunting did it with intense will and violence. Finally, on the ground floor, one last follower dared to appear in front of Irene. She stopped abruptly and spun around, giving room for Sound Wrath to jump like a panther and scream at the man's face, tearing his eardrums while throwing him against the wall.

At last they were leaving through the same door they went in, so they continued running wildly and threw themselves inside the ship, clumsy.

— Make it work, QUICK! — Irene ordered Ren as she laid Toni on the ship's floor.

When the ship was about to cross the slit between dimensions, the Weaver came up by the door of the tower, anguished.

— Wait, let me save him!

But her words were carried by the wind blowing downhill and got lost when the ship disappeared to the other side.
04 – Secrets and irony

— Elias, do you think we can trust Water Dragon?

— You're the mind-reader here, Henrique. Why don't you tell me?

In a simple yet nice restaurant, two men talked. For the apparent calm in the conversation, one would say they were a young father and his son, if it wasn't for the difference between them. One had a stark look, almost 35 years old, his skin had been sunburned and he had shoulder-length gray hair. The other one was dark-skinned, with blue eyes and shaved head. They were both in Kailotron, capital of Novea. It was an enormous city-state, with technology everywhere, as steam-running cars, electricity and electrified fences. At the same time, it was an important market town, trading mostly technology and medicines. The people used to greet any foreigner, as there were no wars in Novea, and foreigners always meant an opportunity for business. They were a little averse to wizards, though. They tended to produce or use magic for everything they needed, besides refusing any kind of business in Kailotron was seen as a nuisance. There were stores carrying out several activities, making the city very prosperous.

The duo finished the second course of dinner. The weather was mild and a light breeze blew in the porch where they were, shaking the tablecloth. Henrique, the dark-skinned boy, watched the gray-haired man with a tired expression for having to state the obvious.

— Sir, you know the Dragon doesn't allow me in her thoughts.

— She's cautious, isn't she? However answering to your question, I'm sure we can trust her, she's an old friend.

— Maybe, but how long haven't you seen her?

— A few centuries, my friend. But I wouldn't worry about it. The Water Dragon likes anything that would pull her off her routine and, after all, I didn't ask for much.

— Hm. Watch the siblings.

— Exactly. I just told her they might be the children of a Draziw. It immediately caught her attention. — He snapped his fingers to show how quick it happened.

— Because you can't have natural children.

— Exactly. A Draziw is immortal, but at the same time, they're infertile. It seems to be the limitation that magic imposes for the magic balance in the world. No one knows why it happens, but it does.

— So how were these two born, Elias? Aren't they made out of magic, like the Weaver's children?

— No, they're regular humans. They have unusual magical aptitudes, but that's all. The way it happened is something I want to find out, too, Henrique... There is their other sister, Adriana, on whom I'm equally interested.

— I'm not able to see value in those humans...

— Henrique, you follow my orders, you're not here to think. You don't have all the details of this operation, don't try to reach conclusions by yourself.

— If you left the Guild, master, then it wasn't for something good.

Staring at Elias over the border of a cup of tea, with eyes as sharp as needles and his voice filled with contempt, Henrique teased the older man, who he followed out of obligation.

— Don't worry, Henrique. You'll enjoy my purpose, because once I fulfill it, you'll get rid of the duty of serving me. I just won't reveal it right away for a matter of safety. But tell me, don't you feel motivated by it?

The young man continued to stare at him with a suspicious look. He could only be saying that so the boy would cooperate willingly. A slave. Yes, that is what Henrique was. With his psychic abilities, he was an excellent tool for any person who wanted to get information improperly. His abilities to create illusions and control the mind were also extremely helpful.

His race, the Psyminds, were like regular people. There were a few of them living discreetly in human towns, camouflaged among the people. But they had a feature in common. They all had blue eyes. For that reason, Henrique was easily identifiable, as it was unusual for a dark-skinned man to have light eyes.

Elias had found the mind-reader at least two years before, when he tried to contact him. Henrique had emphatically refused the repeated requests because as soon as he had laid his eyes on the old man, he did not like his behavior. Elias consciously blocked the access to his mind. If there was something to hide, he was certainly not reliable.

Dissatisfied at the Homeric refusal of the boy and with no way out, Elias used an ancient obedience spell. He knew that it was a banned damned spell and he was not comfortable by using it. But obtaining the services of a Psymind was much more important than that.

The boy had no choice, for his race could not handle magic. Now, he was obliged to follow all the verbal commands of his master.

As they lived together, he found out that Elias was a very powerful ancient Draziw. He had never revealed his real age, but Henrique knew that was not a modest period because he had known from Elias details about the time which the Psyminds were the dominant people in Novea and how war against humans exterminated most of his people. At that time, humans learned how to defend against mental attacks, and the Psyminds were left only with physical combat. Nonetheless it had happened at least 500 years before, as far as he was told by his people legends, they were told as memories spread from mind to mind. Since then, enough time has passed for humans to forget how to protect themselves from mind-readers, leaving only the eternal distrust regarding that race. He did not know whether everything Elias told about the conflict was true or not, but he reached the conclusion that there were too many details for someone to waste their time making it up.

In these two years of compulsory work, the duo searched for information and ancient documents. The young man knew that his master had a plan and that he searched for the knowledge to fulfill his purpose, but he had never told what such purpose would be. From the minds he was obliged to read and the old manuscripts he had studied, he knew it had something to do with genies and elementals.

Elementals. These beings were a mystery to the Psymind. Entities totally formed by elements of nature. Earth, fire, wind and water. The elements formed their bodies, which, as far as he knew, were brought to life throughout pure magic. They made pacts with other races so their power could be used pursuant to rules set in the agreement. He did not know why elementals made such pacts. He did not understand how beings with such a power accepted to be subordinate to weaker races. Also he really did not understand a single thing about magic, nor did he care.

Elias always made him analyze fragmented information, but even so he had a hypothesis that the man wished to obtain the favors of a genius. But what a Draziw with such a thunderous power could possibly ask to a simple genius was a mystery. What about elementals? What they had to do with it was also a mystery to Henrique. What about the three human siblings? What was their relation with all that?

He woke up from his thoughts when the man called him.

— Henrique, I want you to stay in this city until I get back. I have to travel south and it'll take a few days, even with a steam-running car.

As soon as he finished his meal, Elias took a small shiny sphere from some internal pocket of his clothes. He gazed at it for a few seconds, listening to the sharp wind sound it was whispering. Then he put it on the table, covering it with the palm of his hand. He started to spin it distractedly.

Henrique was not with him when he obtained that delicate object, a few days earlier. It was called "elemental artifact" or something like that. He had the slight impression that the item was not delivered willingly. He was forbidden to read the older man's thoughts, but in this case he was almost absolute certain just by examining his countenance.

The attention of the blue-eyed kid was also caught by the sound made by the globe and by its mysterious radiance. The fact that Elias was spinning it on the table made it even more hypnotic. After few seconds, right after the Draziw's last phrase was gone with the wind, Henrique snapped, like he was remembering to carry on with the conversation.

— South? But that's the direction of the Flaming Forest.

— That's exactly where I need to go, and don't ask me anything else.

He was desperate to ask more questions, but he was forced to remain silently. "What's up with this bastard?" That is what the boy's mind wondered. "The Flaming Forest is a dangerous place, even for immortal wizards. He may not die, but it would be funny to see him burn to the bones or with only his ass burned so he won´t be able to sit for like three months..."

— You seem to be thinking something really interesting.

— Why do you say that?

— Because you're smiling while looking at me, Henrique.

— You know you can make me say anything. — He could not contain a wry smile.

— I don't know why, but I think I'd rather not know this time.
05 – Despair and lull

— I knew it! I KNEW we shouldn't have trusted you! Do something, my brother's already blue!

— Damn, damn it, I DON'T KNOW what to do!

Newcomen, Toni's ship, had gone through the dimensions at full speed and so it went on through the sky, without a conductor or a direction. The people on board were too desperate to worry about the direction the ship was heading to. Dusk seemed to foretell the fate of Magic Leg with its ominous totally black sky with no moon or stars. Ren shouted loudly at a distressed Irene, who was kneeling beside Toni, trying some spells without success. His eyes started to blur and his body was suffering from pain, but he could perfectly listen to them. If they were not so nervous, they could have noticed that he was suffocating like a fish out of the water.

— It's no use, it's no use! I can't undo the spell of that old bloody witch 'cause I don't know the properly gestures!

As soon as Irene finished the sentence, Toni grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and shook her a little, forcing her to pay attention to him. He then made two gestures with his left hand. She blinked as if she did not understand. The lad repeated both movements, eagering urgency. One of those consisted on fingers apart as if he was holding a glass, but with his hand vertically. The other consisted of fingers together as if he was getting water from a creek, his hand was like a cup. Irene's eyes widened as she became aware.

— Right, Magic Leg, what were the other gestures? The ones she made behind her back!

She almost yelled at his face, spitting. He stared at her desperately. He did not know.

— Irene, the other gestures were like this!

Ren kneeled next to her brother, facing the woman with brown hair. Also with the left hand, she showed the first gesture: A sharp blow in the air, as if she was cutting something, with the index and middle fingers together, but separated from the ring finger and the pinky, forming a sort of "V". The second gesture was with the hand in a fist, in a downwards blow.

In a flash, Irene concentrated all her power and remade the gestures shown to her. By the end of the gestures, she palmed both hands on Toni's chest. A light came off her fingers, penetrating his battered body. Almost instantly, the young man could fill his lungs with the air he needed, hissing loudly. Ren smiled like a child, with tears of relief streaming down her face. She almost hugged him out of impulse, but he needed some space to breathe. Irene threw herself face down beside Toni, with her head facing him, as relieved as she never felt before. No one notice his magic leg was still missing.

Few minutes went by in full silence, the mismatched breath of the trio calming down. The darkness of the night wrapped then, only a dim light coming from inside the ship's cabin illuminated them. A certain tone of relief enveloped the trio, gathering them in a strange kind of fellowship.

When the situation became too weird, Toni tried to stand up. His sister helped, by supporting him with an arm on his back. He sat and observed the woman who had just saved him, who also stood up and straightening up, crossing her legs.

— Could you explain to me WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

— Long story, Magic Leg. So long it makes me too lazy to tell it.

— You almost killed me, Irene!

— Erm... Technically, you were the one who jumped in front of me, remember? Thank you so much, by the way. But I don't understand. Why did you do that?

— Because he's an inconsequent fool! I also want to know what the fuck was that, Antonio!

— You only call me Antonio when you're mad at me. Sorry, Ren, I know I worried you... I didn't think about it at the time, I only acted.

— Hero syndrome again, Toni? You have to stick this into your sttuborn head: you're not a fucking hero! You're not here to worry about other people's problems, you're already here so you won't die!

— So he won't die?

— Yeah, Irene, so he won't die. He has a degenerative disease, he'll die soon. And frankly, you're not helping!

She was amazed with the information. Toni, feeling bad, turned to her.

— I'm losing the movements of my limbs little by little. I'm not comfortable with it. I guess that's why I end up doing things without thinking straight. I'd rather die at once than waste it away.

The loud noise of a slap tore the silent night.

— Ren...

— I hate it when you start saying that... If you do it, I'll slap you again! There's still hope!

— Look, I think you are too nervous... How about resting for a while?

Toni agreed with the woman and finally noticed that his magic leg was not where it was supposed to be. He concentrated his energy. Nothing. He could not summon it.

— R-Ren... I can't summon my leg. Can you help me? My arms are a little numb as well.

Without a word, Ren passed her brother's arm around her neck, supporting him. Limping, she escorted him to the room, laying him on the bed. He was immediately out like a light. She covered him with a light blanket, turning off the lamp next to him. She closed the door and came back to the ship's prow. Irene were still waiting for her.

— We need to talk, Water Dragon.

******************

The Contrary River people were peaceful and hospitable, despite their isolation. It was located southwest from Kailotron, in a pleasant place. The scenery was rugged, with many valleys and hollows, but Contrary River was located on a relatively large plain. It was cut by three parallel rivers and two of which flowed eastward. The third river, the middle one, flowed westward. That was the origin of the small village's name. The population was heterogeneous, a mix of races. Individuals who could not find or could not fit into the standards of their own people were usually welcome in Contrary River, which valued diversity. Their opinion was that the mix of races could only enrich and strengthen the original peoples.

Despite the sunny cloudless day, snowflakes fell smoothly all over the village. Small and finely elaborated, they melted as they touched the warm soil. The villagers rejoiced at the strange phenomenon. They ran to the streets, shouting, greeting, opening their arms frenetically to receive the blessing from the snowflakes. Because it could only mean one thing: the Dragon, their patroness, had finally returned.

A strange flying ship was approaching the village and everyone knew there was their leader.

— Do you really need this useless demonstration of your power?

— I like greeting my people, Sound Wrath. And in this specific case, we also need them to not wreck your ship thinking this is an attack.

— Are they able of that? — Ren asked, somewhat disconcerted.

— Well, yes. Flying vessels are not that common, are they?

Ren merely answered with silence. She was taking Irene's suggestion very unwillingly. The night before, they had had a long argument.

— Water Dragon? I've heard the Weaver saying that, but I didn't believe it. You can't be the legendary Water Dragon.

— What did you expect? A holy virgin with a halo?

— I was hoping for anything but you! Such an irresponsible reckless person! The Water Dragon I've heard about is an incredible wizard who manipulates water as if it's an extension of her own body! The Water Dragon is a legend as unlikely to exist as the Weaver!

— And yet here I am, standing in front of you... You've seen me manipulating water, right?

— Yes... yes, but... but... you're too human! Aren't you supposed to be serious, haughty and wise to be a myth?

— Thanks for calling me stupid. The Weaver is not this benevolent old lady you are thinking, you know. We're people before we're legends.

— But they say the Water Dragon was a very skillful wizard... who fought in the ten-year war between humans and Psyminds... They say you can freeze a waterfall, breathe under water, create water from air! Gee, I read a book about you! A book relating you to the necessity that humans have to create gods to worship, not to mention the fact that you are a water "goddess" showing the great affection humans have towards your image, as water is an element essential to life.

— You'll embarrass me. — Irene giggled, pretending to be shy. — But that's how it goes. And about the war, just so you know, I fought in it for a short period of time. I think I was a better strategy counselor.

— You can't be over 500 years old!!

— You'd be surprised with the amount of unexpected things that could happen in our big Novea... — Irene replied staring deep into Ren's eyes. — I myself am impressed with you and your brother.

— Why, exactly?

— Well, see... There are several basic, regular spells that can be cast by any wizard. It's a standard, their gestures never change. It depends on the intimacy of the user with magic to be properly performed. But there are other magic, the Encanto, which are exclusively known to the wizards who created them. It's like a secret blow, you see? The wizard "matches" the magic, so to speak, to the gestures they will make to achieve a certain purpose. The blow that the Weaver used against me, for example, was an Encanto. It paralyzes the lungs making the poor person choke and also ceases the operation of the Magic Heart so that the victim won't be able to reverse this condition through spells. It's not that any spell would be any helpful, because to undo an Encanto, it's required to know exactly the gestures to cast it.

— A Magic Heart is a kind of an organ, isn't it? That controls magic? Toni and I also have that?

— Yes, you are already developing yours, which becomes more powerful as you use it. It's like a center of power, accumulating more and more energy.

— The Weaver mentioned something about levels... Does that have anything to do with it?

— Oh, the levels of the Draziws. Yes, it has everything to do with it. The level of a Draziw is defined by the amount of Magic Hearts they have. If they have two hearts, they're on level two. If they have three, they're on level three and so on.

— So the Weaver has ten centers of power? But why having more than one Heart? Can't you be strong enough with just one?

— You can become powerful with only one, but it takes some time. A long time. With at least another one, your level rises skyrockets. See, a person with only one Heart is not even considered a Draziw. They derogatorily call these people the "level-ones". You only get the title of Draziw when you get your second Heart.

— Right, Irene, but what does it all have to do with the fact that you're impressed with us?

— Because a magician who creates an Encanto doesn't want anyone to know the key gestures to their blow. If the adversary wizard is as strong as them, they can reproduce it and use the trick against them. In the case of the crazy old lady, she makes the gestures at an impressive speed that not even I could follow. And moreover, she made other gestures behind her back, so no one could ever have seen it.

— Well, I couldn't see the gestures in the front anyway. But Toni definitely did. He's very good at this seeing magic thing, you know? He had already talked about an energy sphere growing in our chests, but I didn't care.

— Are you telling me that he SAW the Weaver's gestures? That he can SEE the Magic Heart?

— Yes. He has been able to see it since he lost his leg. Why?

— Because magic is invisible, Sound Wrath. It's only visible to the eye when we conjure it to manifest itself in our world.

They were both heavily silent. Ren watched her for a few minutes, as if she did not understand it at first. Irene waited, with watchful eyes.

— Do you mean that what my brother can do is not that common?

— Definitely not. No one sees magic floating around, Sound Wrath. Not even the most powerful Draziws. But it also does not explained how you saw the gestures that the Weaver made behind her back.

— Like I said, I didn't. I heard it.

— What?!

— Yeah, I heard the gusts of wind her hands caused. So I inferred the gestures.

— You have got to be kidding me!

— That's also not common, is it?

— Of course not, Sound Wrath, focus! You can hear magic too?

— If it makes sounds, when it hasn't been conjured yet, I can't.

— Even so, that's impressive. Impressive! So not only you can make loud and low sounds, but you can also hear them.

— Well, yes, it's difficult to reproduce something you can't hear, isn't it?

They stared at each other for a few minutes more and again silently. Then, Irene finally looked up to the starless sky. She was quiet for so long that Ren thought about leaving and checking on Toni. When she was about to do exactly that, the so-called Water Dragon interrupted her.

— I would like you to forgive me, Sound Wrath. Please, come to my village so we can take better care of your brother.

— Go to your village? Why?

— I'd like to help Magic Leg. I'm obviously responsible for all this. In his current condition, it'd be better for him to rest on land than keep him traveling. That way, he could recover faster. There would also be several healers at his service.

Ren weighed the offer. She should think about what would be best for Toni. Even though she hated and distrusted Irene, it would be ideal if her brother could recover on land. The original plan of the girl was to take him back to home, up North, but the trip would take several days.

So there they were, with the people welcoming the arrival of their patroness under the falling snowflakes. Ren would never say it to Irene, but she was quite impressed with the amount of people welcoming her so warmly. Actually, she thought it was the whole village.

But their days of rest would not last long.
06 – Confessions and resolution

The children ran and shouted, trying to dodge the water ball. The sun went up to the center of the sky and the mess was enormous. Two teams took turns juggling a small amount of water, the "ball". They made gestures and the ball flew towards the adversary, and if no one could dodge it or strike it back in time, hence getting wet, they had to leave the game. The game was unusually named, but it described the game accurately: scalding.

Toni was amazed by their ability. In that place, everyone could manipulate water through magic. They had an innate aptitude for it. No efforts were used in such technique; it even seemed to trivialize the whole thing, as if it really was a child's game.

A little boy looking ten years old, with an extremely red skin, detached from the group and approached Toni.

— Hey chief, feeling better? Your leg is very nice!

— Would you stop calling me chief? I have no job!

— But you're twenty-two, doc; for me, you're old enough to have one! I wish I had a leg just like yours.

— Get lost, Araí! And I assure you, you don't want a leg like mine. Get back to your little game.

— Wouldn't you like to play, chief?

— I can't throw water around like you guys.

— But it's the easiest thing in the world! Come here and I'll show you...

That was the first day Toni could stand up since he had arrived at Contrary River, 15 days before. Not only he could not summon his leg for all this time, but he was also affected by a crisis. He could barely move his arms and his right leg. His whole body was numb and he got tired quickly, with very few movements.

As soon as they arrived, a man named Gerson rushed to serve Irene with deference and solicitude, and she asked him to arrange a place where the siblings could rest.

Hence, they stayed at Mr. Afonso's house, the best healer in the village, Araí's father. Letícia, his wife and the boy's mother, took turns with her husband to take care of the patient. She belonged to a people inhabiting the southern end of Novea, the Rubie. Their main feature was very ruddy skin, almost red. Araí had inherited his mother's complexion. As they had never left their small village, the siblings had never seen a Rubie. The color of the skin of their hostess seemed very exotic to them. Ren grew fond of the couple and their son, who showed a genuine interest in helping.

Gerson was the one who did not inspire any sympathy. They were informed that the man was Irene's personal assistant and had requested permission to stay in the village less than six months before. He was always going in and out of the couple's residence, either wishing to know whether he could help in any way, by bringing a medicine he claimed to be the solution or by giving directions for the best treatment to be applied. He was tall and skinny, apparently in his forties. His short hair, methodically combed back, gave him the looks of an arrogant dandy. He reminded Toni of a cleaning-obsessed person. Looking closely, the lad with the magic leg could clearly notice two spotlights coming from the man's chest. His sister had told him about her conversation with Irene. Gerson was also a Draziw. Two magic hearts.

The couple politely declined his help and the siblings were grateful for that. Gerson seemed to act like that just to please someone rather than out of true altruism. You could realize falsehood in his gestures and irony in his words. Everyone noticed, but pretended not to see it.

— They say old Gerson is in love with Master Irene and does everything to get her attention.

Toni, was still in bed when such conversation happened, thought the situation narrated by Letícia was rather funny. Ren thought the fact that someone called Irene a "master" was really funny.

By the end of his fourteenth day in bed, Toni felt better and on the next morning, he ventured to take a walk under Afonso's supervision. As far as he knew, his sister had gone out too, with Irene.

The gestures to control the water ball were extremely easy. Or so it seemed. He could see the magic around children, even though no one else could see it. He understood how much energy he should use just through the movement of that aura. So, in a second, the sphere was dancing around his hands, in more and more elaborated moves.

— Wow, chief, you're really good! Usually, whoever is learning makes the ball explode as a boiling water blob!

Afonso, who watched how the young man behaved while convalescent from a distance, was also surprised.

— Hey, Toni, don't exaggerate! Two minutes until you get tired!

— Don't worry, mister Afonso, I'll be fine!

Three minutes was enough. The kids never hit him with the ball, but when his arms started to become stiff, he knew it was time to stop. He let himself get hit on the head by the water sphere. Laughing and shaking the water off his hair, he ran towards Afonso and sat on the grass with him.

— So, how are you feeling?

— I'm fine, although I just get tired quickly. Nothing some good nourishment can't solve, though.

— I agree, young man. — After a brief pause, the man carried on. — You're quite intimate with magic, aren't you?

— That's what everyone tells me. But honestly, I think I have a lot to learn.

— Master Irene could teach you a lot.

— She's really your master, huh? It's hard to believe it...

— Master Irene has a long history, Toni. Whoever sees her now can't tell how experienced she actually is. It's on purpose. She camouflages from the Elders who remember her and tries to look reckless to youngsters so no one thinks about asking her anything. That way, she does not expose our village.

— Camouflages from the Elders...?

— Well, someday you'll be able to ask that directly to her. Right now, I'm more interested in you. Why don't you want to live anymore, son?

Toni, who so far had been sitting calmly beside the middle-aged man watching, amused, the unusual children's game, turned his head around to stare at him.

— What do you mean by that?

— Well, I've had a lot of time to watch you these last few days. You have a... different disposition. Weird, I'd say. The sparkle of your eyes is so dull, kid. As if you were settled.

— What are you talking about? I really want to live, Mr. Afonso. Or I wouldn't be on this journey. I just think that, if I have to die, it's best for me to die at once in the adventure than waste it away little by little.

— Is that really what you believe in, kid, or are you trying to convince yourself?

A sparkle of anger lit inside Toni's chest. Even though the thoughtful sir had taken care of him for all that time, he did not feel as he owed any explanations. He looked away, as if trying to avoid the subject.

— Look, Toni, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to meddle. It's just that you seem so resignated... I've taken care of many people in my life. I've dealt with several kinds of patients, and I know how to recognize their mood.

— Mr. Afonso, I've always lived with the ghost of this disease haunting me. Everything I've always wanted was a cure for it. And then, someone told me about the existence of the Weaver, and I saw an opportunity. I chased her frenetically, I would say obsessed. Does a person who doesn't want to live go through all that trouble?

The middle-aged man remained in silence, looking at his interlocutor. Afterwards, he focused his attention on the children's game, but unsaid words floated in the air. Toni waited for him to say something else, but when it was clear that he would not, Toni could not hold it in.

— Ok, what?

— I won't say a word. You said it all.

— Oh, come on! Obviously you didn't agree with a single word I said.

— Well, son. If that's what you want, I'll tell you what I think. Toni, this sounds like a rehearsed speech to me. You don't really feel that, do you? You seem to seek something, but for the wrong reasons. As if you wanted to look motivated so someone would feel happy too. Your sister, maybe? You seek a purpose thinking about pleasing other people, but you're content with the perspective of death. If you accomplish your purpose, great, a bonus. But you don't seem to be very worried in case you fail.

Toni stared at Afonso, stunned and outraged. He huffed severely, his countenance was heavy. The old man was shrewd and a keen observer. Defeated by his emotions, he decided to come clean.

— So why fill myself up with hopes? — Toni finally spoke, with a dark and rough voice, like thousands of shards of glass. — I believed that the Weaver could help me, and look how I ended up. Hope is an uncertain relief. My death is infallible, inevitable. This damn atrophy in my body has no cure. Thus I will not be disappointed for trusting in certain death. I was very scared and angry when they told me about the Weaver because I was terrified by the thought of having false hopes.

— So why did you went on?

— I didn't want to believe it was true, I didn't want to delude myself with such an unlikely thing. But at the same time, I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by. What if it was true? As you can see, two conflicting forces lived within me. So I made a bet with myself. This would be the only time I'd try to solve this. Besides, no one in my family could accuse me of not having tried.

— Are you sure you weren't trying to get rid of the responsibility, throwing the hope you didn't want to have on your family's lap?

Toni weighed that for a few moments before talking again.

— Maybe. What happens is that, during these eleven months of quest, I ended up deluding myself. With all the information we gathered, I really started believing the Weaver could heal me. And here I am, frustrated like an idiot and hating myself tremendously for allowing me to feel something I knew it was foolish from the beginning.

— Well, then, kid... What are you looking for? Living and dying is the same to you?

— Remember I said I had made a bet with myself? If I won, great. If I didn't, I intended to handle myself before I couldn't even get up to take a leak... Apparently, I've lost, huh?

Both analyzed each other for a while. Ever since Afonso had laid eyes on Toni, he noticed that that lad was hiding darkness. But he couldn't sense the depth of the problem. When he started talking about it, his tone sounded more distressed.

— But why, kid? Why do you think your own life matters so little?

— Because I'm a BURDEN, mister Afonso. I could never do anything really important for my dearest ones. I've always been a piece of work. Imagine a fucking cripple, a vegetable strapped to a bed, waiting for death among urine and feces, while his sisters and his mother do everything possible so he won't feel like an even worse piece of shit! Do you think that's really what I want to? DO YOU?

Toni's monologue grew more and more heated, until it burst in a scream of pure rage. The children did not notice, as they were distracted by their game. The middle-aged man did nothing but listen to him with an enormous regret within his chest. He did not know what to say while facing such anger.

But the lad still had a last thing to add, in a whisper.

— I don't want to be a burden anymore. I'm only doing this for my family.

— Toni, I'm sorry, but you're not really thinking about your...

— BEEEEEEEEP! GENETICALLY SIMILAR TARGET FOUND!

Both men were obliged to interrupt their conversation to look for the source of that shrill metallic voice. A type of machine very similar to a metal doll flew towards them. It was small, about forty centimeters tall. Its eyes were two white spheres, wide open and with no expression. It had a bump shaped like a mouth, but it was fixed and did not move when the doll was speaking. It had no nose. The five fingers in its hand were tiny and with three razor-sharp joints. Its feet were flat, with no toes. It did not seem to use any steam-based engine to fly, for it did not release any smoke nor made any noise, except for its shrill voice.

— BEEP! BEEP! GENETICALLY SIMILAR BIOLOGICAL BEING FOUND! — The tiny doll repeatedly, loudly.

— What?! Genetic...? What is this thing saying?

— It's saying that my sister has found me.

They saw Ren on the horizon, followed by Irene. Gerson was also with them, keeping a respectful distance from the women. Toni smiled at the sight of his sister.

— Well, hasn't that piece of garbage finally found him?!

— I told you, Irene, Marionete can be beat and be a little annoying, but she never fails.

— Why don't you leave this thing on all the time, Sound Wrath?

— Did I mention she's annoying?

— Oh, look! Marionete! I thought you were gone forever!

— ANTONIO MARO. WHAT AN INDESCRIBABLE PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. APPARENTLY, YOUR CONFRERE NEGLECTED ME, LEAVING ME WITH NO BATTERIES.

Irene looked at Ren, doubtful.

— She's like a clock. She needs to be winded up. And it's done through magic. She has a compartment where you store it. If you don't charge her, she'll stop functioning from time to time.

— But Ren, I thought you got tired of Marionete. Why did you winded her up now?

— Because I was talking to Irene and we reached some conclusions. I thought maybe Marionete's database could provide us some useful information. I also turned her on to look for you, as she is very good at it. You weren't at Mr. Afonso's house, where you were supposed to be...

Ren squinted at Toni.

— Sorry, Ren. I just wanted to get some fresh air and I took the opportunity to watch the kids play...

— I'm sorry to interrupt you, Ms. Renata, but what is this metal doll? Is it a hydraulic device?

— I don't really know, Mr. Afonso... Actually, I found her in a forest near my house, called the Regular Forest... She seems to be some kind of machine that imitates a human being. She has something called "database". She can keep information and learn stuff, you know?

— ACTUALLY, I AM A ROBOT WITH AVERAGE A.I., WHICH ALLOWS ME TO SOLVE UNCOMPLICATED ISSUES AND LEARN SIMPLE THINGS. I AM EXCELLENT FOR DATA RECORDING AND LIVE TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION. I AM A RECREATION OF MODEL IAVXS-243.

— Sorry, Ms., but what did she say?

— I don't know, Mr. Afonso, sometimes it's a little hard to understand her... See why I usually turn her off?

— BUT I COMMUNICATE WITH YOU THROUGH THE SIMPLEST LANGUAGE AS POSSIBLE.

— Oh, shut up.

— Hey, Sound Wrath... When you said Regular Forest, did you mean the same forest from where you took the lumber to build your ship?

— That's right, Irene.

— That's interesting... I need to take a look into that some time...

— Mrs. Water Dragon, this is a great conversation, but I believe it's time for our meal.

Gerson, who so far had been silent, had grim spoken. The whole group immediately became silent. It was as if the skinny man affected everyone's mood.

— I think you're right, Gerson. You guys are having your meals at Afonso's, right? Here's the deal: after lunch, I'll meet you there. And then we keep Magic Leg abreast of what we talked about, Sound Wrath.

******************

As it was agreed, Irene joined them after lunch. After assuring the Dragon was well-accommodated and leaving tea and biscuits, the home owners went to the back of their house so the trio could freely talk. They also took Araí, who was having fun with Marionete, amazed; and who was not satisfied at all for having to leave without the weird doll that moved on her own.

It was a small and simple home, but everyone in Contrary River seemed to have a good standard of living, with everything that is necessary for a decent life. Even Irene's house looked like the others.

— So, Irene, wouldn't it be easier if we had gone to your place?

— No, Magic Leg, for gods sake! Gerson follows me around everywhere I go. Sometimes I feel like telling him to shove it, but... Never mind. Here we can have some more privacy.

— You're the boss. — Toni laughed. — But now I'd like to know what the two of you have been talking about.

— I HAVE THE RECORDING OF THEIR CONVERSATION, I CAN PLAY IT IF YOU WANT.

Everyone had forgotten about little Marionete and startled when her thunderous voice echoed around the tiny room. After Araí left, she discreetly floated towards Ren.

— Erm... No, thanks, Marionete, we'd rather tell Toni our conclusions ourselves. — Ren informed, not really knowing what to do.

— WHATEVER YOU SAY.

— This piece of garbage can play our conversation, Sound Wrath? How? Did she memorize it all? Would she play a summary?

— Well, no... She can actually reproduce our voices. I guess she memorizes what we've said and imitates our voices. Something like that.

— WELL, NO... SHE CAN ACTUALLY REPRODUCE OUR VOICES. I GUESS SHE MEMORIZES WHAT WE'VE SAID AND IMITATES OUR VOICES. SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Irene was surprised when she heard the young lady's voice again, repeating the same information as before, however, without moving the lips. When she paid attention to the real origin of the noise, Marionete went on.

— THIS IS NOT MEMORIZING, IT IS A RECORDING, SIRS. YOUR VOICES HAVE WAVE PATTERNS THAT CAN BE CODED IN A SERIES OF NUMBERS THAT I RECORD ON MY HARD DRIVE, SO LATER I CAN DECODE THEM AND PLAY THEM LIKE THE ORIGINAL SOUND.

— Yeah, I can understand the concept, Marionete, but I have no idea on how you record that with no tools.

— Can you understand the concept?! I couldn't understand a word she said!

— She's annoying, remember? But we're getting off the subject, aren't we, Irene?

— That's true. Well, Magic Leg, your sister and I were discussing your options.

— Options?

After their failure on the journey to the Weaver's home, Toni had already forgotten anything related to that topic. He had lost the bet, there was no reason for him to waste more time with nonsense things. He insisted in forgetting everything the old lady had told him after revealing she couldn't help him. Now he wondered why the hell he had shown Irene the damn gestures to undo the elderly's Encanto. If he had remained shut, everything would be over by now. But asphyxiating is one of the most horrible ways to die. The body starts to move on its own in order to get the precious air. Toni could barely consciously remember teaching the gestures he had seen, but he was sure his body had undertaken to do it for him.

— Toni, do you remember the Weaver telling us we had two options? She couldn't explain it better at the time, but Irene has clarified some things.

— Your sister told me more about your problem. I think the crazy old lady really talked about the only two things that can be effective. If you don't want to die, a way to achieve it is by getting another Magic Heart besides yours. Having two of them is what makes a Draziw immortal.

— And how can it be done? — He had to look interested, even though he was listening with certain impatience. In anticipation, he deduced that it would not be simple.

— Well, not easily.

— Of course. — Toni thought, sneering.

Irene went on.

— A Magic Heart is usually stolen, as it cannot be handed. It's inside us, it's like an organ. It has to be ripped off.

— Is there any danger for the owner if we steal the Heart?

— Of course, Magic Leg. It's an invasion. The user may not bare the violence.

There was silence. Despite the initial reluctance, Toni was absorbing the information, thinking about the action and its consequences. Could he really take someone's life to survive? That is, considering he was skilful enough and did not die trying.

— Brother, I'd be willing to hand my Heart to you.

Toni immediately looked at Ren.

— If that happened and I survived, I probably wouldn't be able to use magic ever again, according to Irene. It'd be a fair price to pay.

— But Ren, you could die! I could never...

— However, Magic Leg, this option is not good in the long term.

This time, he looked at Irene.

— Explaining. A second Magic Heart would just make you immortal. It wouldn't cure your disease. So, as your problem is degenerative, there would be the time when you'd become a vegetable. An immortal vegetable. Interesting, huh?

Toni stared at her. At the same time he wasn't surprised, he felt the old anger emerging. He had tried healing magic before, with no results. Knowing that, why would a Magic Heart work? His frustration stemmed from his lack of understanding. To him, magic was supposed to be magical. If it could not cure diseases, what could?

When he was about to protest, Irene started.

— Of course there is healing magic, Magic Leg, but it's effective against wounds or broken bones, for instance. There is no spell to cure a disease, no one knows why. It's not even capable of healing a cold. That's why the first option is not very recommended.

— Okay, I get it. It really doesn't seem a feasible solution. What's the other alternative? I remember the Weaver saying something about a genie...

The women stared at each other. Ren tried to expose the idea without sounding too ridiculous.

— Well, that's it. The other possibility is literally making a wish to a genie.

He frowned. There were legends of genies in Novea, but they were almost dead stories. Few people knew or talked about that. Toni remembered reading a book on genies in some millenarian library they had visited, in order to find information about the Weaver. In the book, the matter of the existence of genies was discussed. The remaining information on that came from oral reports from some people far west, and some records were timeworn. There was no consensus whether they in fact existed or they were only allegories told by people.

— Yes, brother, I know it sounds unrealistic, but Marionete assures they exist.

— MARIONETE?

— Yes. She told us a genie, as known as Flagae, is a rare being, made of pure magic. A being that doesn't grow old, transcends time, and that can accomplish anything. Tell him about Genies, Marionete.

— ACCESSING... FLAGAE, AS KNOWN AS GENIE. A FLAGAE IS 100% MADE OF MAGIC. FOR BEING A PURE ENTITY WITH NO FLESH TO DIMINISH NATURE'S ENERGY FLOW, IT HAS UNLIMITED POWER. IN YOUR SPECIFIC CASE, IT CAN GO BEYOND AND CURE ANY ILLNESS, IF HE IS REQUIRED TO. HIS MAGIC IS ABSOLUTE.

— Do you know where can we find a genie, Marionete? — Avid, Toni could barely wait for the metal doll to finish her explanation.

— ACCESS DENIED.

— What?

— There you go. That's exactly where your sister and I got stuck, Magic Leg. This piece of junk seems to know everything about genies, but she doesn't talk about their location.

— You're kidding me. Ren, you ask her!

— I've tried, Toni. And I've asked her in as many ways as possible, but the answer is always "access denied".

— IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU ASK ME, I HAVE AN ACTION PROTOCOL THAT PREVENTS ME FROM PROVIDING SUCH INFORMATION. I COULD ONLY PROVIDE IT UPON A TWENTY-CHARACTER PASSWORD.

— Here's your password, you scurvy doll!

Without thinking, Toni let out an energy ball from his hand, missing Marionete for millimeters and bursting on the wall behind her, opening a huge hole. He was full of that topic, in which a solution arose and faded right afterwards. Going on did not make sense.

Although they did not want to interrupt, the couple and their son came running into the room to see what was happening. They saw the doll floating as if it was dizzy, Toni preparing another energy lightning and both women staring at him incredulously.

Ren stepped forward and, being faster than her brother, grabbed his hand. She stared at him, daring him to release the second energy charge. Toni stared back, not feeling intimidated and trying to break free, but the girl was as strong as he was.

— What are you doing, you idiot?

— If she's not going to help, why is she chattering? Why did you turn this piece of shit on?

— At least with her help, we don't start on square one, jackass. Who told you this is all she has? You're acting weird, Toni.

The lad broke free from his sister with a flounce. He was not really a rage outbreak guy; he was usually very focused. But if there was something that drove Toni mad, it was having hope at this stage of the game. Annoyed, he flopped down on the couch with his arms crossed, not wanting to hear anything else and snorting.

— If it was anyone else, you'd be dead for the affront of destroying the house of a compatriot of mine, Magic Leg. I'm willing to forgive you for our friendship. But don't do that again.

— Pardon my brother, mister Afonso, I don't know what got into him. We'll pay for the repair, I promise!

Ren was truly ashamed and wanted to flay Toni. After the owners left the room, still suspicious, both women sat down as well. Ren sat beside Toni, and Irene sat in front of them.

— Listen up, Magic Leg. We don't know where to find a Flagae, but we know how to capture it.

Toni, still in a sulk, focused on Irene.

— Well, at least that's what we inferred from the explanation of that piece of garbage. Everything we need is to find four elementals.

He just raised an eyebrow.

— Give us the information on elemental artifacts, Marionete.

Obeying Ren, Marionete took a few seconds to access the information.

— ACCESSING... ELEMENTAL ARTIFACTS. USUALLY, AN ELEMENTAL ARTIFACT IS PROVIDED TO SOMEONE WHO SEALS AN AGREEMENT WITH AN ELEMENTAL. THE AGREEMENT CAN BE EFFECTED AMONG ANY RACE OF NOVEA AND AN ELEMENTAL, EXCEPT FOR THE PSYMINDS, WHO CANNOT CONTROL ANY KIND OF MAGIC. THE ARTIFACT CAN BE USED AS A MEAN TO MATERIALIZE THE ELEMENT THAT IT REPRESENTS (WATER, EARTH, FIRE OR AIR) OR CONJURE THE ELEMENTAL ITSELF, SO IT CAN DEFEND THE OWNER OF THE ARTIFACT. IF SOMEONE HAS THE FOUR ARTIFACTS REPRESENTING THE FOUR ELEMENTS, ONE SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL ANY MAGICAL BEING.

Toni waited a little longer, but it seemed that Marionete had nothing else to say.

— She said nothing about genies! How do you know that's a way to capture it?

— Because I asked her to make a summary of any and all information related to Flagaes. And, despite the fact that her speech didn't mention Flagaes directly, she gave us that information.

— Well, so what, Ren? Who's to say she didn't give us that information just to confuse us?

— Toni, you don't understand! I already told you in the past that Marionete is kind of programmed. She has no free will, she isn't capable to desire to fool us. It's like a machine programmed to draw water from a well. It always does the same thing when the order is given. Just like our boat, which is made to fly! She follows an "order" to provide certain information according to a pattern just as she follows an "order" not to provide other information. That's why, even though she didn't mention Flagae or genie not even once, what she said still has something to do with the topic "genies". Because I asked her to give me all the information she had on it. And she has to provide it to me if her programming allows her to.

— Yeah, it was difficult for me to understand it at first, Magic Leg, but I think I got the gist of it.

— Okay, assuming what she said has any relation to the topic. So, four elemental artifacts can capture a genie. But how are we going to find four elementals? I don't even know where to begin!

— But I do, Magic Leg. Not very far from here, heading east, is the Flaming Forest. That, as the name itself suggests, is the home of fire Elementals. We can start there.

— "We"? You're not planning on coming with us, are you, Irene?

— What do you think, Magic Leg, my dear?

— I didn't like the idea as well, Toni, but three is better than two, and Irene has a lot of knowledge about many things so I had to admit that. I think we're going to spare a lot of time if we're a trio.

Toni watched Ren for a few minutes, measuring her. The girl returned the look, confirming it was going to be fine. After all that time, it was unlikely that Irene was still planning something against them. They were just small fry to her, they now realized. They just did not understand the woman insisting on accompanying them.

— Well, I see you already had your mute mini dialogue. That's annoying. Anyway, we're set, right? I believe you want to leave town as fast as possible. If Afonso thinks you're recovered, Magic Leg, we can leave tonight.

The young man with the magic leg was not sure about his will to go on with his quest. His motivation had faded in Weavelli, but how could he say that to his sister?

He thought about renewing the bet. That was the only way he could go on. If that did not work out, he would tell Ren himself that he did not feel like going on. However, he would not be deceived. He would go with the most skeptical view as possible.

— Very well. Let's do it as soon as we can. I think I'd leave even if Mr. Afonso didn't authorize me to. How about you, Irene? Are you really going to leave your home so soon?

— In this place things change very slowly, and I believe I've been at least twenty years here. Now, with the possibility of accompanying you and seeing the world out there, I'm pretty sure I'm leaving this town. They will be fine without me, after all, they have amazing magic skills.

Irene got up, went to the exit door of the house and opened it. She turned around to look at the siblings.

— So we're set. We leave at midnight. Be ready.
07 – Fights and departure

It was a regular day in Contrary River. People came and gone, worked and dealt with their obligations. With three rivers, the population lived basically out of fishing. As they could control water and modify it until it reached solidification, they exported fish to several neighboring towns and villages with no worries regarding spoiled meat. They packed the fish in boxes and put them in regular carts. Technology was not the strongest feature in that place, and they barely knew modern steam-running machines like cars, which was usual in Kailotron.

The children studied at the only local school. Every inhabitant was literate. There was a single time for studies, in the afternoon.

It has been said for centuries that Irene herself had founded Contrary River. The legend of the town was that after a long period on the road wandering aimlessly, Irene arrived in the region with a group of people, where she found the three rivers. She decided to settle down and, for many generations, the city went on. Contrary River's elders could confirm that Irene has always been there, because they heard stories from their grandparents or great-grandparents.

Over time, people of several races, religions and views were incorporated to the population of the village. It did not matter to Irene, as she allowed anyone in, as long as life in society was not harmed and those people could do something for their hometown. Until this day, Contrary River is sought by rejected people, who cannot live among their own people, whether for differences in opinion or appearance.

Irene made sure every citizen always had the same opportunities and drafted the laws to be complied with so everyone could join them and live in peace. Injustice, segregation and discrimination were not tolerated under any circumstances, and the one who had such behavior, even after being warned, was asked to leave the city. Actually, the policy worked so well that people from Contrary River really thought miscegenation was beneficial and tried to convince them otherwise meant only one thing: trouble.

Toni and Ren had heard it all that afternoon, from Letícia. They wondered, again, about how Irene covered such importance. The mystery around her only grew. Who could possibly be the "Elders" from whom she was hiding from?

At Afonso's, they were getting ready for the trip. The middle-aged healer did not like the boy's early departure, advising him to stay at least three more days. Facing such refuse and seeing he could not do a thing about it, he advised the lad not to make efforts. As he thought about it, the man waited for his sister to get away from them, searching for an object she had left in her room. As soon as Letícia poured them another cup of tea, he grabbed the lad by the wrists and took him to the living room, with hot beverage spilling on their skin.

— Hey, you're wasting that, Mr. Afonso also you burned me! — He shouted as he tried to blow the burned area, with his eyes wide open.

— Enough with the silliness, kid. Just tell me. Do you intend on doing something foolish in this trip?

Toni put the cup in the coffee table and looked straight into the man's eyes, suddenly he was very serious.

— Don't worry. There may be another solution. That's why I've renewed the bet. I just won't get carried away by faith.

— Are you sure?

— Well... As long as I can move, it's worth the shot.

He could feel Afonso's scrutiny, checking whether he could trust those words. It was almost as if he could look inside his soul, free of any physical or moral barrier. Unexpectedly, the man stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulders with two big hands, making him pay full attention.

— Toni, promise me you'll try everything within your reach. Even if you no longer have faith, don't give up without looking through all possibilities. Come on, promise me.

Surprised by the emotional reaction of the healer, the lad with the magic leg was speechless at first. But, appreciating the parental concern, he also laid a hand on the man's shoulder and smiled frankly.

— Okay. I promise. Don't worry.

Afonso let him go, but continued watching his countenance.

— And please get rid of this "burden" thing. Ren is the only one I know, but from her character, I believe your whole family respects you as much as you respect them. I don't think they see you as a burden. There is no reason for you to think that about yourself.

— Mr. Afonso... I...

Their conversation was interrupted by Araí's entrance. Toni lost his train of thought and stared embarrassedly at the healer, who also did not know what to do.

— Chief! The ma'am is calling you to your boat!

Following the little boy outside, Toni nodded at Afonso. It was not like the last part of his beautiful speech had made him change his mind. The man could never ever know how he felt. But Toni owed him something for the good intentions.

Outside, he ran to check on Newcomen and see if everything was alright for their departure that night. They intended to leave without telling anyone, avoiding unnecessary fuss in the village because of their patroness. Afonso and his family were the only ones to know the trio was leaving.

******************

Irene returned to her house for some time and, during that, Gerson did not stop surrounding her. She felt like he wanted to say something, but he always backed out on the last second and remained shut. The man got on her nerves.

She had allowed him, six months before, to become her personal assistant for a purpose. But until then, the skinny man had not revealed the reason he had come to the city. As the man did not say a word, Irene ignored him and continued taking care of her preparations. After two hours of hesitation, while she packed a bag with her personal belongings, Gerson finally talked.

— Are you leaving the village again, Irene?

She realized he had called her by the name. He usually called her by the nickname, "Water Dragon".

— How perspicacious, Gerson.

— Maybe I should warn you that this is not a good time to be absent again, Dragon.

— Can you tell me why?

— Well, you have just returned home and people would be really upset seeing that you already left them. And I don't think you should join the rabble, Dragon.

— Really? And why are they rabble, Gerson?

— Because they're not like me or you. I'm a skilful wizard at your service, and you are an extremely powerful being...

— Gerson, how many times do I have to tell you that origins and ethnics don't matter? So what if they are stronger, weaker, white, green or blue? It is contradictory for you to say that, you were the one who came here six months ago desperate for my help, saying you weren't accepted by your own family ... Saying that your son tried to murder you when he found out you handled magic... I thought you knew what was like to be an outcast.

— The people in my family are all superstitious fools, Dragon... Thew went mad when they discovered my interest in magic, they thought I was cursed. But they weren't hillbillies in a tiny village. We had a lineage, we were a traditional family. Who are those siblings? Just John and Jane Doe. That's why I'm saying this. Those fools must be left behind, forgotten. Please, it's better for you to let those two leave on their own as soon as possible.

— And who are you to tell me what to do, Gerson?

As Irene pronounced her last sentence, the whole atmosphere in the house changed dramatically. The temperature dropped to zero, while the freezing cold penetrated Gerson's clothes and numbed his bones. He immediately started shivering. The eyes staring at him were as deadly as ice and conveyed her displeasure. Her murdering intentions were translated through the cold air that seemed to wrap him for the only purpose of lulling him to death. He could not move anymore. And he was not sure if it was due to the temperature or fear.

Just like it came, the cold dissipated. Irene stuck her last belongings in, closed the bag and turned her back to Gerson, going away.

When she went inside her room and slammed the door, the skinny man was still trying to catch his breath.

******************

At midnight, as agreed, the trio met where the Newcomen was. With the village in deep sleep, the moon silently stared at them and the stars shone intensely. It all made the trip easier. After a quick conversation to decide who would sail and which way to go, Ren went on board. Marionete was running at full steam and followed her mistress.

The ship had been moored at some type of glade, next to the entrance of the community. Irene had requested that two of her elite guards kept the ship safe, just in case. However, at that moment, no one was taking care of the safety, also by request. It would not be necessary due to the little time it would take for them to prepare for departure.

When Irene was about to jump over the gunwale, she noticed that Toni lingered, watching the path to the center of the village. She overheard his sighing.

— What happened, Magic Leg? Did you like Contrary River so bad that you don't want to leave it?

— I can't deny it. This is a nice place. I wish I had visited more places, after all, I spent most of the time in a bed. — He answered, without facing his interlocutor.

— But that's not what's bothering you, is t?

— No. I wish I could come back and talk to Mr. Afonso when all this is over.

Irene giggled.

— Don't worry, Magic Leg. Afonso has that effect over practically anyone who talks to him. Let's go, shall we?

Toni finally headed to the ship, with a half-smile. When they were about to go in, they heard a low voice, almost a whisper.

— You're not going with them.

Irene recognized the tone and faced its source. Gerson walked towards them with something in his hands. In the dim moonlight, everything that could be seen was that he held a round object. Toni stood guard beside the woman. He did not like the skinny guy. If he was there in the middle of the night talking to Irene like that, it was not for good.

— So you're finally showing yourself, huh, killer?

Gerson hesitated for a couple of seconds and so he seemed to put the spherical object in front of his body.

— Who are you to talk about murder, Water Dragon? But now I'm curious. If you already knew it, why did you accept me in your village?

As she noticed the others were taking so long, Ren threw herself off the gunwale, landing between Toni and Irene, with Marionete right beside her. She straightened herself up and addressed the other woman.

— What is he talking about, Irene?

— I accepted you, Gerson, because I wasn't aware of your history at first. I didn't know you were a Draziw. A month after you arrived here, I got news from Emon, who said the water elementals were restless, as if they were planning something. I took the opportunity to ask him to investigate you and your origin too. I wasn't surprised to find out that you're a Draziw who murdered your first born to get a second Magic Heart. And that your wife went crazy because of it and your youngest child tried to kill you. And see, your greed for power would only grow until you made a pact with water elementals just to take me back to them. What did they offer you, Gerson? A partner?

— Yes, the agreement states that, if I took you back to them, I would have an elemental partner and, in exchange, I could use their gifts at my own convenience. I always thought that magic was the future, and I desperately tried to stick that in the head of the old patriarch in my family. But no one ever listened to me. Now, with the power I have and with the help of an undine, I can show them the evolution and make them bend to the superiority of a Draziw. Maybe I can even get rid of that dying old man and become the new patriarch... I deserve that post, I'm the strongest and the most qualified for that!

— Not the wisest, though. These fool Undines... This habit of not making any moral distinctions is an issue...

— Well, you're one of their offspring, aren't you? You're trying to do the same in your village...

— Don't be such an idiot. I can distinguish an ordinary person from a bastard like you very well.

Gerson's laugh broke the thin silence of the night. The man even choked briefly, due to the debauchery.

— Don't make me laugh, Irene! If you're that smart, why did allow me to stay for so long?

— I wanted to see how long it would take you to end this farce, and I also wanted to know you better. Your quirks, attitudes, habits... The elite warriors of Contrary River were already warned to keep an eye on you. I was just eagerly hoping for the moment you took an action and see how you took it. But you're an idiot. Challenging me when I'm next to these two geniuses of fight?

Toni and Ren were barely understanding the conversation, but exchanged laughing glances as they heard "geniuses of the fight".

— Actually, before having to appeal to such brutal methods, I wanted to make you realize something, Water Dragon. Forget about Magic Leg and Sound Wrath. The elementals are moving. The Elders are moving. Suddenly, everyone put themselves in alert state. But I'm not interested in that. The Undines want to gather everyone, including you. I've been told you ignored their call several times. My mission is solely taking you to them. But I had to put off my plans because you suddenly left the village. I was very concerned with your tardiness. How long would I have to wait? I knew you had an informant abroad, and I could only imagine that you went after him, because something went wrong. I think he found out something he wasn't supposed to, right? Maybe something about Next Machina...

Behind them, Marionete let out a loud dry beep. Which no one noticed.

— Emon is my business, Gerson. And I'm not coming back to the Undines. I already told them that a long time ago. Especially when it means that a person like you will have one of them as a partner.

The skinny man stiffened, as if he was outraged. He stretched the arm holding the ball, and so they could see that it was a globe of ice so smooth and well-worked, it looked like glass. An eternal ice globe. A glimpse of concern passed over the face of Irene: it was an elemental artifact.

— I tried to make it simple, Irene, becoming friends with you...

— A greasy and sticky person like you hardly captivates anyone.

— ...so it's got to be the hard way. Don't worry, Irene. I'll only have the permission to fully use this object as soon as I drag you there. But I've been told that if you didn't want to come back, I could ask them for help...

A flash came from the ice ball, overshadowing the trio. They barely had the time to recover when they noticed two beings floating beside Gerson.

Toni and Ren could barely believe their eyes. They had never seen an elemental before, except for figures in old books. One was in a male body and the other had female features. They were amazingly serene, the crystal clear water that formed them circulating the air, like in a cycle. Filaments of magic involved it, making it uniform and preventing dispersion. The liquid splashed on Gerson's clothes, who was between them. Meeting them live was always an impressive show, even for those who were used to their presence. That is exactly why the skinny man stared at them, with a half-smile skewing his lips.

Gerson's body realized it before his brain did. A chilling cold dominated the environment in a millisecond, ruffling the man's arm hair. Before having any reaction, the elemental with female features was frozen, about to crack, and blowing smoke. The skinny man did not understand what happened and was still smiling when he looked towards his opponents.

A white aura, like a freezing fog, was wrapped around Irene and she held her palm open, aiming at the elemental. Her eyes showed pure relentless concentration. The terrifying cold did not seem to bother the sibling by her side, who looked at the ice statue dumbfounded; it was water a few moments before.

— Fuck, she froze an elemental! — Ren shouted, surprised. Immediately, Irene faced the other elemental, aiming at doing the same to him. Her momentum was blocked when an ice sphere flew towards her. Caught in the middle of the action, she could not respond on time, and when it touched the aura around her, it created a force field around her. Immediately thereafter, it was like she could not keep her shape. Her arms fell along her flanks, semi-transparent. The horrifying cold was decreasing in intensity. Her whole body lost the solidity and the color. Suddenly, anything within the force field was water. Water with a human shape. Water that, with liquid arms, touched the wall isolating it from the world. And that stared at the skinny man extremely angry, with aqueous eyes and no eye globes.

— I'm going to kill you! — They could only see Irene's lips moving. Everyone but Ren. She heard a gurgling voice, like a drowning person.

Gerson, stiff from the cold that froze him to his bones until a second before, still had his open hand in front of his body, and felt triumphant for hitting his target. He could not allow her to freeze another elemental, or he would be in a serious disadvantage.

Irene shook her prison, hitting against its wall like a tsunami. She was furious, as if she hated being in that state.

The remaining elemental stepped ahead. Approaching his frozen sister, he put his hand on her shoulder and on her face, in sympathy. Then, his arm elongated in a whip. And he cut her from head to toe, in a perfect movement that divided her into two exactly equal parts. Each half fell to a side and, as soon as they touched the ground, they became thousands of shards.

Toni, Ren and Gerson made faces of disgust and disbelief at the same time. Irene, in liquid state, remained impassive.

— In smaller parts, she'll be able to return to nature and compose herself faster. Do I really need to explain that?

The elemental, in a gurgling voice similar to the one Irene emitted, addressed Gerson. This time, everybody heard it. He looked back at the prison, staring at the liquid woman trapped there.

— Sister, you must return with us. We have a lot to talk about...

Toni stood in front of the jail. After a second of hesitation, Ren followed him. She still felt reluctant for helping Irene. The brother seemed to be doubtless.

The elemental could not react for a moment. He was an element of nature sustained by magic, but he did not have a killer instinct. Only elementals who had pacts attacked, obeying the commandments of their partners. When humans were deliberately against them, when there were no commandments to follow, they did not know how to proceed, because they could not distinguish between good and evil. To them, every act was just an act. It was not good or evil. Their only instinct was to remain together.

— Why are you blocking my way? She's an undine like us, she should be with us.

— She doesn't want to go with you, don't you see it? — Toni answered.

The undine – that is how other elementals called the water elementals – was confused. He did not quite understand matters of free will, because he could only follow the nature flow.

Suddenly, while the elemental hesitated, Toni screamed. He was fighting against the grass growing as tall as him and coiling around his arms, legs, trunk and neck. Ren looked away from the elemental to stare at Toni and then at Gerson, who was still making hand gestures.

— There is no use in talking to them, undine, we have to take an action! Attack!

Now, with a clear commandment, the water elemental quickly left the torpor. He fell like a flood upon Ren, striking several blows with his arms in the form of a whip. While she dodged the water blades for centimeters, the dark-haired girl had the presence of mind of using one of the gestures Irene had taught her while they were in Contrary River. In one hand movement, it was like a razor passed below Toni's feet.

Free from the grass that held him down, he went for Gerson, in such a high speed that he seemed to fly. He knew he should not abuse his body then, but he had no choice. The density of his magic leg oscillated by a split second while he gathered the energy required to wrap his arm with it. It became very similar to his leg.

Gerson noticed that the lad manipulated magic in order to build a type of armor around his body. In the absence of his left leg, the armor functioned as a support.

The skinny man, even though he was not as nimble as his opponent, jumped back and escaped the reach of the magic arm, which sought his neck. When he intended to counterattack, he was surprised by the hand in his windpipe. He was still out of Toni's reach, but not out of the reach of his arm, which was extended to a meter to cover the distance between them. He found out, in the worst possible way, that the young man could create any form he wanted with magic.

Forcing the man's throat, Toni turned around, giving a tug that took him off the floor, causing him to fly over Toni's head, eventually bursting the sleazy Draziw against the ground. He quickly pulled his arm back to its regular size.

— Damn you, Magic Leg! How can you be so skilful being a paltry level-one?

Ren was terrified before the elemental. He attacked like a storm and she could barely dodge the blades on time. She used the noise he made to try and prevent his movements, but he was too fast. Her ears captured it but her body almost could not respond on time. A particularly painful cut on her shoulder burned as the blood oozed.

Ren made a high-frequency sound, an uncomfortable sharp hiss. The vibration of the air hit the undine in the chest and the water in that region burst out his back, leaving an enormous hole. Immediately the aquatic creature filled it with water, and it was as if nothing had hit him. He simultaneously came back to his prey, assuming a more abstract shape that could wrap the girl's body. She was fully submerged, except for her head, which she desperately tried to keep away from the liquid. When the water jacket tried to surround her face, she made a shrill noise with her mouth, causing that part of the liquid to splash away. But she was panicking. No matter how much she moved, the liquid followed her and prevented her to break free. She moved her arms as if she tried to splash it away, but it insisted on surrounding her.

Suddenly, by her shoulder, the elemental assumed his shape. Only a head and an arm, though. Tired of the game, he calculated the time between the girl's screaming and stuck his whole arm in her mouth, so that the water filled her throat and lungs; therefore preventing her from releasing any more of such annoying screams. While she choked, Ren heard the elemental address her.

— Don't worry, I just want you to be unconscious...

Barely finishing his sentence, the undine felt an enormous amount of energy colliding with the water of his body, and a great deal of it instantly evaporated. He was forced to pull his arm back from the human's throat to fill the harmed parts, where it was more necessary. As Ren kneeled on the floor, coughing spasmodically, with water coming out of her mouth and nose, the elemental turned to the source of the power that had burned him. He faced Toni, who had just let out an energy ball form his hands. Right after that, the lad had to pay attention to Gerson, who was attacking him with a sword made of wood and grass. The undine had no reaction for a moment, torn between going back and immobilizing the female human and helping his partner with the other human.

— Come here and help me with this disgusting level-one! — And so the Elemental did not have to make up his mind.

Ren was still coughing, paralyzed. Not only because her lungs burned due to the liquid that did not come out, but also for the cruelty of the elemental's onslaught. It seemed to mean nothing to him, due to the naturalness of his words.

— Don't be impressed, Sound Wrath, undines have this exactly modus operandi. I told you they can't make any moral judgments.

Ren looked towards the voice. It was in such a high frequency that the human ear could not hear it. She met Irene's watery and expressionless eyes, inside her prison.

— Oh, look! One shot in the dark and it worked! So you can listen to magic!

Toni's sister could only stare at Irene, dizzy. The sound of her voice was so weird that even Ren had to pay much attention to distinguish it. But it was not all weird. It was quite familiar, actually.

— This is the frequency in which magic vibrates and produces sound. The undines – and any other magical being, actually – use it for communication. Of course they use their own language, but they can also speak Novea's first language with no problems, even though it'd sound weird.

The girl could take control of herself, coughing a little less violently and standing up slowly. She was still socked and had no idea how to act.

— But enough with this conversation, Sound Wrath! You were doing great against the elemental, but you're too delicate! Stop focusing your magic on certain spots in the undine's body. It won't help at all because he can always restore the blown area, as you could see. Use all your vibratory strength to hit him as a whole!

Toni, who was unaware of such conversation, continued his battle. Gerson was not that fast, so the lad could easily dodge his strikes. But the elemental was in the game now. Water and wooden blades flew towards him and there were strikes he could not prevent, growing the magic armor quickly wherever he was hit. Those areas got sore as he tried to fight back in any way.

Deciding to focus his strength in the more accessible opponent, he dodged a particularly lethal water blade thrown towards his neck and punched Gerson in the middle of his face, with a fist covered in magic.

The man flew back for at least three meters and his nose, in addition to being crushed, was also scorched.

Still in a frenzy, Toni felt his unprotected arm get cold. In a flash, through the corner of his eye, he verified that the elemental was using the same procedure he had tried on the sister. He wanted to drown him.

— Drowning on dry land? This is ridiculous!

Toni still had time to think before moving his magical armor from one arm to the other, making the water around it boil. The elemental made a bizarre noise, as if it screamed. His mouth was still open but Toni could not hear a thing anymore.

The elemental inflated in a wave, falling on Magic Leg's head. Holding his breath, Toni was prepared. That was when he felt all the air around him vibrate.

Ren, walking resolutely towards them, emitted a resonance so strong that all the elemental's liquid trembling. Toni could feel his bones shivering. The vibration caused the water molecules to shake faster and faster, making the shape of the undine unstable. Then, in a burst, several chunks of water spread throughout the air, boiling. Ren made each one of them even smaller, until they were completely gone or absorbed by the ground. A last shrill scream was released when the elemental's head disappeared between the scorching vapors.

The siblings stared at each other. She smiled; he was stunned. He had never seen his sister use such a great portion of her power.

— No! No! Damn, you, level-ones, how dare you? I have a purpose and you will not stop me! I need to show my confreres the evolution!

Gerson came onto Toni like a mad man, his sword was upraised. He still tried to cover him with grass so Toni could not dodge the hit. But the young man, seeing the gesture that the skinny man made though transferring the magic to the soil, made him anticipate exactly where the grass would grow to hold him. In a zigzag, he invaded his opponent's personal space, punching him on the chest. The man gasped loudly and leaned on Toni, holding him by the shoulders. The lad pushed him away and, as the body plummeted, he noticed that both light sources in his sternum – his magic hearts – lit and extinguished, as if they were failing. When he hit the ground, both went completely out.

— Hm. That's weird. Was that supposed to happen? — He asked himself.

When Ren was about to ask what he had said, the elemental artifact that held Irene emitted a light once again, with a sound of a crack. Suddenly, it became liquid, falling on top of Irene, who was finally free.

— Pact undone. Well, Gerson, you have failed your mission.

The liquid woman approached the siblings, with Gerson at her feet. Little by little, she recovered color and shape, returning to her human condition. Her straw-colored hair, which she always wore in a ponytail, were down and wet. Only when Irene reached them, they realized she was naked. At the same time, the first guards arrived, together with the villagers, attracted by the hubbub of the fight.

— Irene, what is this?! Go get your clothes, woman!

— Oh, I'm sorry, Sound Wrath. As I'm an undine, I usually forget about such details...

While Irene gave the first instructions to Gabriel, captain of her elite guards, who did not seem bothered by her nudity at all, Afonso, who also noticed the fuss around, came running while picking up her clothes. Meanwhile, Toni did not play dumb and took a good look at the woman's buttocks. Her sister slapped him in the arm.

— Shame on you!

— Oh, come on! I'm not blind!
08 – (Dis)Encounters

A month before meeting the siblings with whom she would go through all sorts of trouble, Irene got together with the commander of her elite warriors, Gabriel, and also Afonso, her consultant.

At the time, the metallic, rumbling sound filled the sky once more. It was broad daylight, the sky was clear and painted deep blue. But the noise, like a gigantic machine, filled the usual silence, putting thoughts into the heads of the superstitious inhabitants of Contrary River. For there were people from several origins, each had their own speculation about that terrifying noise, and frequently legends got mixed. Some thought that elder gods or ancient forces were the source of it. Others thought the ground was cracking and the world would end up. Some also asserted that the huge turtle that carried the world was moving. Except that it was not a turtle that carried the world, others said; it was the beastly goddess Omisin, who held Earth in her belly button.

Those who were friends for a long time but from different places frequently fullished about it, saying that their gods were arguing again. Of course the skeptic ones believed those were thunder sounds. How could it be, if there were no rain clouds, others wondered.

The scientific ones tried to explain it, affirming it was an undocumented natural phenomenon that preceded earthquakes. An earthquake could indeed happen after the strange noises in the sky, but it was not a rule. In fact, no one really knew what it was.

The interval between the occurrences of that noise used to be large. People have not witnessed such sound for seven years. However, in the prior six months, the occurrences were more frequent; sometimes it happened twice a month.

In that scenario, and with all the inconvenient to arise if the meeting took place at her own house, Irene gathered her trusted man at Afonso's house. The magnanimous sound did not seem to be a concern in their agenda.

— I haven't received any news from Emon. We need to locate him and learn what happened as fast as possible.

— How often did he send you magic messages, ma'am? — Gabriel asked.

— He reported once a week. He hasn't made contact for two weeks and I can't reach him through his auditus.

— I'm sorry, master Irene, but wasn't it you who made an auditus out of a crystal? — Afonso asked a question now.

— Yes, I made two, one for him and one for me, so we could communicate directly. He might have lost or broken it. If that's the case, why is he taking so long to build another one? He can use anything for that. He just have to use the same gestures I did to cast a spell on the mineral. He knows how to do it.

After a pause to catch her breath, Irene went on.

— No, sirs, I'm afraid something's happened to him. There is no reason for him not to answer.

Gabriel, a tall, strong thirty-five-year old with a military haircut, was thinking. As he was called in a rush by his mistress at change of shift, he came as fast as possible to the healer's house, without even taking off his armor. Emon was one of his best soldiers, and despite his origin, Gabriel fully trusted him. Gabriel himself had assigned Emon for the mission. However, doubt filled his chest.

— Ma'am, I wouldn't like to mention this, because I know it doesn't please you, but, what if Emon... The Weaver...

— It's ok, Gabriel. Even though Emon is a weavillian, I don't believe he would betray us for her. He couldn't stand his creator, her pride, her laws, habits and neuroses. I know that the crazy hag can be suffocating. And well, the Weaver wouldn't be a legend in this side of Novea if it wasn't for one or two weavellians who left that plan of existence, would she?

Gabriel was listening, but distrust was already rooted within him. Everyone in Contrary River knew how much the elder hated her patroness. Ever since they had met, that was what the Water Dragon said. And everyone there knew the fame of weavellians. They had not existed for long – a little over five hundred years – but they considered themselves as the supreme race, the direct children of a deity. They hated any other species with a rejection that seemed to be innate. Maybe the Weaver had made them intentionally like that. Or maybe it was their culture as it had been cultivated, for there were exceptions like Emon himself, who felt crushed amongst his peers.

However, Gabriel though that blood was indeed thicker and Emon had succumbed to his selfish nature.

Afonso, on the other hand, agreed with his mistress. Everybody knew Emon for at least ten years, when he arrived to Contrary River looking for help. At the time, he was a 14-year old boy, lost, anemic and starving, almost dead. Afonso looked out for him and since then, he saw the boy as a son. The weavellian never stopped saying how grateful he was for finding a home, where he was finally accepted, and was free to think the way he wanted. Knowing how to see people's spirits, Afonso believed him.

— Are you doubting uncle Emon, Gabriel? Are you?

Araí, out of the blue, spit those words at the elite soldier. Everyone looked towards him surprised, because no one had noticed him.

A minute later, Letícia walked inside, breathless. Her ruddy skin did not allow anyone to see it, but she was embarrassed.

— I'm sorry, Afonso, master Irene... I turn around for a second and this kid gets in trouble...

Afonso approached his son and, kneeling in front of him, stared into his eyes now that they were at the same height, holding the boy by his shoulders, gently.

— Son, you don't have to worry, no one is accusing Emon of anything. Actually, we're just worried about finding him. I understand your concern, but there is no reason for it, ok? And remember that you mustn't tell anyone about this. It's our secret. Now go with your mother, this is an issue for grown-ups only, ok?

The boy calmed down and smiled at the father's jest. He held his mother's hand and left the room, but not without showing his tongue at Gabriel.

— I still wonder from who the boy got his temper... You and Letícia are so calm...

— I think that's the youngsters' spirit, Gabriel. But master Irene, please, explain us how was Emon's investigation.

Lulled by the intermittent echoing in the sky, which she did not even notice, Irene explained.

Emon's mission was simply following the Elders' movements, preferably without getting caught.

The Elders were very powerful ancestral Draziws who were part of a guild at the border of the continent, far West. In ancient times, millennia before Irene, many wizards had walked on the planet. There was a considerable amount of people with affinity for magic, and prevailing culture was based on magic tasks. Discovering Magic Hearts and how to steal them from other people was the end of such culture. There was a war, and greed generated slaughter; it was every man for himself and most magic users were extinguished.

In the end, the remaining Draziws sealed a deal not to murder each other and settled in the same area. Some had gone astray, going to different directions. The ones who stuck together formed the Guild. As centuries went by, it got an epithet: the Elders Guild.

Irene herself had joined them, and she stayed there for at least a century. After that, she left willingly, and shortly afterwards she founded her own village.

— As you gentlemen know, the Elders are moving. While I was there, some factions always defended the idea of hunting down strays, forcing them to join the Guild or killing them. They wanted a strong and cohesive group with nothing to threaten them. We all know they controle the West, and no one enters or leaves without their permission. A while back, some of them started to leave the Guild to search for something.

Irene looked at the men in front of her and as they did not seem to have questions so far, she went on.

— I thought they could come to Contrary River, but through Emon's investigation, I started to change my mind. He followed the trails of three Elders and every single one seemed to search for something along an imaginary line that cuts the continent from North to South, starting somewhere in the Northeast, close to Amol and the Regular Forest. So they went all way down to the south of Contrary River, missing our village for several miles.

— And at what point did Emon disappear, Dragon? — Gabriel spoke.

— When he was following one of the Elders next to Amol. What's funny is that, when we last spoke, this sound we're hearing now, was also echoing in the sky then. It was echoing here in the village, but I could also hear it through Emon's auditus. But it was louder where he was.

— Does that noise have anything to do with him being gone?

After Gabriel's comment, everyone was quiet. The trio thought for a moment, because no one could explain the noise. Irene was not sure whether it was related to the Elders. There was a legend among them... A legend even older than Draziws' existence. A magical machine that could define the fate of the world, lost for so long, and that could give infinite powers to whoever had it. The Draziws of the Guild said that no matter how long it was running, that machine would operate for all eternity. The truth is that there were no records of such contraption, not even among the Draziws. Those were concepts that survived through time, and each one told the story in a different way. Some said it was mechanical. Others, that it was a being made of pure magic. There was no consensus at all. To Irene, it seemed unlikely that the Elders were searching for a legendary forgotten machine that might not even exist. Appart from the fact that they were not after stray Draziws and that weird metallic sound coming from nowhere...

— I think it's foolish to say this, but what if Emon found the Next Machina?

Both man stared at Irene with astonishment and doubt.

— Master, forgive me, but you told me this story emphasizing that it was a legend...

— I know, Afonso. I always thought it was just hot air, but some Draziws really believe in it... Maybe saying that Emon found it is too much, but the Draziws he was investigating can also be after that.

After thinking it through during the afternoon, analyzing paths, assumptions and dealing with the last details, they decided that Irene would leave the village and search for the missing young man and information. Which was ideal because she could travel faster than anyone there, and she would be the most qualified to face an Elder if she came across one. The man could not be lost and forgotten. He knew many details of the routine and the security of the village, besides, a member of the Guild could take advantage of that to blackmail or even kill Irene. That was unlikely to happen, but she would not have survived so far if she wasn't so cautious.

She expressly commanded that Gabriel and his subordinates kept an eye on Gerson. She knew that the man's final target was herself, but she could not foresee what he would plan in her absence. She wanted to keep him close to study him and be prepared for his movements, but she could not worry about that at the moment. In order to keep him from wandering around the village, she nominated him her personal assistant. Irene took the idea of keeping friends close but enemies closer very seriously. She advised Gabriel to let the man live in her house, as if she did not suspect a thing and so Gerson would not find it strange. So, in the same afternoon, after saying goodbye to Afonso and ensuring him that she would bring Emon back safe, she left and no one in the village but the two men knew she was gone.

******************

At least four weeks had passed since Irene had left Contrary River. She traveled from North to South along the imaginary line the Elders followed, retracing Emon's steps. Taking advantage of her aquatic form, she traveled as water drops, carried by the wind. Thus, she was hardly noticed, and could run a large distance very fast. The only inconvenient was that she could not take any personal belongings or clothes along, so she spent most of the time in her water form. Entering populated places was always an issue. A very helpful trick that she had learned long ago was making her own money. She only needed grass or some leaves, to imitate the cellulose of the circulating currency. It was not always perfect, but it was enough to get what she needed at the time. Few places used a currency different from the standard in Novea, but they accepted it anyway. The worst part was buying clothes as an undine, for very few were familiarized with elementals, and people often startled.

However, despite all her efforts, she found no one. Neither Emon nor the Elders. She paid special attention to the area of Amol, where the Regular Forest was, and where the weavellian had been when they last spoke. Nothing seemed to be out of normal in the area or in the forest. The only strange presence she could feel was a corrupted wizard, as known as a Reverse. She did not pay that much attention to it because Reverses usually lived as loners.

However, she could notice that the Reverse was not very powerful. Emon could easily handle him. Knowing that, she did not worry about that and did not think about entering that being's domain.

She watched the tiny village around the forest, with a lonely house, a little far from the others, close to the woods. Nothing unusual and everyone seemed to be humble. She also did not notice any powers beyond normal.

With no more clues, she went to Calíope Mena, a city about 60 miles from there, in the border with Amol.

Calíope Mena was an ancient city known for its large library and its venerable giant collection of books. Irene did not even believe that she was doing that, but she thought that maybe the library could have something on the legend of Next Machina. She did not want to think about the slightest possibility of Emon returning to her creator. Even though she had a bad relationship with the Weaver, and a bad start with weavellians in general, Irene did not hold a grudge. She did not punish or distrust the others from the same origin only because the first ones she met were despicable. Thinking that way, search in an old yellow tattered book seemed more plausible.

The city was big; it had several study centrals around the library. People from all regions of Novea came there to get better education. Therefore going in and out was easy. She had no trouble buying new clothes. Practically everyone knew magical beings and their particularities, even those with no degree. They only thought it was weird to see a water elemental buying clothes for herself. It was certainly unusual, but no one asked any questions.

After resting for a while and eating, Irene went to Mena Library, as it was called by the inhabitants. She asked for help from some employees to find all books that mentioned something about Next Machina. There were not many, actually. And each and every one of them only guessed about it, there was nothing concrete on it.

She studied for a few hours and found nothing that she had not heard from the Elders. Some authors asserted that it was a machine. Others emphatically affirmed it was a magical being. No one knew what it was for, but everyone agreed it had an immeasurable power. Its age was undetermined but it was believed to be much older than the Ten-Year War, between humans and Psyminds. Most authors postulated that it existed for millennia, even claiming it existed before the Age of Wizards, prior to Magic Hearts race. This made Next Machina at least 2,000 years old. It must be way older than that.

An author related Next Machina to a genie. There were some cases of genies throughout history, but those were really rare and there had not been a case for a long time. They were said to be entirely made of magic – there was no element connected to their body, as the elementals – and that they could make one wish come true. To Irene, it seemed very simple if Next Machina was that.

She continued studying for a few hours, until she felt a strange energy coming from outside the library. She decided to stay, when she noticed that the source of such power was heading to the same place she was. It had an energy signature she knew, and that was capable of absorb a little of her own power. Only when the man was about to enter the room she was in, Irene took her eyes off the book.

The man also noticed her presence. Actually, he seemed to be there only to meet her. He headed straight to the table where she was sitting and as he approached her, he opened up a smile. Surprised and upset, Irene smiled back, slightly frowning. An Elder. And not any Elder. In Emon's research, he did not mention this specific man. Had he gone unnoticed? But a magic user could easily notice him. Anyway, she knew that at first, there was no need to fear the man before her, but being alert also helped.

— Irene? Is that you, the love of my life? What a sight for sore eyes!

— Elias, the Constant Depletion. I haven't seen you in centuries, my love.

The man laughed loudly.

— How odd it is to hear that word after so long. I don't go by that nickname anymore.

— Don't you? But you keep doing what it suggests. — Irene had to hold onto her own energy so it would not go to Elias. It was something that she had to control consciously as Elias did not seem to make any efforts at all. She had already forgotten what a physical and mental exercise it was for her just to stay beside her former partner.

— Well, you know I'm not doing this voluntarily, I can't control it. Actually, I never could.

— Yes, I remember. This is unusual but, if you're not using your nickname, does it mean that you left the Guild?

— You're very perspicacious. I'm on a solo research, and I could not work on it with other Draziws looking over my shoulder. I'm sure I caused some furor in my farewell, but it was necessary.

They exchanged glances for a few seconds. He was standing up, with his hands on the table and a serene countenance, staring at Irene, who sat and held the open book. His hands were as big as she remembered and, for a moment, she let herself feel all the esteem and affection she had kept for him. But she stifled her feelings shortly afterwards.

— Elias, you're not after another Draziw for the Guild, are you?

— Oh, my dear, of course not! I've never been a fan of hunting strays, you know that. I'm my own now, I have a purpose in mind.

But Irene could not know that for sure. He indeed did not appreciate the indiscriminate hunting of another living being, but it was centuries ago. Four centuries is enough for someone to change an opinion. If not on his own, through strength and political influence. And there was a lot of politics in the Guild. That was the only way they would not kill each other.

She did not know how true it was, despite being very close to Elias during the time she was in the Guild. Too close. He was one of the natural leaders of the group, basically due to his ability to absorb energy, which made him more and more powerful. She could not picture him outside the place he had always been. He had interceded for her and convinced the others to let her join the group, although she was not exactly a Draziw. What possibly had made him give up his leader position, if he was telling the truth, it escaped Irene's knowledge.

Thinking he was clear, Elias sat down beside her, taking a look at the books she was reading.

— Next Machina, Irene? This is odd... You have never believed that story.

— It's my last alternative. I'm looking for someone related to that stupid old Weaver, and I couldn't even think about searching in her dimension. If she let me in, of course. You know how much she loves me...

Elias's eyes shone with excitement for a moment, fading right afterwards. But the one they call the Water Dragon noticed it.

The gray-haired man explained that he had left the Guild at least three years before, and was unaware of the current situation of its members. Shortly before he left, the rumors regarding the ancient legend of Next Machina among the Draziws became more recurrent than the usual. Irene listened closely to him, knowing that her former partner was only flourishing to get where we really wanted. Finally, Elias sighed ironically and started.

— It's interesting that you mentioned Mikaela. There are two people I know who really want to find her but do not know how to get there. Ok, don't give me this look, actually "knowing" is not even the word I wanted. I'm investigating those people. They are coming here, to Calíope Mena. They're looking for information about Mikaela.

— And what do they want with the crazy old lady?

— I haven't found that out yet. I've been following them for a short time. The problem is that I have to go to Kailotron, but I wouldn't like to take my eyes off them...

— What's so important about them?

— I think they are the children of a Draziw.

Irene was static for a moment. She blinked repeatedly, as if she could not understand what had just been said. Elias went on with an ironic smile.

— I know, I know. Too much magic makes us infertile, so how could they be the children of a Draziw? This is one of the issues I'm investigating.

Elias shared with her every detail he knew about the siblings, Magic Leg and Sound Wrath. The nicknames sounded familiar to the women, who had heard rumors about the duo during her quest. Two aspiring wizards that helped those who were in trouble. That was too picturesque for her, who did not waste any more time thinking about it.

The lad had a calm personality but was dynamic. The girl used to put both in trouble, due to her impatient personality. They traveled in a flying vessel, which was apparently made by him. It was impressive, but not so rare. At first, they did not show, a single feature that made them distinguishable from regular humans.

— That's interesting. Specially the whole "children of a Draziw" part. But why are you after them? Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be anything relevant in it...

— Well, Irene, they would be useful to the research I'm developing. And they would help me a lot if they could reach Mikaela. Maybe they can get the details that even I couldn't. And it may be useful for you, in case you really want to go back to her dimension to try and find the one you're looking for.

She weighed that. But another detailed made her enquire Elias.

— "The details that even I couldn't"... Were you there?

— Let's just say that I requested a conference with Mikaela and, on behalf of our ancient friendship, she let me in.

— And do you want me to do the same? Hey, Mika, darling, this is your old friend Irene, can you open your dimension for me, honey?

Elias laughed out loud, causing the criticism from other people in there, who demanded silence so they could focus on their studies. Irene thought that he could only laugh so authentically when she was around. She liked it.

— Still with a great sense of humor, huh? Don't worry, I'll hand you the key.

In that moment, Irene pierced Elias with her eyes, in total disbelief.

— Elias, how – in the name of all of Novea's gods – did you manage to get the gestures to open the Weaver's gate? Don't tell me she gave you that information willingly because that would be an outright lie. She isn't interested in the original dimension and doesn't trust anyone here.

Irene's peripheral vision captured the movement of someone walking into the room they were in. A lad in dark skin, lofty. He appeared to be from twenty to twenty-two years old, very handsome. He approached the couple sitting at the desk and when he got closer, the woman noticed his blue eyes. "Is he a Psymind?" She wondered. When the guy, as subtle as a floating feather, tried to enter her mind, she was sure. She rejected him so violently that it was almost as if he could physically feel the blow. It was quite what happened, as he startled. He had never seen someone pushing him out like that and closing so hermetically as she did. Everything happened in less than twenty seconds, and only put Irene in a bad mood. But she realized everything.

— Now I see how you got the key. It was this Psymind, wasn't it? He stole the gestures directly from the crazy old lady's head.

— And she didn't even noticed! Henrique's ability is incredible. Not only did he steal the code from her head, but he also planted a memory. A memory that would only be activated when we left. Mikaela is positively sure that, after we left, she changed the key. Impressive, huh?

Irene looked again at the lad, who was now impassive. If that was true, it was unprecedented. As far as she knew, the Weaver was no specialist of Psyminds, because she had never lived with them. However, it was very easy for her to camouflage and protect her thoughts. Could that Psymind, Henrique, be so skillful that he found a breach on the old lady's mental wall?

— Not only finding breaches, Mrs. Water Dragon. I'm also good at making them.

The woman exclaimed with astonishment, calling the attention and bothering people again. She closed her mind again, and could almost feel where he had made his way through. The double effort of closing her mind and avoiding the energy depletion by Elias was making Irene seriously angry and annoyed.

— Henrique, don't try to read the thoughts of my dearest Irene. That's rude.

— As you wish, Elias.

The Dragon thought it was wiser to leave the wall up. There was a strange kind of energy surrounding the lad named Henrique, though. What was weird, because Psyminds did not have any kind of magic. It was when Irene connected the dots: she knew how hard it was to live with Elias and his sarcastic personality and authoritarianism. What could make him follow Elias so faithfully? Friendship? She highly doubted it.

— Elias... did you use an Encanto on him?

The gray-haired man had the excitement glance again.

— Irene, that's why I always thought you'd be an amazing addition to the Guild. You're such an observer, and you're smart. You broke my heart when you left.

Elias rarely talked about his feelings, but Irene knew that statement was true. He in fact loved her intensely when they were together. His interest arose with a simple spark of scientific curiosity towards her condition. However, with time and intimacy, he developed real affection for her. At the time, Irene was very young and just got by. Elias's protection was like a blessing and she could develop both her magic and her spirit. He had been the first man to ever get that close to her also to defend her. Her heart had belonged to him too for many, many years.

But, getting back to the present, Irene remembered that those were facts lost in a very remote time. Now, the Psymind situation was more urgent. She could not just be nonchalant.

— Elias, my dear, you're getting off the subject very astutely. Would you mind answering my question?

— Oh, of course I wouldn't outsmart you. As I said, you're very intelligent. But, well, remember the Unspeakable Spell?

She did. Everyone in the Guild knew that Encanto. It was a way of protecting themselves from one another. It was an ancient and outlawed magic, involving control by voice. A person hit by such spell would follow any commandment from the master who had cast the spell. Irene learned it out of obligation, but she was disgusted by it.

— Oh well. At first, I did want to hire Henrique's services. Isn't it true, Henrique? — The boy nodded. — But for some unknown reason, he didn't accept. Sagacity, maybe? Probably. Anyway, since I had no alternative and I desperately needed his skills, I was forced to use this dark power. But there's no need for you both to worry. When my job is done, Henrique will be free as bird.

Irene watched closely his former lover's countenance. She could never be completely sure about Elias's plans. She sighed, surrendering.

— Elias, I really want to believe you. I hope you really keep your word. Or else, I'll come for the boy. And I'll undo this Encanto even if I die trying.

Unsatisfied, she loosened the shackles of her mind to try and contact the Psymind directly. Henrique was surprised at first but his reply reached Irene's mind shortly afterwards.

— Don't worry about me. He treats me well. Mind your own business, Water Dragon.

Immediately afterwards, the Psymind told his master the brief conversation with Irene. Apparently, he was commanded to report any dialogue he may have. When he finished, he left without asking for permission and did not look back. Elias just watched his former companion with a bright look and a superiority smirk, as if he was not surprised by her attitude. In response, her eyes were harsh. Elias liked to be dared.

Once again he ensured he would keep his word. He reaffirmed that Henrique would be free as soon as his job was done. But she did not seem very convinced. For now, she decided to leave the situation aside for she also had to deal with her affairs. She would eventually focus on that situation.

With her issues partially solved, Elias taught Irene the gestures to the Weaver's portal and guided her towards the siblings. They would probably come to town in a couple of days and she should let them research for as long as they wanted. She should only intercept them and offer help when they left town. Irene would only accompany them and report their movements and discoveries through an auditus they made in the library, with two nibs.

Researching on ancient machines and magical beings was foolish after all. Irene thought it was highly unlikely, but maybe searching for Emon in the Weaver's dimension was not a total waste of time.

That is how she waited for the siblings to do their business in Calíope Mena, grabbed a piece of metal in a junkyard and flew up to the skies, hoping she would run into them, in their vessel.

That is also how she entered the domains of the Weaver, only not to feel Emon's energy signature anywhere on that dimension.
09 – Routine, minds, discoveries

Henrique had been waiting in Kailotron for three weeks. It was the first time he visited the city, so he took the chance to know it. The orders were that he should stay there; however, it did not mean he had to be in the board house all the time.

The city was surprisingly receptive, even towards a Psymind like him. If he had money, Henrique could walk into wherever he wanted and talk to anyone, even if some people looked at him with nervous eyes.

The citizens felt protected mainly due to the elite guard, which specialty was defending the mind from psychic attacks. Usually, the police force in all towns was trained against this type of threat, but Kailotron's team was the most qualified one.

Therefore, Henrique could walk around calmly without covering his blue eyes, because if he dared to use any tricks, the guards, who always watched the streets, would notice. Of course they would not be real opponents if he really used his skills. But there was nothing in it for him and besides, he was amazed at being able to freely walk without being bothered or avoided.

There were even some Psyminds with their own business, and he was positively impressed at it. He even got some minor jobs to supplement his income while he was in town. Elias had left him a reasonable amount of money, but he felt better not spending every dime and being useful somehow.

Henrique was commanded not to reveal what type of relationship he had with Elias. If he was asked, he was only supposed to say that he worked for Elias. He felt relieved when he got those days off. Even though Elias treated him well and with minimum decency, his presence was crushing, fatiguing. The elder seemed to want his attention the whole time; he liked to talk about innumerous subjects for hours. Henrique's personality was not so open to long dialogues, so he listened more than he answered. At first, hatred boiled within the young man because he thought it was extremely insensitive for Elias to talk so openly and excitedly after casting a controlling spell. With time, Henrique came up with the hypothesis that perhaps Elias was not tormenting him; rather, he felt uncomfortable with the situation and tried to compensate by being as friendly as he could. It softened his anger, but it did not make him feel any sympathy for the Draziw.

He was known among his fellows as a Psymind with an immeasurable talent. He had innate abilities for stealth and subtlety, which enabled him to create illusions and read minds without being detected, even by people of his own race. He lived in a Psymind-only community and had never left his home until Elias came along. The community lived basically out of its own subsistence, but nothing prevented them from sporadically doing some dirty work. When he arrived, Elias did not hide anything from the matriarch: he would need a skillful Psymind indefinitely for an obscure task. The matriarch appointed Henrique, who was the best of his generation, with no experience, though. However, she would only allow him to leave if he agreed to do such job. Through these services, the elders encouraged youngsters to see the world and put their limits to a test.

But in Henrique's case, he had no desire whatsoever to leave his home, where he helped his mother, Lenora, who was always ill. Her bones were fragile and she should avoid any falls. Colds and the flu often accompanied her. He had never met his father. He was a dark-skinned man who enticed his mother on a winter night and vanished right afterwards.

They set up a meeting in the matriarch's spacious office, so that both could discuss the terms of the service, but Henrique would actually show up to refuse the offer. Right when he laid his eyes on Elias, he knew the gray-haired man had many more things under the covers than the matriarch had told. His eyes were astute and very bright. He wore a dark brown overcoat with a cloak that hid most of his body. Henrique did not like his behavior or his dubious smile. Out of curiosity, he tried to enter the man's mind, subtly and lightly, like a dandelion. He touched the first thought. Elias's mind – that is how he got the man's name – was a dark maze, which was not comfortable at all. Wandering around the hallways which he was interested in, he could see that the man had many conflicts and desperately craved for something. Something... new. He was old, an ancestral being. Therefore, he seemed to search for a new feeling, a different experience. Henrique could not label it clearly. When he tried to force his way in and identify it, he found himself in a corner. He was thrown back to his own mind, astonished. The man looked surprised as well. But he immediately seemed to be euphoric.

He said that no Psymind had guided himself through the maze in his mind. Those who tried got lost in the corridors and could not obtain any kind of information. That was the first time someone had entered his thoughts without him realizing it, in addition to having to kick him out consciously.

Grudgingly, Henrique explained that he was not only seeking for thoughts, but also the feelings behind them. Sometimes, it enabled him to learn more about the person than the thought itself.

Elias rejoiced, declaring that he was the person for the service. Money was not the problem, Henrique could ask as much as he wanted. But the young man did not want to know how much he would be paid, nor what the job was. Besides worrying about his mother, the man did not inspire any confidence, protecting his thoughts in such a complex way. When he finally refused, the gray-haired man did not take it very well. He tried to make the lad reconsider in every possible way. Henrique was resolute and also appointed more experienced people who might do the work.

His mistake was turning his back to Elias. As he figured the conversation was over, he headed to the door to tell the matriarch that he would not accept the task. If he was looking at the Draziw, he could see the gestures the man clumsily made and maybe could have cast an illusion on Elias. Maybe. Thus, a spiral shadow wrapped his slender body, and he startled. He heard the man saying "turn around", and the urge to obey was uncontrollable, as if a knife was to cut his neck if he did not.

At the same time he called him a fool, Elias apologized for what he had done, alleging that Henrique did not leave any options. He explained quickly that he needed his help for a great research, and commanded him to tell the matriarch that he would provide the service. No one in the community suspected any spell for they just had no means to.

Despite the whole situation, he was getting paid for his services, so he could send the money to his mother. Henrique had to admit that the old Draziw at least had a spark of character.

That morning, Henrique had left the board house to go straight to Bard's store, an elder Psymind who lived in Kailotron for at least twenty years. He got the nickname "Bard" when he set up his marketer's canopy in Commerce Square, where many other merchants bargained the attention of passerby. The explanation was simple, he sang to advertise his products, which distinguished him from the others, who just yelled like crazy people. He was a tiny man, about one meter and a half tall, with very light skin and the unmistakable blue eyes, the same tone for every Psymind. At first, of course everybody thought his prominence and success had something to do with the intrinsic skills of his race, but, as time went by, he showed how it was fallacious until he gained respect enough to open his own food and trinket store.

Bard, who was also distinguished for his preoccupation with good service, also delivered. That was Henrique's way in, as a new employee. Psyminds could easily exchange thoughts with each other, and rarely spoke out loud. It was very difficult to hide their thoughts from one another, and they tended to act as a collective consciousness. They could have evolved towards that, if most of their population was not slaughtered.

That was how Bard and Henrique communicated. The fact that they belonged to the same race was enough reason for the old man to employ the guy, because only Psyminds knew how complicated it was to live outside their own communities.

However, Elias was too careful and commanded Henrique to hide the entire situation in the deepest corner of his conscience, just in case they met another Psymind.

As he was aware of his own talents, Henrique knew someone could hardly find out his camouflaged thoughts, so he was not surprised when Bard went by that dark room in his mind and noticed nothing. May the truth be told, the man seemed to hesitate for a second but decided it was foolish and did not mind then.

This happened three days after Elias left. Since then, Henrique delivered the goods and even liked the job. On his way to the store, slightly distracted, he heard a few thoughts here and there, mixed with the voices in public conversations. But a specific thought almost made him break his neck by turning to the direction where the supposed "sound" was coming from.

It was repetitive, idiotic, but ruffled his arm hair.

"Irene, Irene, Irene. Flagae, project Next Machina."

Henrique squinted and saw a young man sitting in a bench, in front of a gigantic house. He was not sure whether the thought had come from there, once the entrance was at least thirty meters away from him and there were many people passing by. Anyway, the vibration reached his mind like a cry, and it did not seem likely to hear someone as far as he was, even for him.

He went on to Bard's store, yet with a restless spirit.

******************

He had made all the deliveries for the day, which were many. All the other helpers had left and the store was closed. Bard lived there, above his business. The old man was a loner by nature. At the end of the day, both Henrique and Bard sat for a cup of coffee. They enjoyed the drink silently for several minutes.

There were some etiquette rules for Psyminds. For instance, when they did not want someone to enter their minds, they spoke out loud. Bard's voice caught Henrique unprepared.

— And on top of a profitable day of work, there is nothing better than a good fuck with a fragrant lady, huh, Henrique?

The old man's spontaneity made him smile. There was no reason to be a hypocrite and disguise any kind of moralism. Bard did not have a wife. He probably had his fun with the girls of the night.

— I never intended to get married, but it's impossible to be without a lady for too long, don't you agree? It's easy to hire the services of these good ladies in town, so I'm never forsaken.

— I'm glad to see you get by in this city, sir. And I don't mean only mundane needs.

— You finally spoke, boy, I thought the cat had got your tongue. Well, I know every wench in town, and they are very, very good ladies. They treat me well even though I'm old. Of course, you may think it's because of money, but it's impossible not to develop some level of intimacy when you visit someone many times. Sex itself doesn't unite people, what does is willingness and the time invested.

Henrique listened with a wry smile. The old man was interesting!

— Without these ladies' services, many people would have gone crazy here, myself included. That's why I'm averse to people who curse their job or treat them differently because they are what they are. Many of them don't know other types of labor, whether for lack of studies or opportunities. Some are on the business because they like it, so what? Who am I to judge? Most of them have gone through a lot, and with time, I learned that they should keep their secrets and I should respect their privacy. Because everyone has secrets. Even you, right, Henrique?

What was that twist?

— For the look on your face, I got it right, huh? — The man guffawed. — But be cool, boy. As I said, everyone has secrets, we're entitled to it. I just hope everything works out for you in your quest.

Henrique was surprised. Even without touching the dark side of his mind, where he kept the important details, the old man had figured he had something to hide. Which was surprising because Psyminds, who are used to read minds, gave no importance on other ways to get information, like posture, habits and body language. Long story short, they were bad observers.

— If I could, I'd tell you, Mr. Bard, I assure you. I hope to finish the job for the man who's kept me waiting here in Kailotron soon. Then, I'll come back so we can talk more openly.

— Take your time, Henrique, everything in its own time. When the opportunity comes, maybe I'll introduce you to one of my girls.

Henrique weighed that. But there was a subject that had been latent in his mind all day long.

— Mr. Bard, what is that enormous white house in that lane on the way to the store? Is it a private residence?

— It's a nursing home. Not for the elders. For the insane. There are lots of deranged people in this town. It's an old home, founded by a wealthy man, Nicolas Anturium, who wanted to keep his crazy mother away from the rest of the family, but still treat her well and make her healthy. But the woman died before I came to town. With that, Anturium decided to reinforce the staff and open a nursing home, which is a reference in town. Why are you so interested in that?

— I guess I heard the thoughts of a man there, and it caught my attention...

— A man? Why didn't you tell me this before, son? I wouldn't waste my time offering you my girls.

— What? No! Not that kind of interest, you goof. It's just that he was thinking about relevant stuff for me... By the way, have they ever come to ask for your help to try and cure any of the patients?

— Ha! Of course they have! People think Psyminds can do anything when it comes to psychic illnesses. What they don't understand is that even if we pick up the pieces and put them together, if the person is not satisfied about something in their lives, they will go down the road to madness again. Certainly!

Henrique knew he was right. Picking up the pieces of a wrecked mind was relatively easy for a Psymind. The problem was that the mind could break up again. Many times, madness was nothing more than a way out. When people realize they are back to sanity, they do everything to run away again, breaking apart once again. Few fixed minds hold on. Madness is a peaceful balm for many. It meant breaking free.

— Every time there is someone new around, they make an appointment with me. The poor devils hardly go on...

— So you know everyone in that house? Maybe you know the pattern of the thoughts I heard in that guy's head...

Henrique repeated such pattern and the feelings around it, giving an extremely close picture of the state of mind and humor of the patient in the big white mansion. Bard immediately recognized it.

— Of course! His mind is so confusing that I couldn't even get his name. He was brought by two women of the North, who seemed to have no relationship whatsoever with him. One of them was blind in one eye. It caught my attention because she was very beautiful and yet one-eyed. They were polite and gave as much information as possible about him, who was catatonic at the time. Today he only says incoherent things. The women said that he was found wandering around their residence, drooling and with glazed eyes. He wore travel clothes and, given the few provisions they had, it was very likely that he was hunting in the forest. They said there was a forest near their house. They lived in a small village with rustic people who threatened to lynch the poor man because they didn't understand his behavior. It was when they thought it'd be good to bring the man to Kailotron, where he could get the appropriate assistance. It might be good to add that it's a long trip.

Henrique's curiosity only increased. He had a feeling about all that. He felt that he needed to check out the man's head.

— In case you're thinking about visiting the house, you can do it now, if you rush. Visiting goes up to nine o'clock at night. You can say that you heard the story from me and you may know the poor man and can do something for him as well.

******************

Henrique turned the street that ended in front of the house, running breathlessly at a quarter to nine. The lights were all on and there was some movement inside. He was impressed at finding the man exactly in the same place as he had seen him in the morning: sitting at a bench in the garden. But a nurse, in light green soft shirt and pants approached him, intending to take the man inside.

Henrique politely stopped at the gate, asking for the nurse's permission to enter with his eyes. He explained that he had heard the man's story from Bard. He meant no harm and might even restore his mind. The nurse was confused; he had never witnessed a situation like that. He excused himself to call the manager, Lucas Anturium, who, by the way, was the grandson of the nursing home's founder, Nicolas Anturium.

Lucas answered promptly, and heard the story told by the nurse. There was a perpetual fear of treating any subject with a Psymind but Lucas had figured that, if he intended to do any harm, he would not have come and asked for permission. Accordingly, he let the peculiar blue-eyed lad in and formally introduced him to the man sitting on the bench, oblivious to everything going on around him.

— This is John. This is how we call him, because we don't know his real name. Don't ask me why it's "John" either. — Lucas laughed. — He's been here for a couple months.

Henrique took a good look at "John". He was well treated, with his light brown hair cut and washed. His dark eyes were lost in space, as if he had no strength. His mouth was half-open, but he made no sounds. He looked quite passive; his hands were quietly resting on his lap. His clothes looked a lot like the nurse's but in a faded blue tone.

Henrique looked one last time to the manager, as if he was asking for permission. Anturium nodded, allowing him to go on.

Henrique kneeled before John, held both his cheeks and gently pulled his face forward so both foreheads would touch each other. Physical contact was not necessary for Psyminds to read minds, but in Henrique's case, it helped him focus and make a more detailed search.

The first thing he realized was that John was not insane. His mind was agitated like a rough sea, and in this same way, his thoughts wandered. They were thrown back and forth from wave to wave, submerged, carried by the wind, and were never organized. The blue-eyed lad felt as if he was dragged by that sea, and it was extremely hard to have enough strength not to succumb to those primal forces. Henrique knew he was not mad just for finding that scenario. It was very rare to see someone crazy with so much passion and intensity. It was almost as if he did not want his thoughts to be fished out on purpose. John had been forced to be like that.

Searching and diving vigorously under water, one of the first things he caught was the man's real name. Emon.

Sinking more and more, catching every thought and putting them in a line that would make sense, he found out his connection with Irene, the Water Dragon, with whom he and Elias had met a few days earlier in Calíope Mena. He could feel the respect and affection Emon felt towards people and the place where he lived, and the will to protect them. He accompanied his journey, the man's story became his. The meeting with a few Draziws of the Guild, always avoiding them and reporting back to Irene. Traveling North. Running out of provisions and with no towns near him. He entered a forest, thinking about hunting a wild animal. He did not know for sure which forest was that. He got lost for a few days. He felt a strong magic ruling the place, but could not identify the source. He thought it was the corrupted wizard that lived there, a Reverse who tried to devour him, but it was definitely not him. It was something much more crushing and terrifying. After driving the Reverse away, he noticed how that energy could not be tracked from outside the forest. He could feel the oppression in its core. He wandered for some time until he reached the innermost part, completely rudderless. It was when the magic started seeing him as a threat and...

The coherent thoughts escaped Henrique, who started feeling as if he was drowning. He was very alarmed. How could a regular mind affect him so bad? His own thought emerged and, even without confirming it, because he could not feel it, the Psymind was sure that Emon's mind was driven to madness through magic. And by such a powerful magic that could strike him too.

Henrique backed out for a while in order to catch his breath. He tried to approach that corner of Emon's mind through several other ways, accessing many memories. His childhood memories, his love for the Weaver, his mother, and his siblings. The way he felt chained and suffocated by them. They tried to teach him about how everyone there was deities, above any other living being. That was the current doctrine. Ever since he was little, he felt it was difficult to deal with such "truths", because he thought that if his own life was so important to himself, the same would have happened to any other being. No one seemed to understand his way of thinking and so he felt like a black sheep that could not find a support for how he saw the world. He loved everyone but had a free spirit that wanted to know the world, the people, and to gain knowledge. Everyone tried to convince him that the small world they lived in was enough, that things outside that place were putrid, but he was ambitious and curious. He wanted to quit and run away. Oh, the running. The time he had spent wandering, learning about the world in this dimension. The way he met Irene and his current home. Irene, Afonso, Letícia, Araí... So many names, so many dearest people. Henrique did not want to intrude his history like that, but he had to try to access the key corner from alternative angles. And he had to do it carefully because whatever had been put in there was placed to never be discovered.

Maybe that process could not be done by another Psymind. Putting all his skills to a test, Henrique tried one last technique, which no one from his race, in their true state of mind, would try. He let go of his own consciousness as much as he could in order to join Emon's ego. He was becoming Emon. It was an extremely dangerous strategy, because Henrique's personality could get lost forever for truly believing he was someone else.

Taken aback by the frenzied consciousness of the young man, Henrique reached out for the core that he was looking for with his ghostly hands. Perhaps that magic would allow his entrance if it thought he was Emon...

And then, it all exploded. It was over. Henrique was thrown back to his physical body and, with a bump, he fell back, helplessly. The same did not happen to Emon only because the nurse was right behind him to hold him down. Anturium ran to help Henrique stand up. Despite the fall, he was conscious, with eyes wide open and shivering hard.

— Hey, kid, are you ok? What did you see?

He still could not say a single word. He wanted to ask them to contact Irene, in Contrary River, or his father, Afonso. But he slowly realized he was not Emon. He was Henrique and Afonso was not his father. Irene was not his leader, who Emon seriously respected. Still in Anturium's arms, the dark-skinned young man breathed multiple times, remembering himself.

When he was finally able to speak, he only exclamated.

— Fuck!

He tried to stand up, flustered, holding on to the nursing home owner's shoulders. Emon was still catatonic with dull eyes.

— So, Henrique, what did you find out? Is it possible to help John? — Anturium said, beside Henrique.

— His name is Emon. Yes, it's possible to help, but I need a very powerful wizard to help me. Meanwhile, he'll be safer like this.

— What do you mean? Is he a criminal or something?

— No, he's a good person. He was just in the wrong place, at an extremely wrong time. Please, take care of him. I'll come back to help, but right now, I need to forget what I've seen.

Anturium and the nurse were worried.

— Don't worry! As long as Emon stays like this, no one is in danger.

Henrique lost a few minutes assuring that it would not be a problem to keep Emon in the nursing home. But he felt extremely nervous and wanted to leave the place as soon as he could. When he finally calmed both men down, he left with urgency.

He now knew that Elias was really looking for a genie. He was so sure that it made him dizzy. Of course he could not foresee what the man would wish for, but it did not change the severity of the situation. Even if Elias did not know for sure how to get to the genie, Henrique did now. He knew the whole process that would take the man to the realization of his purpose. And such process would engage the siblings. Not only them, but also their older sister. The most important one.

Due to his curse, he would be obliged to tell anything he had found out to his "master". He needed to hide his knowledge and the best way to do that was forgetting about what he had seen in Emon's head completely. Otherwise, the Draziw would know exactly what to do and it would put other people's lives in danger. Elias was missing a piece of information, which he searched for desperately, and it had prevented him to approach Magic Leg and Sound Wrath sooner. Elementals, genies, artifacts, the siblings... Now Henrique knew the relationship among all of it, and it was not for nothing that Emon's mind was intentionally driven to madness. He had ancestral knowledge that did not exist in this time and space anymore. And the magical machine that Emon had found took charge that such knowledge would not be passed forward. It maybe even knew that its mental trap had been violated and the information, accessed. Maybe it was coming for him. That is why it was imperative for him to immediately forget about it.

He had to manage to pass the discovery forward to the siblings too. He did not know where the older sister lived, he could not warn her. They would all be harmed. He had to do something.

When he finally got to the board house where he was staying, he had kind of a drawn plan. But he would have to be lucky enough to bump into the siblings or Irene in the middle of their journey for it to work. Their encounter would be the trigger for his memory, as he had to use a mind trick to hide what he knew. Fortunately, Elias did not make any specifications about forgetting information.

He spent most of the night awake, thinking about all the details, anxious about the man returning that night. When he was satisfied with the outcome, he forgot about everything and finally fell asleep.
10 – Past, history and purpose

Elias was almost back at Kailotron. He had wasted precious time with the whole population of the Flaming Forest, but he came out relatively unscathed. He had spent most time with that insane elemental, and he caught him off guard, burning his left arm until his flesh stuck to his bones. In other times, that would never happen, but he had waived most of his powers.

At least he was able to bargain for what he wanted with that bastard. For an elemental artifact. And he even revealed the meeting that was to happen among the four elementals of nature, in a small oasis a little further south of the Flaming Forest, territory of the Undines.

The man could not figure out the reason why the fire elemental, Icarus, had told him about that. He could only be out of his mind.

His arm was in absurd pain at the beginning, but now, a week later, it was practically healed due to his magic. At first, it was murder for him to steer his vehicle on the way back because the wheel was so hard it was difficult to drive with only one hand. But Elias had accomplished the task with relish.

When was the last time he got hurt? He could not even remember. He had also driven a car before, right after its sales started, at least fifteen years ago, and it basically ran on steam. The version he was driving then was a little more evolved. It ran on diesel. But he had never done it while hurt.

Despite that, it was like those new experiences could not reach him anymore. Elias was a very, very old man, and the weight of time bothered him. His solitude was his eternal companionship, and that was only different when Irene was around. And, unusually, now that Henrique is around. He was obviously uncomfortable by his side, but he was smart and when he was in a good mood, they shared very interesting conversations.

It was funny how none of his fellows at the Guild made him feel human, complete. Millennia did not make him feel like he was part of a whole, even though he was one of the leaders. He had always felt like he was an outsider and, in a certain way, he saw the shadow of his own failure reflected in his colleagues. They were an eternal reminder of his beloved wife and daughter.

Elias's family was slaughtered in the wizard war, 2052 long years before, when the first Draziws emerged. They were attacked by colleagues of their own community, blinded with greed for Magic Hearts. Elias was almost killed at the time, and he could not prevent the worst.

It was a cold night. Elias, his wife Hana and his daughter Helen were having a calm dinner. Their village was formed by essentially vegetarian peasants, who lived out of their own planting and effort. Magic helped with the hard work, and they were prosperous. For it was a place with few people, no one locked the doors, which only made the invasion easier. Three men and a woman came in, jumping on the girls, knocking them down. When Elias abruptly got up to help them, one of the attackers immobilized him with magic, threw him on the floorboards and decided to finish him manually, choking him with his bare hands. When he was almost fainting, he heard Hana's shrill wail and a weak luminosity enlightened the room, indicating that the Magic Heart was not where it was supposed to be. Dizzy, Elias turned and saw Helen's dead face, her bloody chest and her assaulter with a shiny jewel in his hands. He tried to reach out for his wife, desperate, trying get rid of the hands blocking his airways. He found her reaching her thin delicate hand for him, and when their eyes met, a tear streamed down Hana's left eye, making way through the blood that stained her cheeks. Right afterwards, her lids closed and she stopped breathing forever.

He felt such an intense void in that moment, so shocking that only then he had the strength to fight back and annihilate the killers. He got his six first Magic Hearts then. Two of them were from his wife and daughter.

With his soul torn apart and destroyed, he left everything to live alone and thus he had carried out a thorough research about everything related to the forces of nature. He was not very worried about the ethics of his studies. His loss had made him almost insensitive to waste time with moralism. He lived like a hermit, alone in a cottage in the middle of the forest for many years.

He was not active in the wizard war; he just fought for his life. And many came for his powers.

When the Draziws sealed a deal not to attack each other and gather in the same place, Elias decided to join them. It was when his studies enabled him to create a singular type of Magic Heart, which absorbed any energy around it. As time went by, such practice became as natural as breathing, so he did it unconsciously.

He remembered how it alarmed the Draziws at the Guild, and how that procedure was prohibited to the others.

But Elias was indifferent because he could not control the energy absorption. That was the origin for his nickname, Constant Depletion. He would then become a Draziw feared among his compatriots. On top of that, he had an unusual amount of Magic Hearts – thirteen.

He naturally became one of the leaders of the Guild.

He did not support the hunt for stray Draziws, he even condemned such practice. During the time he stayed there – until three years ago – he developed a bitter sarcastic personality. He always talked dubiously to people, who never really knew if he was serious or mocking them.

The only one who correctly understood him and could see through his wordplay was Irene. He did not even know how. He had fallen in love with the girl she once was, so unprotected and vulnerable. Thanks to the time he spent as an ascetic, he ceased to be a rustic villager and developed a unique curiosity to examine any matter. It became his support, what kept him productive. He knew Irene was not a wizard or a Draziw. Thus, he took her to the Guild with the intention to take a look at her unique situation. But with time, surprisingly, it became a frantic passion, just when he thought he would never be capable of loving someone.

Time went by and Irene became a strong woman, with a bold personality and a sharp tongue. She had had a great master and Elias was proud of her.

When she decided to leave, the Draziw was on his own again. He would keep forever in his heart the love he felt, even if he was to never say it openly.

Still, four hundred and eighty years had passed before he was sick of it all.

It was all past now. He had turned that page. He was seeking for only one more purpose. The only thing he had not tried in over two thousand years of existence.

He had given up most of his powers. He would need that to achieve what he wanted. Which meant he had ripped off each one of his other twelve Magic Hearts himself. It was a hard, excruciating task. Every Heart he took off was like ripping a piece of flesh from his own chest.

A Draziw could get killed if he got rid of every Heart. Of course it was a secret well-kept by the Draziws. However, in his case, he did not die only because of his original heart, which absorbed magic. Out of curiosity, he tried to remove that one too, but it was like grabbing light. As soon as he took a part of it, another part grew immediately. Such a waste of time. His original Heart kept him away from his purpose, but it did not bother him anymore. It made things funnier and more exciting to achieve, even if it was extremely toilsome.

Now, the Draziw had two magical artifacts: air and fire. The air elemental was quite troublesome. He suddenly refused do make a pact. Elementals like that were rare. Only a few bothered to analyze who they were dealing with. Elias cursed his bad luck. He barely considered Henrique's help for such mission, for making a pact was primary, simpleton. But in view of the elemental's refusal, he wondered if the boy could dominate his mind. Perhaps entering a human brain was easier, he thought. Maybe not. The simple consciousness of an elemental could make things more difficult. He was curious then. He would save that doubt for later. Without a choice, he had to persuade the creature made of air. He had to coerce him.

The man had absorbed most of his magic, making him disappear almost entirely. He had agreed to cooperate only because he was terrified of ceasing to exist. As natural elements, they did not experience death, the non-existence of their being, their ego. The sylph – that is how air elementals called themselves – in a mix of commotion and despair, promptly handed the artifact. He gave a small howling sphere to Elias, who now was accompanied by Icarus's sphere, warm and blazing.

Up until that moment, everything was strictly under control, despite the obstacles. He had to set up the scenario as his dream had showed him. He could only accomplish his purpose under that condition.

That was an unusual dream. He remembered it vividly, as if it was a memory of something that really happened. Magic Leg and a genie were on it. There were no more genies in his world, so Elias would have to make one. Everything had to be exactly as in his vision; therefore, he would have to deal with the genie first, and then find the guy with the magic leg.

Hence, he needed the artifacts. Not for the same reason as the siblings, though. Elias knew nothing about "magic beings that could be controlled by four elemental artifacts". It was privileged information that only a certain metal doll had. Nope. He intended to use the artifacts in some other way. With them, he could perform a very important ritual to obtain vital information for the construction of the scenario of the dream. His sisters were essential as well for being the "children of a Draziw".

With the elemental meeting that was to take place in two weeks, he wanted to get the two remaining elements. He had considered asking Irene for the water artifact, but she would not do that. One of the first things Elias had taught her was to never trust her autonomy to anyone, even if it shouted within her like an obsession. After all, handing an artifact was sealing a deal. If he asked her, it would only make her even more suspicious.

No, that would not work out. Everything would have to be settled in that meeting. Thus, he may manage to get the final piece of that puzzle. And he would be a step closer to his purpose.
11 – The day before

The Flaming Forest. At first, it looked like a regular forest. But the place was well-known by the inhabitants around it, and they avoided the forest. No one dared to disturb who lived there, so the closest village, in the west, was at least twenty kilometers away. People treated the forest as sacred ground and as such, no one should ever step there.

Wanderers and travelers were warned as they passed by. "Don't play with fire", locals said, like a jargon.

People in Novea had almost no knowledge on elementals, or magic as a whole. Usually, they feared elementals like unreachable deinties and totally ignored their servant nature. Little did they know the deepest wish of an elemental was to be put mobile, be useful and help living beings accomplish their purposes. After all, they were nature forces and were there to work along with living beings. Even animals. Actually, the latter were currently more frequent.

Animals were not judgmental and, as they are intrinsically connected to nature, they could easily connect with elementals. Fire salamanders, phoenix, winged horses... Those were all well-known legends, which only increased the supernatural nature of magical manifestations inside people's heads.

Elementals never attacked unless they were commanded to. Still, the locals' fear to go near the Flaming Forest was justified. Rumors had it that there was a Flamine living at the edge of the forest, like a renegade, out of control. People said he was different from the others, unpredictable.

Toni, Ren and Irene had docked in the small village, known as Sizzling Rock, to get more supplies and rest. The day was lovely. The sun shone weakly, illuminating the cherry furniture in the tavern where they were. As they did not know what to eat, they ordered the special and tasted a mix of soup and soaked bread. Even though it was weird, it tasted really good. Toni immediately devoured his soup and asked for another one. Irene and Ren kept eating calmly.

On the next table, there was a quartet talking loudly and drinking. When they laid eyes on the three foreigners, the men started narrating the dangers of the Flaming Forest, without even knowing whether the travelers intended to walk around.

The siblings encouraged the talk and the men, drunk with knowledge, taught them how to pass unharmed by the terrible, cruel Flamine that dominated the forest.

Irene heard it all and did not even bother to hide the boredom. Each word from the drunken man stabbed her as she looked away, tasting her lemonade.

When they noticed their companion's mood, the siblings politely avoided the conversation and quickly finished their meal.

Toni entered the tavern and paid an impassive sir, standing behind a counter, for the meals. He was not so impassive when he saw the lad with a magic leg in front of him. Toni realized that they would not go unnoticed there. They never did in small towns. He said a polite goodbye to the drunken man and went towards the ladies, who were a few meters away from the entrance.

— You encourage people who don't deserve it. For two rednecks, you communicate a lot.

— I can't stand her today, Toni.

— Why are you so pissed, Irene?

— Drunken men in tiny villages can hardly provide more information on an elemental's nature than I already have.

— Oh, so that's it? Irene, it's interesting to talk to locals to find out what they know, check if we have an advantage or if there's someone who can stop us somehow. That's called investigation.

— I don't need a baby to explain me this. What I don't like is the superstitious tone when a dummy talks about elementals. Anyway... What's the next step?

He explained. It would be interesting to manage to get supplies for the ship and meet again there to pick a board house so they could rest. They would be there for a little while, just to have a quick rest on dry land until Toni could get some more information.

Irene and Ren would rather perform their tasks together. He thought that was unusual. He watched as they went away, with Marionete floating around his sister's shoulder. They were always teasing each other, trading barbs, but it was possible that none of them had realized how close they had become. They had left Contrary River a few days earlier, after Irene decided to send Gerson back to his community, where he was wanted for murder. Since the woman had found out that the lad's sister was able to hear magic sounds, they spent hours talking, in some kind of training. To Toni's ears, it sounded like Ren was talking to herself, because Irene's lips barely moved, but she made no sounds. Soon, he could not even hear Ren's voice. It was weird watching two people communicating with no sound, with some kind of mimic. Of course he was the one that could not hear it, but it was weird anyway.

He thought about how he and his sister could see and listen to magic. His case was even more unique, because not even Irene could see idle magic.

In Kailotron, people could manipulate electricity, even though technology was not widespread and was restricted to that city. However, Toni had studied the concept in books, and he thought magic had similar characteristics. No one could see electric current, except when it generated a short circuit and shone. It was like that with magic. Toni was able to see the magic flow floating in the air like mist, and condensing, when someone manipulated it and it became visible. He could see a lot of that mist in some places; in others, it was almost gone. But he could hear no sound. Maybe Ren could. Perhaps it sounded like the wind. It was possible that, with Irene's training, she would be able to distinguish it more clearly.

It was a recent aptitude though. Before he was fifteen years old, Toni could not even imagine that something like magic could really exist. It all started on that fateful day, when he entered the Regular Forest, crazed, and still with his left leg. It was also the day that he lost it. The despair, the madness, the blood, the intermittent shrill sound across the sky, like a funeral march...

Toni shook his head to get rid of those memories. He did not like to think about it.

He paced to the rhythm of a march. He would rather go back to his initial thoughts, about how those women got so close. At least he could think about that all he wanted, even though it was indeed unusual.

******************

Irene still hoped to find Emon. As all the clues that might lead to him were over, she came clear to the siblings and revealed that that was her purpose since the begining. Perhaps, if they kept traveling, she could find his trail. There was also the issue of those two Undines that came with the only purpose of taking her back to the home of water elementals. Could they be related to the Elders? She wanted to figure out what was happening without having to ask directly to the Undines. Maybe the Flamines could know something about it. Toni and Ren promised to help in any way they could.

She said nothing about Elias, though. She still did not know what her old mentor intended to, and she felt the moment when they would meet to discuss their coming affairs. She also did not reveal anything about Emon's mission. There was no need for that many details, at least not for now. Everything the siblings knew was that someone very important was missing. It was enough.

******************

They stayed at the village until the following morning. They were replenished and well-rested, and did not want to waste another second. Ren provided some of her magic to Marionete, to recharge her. She felt as if they could need her sooner or later. If it was not for that feeling, she would have turned her off and put her away.

Everyone with who they talked to gave them the same advice. Avoid the Flaming Forest as much as possible, but if they could not, they should avoid direct confrontation with Icarus, who was the Flamine who lived at the edge of the forest.

Irene had never heard of Icarus, but thought all those advices were foolish. Since when could a single elemental pose such a great threat? It was only possible in superstitious minds of people who did not know the rules of magic.

After leaving the board house, they headed to Newcomen, which was docked outside town. Many people were curious and gathered around the ship because they had never seen a floating vessel. Others clearly came because they had heard of a cripple with a magic leg for they could not stop staring at Toni. They were delighted to know his nickname was Magic Leg. Nothing could suit him better.

The ship hovered about a meter from the ground and the audience cheered when the trio took a superhuman leap to reach the prow. They wished luck to the travelers.

Ren unlocked the cabin and they went in to put on their travel clothes. Toni went to his room. He chose his white overcoat, which was not so white and was very beat. He also put on gloves for he would take a look at the ship's boiler. He wore a tight shirt that emphasized his chest muscles. He was slim, but his muscles could be seen. He took a pair of black pants with the left side cut off. There was no need for him to hide his magic leg, nor was it practical. With time, the fabric burned, as if an iron was left on it for too long.

The women went to Ren's cabin. The dark-haired girl wore a light black blouse with long sleeves under a red corset. Her blouse went down to her calves, like a gown, but only on the back. She put on loose pants and comfortable boots.

Irene, wearing her hair down like a curly cascade, decided to wear it in a ponytail. She liked to wear shoes with small heels. She wore a buttoned v-neck shirt with a generous cleavage. On top of it, she wore a long-sleeved bolero jacket, with two large buttons by the cuffs; and tight pants. A small leather belt was tied around her waist, where she could keep some objects like knives and daggers.

In the boiler room, Toni prepared the magic-powered furnace. He managed to do that based on Marionete's power system, and so that very few people would think about stealing his beloved Newcomen. His left leg looked healthy, he could not feel any other limb stiffen, and he was calm.

Outside, the audience rejoiced when they noticed the ship was gaining height. They greeted the travelers again and watched the wind blowing the small sails and carrying them away.

They flew towards a destination they thought was certain and with no surprises; they did not even suspect about how wrong they were.
12 – Conflicts, fire and heat

A dense cluster of ancestral oaks formed the Flaming Forest. It was impossible to see anything in there, even in an aerial view. In a few minutes the ship reached the forest and the trio bent over the gunwale to try and see better.

Suddenly, it was as if all hell had broken loose. Thousands of leaves in the treetops came into combustion, all at the same time.

Irene was not surprised for she had seen it before, so she just watched. The siblings, on the other hand... Were astonished. Ren moved around, trying to take a better look with Marionete buzzing by her shoulders, like a headless chicken. Perhaps, if she had remembered to ask the doll, she would know what that phenomenon was about.

The forest was burning in huge flames. It seemed to be reaching for the ship. It made a loud noise, surrounding the travelers. Toni, with eyes wide open, wanted to run to the rudder and maneuver the boat, but Contrary River's patroness held him by the arm, almost laughing.

— Calm down, Magic Leg. They already know we're here, they're just saying hello.

Swallowing hard, Toni curbed his excitement while staring at Irene. He let himself off her hands and looked through the gunwale again. The ship flew over the trees and the fire touched the wood of the boat, without burning it. Taking a better look at the trees, Toni noticed they were also not burned. Neither could they smell something burning.

The fire was just there, visible, but it was perfectly synchronized with the leaves. Thinking clearly, he remembered that Irene had told elementals lived harmonically with nature. Why would they burn down their own home?

Anyway, that was an impressive sight, and it moved Toni at some fundamental point. By the look on Ren's face, he noticed she felt the same.

Without further ado, the guy with the magic leg maneuvered Newcomen for landing. The ship went down until it was a yard away from the ground, right before the rise of the first flaming trees.

The trio jumped off almost at the same time, and when their feet touched the ground, they got hit by the warmth, but it was not aggressive. It was almost as if the heat was inviting them to stay; it was cozy. It was impossible to feel threatened by something like that.

At the border of the forest, some animals grazed, unconcerned. The siblings were astonished again at the sight. The animals looked like horses, towering. They were more than that, though.

There were seven, with fur in several colors. Toni held his breath when all of them raised their heads at the same time and stared at them.

Their manes, tails and legs were made of pure fire. The closest one, a black stud, pawed the floor and whinnied loudly, as if it passed a message to the others. Its hull let out sparks as it touched the ground. They went to the depths of the forest, disappearing among thick branches.

— By the look on your faces, I guess you don't know cafires. — Irene broke the reverential silence.

— Cafires? What the hell is that?

— They're fire horses, Ren! That's how we call them, Irene. They are horses associated to Flamines, right?

Irene made a funny face as she looked at Toni.

— That's right, but... How do you call them? Fire Horses? What a stupid name. — And she laughed loudly.

— What's the matter with being obvious?

Everyone laughed at Toni's last comment. And focused again at the border of the forest.

They headed to the entrance. Ren was in the rear, for she had noticed Marionete hesitated. The doll was uncertain, floating by Ren's shoulders. She was making noises and beeping, as if she analyzed the place.

— Is there something wrong, Marionete?

— ANALYZING LOCATION. FLAMING FOREST. CONFIRMED. IMMINENT DANGER. 98% CHANCE OF ATTACK. RECOMMENDATION: WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY.

Ren had no idea how Marionete knew about that, but she was sure the doll was right. Immediately thereafter, she turned to the duo in front of her and tried to warn them.

— Hey, you two! Something's not right here...

They felt the pressure of the air change, and their sight shimmered with the heat deforming the landscape. Out of the blue, a blast of fire devoured the air, going against the trio. Ren grabbed Marionete in any way she could and threw herself on the floor. The flame reached the top of her head, burning her hair tips. Afterwards, a water barrier was put in front of her, like a shield.

At the same time she put up a barrier to protect the girl, Irene positioned herself in front of Toni and, stretching her hands, she created a water bubble that held the blast, keeping them unscathed. Where the fire met the water, a violent steam was formed. Irene was sure that the vapor itself could horribly burn them, for the water around her fingers was starting to heat up. The temperature rose alarmingly, and her hands turned red. She was considering turning to her undine form when Toni went behind her and, in a hug, touched both her wrists, making her a magic armor. Instantly, Irene stopped feeling the temperature and the protection was doubled.

While she analyzed the best way to counter attack whoever did that, Toni went forward again. He could see the magic circulating through water and fire. Through that flow, he expanded the armor around Irene and, in an instant, he released his own power with all the violence against their opponent. The energy shock made a bizarre sound, which Toni heard unsurprised, but for the women, it sounded like the groung was cracking. A surprised and enraged scream was heard, loud and high-pitched, but it first reverberated in Irene's and Ren's eardrums.

The opponent stopped the attack when he was hit. After the distorted screaming, he was looking at the trio in front of him, and he expected them to be ashes by now. When he noticed they were unscathed and, on top of that, had hit him with a pure magic blow, he thought that was pretty funny. He put his hand on his mouth and laughed spasmodically.

Irene was even dizzier due to his action than to the blast of fire she had just blocked. It was surreal to see an elemental laughing like that. There was a sole oak at their right, which was also burning. The Dragon was suspicious that it was his hideout, having appeared as quickly as he did.

As far as she could tell, the elemental was alone. There was no one by his side, or around him, commanding him. That, in addition to his insane laughter, made Irene tremble. What was going on there? She knew Flamines and, even though they were bold, active, and very powerful spirits, it was unusual. Unthinkable. It was almost as if the fire elemental was acting like a human being. Insane, but still human.

Ren stood up and ran towards her companions, with Marionete on her arms. Right then, the metallic, titanium sound started echoing across the sky. Toni hated that sound from the bottom of his heart. But in the Flaming Forest it was weaker; it seemed to be coming from a distance, like a big gear, spinning and moaning, in the center of the planet. Sometimes it was interrupted, only to begin again a few moments later, louder.

The fire elemental laughed louder. He was huge, almost two meters tall, which was unusual. He had strong masculine features, his eyes were two black rips in his face. The magic formed almost solid points in some places of his body, making him well-shaped, but it was through where the fatuous fire could be seen spinning inside. He was floating a few centimeters from the ground, still twitching from the laughter.

He abruptly stopped laughing and stared right at the three humans.

— I love that sound. It's so lovely. Today's a big day.

The Flamine had a serious, thunderous voice. His words hit Toni like a spear, bringing back a memory he had buried in the deepest corner of his mind. He felt an irrational rage, which he kept to himself.

— Interesting, young man. You managed to hit me unexpectedly, and now I feel an intense rage coming from you. That's odd.

The Flamine floated towards them, stopping at a safe distance. He knew the water lady. The youngsters with her were new, but he knew them too. He had heard the rumors. They were definitely Magic Leg and Sound Wrath.

The lad had a different type of perception, because he could throw his own blast of fire against him with its own magic flow. He was extremely mad about something the elemental had said and those feelings attracted him, as if he had seen a lighthouse. What story could he share?

The girl was not less interesting. She had a frenzied, raging spirit, an inner flame which, at the time, was just an ember, but certainly with the potential for a fire. A great person to associate with fire elementals.

He took a few seconds analyzing Ren, and he wondered what was that metal being floating by her shoulder. Was it sent by Next Machina? Possibly. Probably.

He would love to burn them. His core, his ego, his will called for it. He had to control those earthly, obsessive wishes, though. He stifled his will by focusing on what he thought was attractive.

— Undine Irene. Magic Leg. Sound Wrath. Nice to personally meet you. I'm Icarus.

Toni noticed Irene changing her position. She was like a stretched string, the tension made her hands twitch. Ren and he were also very alert, but the woman was the one who seemed more concentrated, like a bird of prey. Toni believed it was due to the paradigm shift. Every feature she thought was common to all elementals was rejected by that fire giant.

— Icarus, huh? Why did you attack us? Do you have a deal?

The colossus looked at Irene. He was considerably bigger and he had a powerful presence, but the Water Dragon was not easily intimidated. Nonetheless, it was awkward dealing with a Flamine with such a cynical aura. Especially when he struggled to hold another fit of laughter. He was completely unstable!

— Pff, I'm sorry. No, Undine Irene, right now I'm not following anyone's commandments. This is weird, though. I thought you were with that idiot Draziw Elias, your former master. As far as I know you haven't been together for a long time, but it's such a coincidence that he came here a while back and now, you have.

When she heard that, the gears in Irene's mind started spinning. Could Elias have made a deal to get an elemental artifact? What for? Weird. Elias was very powerful, which benefits would he have from an association like that? Would he be after a Flagae too? There were so many things she had to ask. She did not know if Elias would be honest with her. Anyway, she wanted to contact him. She thought about the auditus he had given her, which was abandoned in her belongings long ago. Just as if he could read her thoughts, Icarus went on.

— He made it to the Flaming Forest, but couldn't get any favors from any of my fellows. So he had to settle for me. I made the deal and handed him what he wanted, after all, I'm only committed to my own amusement. Smelling flesh burning, boiling and warming up... The screaming, the surprise, the pain and the vulnerability. It's very fascinating.

As he spoke, he made a titanic effort to try and not burn them again. But his excitement could be noticed through his agitation and as he sparkled and increased his temperature. The trio stepped back and was ready to act upon the slightest movement. But Icarus noticed their mood and calmed down again.

The Water Dragon thought that was odd. How could Elias get hurt by an elemental? Draziws of the Guild hardly made deals with elementals for their power was greater. Even a Flamine as powerful as Icarus could not just keep up with Elias.

The siblings exchanged glances. They were suspicious, but it was a fact that Irene still hid a big part of the story from them. That woman was full of detours. Ren wanted to jump up her neck, make her look into her eyes and spit it all up. But that was not the moment, so she settled with just whispering through magic.

— We want to hear about it later.

She was surprised when her companion nodded and whispered back an "OK" and an "I'm sorry".

Remembering what Irene had taught her about elementals, Ren could not get along with Icarus. He acted on his own behalf and, at the same time, he was obsessive, unstable and problematic. She called Marionete and held her by her cold arms, hiding behind her brother. She asked the doll to tell them more about that elemental if she knew something. But Marionete was not discreet, and her robotic voice echoed like a thunder.

— FLAMINE. ICARUS. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. ELEMENTAL CORRUPTED BY HUMAN EMOTIONS. HIS EXTREME INTEREST IN HUMANITY ENDED UP CONTAMINATING HIM AND DRIVING HIM INSANE.

Icarus heard it all, interested, and once again his laughter echoed across the forest.

— So, you were really sent by Next Machina. It's interesting how you and other monitoring units share information so quickly. Tell me, Sound Wrath, how did you get this robot?

Ren thought the word "robot" was odd and thought about asking what he was talking about, but Toni stepped up.

— It's not important, is it? I'll get to the point, Icarus. We want an elemental artifact. I want to make a deal with you. Right now.

The Flamine flickered for a moment. He had not had a human partner for ages, and now he had the opportunity to make two deals in less than a month. He knew it. When that sound echoed, there were always great events on the way. "This Next Machina is a bitch", he thought, fecklessly.

He stared at the small boy in front of him. He was so fragile, with soft skin, begging to be incinerated. He loved that vulnerability. Right then, he could not control himself and, in an almost involuntary movement of his arm, a fire serpent flew towards Toni's chest, hitting him before any of them could realize it.

He flew a few meters back, as both women got out of his way clumsily. A flash passed by them, dodging the water net that Irene created to contain it. So the light turned into Icarus, right on time for him to watch Toni fall, and when he hit the ground, the elemental kneeled behind him and held his head against the floor, with both fire hands on lad's ears. His hands did not burn the skin, although the smell of burning hair saturated the air. Toni was not as lucky regarding the blow in his chest, where his clothes were torn and his skin was red and blistery. He could sense that Icarus did not even make an effort, but the burn hurt like hell, and he could not hold a grimace of pain. When the elemental's grinning face was clear in his sight, he was not scared. That grin printed on his face only made Toni angrier.

Irene was changing to her elemental form and when Ren opened her mouth to yell shrilly, Icarus raised his hand, asking them to wait and pointing to Magic Leg, so they could see he was not hurting Toni. At least, not then.

— So you want a deal, Magic Leg? Great! But it comes with a price.

Surrendered, Toni stared at him, serious.

— What's your price?

Icarus laughed, with his hands still holding the lad's head.

— Even though I don't think it's enough, you've already given me your pain. Now, I'm asking for a memory.

There was silence as everyone watched the elemental, not really understanding it.

— Oh, come on! If I'm a corrupt elemental, where do you think that comes from? I'm an obsessive collector of human stories. It's my hobby and my perdition. So? Do you agree with my terms?

Toni looked away from Icarus and tried to fit Ren in his visual field, as far as his eye globe allowed, because his head was still held by the elemental's enormous fire hands.

None of the women seemed to know where it would go. But Ren nodded, as if she said that Toni should go on, that she would be there to help him, with no hesitation.

The lad with the magic leg looked back at the Flamine, searching for a more comfortable position.

— Well! What do you want to know exactly?

— What? You're not thinking about narrating it to me, are you?

— How else would I do it?

— Actually, you won't have to do a thing. I'll choose the one I'm more interested in.

So after a flash, the whole world fell apart.
13 – Memories

He was floating in a void, occasionally remembering a couple of events. It was as if he was sleeping, but close to waking up, when the mind is fertile for quick dreams. He could see the faces of Adriana, his sister, and Amanda, his mother. Adri never seemed to get older. Ever since they were little until they became adults, she did not seem to have aged at all. She was gorgeous, with long flowing hair and was the only red-haired of the family.

Toni felt a special affection towards her, because she had been his second mother many times. He was sure Ren felt the same.

Adri was sweet, slight and smooth, like a breeze blowing to relieve the heat on a summer day. Their mother, Amanda, was fond but yet, severe. She always had rules to ensure Toni's health and was very careful. She did not measure her words and, for many times, she sounded harsh.

In those situations, Adri always told him how their mother's head worked. In his childish naiveté, Toni admired her ability to know how the world worked, with the patience and the kindness to explain everything, even if "the world" was only their family. She was independent and helped to provide for the family as a singer and an eventual waitress at the local tavern in Alumar, their village. People from several locations came to Alumar only to hear the young redhead's clear velvet voice.

A bright light took him to another memory. This one was warm and happy. He was thirteen and accompanied by his sisters and his mother, on a street presentation. He laid one of his hands on Ren's shoulder, trying to control the laughter spasms. The girl laughed too, with watery eyes. He received the memory with affection. That was why he wanted to be healthy; that was where he wanted to be. He wanted to be surrounded by smiles, fellowship and comfort. It was a time of no guilt or mutilations and scars.

So it faded. He remembered the despair, the horror of not being able to help Adri and not being useful for anything. He remembered the pain she had definitely felt and the sense of agony. He remembered the sound he had just heard in the distance, but in a more powerful version. It echoed across the sky, like a giant gear working. It was when he noticed a strange presence among his memories.

— Well, well, well! That's what I was talking about. It was when you got really nervous. What do you have for me?

Suddenly, Toni remembered the recent events. Icarus had attacked him and knocked him down; as weird as it might sound, he was asking for a memory. Floating in the darkness of his mind, he focused on the sparkle illuminating him, closely. He sighted a ghostly being that looked like fire crackling. When he realized it was Icarus, the lad startled and quickly straightened up.

— Are you... Are we... on my mind?

— Is there a better place to collect memories? You ask some silly questions.

— But I thought only Psyminds could break into people's minds like that.

— Psyminds are weak, shameful creatures, given it's their only ability. But what's interesting is that I learned this by helping one of them. They can't make deals, but I decided it would be interesting for me to help them, out of free will. I guess it was good for me, huh?

The elemental did not really think Psyminds were shameful, but the focus was Toni's story, not his. Icarus searched more and found some childhood memories, which Toni did not even remember consciously. It was very uncomfortable, as if someone was reading a secret diary without permission. Toni tried to push the elemental away, but he was incapable of doing so. He wondered whether a Psymind also had such power.

— Believe me, Magic Leg, they are much more skillful than me... What they can do only with their minds, I try to poorly reproduce it with my magic...

— When you find what you're looking for... Am I going to lose that memory? Won't I remember nothing at all?

— Don't worry. I can only "see". I can't "take" or "change" anything. For my hobby, it's more than enough.

Afterwards, the Flamine was silent and only wandered through the corners of the lad's mind. He was trying to reach for the thread of the memory that had called his attention. Toni saw himself providing access to that memory unexpectedly. If it was unavoidable, at least it could end fast. The bastard had gone straight to his most painful memory, like a vulture. Actually, it would be good if the elemental could take it so he would not have to remember that episode. But even if he could, Toni doubted that the elemental would be so generous.

******************

My fifteenth birthday came and suddenly was gone; it was when I started feeling a strong stiffness in my left leg. After three months, my leg was completely useless.

I was helping my family in our little atelier, where I could fix and manufacture anything with metal and wood.

My leg was hampering my work for a while, but on the day I wasn't able to get out of bed, I got desperate, because it meant I wouldn't be able to move and lift the pieces I used as raw material. Funny how I used to place work as first priority.

The girls begged me to be calm, but it was like taming a wild animal. On our small village, medical care was for a small part of the population, but my sisters managed to bring Dr. Breno to our home. The doctor was a nice person, he was very grateful when I fixed the wooden floor in his house. He had accompanied my case ever since, and it was awful when he announced there was no way back with an inconsolable countenance. It was unfortunate, but I would have to live with this disability.

He warned me it could happen. But still, I didn't want to see anyone for three days. It was when my starving stomach complained.

When I got stronger, I dragged myself to the atelier behind our house. They all got desperate when they didn't find me in my room, but calmed down as soon as they found out where I was. My mom expressly commanded me to go back home. In another time, I'd have obeyed in the blink of an eye, but not then. I was too frustrated. When my mom noticed it, she slowed it down a bit, even though she was still angry.

Ren stayed at the atelier with me almost the whole time.

I myself made my crutches, but I realized I could try to go beyond and build some prototype to support my own leg so it would enable me to walk without using my hands.

I made many of them: out of wood, metal and even some steam-running models. But I was skinny, and I was easily tired because of the weight. The steam-running prototype even burned my leg. When that happened, my mom emphatically forbade me to try anything like that again.

So I got into deep depression and I was discouraged. I hated the crutches, they only held me back. I couldn't do my job as perfectly as I wanted to. I had no mobility and my hands trembled as I got nervous, making it impossible for me to accomplish any task decently. I tried forcing my leg and walk, but it got so sore I shed involuntarily tears. Everything was uncomfortable and everyone pissed me off. I had a fight with Adri! That had never happened before. With time, I saw no reason to get out of bed. I lived in an eternal numbness, as if I were anesthetized. Day after day, I saw the world through a mist; the sounds came to me in a muffled way, as if they were so far away.

Still, I hadn't hit rock bottom yet. There were still a few meters to go. It was all a prelude of all the shit that would come afterwards. Something that would affect us all, in the most deepest way.

I admired all the women in my family. Even Ren, but I didn't like to admit that. They were strong, resolute people.

Adri impressed me with the mix of strength and sweetness. She had a beautiful voice. She sang hypnotically, it was almost supernatural. She was relatively a well-known artist, for many travelers came to our tiny village just because they had heard about Adriana Mermaid Voice. The local tavern was always crowded when my sister performed, and she was by far the one who earned the most there.

She had uncountable wedding proposals. They were usually rustic men, delighted by her appearance, who thought she was singing only for them. She refused every proposal because she considered her family the priority. There were also countless requests for casual sex, from both men and women. Adriana was not so bothered by those.

The whole thing began on a moonless night, in the place where Adri always performed, and it was more crowded than usual. Exactly six months after my leg retired.

At the end of every performance, Adri was usually harassed, but the employees of the tavern were setting a safe distance between the audience and their star. Everyone in the village cared for her and Natanael, the owner, who treated her with the most impeccable zeal because, in addition of being his close friend, Adri was the goose that laid him golden eggs.

Adri had told us about a silent dude who was always in the back at the tavern. He was far from the people who harassed her, but he stared with such an intense glance that she couldn't help noticing him.

The night before the disgrace that would shake the family, one guy had gone through the mob of fans as if they weren't there and rudely addressed to Adri, grabbing her by the arm, almost demanding for a one night stand. He had shaggy hair, as if they were cut with a dull razor. He was tall and large, the extra weight made him look massive. He had four deep parallel scars in his right biceps, which looked like a perforation caused by animal's claws.

When Adri looked at him with cold eyes and suddenly pulled her arm back, while pushed him away, he seemed very unhappy and would have grabbed her again if it wasn't for another employee, who took him away.

So on the next night, Adri performed as usual, and the same man was there, staring at her from the farthest table.

She acted normally, carrying on with the show looking calm. After a while, the tavern became emptier and emptier, to the point that there were only a few drunkards that would certainly spend the night there if the place didn't close for the night.

The weird guy with the scar in the arm was one of the last ones to leave, never letting Adri out of his sight.

As she wanted to know more about the man, Adri asked Natanael. The owner of the tavern answered to that, lately, many strange people were gathering in Alumar, and that he didn't know the man personally, but he belonged to a family of vendors with certain fame and influence at the coastal city of Deepsea, far East in Novea. The name of his clan was Armstrength

According to Natanael, the man seemed to be lost in Alumar, going from one place to another without a pattern or a purpose and he barely talked to people. Adri told us afterwards that Natanael noticed the distress, because he asked her to wait until he closed so he could walk her home. That was his last good deed.

Oh, how I wish I knew magic by then. I would've search for that bastard to the end of the world, if I had to, and I would've destroyed him.

Late night, my sister walked into the house, disturbed. I could only hear her screaming, calling for our mother. "AMAN! AMAN, COME HERE, PLEASE, AMAN!" She screamed. She never called our mother "mom".

I knew something very bad had happened. I had never heard that voice in my whole life. A voice in deep despair, distorted and hysterical, coming out of my dearest Adri's throat.

That made me leave my usual numbness and hop on one leg to where the girls were.

They were in Adri's room, Ren was standing in the doorway. As soon as she saw me, Ren slammed the door, preventing me from seeing what was happening.

Propping up against the wall, I stared at her pained face, hoping she would let me in. Sighing, she raised her hand, meaning I should wait while she opened the door.

— He's here. Should I let him in, Adri?

I don't know what she answered but, whatever it was, she didn't say it out loud. Anyway, Ren opened the door and led the way.

— Stay calm and control yourself. — She whispered through clenched teeth.

I hopped my way in. When I looked inside the room and saw the scenario, I thought I was mistaken or delusional. I didn't get it at first. Beside my mother, on the bed, there was a woman in shambles. She had bruises all over her arms and shoulders. Her shirt was torn, so it didn't cover her breasts. They were hurt and bitten. Her pants were a little more intact, despite being torn and dirty. Through the rips, I had a glimpse of coagulating injuries. Her hair was disheveled, and there seemed to be a part of it missing in the left of her head. I couldn't see her back, but I was sure they were lacerated, because, in my head, I figured what might've happened. But what confused me was her face. She didn't look like anyone I knew. In addition to the torment upon her expression, we could no longer see one of her eyes. The skin around it was so swollen and dark that it hid the eye, which she could not open. Anyway, if she could, I don't know what I'd find there, because it was bleeding profusely. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises, as if someone had hit her over and over. There was a relatively deep cut on her lower lip, which was also bleeding. I didn't realize it at first, but three fingers of her right hand were broken and she also had a sprained ankle.

But I couldn't understand. It took me several minutes to see Adri in that woman. I didn't want to believe.

When it hit me, it was like getting punched in the stomach, and I felt nauseous. It was a shock and I couldn't move any further. It was absurd, unbelievable.

However, what really struck me in all that was what came next.

Adri, so far with a blank look, stared at me with her only eye. Shockingly, I remember the smile she gave me, it was one of the warmest I have ever witnessed. It was like she was telling me not to worry, that it was nothing, that she'd be fine and everything would come back to normal in a while.

I felt an extreme rage erasing reality around me, bubbling beneath my pores. I wasn't a child anymore, and Adri was still looking at me tenderly, trying to protect me, even though she was in that state. Adri, who would become blind of an eye, promised me it would be fine. Adri, with her three crooked fingers that never fully healed, cherished me. Adri, who would later tell us the details on the violence she suffered and Natanael's brutal murder, lulling me.

And me, a cripple that couldn't do a thing for her. Me, the eternal burden, not being able to repay. I knew there was nothing I could do to ease the pain and the humiliation she had been through. And even if I wanted to do something, which back then meant to castrate the bastard who had abused her, how could I? Would I go look for him hopping on one leg so he could take the knife from me and cut my throat?

Burning with hate, frustration and despair, I went out. I don't really know how I left the room or the house. No one came after me. Adri needed more care then me.

I also didn't notice the moment when the sound had started. It echoed across the dark sky, like a gear, but I was barely paying attention to it. My frenzied thoughts kept me busy. I thought about what Adri was feeling, what life would be from then on, how I was supposed to go after that bastard and kill him, how useless I was...

I wobbled and hopped, and the sound was accompanying me, until I realized that I was at the entrance of the Regular Forest.

I couldn't stand the weight of my body and I fell. I remember it wasn't an obstacle for me, because I started dragging myself. I don't really know what led me there, but I wanted to be alone. My anger and anguish were so great I wanted a place just for me, to release them, to try to rip them off of me.

I don't know how long I dragged myself, tearing my clothes and the last shred of dignity I had. And that sound never stopped.

As I said, I didn't know magic back then. Neither did I know magic users, and the corruption to which some of them succumbed to.

My first contact with it was through a Reverse. But I'm sure you know what it's about, Icarus. You know that's the destiny of a wizard corrupted by their own magic.

Magic becomes conscious and tries to steal the wizard's free will. If they're not skillful or balanced enough, they succumb, and it's as if they switch places. Magic is externalized, and the body of the wizard is sucked in. They are literally in reverse.

Obviously, I didn't know about that. I was also unaware of the voracious appetite for human flesh that every Reverse develops.

When I wasn't able to drag myself, with the lower part of my arms raw and almost fainting by exhaustion, I had a glimpse of him in the darkness. At first, I thought it was someone with some sort of light, coming for me.

As I focused, I noticed he didn't really have a human shape. He seemed to have a human trunk, though. He was very tall, because he was balancing in a tail that seemed to belong to a snake. His face would horrify anyone because his eyes and mouth were dark rips in his face. He was also smiling. I tried to stand up to have a better position, but I was done. I could barely lean on one elbow.

I don't know if I was tired, but I couldn't focus very clearly. He seemed like a ghost, shining, plain white. So he spoke.

— What a delightful sound echoing, huh? It's a big day. I can set you free from this useless limb, preventing your early death, boy. I'd like to devour this leg of yours. In return, I can teach you a little trick. You'll thank me a lot later.

I didn't understand anything, I couldn't really process it. Devour my leg? Teach me a trick? What was he talking about? He was right about one thing, though: my leg would certainly diminish my lifetime.

— Make up your mind, kid. — The creature giggled. — It's your life anyway.

If he could help me with my idle leg, so be it! I remember not being afraid. What was there for me to lose, exactly?

I feebly granted permission. I tried to get up and lean against a tree. Unexpectedly, the Reverse helped me; its weird warm touch was all over my skin. When it was over, he stared at me once again, as if he was trying to get a confirmation. I just looked down towards my leg, and looked back up, quickly.

And then he leaned once more, with his face close to the ground, grabbing my left leg and putting it between his jaws. It was possible to see several lines of sharp teeth. His mouth looked like a shark's, actually. And even then, I felt no fear. He mumbled something about me being someone's child, but I wasn't listening anymore. The next thing I remember is a horrible, excruciating pain. I came back to my senses and I could clearly hear the rumbling sound echoing in the sky, just like my screaming. The Reverse apparently swallowed my leg without even chewing it, and licked the blood that streamed to the ground. I was shocked, sort of disgusted and repulsed when I realized it was my blood and that my leg was no longer there. I started breathing heavily, I don't know if due to the bleeding or the horror.

Seeing that, the Reverse took a few seconds, stood up and put his tail next to my wound. Everything I saw was darkness as I smelled burning flesh, followed by pain once again.

However, I was probably out for a few minutes, because when I woke up, it was still night. I startled as I woke up, trying to figured out what had happened. The first thing I noticed was that sound; the giant moaning machine had stopped. I couldn't hear anything but the crickets and the rustling of the grass and the tree leaves, dancing with the wind. I was sweating on my forehead, face and back. My leg was gone. There were no signs of blood on the floor. Whether the ground had absorbed it or the Reverse had cleaned it, I would never know for sure. I reached out for my wound, still sore from the cauterization. Right then, the Reverse reappeared in my field of view, startling me.

— It's better not to touch it. It's too recent. Eat. I'll try and apply some healing magic here. It's the hardest kind of magic to use, no one knows why.

He threw on my lap some fruits he had picked. I didn't want to eat, but perhaps it'd be better if I forced myself. Taking a good look and really seeing the Reverse made me wonder why I wasn't scared before. He was a giant, his tail alone was about three meters long. When he was straight up, he was probably two meters tall. His hands looked like claws and he shone, but not to the point to daze me. His face was weird. He had no bumps; I could only see the dark eyes. His mouth was only visible when he opened it. He had no hair and he had a human-shaped skull. He was really more intimidating when I took a better look at him. I was a little tense when he coiled his tail to look me in the eye.

— You're not going to be afraid now, are you?

I gulped and couldn't say a word as the Reverse reached out to my wound with his slim hand with sharp tips.

— Eat. — He repeated and I mechanically obeyed.

It took some time but the skin around my stump was flushed and healthy. I felt no pain, even though I seemed to feel the toes I no longer had. Meanwhile, I devoured all the fruits on my lap without even realizing it.

Years later, I found out that his behavior was unusual. A Reverse usually devours their whole victim, without leaving any traces. That one, on the other hand, let me live, and not just that. He had taken care of my wound. When I asked him about it, he just said he could never live in peace if he had killed me, and then switched the subject.

But I couldn't know that when I met him, so when I finally got the guts, I resolutely looked to his strange-looking face.

— You said you'd teach me a trick.

The Reverse drew on an enormous, malicious smile. It was as if he had been waiting for me to mention it.

He taught me the first notions of magic I had in my life. He specially showed me how to summon something solid enough to fill in for my missing limb, fitting perfectly to my thigh without burning it and that could support my own body. It was a hell of a hard task, but we practiced it throughout the night and half the following day.

When I came back home, walking on both legs despite being dirty and injured, I didn't find anyone. I went straight to my sister's room, where she rested in bed, calmly, in a deep sleep. I could only see her face, because her body was covered by a light blanket. Her right eye was heavily bandaged. Dr. Breno had definitely stopped by.

When my mother saw me standing by Adri's door, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the living room, probably to scold me heavily. She was about to begin her speech when she noticed I was looking down at her, because I was taller than her. Her words died before she even said them, and she saw my magic leg, quite flabbergasted. It wasn't even close to being perfect, but it could firmly support my body and that was what really mattered to me.

My mother, astonished, told me that Ren had left that morning and still hadn't come back. Afterwards, she went to the back of the house, suddenly resolute, as if she had reached a conclusion.

Taking advantage of the fact that I wasn't scolded, I decided to go after the guy who hurt Adri. I didn't even know the bastard, but I knew his name: Armstrength.

I looked everywhere he had passed, but he just vanished. No traces, no clues. No one had seen him or knew where he went to.

When he was found the next day, quartered at the edges of the Regular Forest, I couldn't help feeling pleased. But also deeply discontent for not being the one who had done it.

Whoever did it had probably done it while I was the Reverse's student. The weird thing was that no fuss came to us.

I never entered into that subject again, but I strongly believe Ren had something to do with it... When I came back, at dusk, after my search for Armstrength had no results, Ren had just arrived. She was calm, almost satisfied, and when she got distracted, she showed glimpse of a smile.

Our life ran its course, even though beginning again was tough. Adri quickly recovered from her physical wounds, despite her blind eye that would follow her for life. Psychologically speaking, she was devastated, and knowing about the murder of her tormentor did not make things any easier. In Alumar, we were used to take justice in our own hands, and no one missed Armstrength anyway. Years later, we found out that Andrius Armstrength – that was the full name of that bastard – had murdered two of his uncles for the inheritance. When his ploy was discovered by the rest of the clan, he ran away, unfortunately coming to a stop in Alumar.

Adri, who was the one that protected and took care of all of us, was now protected by us. It took her almost a year until she could sing again. Still, she became aloof and now had a suspicious look, even though it didn't hinder her performance.

I felt so useless for not being able to do anything for her. So, to keep my sanity and have the strength to keep supporting everyone in my home, I kept coming back to the Regular Forest to meet the Reverse, who taught me more and more about magic. Thus, I knew I was doing something worthwhile. Those were dangerous encounters, because I could see how much effort he made not to devour me. But my leg wasn't perfect yet; it demanded a lot of conscious effort to be summoned and unadvisedly faded. Therefore, I couldn't leave him alone until my leg was decent.

The only one who knew I took those "classes" was Ren. When I told her about it, after she suspected it and told me I was lying, I took her with me so she could see it with her own eyes. She unexpectedly felt more comfortable to tell me about her own story and how she was able to use magic and that Marionete had taught her the basic concepts. She didn't remember where or how she had found Marionete, though.

Even with the training, I never stopped feeling like I was useless or a burden. I wasn't able neither to protect Adri nor avenge her. I was young, I didn't even know how to comfort her. When my family needed me, I wasn't there.

I still think about it. I never wanted to be a discomfort for anyone, ever. Ever again. I must always be able to accomplish things by myself, or there is no point... there is no point in life at all...

******************

— Boy, you're a joke. — Icarus mocked him joyfully.

— What?

— People only believe their own interpretation of the facts, that's why they carry unnecessary guilt. That's why they're disturbed. You're no different than your friend Irene's mentor, Elias.

— What? What do you mean?

— From your memories, it's obvious that no one blames you. No one blames you for having an illness. No one blames you for not knowing how to deal with it. No one blames you for not doing anything, because you wouldn't be capable of it. You took the blame and decided to put it on your shoulders. That's selfish, huh? But the most hilarious thing is that it doesn't change what happened. Something I'll never understand is why do you, beings made of flesh, love to relive the past. Then, everyone says I'm the crazy one. You always choose the hardest, most painful way to live.

Toni had no replies for that. Could Icarus be right? If he reached that conclusion only by watching his memories, it means that he had misinterpreted it all. Or just didn't want to see it.

— You... You don't understand! How could you? You're just an elemental, and you're crazy! You're not capable of understanding the depth of our feelings...

— Oh, of course, You're in denial. Fight it all as you want, boy, it's your life and your consciousness. Thanks for the memory, I'll keep it safe.

After loading the last sentence with irony, Icarus inflated into a bright flame. He wrapped himself around Toni's body, representing his ego. The young man tried squirming and preventing it, but this time it felt as if the fire was really burning him and every inch of skin, hair, nerves and bones. The world exploded into light again before the flames burned his eyes. And again, it was dark.
14 – Elementals, artifacts and conjuring

— Please, Constant Depletion! We are not allowed to seal deals now. Please, don't do it! I beg you; wait for the resolution of our council!

Elias did not listen to the small undine in front of him, from whom he kept extracting magical energy. She did not have enough magic to keep her legs solid so the water that formed her lower body was gone, absorbed by the soil.

They were out on the open, in a field covered with underbrush, very close to a ravine. The undine oasis could be seen, not very far from there, and the liquid creature left it to welcome a wanderer earth elemental who had apparently gone a little off course. The council would meet in a couple of hours, but the elemental and she were ambushed by the Draziw and a young Psymind.

— Constant Depletion, I couldn't seal a deal with you even if I wanted to. I feel that you already have deals with a Flamine and a sylph. A pact with more than one elemental is strictly against the rules!

Elias was still not listening as the water flowed more and more from the undine's body, going towards his chest. The water elemental watched her body fading, horrified; the cobalt wires of magic being absorbed by the man before her and his neutral expression, without the slightest change before her supplications. She did not know how to argue with him, she just felt fear growing within her.

— Come on, little girl, I can go on like this all day, but I don't have that time. I can feel your fellow approaching.

The undine did not quite understand what Constant Depletion was talking about, but right then, her attention was caught by a gigantic being approaching, bringing along a tiny boy on its shoulders. Stones and dust fell from its massive body as it walked. It had a rough countenance, almost like a statue. A golem.

— So... Henrique? How did it go with the earth elemental? Was it easy?

— No. Not that easy. It's not a job for anyone. It's a simple mind, with a lot more instinct than thought. It's easy to control thoughts, not instincts. I had to "fix" it, inhibit some knowledge here and a conviction there... We have to mess up their ethics as well. And it all has to harmonize with the ego. And I'll tell you, the kludge is not going to last that long.

— Oh, really? So we should change the focus then.

The undine witnessed Elias's talking to the earth elemental, incapable of doing a thing, and was astonished when it handed the artifact, sealing the deal. It removed an enormous piece of rock from its own arm and wrapped it in magic, blown from its rigid lips. The object shone with a yellow light and became a sphere. The Draziw took it. The water elemental could not understand how the Psymind had managed to influence the golem in such a way.

When Elias finished his business and addressed the undine once again, she felt the most absolute fear a magical being could feel. She feared his approach. He did not comply with the rules, in addition to being able to eliminate her or dominate her ego. She then realized nothing could stop him from accomplishing his task.

With no alternatives left, she handed her own power sphere in the blink of an eye. She was relieved when both men walked away, while the younger one looked back, sorrowful.

After a few minutes of tension as she waited to make sure they were really gone, she noticed the damage. The only part left was her upper trunk, where magic flowed weakly.

She knew she had to focus to get the magic required to rebuild the rest of her body, and it would be easier if she was closer to a lake or any other place with lots of water. She was shocked by how quick she had broken the rules. A human with four deals was strictly forbidden.

The earth elemental, still a little confused, kneeled next to her to help. Even with his help, it would take hours for her to mend herself.

******************

Irene ran absurdly fast towards the undines' oasis. Magic Leg was still out, even after three days. She could not afford to wait any longer; she needed to go to the meeting point as soon as she could. She felt time passing by quickly.

Several Flamines had gone there two days earlier, for a meeting, shocking both women who did not know about it. The Dragon had witnessed one of those meetings before, a long time ago, and elementals held those to discuss serious subjects. They were usually held when such subjects concerned the whole world. Now she understood why her fellows had created that preposterous plan with Gerson to bring her back. He had said something about the Elders... Perhaps she should have paid more attention. But topics related to her former elemental community did not interest her.

When the Flamines started to abandon the forest in a line, they were forced to explain to Irene and Ren what was happening then. And so they knew about the event.

However, it was not easy for Irene to leave the Flaming Forest. She was still deaf in one ear. That was what she got from arguing with a smart-ass that controlled sounds and had no patience. Their relationship was not easy ever since Ren's brother had been put to sleep, and she had to explain the whole previous conversation she had with Icarus. This time, to avoid bigger trouble, she really came clean. She told who Elias was and what her relationship with him was. She also revealed that, apparently, the Draziw was interested in her, Sound Wrath, as well in Magic Leg. Of course Ren was extremely dissatisfied with the lack of concrete information on this topic and more suspicious than ever regarding Irene's intentions.

For some reason that the Dragon could not figure out, Elias had made a deal with Icarus. It did not make any sense, because her former master was a lot more powerful than four elementals together.

Icarus assured her that Elias would attend the elementals' event because Icarus himself had revealed the location and the date. When Irene asked him why he had done it, the elemental just shrugged with a smile, and said that he liked to see the world in fire.

— This is suitable for a Flamine, don't you think? — He wrapped up.

He also said that Elias had already sealed a deal with a sylph. The woman thought about asking why he had agreed with the deal knowing that fact. It would be a waste of time, though, given the instability of that elemental.

The Water Dragon had to challenge Elias as quick as possible, and she knew that the moment was coming. She tried reaching him on his auditus, unsuccessfully. What was he planning with those elemental artifacts? How were the siblings related to his intentions? What did he want, after all?

She noticed how reckless she was when they last met. Just the fact that he was out of the Guild was absurd enough. Elias never left the Guild. If he had done it, it was because he was planning something bigger. She should have been more incisive in her questions.

And deep down, she tried to deny that he had a sordid plan, although she knew about the condition of his fellow Psymind. Even now, she refused to follow that chain of thought, but, for that, it was imperative for him to come clean.

He was not a bad man, despite his questionable methods and controversial character. At least, that was what Irene believed. Or wanted to believe in. At first, she did not worry about the siblings' well-being; after all, she did not know them. But she reluctantly admitted that she did not wish them any harm, and it was impossible to predict what Elias would do to them.

When the young man faced the elemental, the Flamines in the forest calmly offered help to the trio, who kindly accepted just to get away from the insane giant. For some reason, Icarus respected the other elementals' space and lived at the borders of the forest. After the flutter was over, they realized Toni was fine and in deep sleep. However, Ren had no one to turn to while her brother was out. Annoyed, she accepted Irene's presence, because she was apprehensive about being alone with those scary fire beings. She would never admit it, though.

Nonetheless, hours and days passed by and Magic Leg did not wake up. The patroness of Contrary River was progressively uneasy because she needed to leave or she would miss Elias. The situation was tense and yet Irene suggested they put Magic Leg in the flying ship and traveled south immediately. Sound Wrath did not really enjoy the idea.

— Do you think I'll hand my brother in a golden tray to your little friend?

— I'm just trying to protect you! Unless you'd rather be here in the Flaming Forest. I can go on my own, you know?

— You're not going anywhere until my brother wakes up and we're able to leave.

— This is funny, Sound Wrath, I don't remember filing for a nanny job. You have to trust me.

— Trust you? You?! My brother was the only one who got screwed in this trip!

— I didn't drag anyone here! You are old enough to make your own decisions!

— You've been manipulating us all along! It's all just an act to lead us straight to where you want, isn't it? I'm not putting my brother on that ship, Irene, and I'm not letting you leave!

— Listen, girl, I don't have time to argue...

— YOU'RE NOT LEAVING!

Irene felt the vibration coming right out of the girl's throat, and turned her head around. The sound went through her, tearing her eardrum and the bark of a few trees near them. She reached for her ear, only to feel the blood dripping from her ears, warm. She was enraged. It would take days to heal her eardrum.

Ren startled at the blood, but she was not discouraged. In the meantime, she realized two things. First, she had gone too far. She could see it when she looked at Irene. Second, she saw the woman making a hand gesture quickly and, in the blink of an eye, the gigantic mouth of an ice dragon was a few millimeters away from her throat, ready to shred it with those enormous sharp teeth.

The animal began at the tip of Irene's arms, still liquid, until it turned into the head of a dragon that looked alive. She could see it was eager to take a bite.

— Well, you just found out the reason I'm the Water Dragon. Listen to me because I won't say it again, and I can't hold my pet for long. I will meet Elias and, meanwhile, you stay. I swear I'm not selling you out, come on! But I have to know what my former master is up to. Could you please curb you temper just this once?

Ren was already analyzing means to cut the ice dragon to pieces with the vibration of a snap, but as quick as it appeared, Irene made it disappear, and Irene herself seemed to dematerialize, turning into water drops, carried by the wind. She even took her clothes, which were soaked just by the contact with her liquid body.

Ren thought about going after her and bringing her back, but it would be reckless to leave Toni. Furious, she had to admit that Irene had the advantage.

******************

Taking a break a few kilometers away from the oasis, Irene saw an elemental in the distance, together with what seemed to be an undine. She had to find Elias at any cost, she could not be delayed by them, but she noticed something weird about the undine.

As she got closer, she noticed the girl had no legs, but there was more. When she was a few meters away from them, a glimpse of recognition went through her.

— Laguna!

Both the undine and the golem turned around to see who was coming. Laguna could not hide her contentment.

— Oh! Irene, my dearest sister! You came!

The Water Dragon crouched beside the golem, without understanding how Laguna got into that tragic situation. Suddenly it came to her: in order for her body to vanish, it would be necessary to eliminate the magic beneath it. Who had the innate ability to extract magic?

— Oh Laguna, I'm so sorry! What did Elias do? Did he seal a deal with both of you?

Both elementals nodded.

— Something need to be done immediately, sister... He now has four artifacts, that is dangerous and against the rules...

— Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Let me help you.

Irene took Laguna and transferred a little of her own magic to the undine, who could quickly rebuild her legs. Afterwards, the water elemental stood up, staggering. She wrapped her liquid arms around the woman's shoulders, and Irene could feel the freshness of water.

— So that man, Gerson, convinced you to join us! I'm glad you decided to come to our meeting, sister. To be honest, I didn't believe he could do it.

— And he couldn't, Laguna. I'm not here for the meeting.

— Well, but, Irene... The Draziws of the Guild, the ones called "The Elders", are moving... Carrying out researches with the limited magic of this world. That's something that needs to be discussed. We can't let them get to Next Machina...

— I've heard that name a lot of times in a short amount of time. Laguna, do you believing this tale?

— Irene, you stayed with us undines for so little time... There is so much you don't know...

— I don't have time for this, Laguna. Tell me where Elias went.

Laguna gave her fellow the information. Irene's free-will was amazing and, in a way, Laguna was fascinated by it. But she knew it was due to her human side. It was hard to coerce her to do something she did not want to.

As soon as she had the directions to Elias, she rushed, leaving both elementals behind, stupefied.

******************

— Do you believe in afterlife, Henrique?

Henrique, who had been mentally searching the area to look for any threatening presences, was taken by surprise. He turned around to look at Elias, sitting calmly on a little rock. The four elemental artifacts were on the ground as Elias rolled them around with his fingers, without looking up.

They were as far from the Undine oasis as they could, and they were close to the Rambler Cordillera, known for its stories of wanderer spirits. They were inside a small passage, camouflaged between two mountains. Elias knew that place like the back of his hand.

Despite the sunlight that entered the passage from above and the entrance where they had came, the whole place was dominated by a fog, which made it quite ghostly. It was a damp, chilling place.

Henrique did not know whether the environment had made Elias address that subject, but it would be exhausting to dodge that conversation. If he refused to talk, he would hear a monologue for hours, because that man did not see a problem with it. Elias could command him to speak, but he rarely did so. Henrique would never admit it, but sometimes, the Draziw had interesting topics to talk about.

— Well, I don't think about that stuff a lot...but what is the definition of afterlife for you, Elias?

— Oh, you know, a place for souls to inhabit, live and talk naturally, just like when they were alive.

— Hm, Kaeb's Coin, isn't it? You know, Kaeb, an ancient Rubie priest who believed in the coexistence of two similar worlds, the world of the living and the world of the dead. Just like the two sides of a coin. One cannot exist without the other and all...

— You got that right. One side is Novea and the other one, Mag Mell.

— I've heard about that before, a lot of people in Novea believe that. Most people, I'd say. I'm not religious but I tend to believe the dogmas of my own people.

— Tell me about it.

— Psyminds believe everything has its own consciousness... People, animals and even objects, in a rudimentary way. And the world is formed by a universal consciousness, so when we die, we just go back to being part of a whole. We are only a part of a gigantic omniscient being, who became individuals to live our own experiences in this plan.

— Not bad. Do you believe it?

— Like I said, I'm not religious... Who knows what's waiting for us?

— What if I told you Mag Mell is real?

Henrique stopped for a second, still keeping eye contact with Elias, as if he was waiting for a smile and the open declaration that it was a joke. It was hard to know whether he was serious or not. But as the man kept looking at him without a change in his expression, the lad thought he wasn't being ironic at all.

— I'm serious. I've checked its existence. I mean, I can't affirm it was Mag Mell, but it was something definitely big.

— Wait, Elias... How could you have checked it? Did you die and no one knows about it? Am I talking to a zombie?

The gray-haired man could not help a muffled laughter. He kept playing with the artifacts, distractedly.

— Henrique, you don't know how frightening it is to be such a powerful man. I've left this pomp behind me, but when you have thirteen Magic Hearts, you end up doing some tasks that even you think are impossible.

Henrique waited as he listened.

— It was part of a research of mine, of course. I wanted the confirmation of other plans and well, I transformed my body into pure, rough magic.

— Wouldn't magic take its place? Like what happens with Reverses?

— Oh, yes, everything is possible and there is the risk... But I didn't care then. The fact is that other plans do exist, and there are many. I've been to every single one of them, but one. Guess which one.

— The world of the dead.

— Exactly! Somehow, the "beings" I met there, which were strangely made of light, knew I was alive. And they told me the dead were the only ones to enter that place. So they sent me back to my own body. Can you believe that? They sent me, the Constant Depletion, back to Novea and to my body, against my will! I don't know how that sounds to you, but I was quite surprised.

The Psymind continued to watch the man. He seemed to be amused as he narrated that, but Henrique noticed frustration in his countenance. He did not know whether that was the feeling because he wasn't good at reading faces. When he needed information, he could just go to someone's mind.

— Well, enough with the conversation. It's time to make these little things work. Elias picked up all artifacts, standing up afterwards. He walked to a place with softer land as Henrique closely followed him. He was curious to see what the man would do with those elemental spheres. If Elias intended to make them work right then, Henrique would not miss the show. The Draziw chose a location not very far from where they were, tested the soil, seemed pleased with it and laid the artifacts on the ground again. He picked up a stone nearby, with a prominent edge. He used it to draw a big circle around the artifacts, with at least three-meter radius. The young Psymind was astonished with the perfection of the circle. In the positions of North, South, East and West, he drew the symbols that represented the elements, inside the ring. Henrique had never seen such symbols, but they were so basic that anyone could infer them. Next to the center, Elias drew a smaller circle and wrote something inside it, which the meaning was not so clear though.

When Henrique was about to ask him, Elias raised his index finger, suggesting the lad should wait. As he finished it, the man picked the four artifacts and placed them inside the smaller circle, on top of the unknown word. It looked like "Tempo". The youngster wondered if it had something to do with music.

Then, to the Psymind's astonishment, Elias used the edge of the rock to cut his own hand. Before Henrique's wide eyes, the man spilled some of his own blood over each one of the four artifacts. When he thought it was enough, he made a quick hand gesture and the wound stopped bleeding, but it did not healed completely. As he stepped away, the Draziw started to recite words in a language Henrique did not know. His curiosity was its highest, he was dying to read the old wizard's mind at that moment. Apparently, he did not wait long, for the place seemed to become darker. The light faded in such a way that the only source of light was the outer circle drawn on the ground. The air got heavier. He had the feeling that it had stopped moving, literally. Henrique felt a chill through his spine. He bursted into cold sweat, which also seemed to be still on his skin. Elias was dealing with extremely powerful forces, and the most terrifying was that he did not seem to care.

The sound around them, the cricket chirps, the crackling bushes, the wind blowing through the gaps of rocks...it all froze, stagnated.

Henrique felt his body losing mobility little by little, as if time was slowing down. He was sure about that when a lizard ran out of a bush nearby but was paralyzed with all legs off the ground. He looked back at Elias and the Draziw was as still as the running lizard. His eyes were not moving, he showed no signs of consciousness. Like a living statue. As if a picture was being taken at that very moment.

The only noticeable movement was at the circle. Each of the four artifacts emitted several beams of light, which joined in a spiral at the center, spinning faster and faster. He heard a shrill wail, followed by the unmistakable sound of laughter. The young man could not feel a single part of his body, but his consciousness was still active; that was how he knew that, if his body was functioning, he would be chilled to the bone.

He watched as something in the inner circle came to life, using the beams of light to do so. When it had rudimentary eyes and a head, it looked straight at him. He would have definitely screamed, if he could.

That was when time suddenly continued, and Henrique fell to the ground, letting out a howl of terror. Elias, who had been oblivious to all that, looked at him, blankly. In a moment, he was standing up, watching closely and, all of a sudden, he was on the ground, screaming with wide eyes. He laughed evilly.

At the center of the circle, he saw the one he was waiting for. It was instantly there, as expected. He looked at the simple rough copy of his wife. They smiled at each other. She actually seemed to have a caricature smile on her face.

— Did you bring a Psymind this time? They ruin the magic of invocation, Elias, my dear. — She sighed, using magic to make an audible sound. She turned to Henrique. — Nice to meet you personally, young Henrique. I actually knew we'd meet.

The Psymind stared at her, dizzy. She looked familiar, although she was made of magic.

— Who are you, after all?

She looked back at Elias. She looked upset.

— Did you not even tell him who have you invoked, Elias? This is awkward.

— If I told him, he probably wouldn't believe it. He had to see it for himself. Henrique, this is Time.

— Time? What time? What the hell are you talking about?

— Kid, why do you think elementals refuse to seal more than one deal with the same person? Because this is the result if that person is aware of the ritual: the four elements have the power to invoke and shape time. And you can have any knowledge, from the past or the future. Strangely, each individual seems to see time as a singular thing, related to them. I glimpse the ghost of my late wife. Who do you see, Henrique?

The Psymind looked closely at that being, who looked back. It flickered all the time, making it difficult to recognize. It was a rough copy, but Henrique finally recognized who that was. He was instantly sheepish.

— Come on, tell me. I'm curious.

He sighed. With no other alternative, he obeyed Elias.

— My mother.

— Understandable. Time always shows us who we miss the most.

— Now that everything's clear, let's go to the point, Draziw Elias. You wish to have the knowledge you deem inexistent in this moment of time, right?

— Yes. I've researched a lot for years in ancient libraries; I've consulted all my fellows of the Guild, asked Henrique to read the mind of each elder priest and every historian. But I discovered it's a lost knowledge. Something that is beyond the memory of the Elders of the Guild.

Elias was passionate, excited. He explained with eyes open, making plenty of gestures with his hands. His research was his way of seeing the world, and the quest for knowledge was his fuel.

— The fact is that I only managed to get a single piece of information pointing to the direction I wished. And it was right at the beginning of my journey, in a city close to the Guild, called Estrelada. I found an old fragment of a book, stating that genies are formed from a child of a Draziw.

So Henrique was right. He was almost positive that Elias was searching for the favors of a genie. That subject made him slightly uncomfortable, as if a thought was around the border of his consciousness, to be noticed and discussed. Instinctively, the lad knew he was not supposed to bring it up. He pushed the thought to his subconscious and continued to listen.

— But that was the only information I got in five years of research. You can imagine how frustrating it is, can't you? I practically turned Novea upside down, until I reached the conclusion that it would be easier to ask you, Time.

Elias was silent for a second. The ghost of his wife Hana moved a few centimeters inside the circle, as if she leaned towards him.

— So, dear Elias, let me inform you that you didn't do a good job at searching. There are four sources with the full knowledge of the topic you're looking for, in this moment of time. But me, of course. One at the Regular Forest, in Amol, another in Kailotron, one in the Flaming Forest and one right next to here. But those aren't conventional sources of information, so there is nothing wrong with letting them pass you by.

Time looked briefly at Henrique, misleading him. Elias did not pay attention to it.

— Well, I barely though about looking in Amol region... There is nothing important there but Amanda and her daughter, Adriana. But I didn't think it was necessary to interrogate them...

— I don't mean them, Elias. But that's not important because you managed to invoke me. By the way, what a piece of work, huh? Bothering to search for the four artifacts required for the invocation, and in past times you could've done it by yourself with your power...

— Hana, to get what I want, I had to waive all of my Magic Hearts and hide them... But you know that, don't you? Anyway, it would've been more toilsome to recover the Hearts and put them back on for the invocation, only to go through the agony of taking them out again. No, believe me; it was easier to get measly four artifacts.

— Maybe... But the actual reality and the developments would've been quite different if you had recovered your Hearts.

Elias was silent. He knew Time's games and malice very well, and it was better not to go down that road with the conversation. Time seemed to get tremendous pleasure in mixing dimensions, opening time slots and showing alternate realities, although it rarely did so. It was like a pastime to break the routine.

The ghost, evidencing that the Draziw had no interest whatsoever of going down that path, watched Henrique. He did not dare to open his mouth, though. The being, sighing, continued.

— Well, I'd like to inform you that you're in the right way, dear Elias. If you wish to produce the genie, a Flagae, you already have what you need. The four elemental artifacts are just what is necessary to hold and cancel the free-will of the Magic Heart.

— The Magic Heart? What do you mean, Hana?

— The child of a Draziw. Who do you suppose is the child of a Draziw, Elias, since you know they can't have children naturally?

— Are you saying that "the child of a Draziw"... is a Magic Heart?

— A Magic Heart with the human shape of its original owner, which was never content with being stolen and absorbed by someone else. It gets so angry that, after a while after it is thrown out, it takes the shape of a person, usually to try and take revenge on who had held it captive. It becomes a very powerful entity, so to speak. And it's the true raw material for an authentic Flagae. Because it's pure magic. The flesh of its body is also produced by magic.

— So I could've used one of my own Magic Hearts for that!

— No. A massive Magic Heart is not the right raw material. It has to be pure magic, with the human feelings that have led it to become human. And none of yours has that. Not yet. That is why it's impossible to use an elemental as raw material, because they are basically moved by their instincts, and they are not purely magic. You can't use Reverses either, because they're not purely magic. The inside of a Reverse is made of human entrails, as you know. Nope. The combination is exactly that to make it work. Why do you think genies are extremely rare?

— So are you saying that Amanda's three children are Magic Hearts?

Time, using that rough copy of a body, outline a kind of smile. It stared at both men before talking again.

— You're jumping to conclusions here. I didn't say that. I affirmed nothing, actually.

— Which one?

Right then, Time lost its shape, still smiling. It recomposed right afterwards. It was strange noticing how excited it was, but in a diabolical way. Obviously, it knew all about it – it could probably explain anything about any topic, in any space or time – but it was as if it was pleased by holding information as long as possible.

Elias noticed it seemed more malicious than the usual. It was not like he knew all of Time's facets, but he could notice sarcasm, which the Draziw had never witnessed in previous encounters.

— Elias, I've revealed information hard to get in this moment of time. I've informed you how to create and imprison a genie. The other things you need may be easily gotten with not much effort. And, frankly, I'm curious to see which one of the infinite possibilities you'll choose. Surprise me.

Afterwards, it started fading, releasing magic and returning it to the artifacts. The Draziw opened his mouth to protest, but he knew he wouldn't succeed.

Time stopped again; it was a tense moment that only Henrique was aware of, as if the entity who was leaving took a few moments to fit the course of its existence and move on with the events as they were supposed to happen. During the whole process, a thought at the edge of his brain swirled in an attempt to tell him something he already knew, which was beyond the information given by that being that looked like his mother. But it wasn't time, so Henrique shoved it down, back to the darkness of his mind.

Elias did not even realized he was frozen in time, but as soon as he regained consciousness, he looked at Henrique and smiled, tired.

— What a bastard, huh?

Henrique took a few seconds to realize who the man was talking about.

— Elias, did you conjure...time?

— The being that takes care of chronology and time structure, yes. Who could've imagined that such an entity existed, huh? I think this is far beyond the delusions of the most devoted priest of any religion. I'm glad I believe no dogmas.

— Let me ask you something, given that we coexist and that I'm quite aware of your personality. You've met Time before, as far as I could notice. Have you ever tried to dominate it? To go back and forth in time, change an event or something like that?

— I thought it was not necessary for you to ask this.

Henrique had to laugh. It was indeed too obvious.

— Well, of course Time is much more powerful than me, even when I was at my best shape. It's even possible that it may have messed up the story of my life for challenging it, who knows? Maybe not, because if it had done it, it'd rather make me aware of that.

— You know, if I could control this entity, I would've done something not to meet you.

— Yes, I am fully aware of that, son. But cheer up, we're getting there.

— I hope you get what you want after all. Whatever that is.

— Thank you, Henrique.

Both went into a respectful silence as the man picked the artifacts up and erased the symbols on the ground. He was anxious to meet the siblings. One of the sisters was the Magic Heart in human shape. He just had to figure out which. Elias was sure it was not Magic Leg. He would play another role in the scene he dreamed of. The puzzle was almost done and his purpose, almost at reach.
15 – Battle and blood

Irene reached the edge of a rock large enough to hide her entire body in time to observe a kind of magical being disappearing amid a summoning circle. She overheard the talk between Elias and the young Psymind. She remembered his name: Henrique. She protected her mind as much as she could, hoping he would not notice her presence.

After she left the Undine oasis, failing at locating the Draziw, she missed all clues she had on the duo. She did not know where to go. Trying to think like Elias, she remembered that he now had all four elemental artifacts. She assumed her former companion would want to use them as quick as he could, for it was a trait of his personality: he wanted to test everything as soon as possible, solve the puzzle as fast as possible. She remembered how curious he was. But he was also wise, and he would not do it in a place where he could be interrupted.

Analyzing the geography of the region, from the oasis, a large stretch of a high, green lawn a flowed for several kilometers. On the Northeast, there was a chain of dark mountains, known as the Rambler Cordillera. The only safe place within that perimeter.

It was not much, she thought, but it would be logical if she were Elias. So she ran towards that direction. She sighed in relief when she felt a tiny fraction of her energy being withdrawn, near the wall of the first mountain. She knew she had hit the bull's-eye.

Hidden among rocks, Irene also managed to avoid the depletion of her energy. Elias could easily notice her presence through that. As usual, it was not simple, and the effort, together with the heavy work of camouflaging her mind, annoyed her.

She had to triple the attention to understand what the duo talked about in the distance. She heard something about conjuring time. She knew Elias had done that idiocy at least twice in his life. He was probably eager for information. She realized she had missed the best of party, which would definitely be helpful. Right then, both man only exchanged amenities. Irene was not fond of outbursts of rage, but considering the pressure she was under, she lost it. Abandoning the protection of her covert, she resolutely walked towards them, who got considerably surprised to see her standing there, approaching them. She kept her mind hermetically sealed and her energy, retained.

— Well, well, well... Irene! You don't know how happy I am to see you again so soon!

She watched Elias, aiming deeply his dark eyes into hers. His surprise faded in less than a second, as he assumed his dissimulated pose. But the spark of anger was still on inside Irene; therefore she was not willing to enter the ironic of her former companion at all.

— Cut it out, Elias. I'm not patience for this now.

She released her magic flow, which was firmly retained. The amount of energy absorbed by Elias was insignificant as he made no conscious efforts for it. And it would be easier if she focused only on him. However, she did not give up on camouflaging her mind as well.

— Elias, we need to talk. What's all that? What do all these tricks mean? Why did you left the Guild? Why the hell do you need four elemental artifacts? I really want to understand what you're doing, because I suspect it's not something very noble.

— Let me answer with another question. Why are you worrying now? Don't you think it's a little late for that?

— Because I'm an idiot. I over trusted my good judgment towards you. I'm not sure how far you're willing to go for something I have no idea what it is. Why don't you tell me?

— Well, I can asure you I'm willing to do anything. With respect to my wishes... I don't think there is another way to say this without sounding ridiculous, but... I need a genie.

Irene huffed heavily through firmly joined lips, which sounded pretty much like she heard something funny and could not hold the laughter. The Water Dragon aimed at Draziw's eyes again.

— Elias, what does a guy like you, in your position, could possibly ask a genie? Is there something you cannot do, make or create? You have thirteen Magic Hearts!

— Not anymore, my dear. Not anymore.

Irene, without action, frowned, without understanding what he had said.

— Didn't you realize, my dear? Expand your magic a little more and you'll be able to measure the reach of my aura. Don't be afraid, I won't deplete your energy.

She did so. Cautious, she analyzed the power irradiating from him. She was instantly shocked because of the stark difference. She could not notice it before because she was always protecting her own energy around him. She stared at him with narrow eyes and her full lips parted, as if she tried to unravel what happened, and how it happened.

— I don't get it. You don't have your Magic Hearts? So how could you still deplete energy?

— Because my original Heart can't be removed. That's the only one that absorbs energy, as you know.

— But... do you want to ask the genie to give your Magic Hearts back?

— Oh my, no! Far from that. I ripped them off myself, and I hid them. They would only get in my way.

— You ripped them off...? That makes no sense, Elias! What are you up to, after all?

That last question almost sounded like a supplication, as if she thought her former fellow had lost his mind. However, the Draziw only continued looking at her, analyzing all reactions in order to find out whether he could come clean or not. Irene had a strong personality; she was practical and resolute. But if Elias really knew her, he was sure that, right then, Irene was so emotionally involved with the siblings that it would be impossible to ask her to rise against them. Her excessive empathy with people was an intrinsic good trait of her personality, but it was also her weakness. In a certain way, in a level that not even he could understand, he was jealous of that. He knew his hollow soul could never sparkle as hers.

That was exactly why he knew he could not count on her. Having her on his side in that mission was not on his plans anyway.

— I'm sorry, Irene, but the time has come to meet the siblings you've been accompanying. I had to distract you so you wouldn't pay attention to what I've been up to and, at the same time, someone I trust had to keep an eye on them.

— Elias, what do you want? Tell me! Are you going to harm them?

— Maybe, my dear. I don't really know yet.

As he thought the conversation was over, Elias just walked towards Henrique, passing by his former companion, very closely. He was always surprised when they were close and he remembered how tiny she was, with narrow clavicles. His biceps almost touched her shoulder, and he could swear a discharge of electricity ran through both of them. Could it only be the adrenaline on his veins, anticipating the moment she would jump on him? He was disappointed when he realized she would not. He took a few uncertain steps as her voice finally reached him.

— Did you really think it would be that easy?

She turned around with a fearless, almost eager expression. Her smile had a glimpse of insanity, but she knew exactly what she was doing. She moved her legs apart and assumed a solid battle pose, with her right hand over her chest and the left one ahead, in a standard position, with her little finger and ring finger folded as her middle finger, index finger and thumb were outstretched. The fact that he was a much more powerful Draziw was never a reason for her to fear confrontation. After all, she had learned everything from him. But magical martial arts were the best strategy then, because she was agile and Elias could not keep up with her, because of his size. She could redirect Elias's energy flow against himself through that art.

And now he had only one Magic Heart, which undoubtedly made things easier.

Of course, if she assumed he had fair play.

But the world was not that fair.

— Henrique, give me a hand, will you?

The Draziw was like an old fox and would certainly take all the advantage he had, even if it meant to go up against a former companion. He did not want to waste energy or get injured in any possible way. He had to be preserved for any eventuality with the siblings.

He thought Irene would be more worried with the situation. The fact that the lad stood right beside him, ready to fight and with no signs of hesitation did not really bother the woman. She either really thought she stood a chance; or perhaps she had gone mad. He was thrilled with both prospects.

Henrique wasted no time and stretched out his mind tentacles, creating a field to imprison his opponent's mind by force. The moment he had been waiting for had finally come, but he did not remember why.

Irene had built a solid wall around her consciousness, but Henrique could easily go through it with the right tricks. In a moment, he found a vulnerable spot, through where he made his way in, and planted an illusion.

Just like magic, the dark-skinned lad disappeared from the Water Dragon's visual field, and for dizzying seconds, she was surrounded by cold walls. Those were getting closer and seemed to crush her in turmoil. Breathing repeatedly and thinking frenetically, she remembered it was fake, like a scenery. She went for it, in the direction she knew he was before. Her forearm hit something firmly, but it absorbed the impact. When the illusion faded away and she realized where she really was, she noticed she had hit Elias, who put himself in front of the lad and defended the strike also with his forearm. Henrique was shocked with how accurate Irene was as she fell upon him, he was motionless for a few seconds. It was enough for her to change the density of her arm, turning it into water and, like a razor, she sliced Elias's skin.

The man was unable to hold a grunt, with fright, rather than pain. With his healthy arm, he grabbed Irene by her neck and quickly drained her energy, making the water evaporate and her limb go back to normal.

Feeling dizzy with the quick magic drainage, she grabbed Elias's wrist with both hands and threw all her weight. With a sprained wrist, he had to let her go. She fell on her butt, bouncing once. She stood up, still staggering.

Henrique, recovered, went up against her once more. He knew he had to plant something on her mind, and he had to do it without his "master's" knowledge, and he did not even know what it was. Or else, he would have to come clean.

The Dragon's mind had to be dominated as soon as possible, but it was like taming a wild stallion which knows it is going to be imprisoned and fights for its life. That was Irene, and she fought back even harder. Henrique could even feel the counterattacks as if they were physical, which made him nauseous. He had definitely not seen anyone fight like that before.

While they were mentally fighting, Elias hit her on the back of her head and, when she fell down, he kicked her in the stomach. The young Psymind lost his focus with the violence.

Grimacing in pain, Irene did not stop. In a quick movement of her hand, she threw Elias away from her. She vaguely thought he would have seen it coming if he still had all his Hearts.

The gesture she made not only pushed her opponent back, but also paralyzed him. It explained the fact that Elias cut his forehead as he fell on his face on the stony ground.

As she got up, with a small trickle of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, Irene turned once more to the Psymind. She was a fierce opponent, and if Henrique tried any physical attack on her, he would be done. She was so frightening he could not think straight.

She went for the dark-skinned lad with an ice-covered fist, and he desperately tried to assault her mind once more. She was so focused on knocking him out that, strangely, penetrating her brain was easy. For a few precious seconds, he managed to convince her that she was tied by millions of strings with no beginning or end, which came from nowhere. As she kept struggling, Henrique could not catch her attention.

He inserted his consciousness in hers because he wanted to talk to her, he needed her to pay attention. However, in the mental image he had built, Irene managed to free one of her arms and created a colossal ice dragon, with threatening teeth and mouth. The animal came straight at him and Henrique could notice how his arm and shoulder looked infinitesimal inside that maw squeezing it, unmerciful. Even in someone else's illusion, he bled. But he was firm, and so was the ghost of his consciousness, resolutely floating towards the tied woman.

The Psymind's stubbornness, even in face of her fearsome ice dragon finally seemed to take Irene off the state of fury. She never intended to hurt him, but in the heat of the battle, she only thought about not having her mind dominated.

— Listen... you have to hear me out... I have some information for you. I'm not sure what it is, or else Elias will also know...

Without even giving her the chance to take the ice dragon back, Henrique clumsily transferred that forgotten bit of his knowledge to Irene. There was a lot of information, transferred quickly and recklessly. It hurt. Was it... Emon? She could see Emon in that turmoil, and it made her let her guard down.

As soon as the last piece of information went to Irene, their minds split up violently. Both screamed in surprise and pain. When the Dragon came to her senses, she was firmly kept by Elias's healthy muscled arm, holding her against his chest, almost choking her. He was focusing an abysmal amount of magic on her, to keep her still. Her feet barely touched the ground. With his wounded arm, he made a gesture that smashed the ice dragon stretching out from her right wrist, which had almost cut off Henrique's upper limb at shoulder height. Up until then, the Psymind thought Irene had injured him only in her subconscious.

The lad's arm had gone limp, bleeding profusely. His clothes were shredded and stained with dark blood, coming from his veins. Crimson drops streamed down his fingers and were absorbed as they hit the soil. When he made out the scenery, Henrique widened his eyes in shock.

Irene herself was astonished with that image. She hoped the injury was not very serious. But Elias was almost suffocating her, and she could not see clearly.

The man took the advantage and drained the last bit of energy she had, and set her free from his iron arm lock. She fell on her stomach, barely conscious.

— Henrique, capture her mind NOW!

Henrique heard Elias's voice coming from a distance, muffled as if he was underwater and mechanically obeyed, because dealing with people's minds, to Psyminds, was like breathing. He was not sure if he would be able to do it if the Dragon struggled and he had to focus more.

However, as he mentally touched her, Irene fainted.

Elias sighed in relief, without even realizing he had been holding his breath. He casted a healing spell on his wound, walked towards Henrique, who was kneeling down, holding his forearm. The pain came from the laceration by his shoulder in waves, running through his arm and down to his fingertips, following the flow of the blood coming from it. His limb was almost falling off, held only by a piece of flesh, at biceps height. His bones were crushed by the dragon's cruel bite.

Elias crouched in front of him and looked at that mess, displeased. He did not like what he saw, but he thought he could fix it, even though the magic required was hard to use and it took some time.

The cut on his own arm was still a little open; the Draziw only managed to pull both parts of his wound together and stick them together. A least he was not bleeding anymore. A clean gaze will do the trick, for now. The lad demanded more urgent care. For a second, he wished he had all his Hearts, because it meant more ability while dealing with healing magic – the hardest one to control – in less time.

That thought came and instantly went away. No, he did not want his hearts back and he could deal with that situation as it was. It would take longer, but it was under control. No rush.

The blue eyes of the young man were blank, and he barely noticed Elias's presence. His dark-toned skin covered it quite well, but his face had a weird, unhealthy color. His body moved as if he was drunk and he was actually almost passing out due to blood loss. Elias held him by his uninjured shoulder to make him stop moving and sit. He immediately started to mend his bones. Recreating flesh and marrow with the genetic features of a person was relatively easy, when you knew what you were doing. Elias had lived for a long time and researched a lot to improve his technique. The problem was always using healing magic to hold it together. It was more than working on a puzzle, because putting the pieces into place was not enough, he had to glue them together. Or else, it would eventually fell apart. That is why a lot of attention and time were required.

Elias blew and made a tiny sphere of energy, about the size of a marble, and made Henrique swallow it. It would stimulate the production of blood cells, which he needed then. At the same time, the bleeding in the Psymind's wounds would increase, but the Elder was prepared and had stanched the blood flow in that arm, enabling him to calmly work. Anyway, it would keep any possibility of infections and dirt away.

None of them talked during the process and after almost an hour, Henrique looked better and his wounds were almost filled with healthy flesh. Elias was tired.

— Isn't she going to wake up? — He addressed the young man.

— No. I specifically commanded her to stay asleep.

— Hm, great. Because I've been thinking... I don't want unnecessary fights in this pitiful state. What if she brought the sibling to me herself?

— That would be cruel.

— It would, wouldn't it?
16 – Pacts, insanity and joy

It had been two days since Irene's departure – or escape. Ren could have acted calmly and rationally to keep in touch with the woman, but her bad temper went in her way, as usual. She was bothered for having to be alone with those terrible elementals and worried because her brother would not wake up. She also did not know what to expect from the undine, and it distressed her. She was not a good judge when it came to other people's nature.

In addition to all that, she felt guilty. She was the only one who knew how tired of taking care of her brother she was. Not that she wished him any harm, she could never do that. She loved him. He was her friend, her confidant. They have lived together ever since she could remember; he was the only man she allowed to get close.

Whenever he entered that lethargic state, with arms and legs so stiff he could barely walk, she sometimes caught herself thinking how it would all be if it was over for once. His induced coma only reinforced that thought. What if the time came and Toni could not move anymore because of his illness and he stays just like the way he is now? She tried to visualize the closure, everything coming to an end. What if Toni did not exist, what if Toni was not her brother... What if Toni was dead...

Then, she shook her head firmly, slapping her own cheeks in reproof. She was being selfish and she felt ashamed for it. She only wanted her healthy brother back, but that wish seemed so distant, so vague. She was aware of how repugnant her thoughts and petty feelings were. But the psychological exhaustion filled her mind.

She was still by her brother's side, who was in his cabin inside Newcomen. They still had a lot of provisions, and Ren cooked something that she could push down her throat and without making her nauseous. She only ate half of her meal and left the rest on the gunwale, where she was leaning as she looked at the Flaming Forest. The sun made a purple trail in the sky, with beautiful shades of gold. At East, she could only see the intense blue of the night. The canopies of the trees were back to normal. The elementals, quiet at their home, were not putting on their show at the time. Even before that wonderful sunset, Ren's mood did not change. It actually seemed to go down along with the Sun, as darkness rose.

Even Marionete noticed the heavy atmosphere and floated keeping a respectful distance from her mistress, in extreme silence.

Ren huffed and reached out to grab the plate and throw it along with the rest of the dirty dishes, when a mild light invaded her visual field, coming from the bottom of the ship, floating a few meters from the ground. In a second, that fatuous fire materialized in front of her.

A small Flamine stopped on the wooden floor, with her tiny head tilted to the side, watching.

Ren already knew her. Representing the Flamines, she always hopped on board of Newcomen to check whether the siblings were fine and needed anything. The young lady had to admit that, despite the fear they caused at first, elementals were really helpful. She searched through her memory, trying to remember her name. Matches. Yes, that was it. Quite obvious, actually.

Matches seemed to be very curious about them. Ren suspected she was the one the Flamine analyzed the most. The small elemental sometimes followed her around to check on Toni, and that was when she felt the thorough scrutiny on her. When she turned around to the Flamine, the feeling went away, but she felt watched the whole time.

Both of them just stood there by the gunwale, looking at each other in silence for a few moments. Ren gazed at her. It was impossible not to, no matter how much she was used to her presence. So tiny she could barely reach Ren's chin, but with the strength and the energy as intense as any other Flamine's.

The relentless dance of the flames through the elemental's body caught her attention, surprised and amazed her. It was like being before a natural phenomenon, but with an impressive, deadly beauty. Being so close to a burning being was odd to Ren. It was uncomfortable, as if the other one was about to explode, and nature was ready to lose control and translate that in violence. Irene caused that impression as well, when she was in her undine form. But, paradoxically, that feeling hypnotized her, called out to her and captured her interest. It was scary and fascinating at the same time.

During that moment, neither said a word, and the Flamine looked as interested as Ren. None of them knew how to break the silence, but Matches took the initiative.

— Hello, Sound Wrath.

— Hey. Call me Ren.

— Ren, okay. — She seemed to test the name. — Ren, I'm here again to see if you need anything... I'm also here on behalf of Icarus. He would like to inform you that your brother is probably going to wake up today.

— And how could he know such a thing?

Matches only slightly shook her head. Both went silent again. After a moment, Ren sighed and talked once more.

— Thank you, Matches, we're fine. There's no need to worry.

She turned her back to the Flamine, leaning against the gunwale again. She waited for the elemental to become a flame again and leave the ship, returning to the ground in a spiral. But Matches stood still. When Ren noticed it, she turned around again.

— Is there something else to say, Matches?

She hesitated for a few seconds.

— Actually, there is, Sound Wr... I mean, Ren. I, erm... hm... wanted to tell you that... I don't want to seem rude or nosy, but I don't know how can I say this and not sound blunt, but... You don't have to be afraid of us.

The young lady was a little surprise when she heard it and started to listen closely to what the elemental was saying.

— I mean... I noticed some scared glances, erm, or at least that was what I thought, and... a wary body language, I'd say. If that's not it, I'm sorry, I don't know humans well enough to say anything, although I think you're fascinating and everything... Bu-but I'd only wish we could talk some more, without all this formalities... you know?

Ren found Matches's awkwardness and lack of inhibition amusing, and her mood improved a little. It was unexpected – at least for her – to see an elemental talking in such a hampered way.

— Matches, I'm sorry, it's just that my brother was attacked by one of you and it got me smelling a rat, you know? But I think you're right, it's unfair of me to distrust all of you.

— To me, it's a little hard to understand flesh beings' concepts of good and evil, but Icarus is not "evil". Few elementals have been that corrupted in History, as far as I know. And the ones who have are totally excluded from our community. They don't live apart, as Icarus prefers. He just has... different habits.

— I guess he's too complex for me to understand him. And forgive me, Matches, but I really don't want to.

The Flamine went silent and lowered her head, believing she had annoyed Ren. She tried to mend it.

— It's ok, I'm not mad or anything! Don't worry.

— Good! Sorry to take your time. It's just that... I have never sealed a deal before, you know? I'm a young Flamine and, well...I've been thinking for a while about how would it be to seal a deal with a human...

A warning bell sounded within Ren. Where was that conversation leading to? Watching the elemental, she encouraged that being to go on.

— But of course, I'm not suggesting anything! I'm just thinking aloud, I guess...

The young lady started to become a little impatient.

— Matches, will you tell me what do you want? There's no need for detours. Be cool, I won't bite.

— Okay, okay. Wouldn't you like to seal a deal?

Now she had gone too straight to the point. Ren was slightly uncomfortable.

— What? Why? Just like this, out of the blue?

— Don't get me wrong, Sound Wr... Ren. Icarus told me something, and I think he might be right. Please, don't be mad at me. He said you had an innate aptitude to associate with fire, because it's as if it was already a part of you, of your personality. And by analyzing you, I guess he's right.

— I can't see how or why.

— It's a specific trait that each human being has within themselves, and that elementals can feel in a peculiar way. We can see it better in some and weakly in others... Well, anyway, any human has the ability for it, but some of you have more aptitude than the others, depending on the element they have choosen.

— I don't really have a choice here, do I? — Ren crucially made her point.

— Bu-but that's why I said I wasn't suggesting anything! You humans have free will to choose the element you want. It's just that I've been in the Flaming Forest for as long as I can remember, and it's hard to find someone to associate with these days. So, you know, I don't know if this comparison will be accurate enough for you, but it's as if someone wants to eat a specific type of candy their whole life, but they depend on another human being to make that candy, you know? I didn't say you mandatorily have to choose fire...I just wanted...

— Okay, Matches, calm down, I got it. What do you and Icarus — she said his name with a certain tone of repugnance — feel in me, exactly? How does that work?

— He was the one who brought up that you would be a great partner for a Flamine. I doubted it at first, that's why I asked the elders to let me represent the community, so I could come to this ship and see you. Icarus has always known about how much I want to seal a deal. I mean, every elemental feels that way, but I'm just hasty and anxious, you know? And besides I was with you for a while, I started thinking Icarus could be right. Erm, so... What do you say? What do you think?

Ren weighed the whole situation carefully. As she looked at Matches, discreetly frowning, she scratched the edge of the gunwale with the tips of her nails, distracted. Would it do any good to her? She concluded that it would, as she remembered the elementals that obeyed Gerson in the blink of an eye. Besides, it fitted the purpose of their journey, because in theory, they needed four elemental artifacts to manage to capture a genie. But given it was Icarus who had suggested the deal, she immediately suspected. He was manipulative and cynical. Maybe he was thinking of something dubious and was two, three, even ten steps ahead of her.

However, the prospect of having a fire partner was interesting. With all those powerful beings walking around, it was not that bad having someone to complement her own power. Matches did not seem crazy like Icarus, after all. But then, Ren remembered she was not a great character analyst. The fact that she was appointed by the wackiest elemental she was aware of was a downside. She did not know what to do. She had reached a deadlock.

— You don't want to, do you?

— No, that's not it. I'll be honest: the fact that Icarus suggested this is bothering me. I don't know what to do; I know I can't trust him.

— Ren, if I may, why don't you ask your mobile information device?

Marionete! She always forgot about the doll. The metal doll performed a quick, yet reliable analysis on Icarus. Perhaps she knew something about that small Flamine as well. She still floated within a respectful distance from Ren, silently, but she made a low beep when she noticed they were talking about her. As no one asked her anything, she just observed, on alert state.

— Marionete, what do you think? Is it an advantage to seal a deal with Matches?

— ANALYZING... MATCHES. NOT MANY RECORDS. A LITTLE OVER SIXTY YEARS OLD, VERY YOUNG. SHE HAS NEVER LEFT THE FLAMING FOREST. SHE IS ALMOST OBSCENELY INTERESTED IN HUMAN BEINGS, WHICH EXTREMELY RESEMBLES ICARUS. LOW POSSIBILITY OF HAZARD IF SHE KEEPS THE CURRENT STANDARDS.

— Is this information recent, Marionete? — She did not know what led her to that question, but Ren felt it was the right one to ask.

— QUITE RECENT. THE RECORDS ARE 10 YEARS OLD.

— That's odd...I'd like to know how is it possible that you have ten-year old records if I found you seven years ago, tops.

— SORRY, ACCESS DENIED.

— I know why. Marionete's her name, right? She's not the only robot around... She must definitely share information with other similar devices. They're quite rare, and the last one has actually been to the Flaming Forest at least ten years ago.

— Wait, Matches. She's not the only what? What did you call her?

— Robot. She's a robot. A type of machine, inorganic.

— Like running on steam?

— Yes, but she's not as rustic as a steam-running device. Her circuits are electric and finely built, and magic keeps her running. Actually, she is a very advanced model, state-of-the-art technology. But it's an old technology. And it's now extinct.

— Extinct? How do you know all of this? Wasn't she made in Kailotron?

— Definitely not. There is no advanced knowledge to reproduce a model like her nowadays. How do I know that? Every elemental knows it. That is ancient knowledge that never fades because elementals don't die. At most, we're reintegrated to nature in another form.

— So... Who built her?

— Next Machina, probably. The guardian of magic and technology. It's been missing for thousands of years. But it's still around, provided that one of its emissaries follows you around. I believe that only the elementals and the Elders of the Guild are aware of Next Machina's story. But for the Elders, it's only a legend. The elementals know it's real, though.

— Is... is it true, Marionete?

— SORRY, ACCESS DENIED.

Ren's head was spinning. She never gave much thought to the matter, because although she sought it in her memory, she did not remember how the hell she had met Marionete. She was running frenzied through the corridors of her memories, trying to find a clue or a hint. That horrible episode with her sister. She remembered that too clearly. That was the starting point. Her anger still burned under her skin every time she thought about Armstrength. She had lured the monster to the Regular Forest. Yes, she had lured him there without even having to leave the forest. That was easy.

In the early hours of that fateful day, she had not planned a thing because she helped her mother to take care of Adri. She also did not even think about looking for her brother. Not that night. He would have to make his own luck. But at the breaking of day, when her sister finally went into a light, disturbed sleep, she left home and went to the forest. She could not think at home, in that pain atmosphere. So she ran to her secret place, in order to think about something evil enough to do to Armstrength.

The Regular Forest seemed different that day. She started to hear strange, unusual noises. They were not scary, just weird. It sounded like the wind blowing, but it was not that, either. It was snaps and clicks and, most of the time, a buzz. As her attention was caught by the fuss, she sat comfortably in a plush carpet of grass, still a little wet from the dew of the night. She continued to hear that hiss, and it was good. If she was there for minutes or hours, she would not know. She felt as if she was hypnotized. She started to reproduce that sound. And so she knew that that sound was to call for Armstrength. She was not able to tell how, but she was hit by a rock-solid certainty, so hard and cold she could almost touch it. At first, she made a poor imitation.

She tried again and again, and she finally made the buzz sound exactly like the one she had heard. And in her mind, she knew that frequency would only resound in the monster's ear and lead him to her, like a bee drawn by the smell of flowers. She took her time there, only imitating the noise. She finally sighted a man at the borders of the forest, entering the garden she was at, as if he was sleepwalking. To Ren, it also felt like a dream. In a second, as if she missed a few frames of his movement, he was standing right before her. With the same certainty people have in a dream, she knew he was Armstrength. It was crazy, but Ren thought she could even smell her sister's perfume in that disgusting man.

She stood up and barely reached his chest. She looked at him from head to toe, and she remembered it quite well. She wanted to know what that piece of garbage, who had no respect for people's lives and who paid no attention to the consequences of his own actions, looked like. The image of her sister never escaped her mind. He was going to pay.

Armstrength was still, like a viper, charmed by the sound of a flute. His eyes were unfocused, lost in a point far beyond, above the young lady's shoulders. His huge hands were trembling almost in a spasm as if, deep down, some part of his consciousness tried to warn him about the imminent danger and wake him up to pull him out of there. But Ren, in that dream, was sure he could not do such a thing, and felt a dirty, euphoric pleasure.

"Damn you", she thought in cold hatred running through her body like sweat. She noticed the bruises on the man's face, and many scratches in his chest and his arms. The anguish that overwhelmed her almost made her burst into tears. Adri had never given up. She had fought until she reached her physical limit.

Those thoughts ran fiercely through Ren's mind and she stopped making the buzz exactly when she attacked Armstrength. At first, she moved through anger, screaming Adri's name and shouting that he would die for having hurted her. She saw everything through a red mist and just wanted him to disappear. Yet, a wave of psychotic satisfaction hit her when she realized the monster was fully aware of her, with scared eyes as he knew he would die. His eyes became even more frightened when she started making sounds that reverberated and sank under his skin. They became pleading when his flesh started to burst. He was filled with pain when his blood flew, tumbling, towards Ren's tiny body. She particularly remembered how the warm liquid felt on her. She had liked it. She was neither disgusted nor loathed. She was just thrilled with the blood and wanted some more.

Adri was completely off her mind. She could barely remember why she was attacking Armstrength. Everything she saw was his despair, and it caused an indescribable euphoria. She felt compelled to torment him even more, because it sounded good. Her revenge was already forgotten.

She licked the blood spilled on her face, which now streamed down her cheeks. It was such a great satisfaction that it could only be compared to sexual pleasure. She could not trace that analogy then; she was only sixteen. But as she analyzed it now, she realized it.

Killing him was so pleasant that, for a long time, she was scared of herself, because her original intent had been replaced by something more perverse and terrible. She wondered many times if she had not lost control, but she was perfectly aware of what she was undertaking, and the will to do it. She loved watching every part of his body slowly and unpleasantly detaching, and how he could see it all. It was disturbing. She had never regretted it, that was not the issue. She did not care about him or what others might think. But the way she had done it, when she analyzed the events in her mind afterwards, still horrified her. Her coldness, the satisfaction and that bizarre pleasure with blood... She had tried all those sensations, as if someone had whispered to her about how pleasant the experience would be. Whispers... She remembered the weird sounds the forest made before it called for Armstrength. It was ridiculous, though. It had all come from within her; she was responsible for her hallucinated behavior. She was sure about that.

For a long time, she even avoided looking at small wounds, because she knew that dark side of her personality slept within her.

Because yes, she was that cold-blooded murderer, rather than an influence of the strange powers of the Regular Forest. Her momentarily madness had caused it. She could feel the certainty embedded in her bones. And it shocked her. She had quickly forgotten about her older sister to think about something petty. And mean.

She often had the urge to relive the experience with other enemies, just to be able to feel that pleasure again. Then, she got scared at the evil thoughts and, with a certain difficulty, she came back to her senses. Those crises only got better when she started being sexually active. She noticed the pleasure was quite similar and the urge considerably decreased.

However, her story went on after Armstrength's death, but her memory failed to remember it.

As she was wallowed in scarlet blood and saw his dismembered corpse strewn across the ground for several meters, Ren felt sleepy. Still with a smile on her face, she remembered how numb her muscles were, and how lethargic her consciousness was. She snuggled comfortably on the grass and fell asleep in the same position. From then on, nothing could be affirmed clearly. While Armstrength's looked like a vivid dream, what came afterwards was hazy.

There was something or someone addressing to Ren. It was nothing but a mist, a faltering shadow. She could not define how long that person was with her accurately. Her intermittent vision came back and forth. However, whoever that was, did not talk only to her. They instructed someone else too, but the girl was not sure. So it all came to an end and she went into a dreamless sleep.

She was out for a few hours, until she woke up in a jolt, pulling the air in as if she was drowning. She did not remember where she was or what she had come to do. She could not measure time because the sunlight barely entered the Regular Forest. She rubbed her eyes and felt a terrible taste on her mouth, so she focused on what was around her. She heard a constant whistle close to her, which got louder and louder. She startled when she saw something strange floating right before her eyes. She stepped away from the thing, but it continued floating calmly, following her. She lifted an arm and moved it quickly downwards to hit the weird doll, but it was faster and dodged her strike.

— WOULD YOU MIND STOPPING THAT? MY ENERGY LEVEL IS LOW AND IT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO APPLY IT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS I HAVE TO GIVE YOU.

The metallic voice echoed in that closed space. Ren almost covered her ears. She remained silent and listened closely.

— VERY WELL. I'M AN INFORMATION DEVICE RECREATED FROM THE MODEL IAVXS-243. MY CODENAME IS MARIONETE. NICE TO MEET YOU. ARE YOU RENATA MARO, RIGHT?

With a raised eyebrow, Ren just murmured the confirmation.

— VOICE RECOGNIZED. I'M OFFICIALLY A MODEL AT YOUR SERVICE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BATHE? I BELIEVE IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO GO HOME LIKE THAT.

Ren did not even need to take a look at herself. She smelled like sweat and coagulated blood, with her hair and clothes painted red. Her clothes were beyond salvation, but it would be better to clean her body.

— But where can I clean myself, metal doll?

— I ALREADY TOLD YOU MY NAME. USE IT FOR QUICKER IDENTIFICATION. ABOUT 200 METERS FROM HERE, THERE IS A SMALL WATER STREAM. HAVE YOU NEVER FOUND THAT PLACE?

Ren shook her head. She and Toni had their own hideouts and places that they shared. She was surprised that there were still untouched places. The Regular Forest was not so extensive, but it was incredibly mysterious.

After showing the way, Marionete started talking about her composition, duties and data, and Ren could not understand much. She just heard the relentless little creature talk non-stop, with her voice reverberating across empty spaces. While she took her clothes off in that small natural pool formed among a few rocks, Marionete went on about how she was supposed to be recharged. While waiting for the water to dissolve at least a bit of crimson stains in her clothes, the girl tried to pass her magical energy to the doll's battery. Magical powers, which she enthusiastically realized, that could be easily manipulate by her. She wondered whether it was the influence of the forest itself. She laughed until she was breathless when Marionete swayed unexpectedly, screaming that the magic was enough.

Ren was able to return home unsuspiciously. Despite the dirty, wet clothes, no one asked her where she had been or what she had been doing. Her mother was the only one who saw her arriving. She did not run into any village inhabitants in the way. The mother was quite disconcerted when she saw Marionete, but she did not discuss it when Ren said Toni had built her that gift. She would only have to convince her brother about it.

If Marionete had been sent by Next Machina, what were her real intentions? Would Next Machina be the person she vaguely remembered talking to her in her numbness? Ren did not know.

But if all elementals knew that story, it meant that Irene knew about it too. That was exactly what Ren asked Matches.

— Hm, see, I don't know the Water Dragon in person, but what I do know about her is that she did not spend much time with the undines... Her human side spoke aloud and after a short period, she left the community. I don't believe she had the time to share their deeper knowledge, so she knows few details. She firmly believes Next Machina is just a legend.

— I understand...

— But, so... You've realized I'm no danger. I mean, supposing you trust Marionete. Have you reached any conclusions?

Oh yes, Renata, a.k.a Sound Wrath, had reached a conclusion. She was willing to seal the deal. She was anxious to know whether her judgement was right.

Matches rejoiced at her decision. If she was sure Ren would not freak out and push her back, she would have hugged her.

— So, how do we seal this deal, Matches?

— Everything we agree to will be registered in words on the fire sphere I'll hand you. So we can just say the conditions.

— Well, I don't really know, I've never done it... What's the basic condition? That you come whenever I summon you?

— Yes, that's the basics, but I can always be by your side if you wish to. You can use my powers through the magic sphere. We can make a sort of fusion and get something like a phoenix. We have unlimited possibilities...

Both discussed the deal for almost an hour as the elemental explained all terms to the lady. After talking about all conditions, they ended up sealing the standard deal. Ren found out that, usually, the deal was only sealed differently when the user wanted to waive one of their powers. If there was no objection in that sense, they sealed the standard deal that ensured all forms of support that an elemental could provide. Ren chose that one.

Then, Matches carefully held both of Ren's hands, with the palms turning upwards, without taking her eyes off the woman. As she did not refrain, the Flamine was confident enough to proceed. She focused for one or two minutes, with the flames rushing loudly through her small body. Ren was calm, despite her slight apprehension. She showed no fear on her countenance. A quick burning sensation travelled her hands, and the girl involuntarily gave a tiny jerk on her arms. Matches noticed that and only held Ren more firmly. At some point in the process, the elemental joined her partner's palms and a small sphere of fire started to form above them. Ren admired that beautiful red glow, how it moved and did not burn her flesh. She smiled in view of the beauty of the spinning magic. Her hair flew back, with a stream of hot air, and she could feel the energy of fire flowing through her body, starting at her hands. The ritual finally ended. All loose power was concentrated in that small globe spinning round and round. She could see small words carved on the sphere, which also glowed in a flaming orange color. That artifact was beautiful. Ren was glad it was hers. Matches let go of her partner's wrists, stepped back and also gazed at the sphere. The deal was sealed. She was filled with happiness.

Little did they know their joy would not long last. Winds of foreboding blew through the boards of Newcomen, when Irene, raising her expressionless red eyes as she looked at the ship, smiled devilishly.
17 – Fights, ice, and water

Toni sailed through a cacophony of voices, scents and touches. After a while in this senseless mess of images and sounds, he realized it could only be a dream. But even though he forced, struggled and squirmed, he never succeeded to wake up. He let go, immersed in that endless smorgasbord, mixing scenes of the past, current events and even things he had never seen.

He refused to believe it was a premonition. He knew, in some deranged way, that he would not remember much when he woke up.

His mother, Adri, Ren, Armstrength, the Reverse, Irene, Afonso, Araí, Gerson, Icarus...

They were all engaged in a ridiculous conversation around a round table. Some debated, causing droplets of saliva to fly and get lost in the air. Others talked friendly, eating and patting each other's backs. Some of them he had never seen, or did not recall seeing. A tall man that had grey hair and a cynical face. A dark-skinned man, with blue, deep eyes and a shaved head. The man argued with Irene, making a sarcastic face, as the younger man watched closely. Looking closely, Toni realized that, in the lad's shoulder, there was a huge open wound, bleeding profusely. But in such an absurd way that only happens in dreams, he barely noticed that injury. No one noticed it. Irene seemed very angry and Toni startled to see her like that. She usually talked with some attitude and style, so that whole change was weird. She talked to the big man, who was taller than her, as if she did not agree with a word he said. He could not hear the conversation clearly, the words got lost in the distance to his eardrums. He looked at Ren, who talked to another Flamine. That was not Icarus. That one was smaller and had feminine traits. She was even shorter than Ren, and both talked cheerfully, like they were great friends. Icarus was behind them, following their interaction, interested, with a wide smile ripping his burning face. No one noticed his presence, and Toni also could not understand what their conversation was about.

The scene happened over and over in his mind. It was distressing. The more he was aware that it was a daydream and wanted to break free, the more he got lost.

Memories of his teen years also popped up in his mind and some he did not want to relive. Adri's wounded face danced before him, and he raised his arms in despair, trying to forget, forget it all. He wished he had been a better brother, a support, a lighthouse in which his family could relly on. From his point of view, he had done everything wrong.

But Icarus's voice floated in his mind. "You took the blame and decided to put it on yourself. That's selfish, huh? But the most hilarious thing is that it doesn't change what happened. You always choose the hardest and the most painful way to live..."

He thought about how ridiculous he must have sounded to the elemental, trying to be the most important one. He was right about something, though: his family did not blame him. Deep down, he knew that, but he did not wish that things were that simple. He was a burden, a discomfort. How come people were never bothered to carry him?

Maybe that bastard was right, and Toni should leave those images that made him so dizzy behind. In the past. He had not been capable of doing much before, but he was a grown man now. Despite his illness, he could still mind his own business. He only had to go on with his head held high, without forgetting the sacrifice of his dearests and not martyring himself. Yes, perhaps Toni was capable of it. And yet, he was not willing to lose his dignity. If that first (and last) journey towards the cure for his illness did not work out, he still intended to put an end to his own existence before it was too late. He would never give that up. He thought about it for a long time while the images looped over and over again.

He was finally back to the scene around the round table. Just for a change they talked excitedly, in that cacophony that he did not understand. However, this time, something had changed. Toni watched closely, still uncertain of what was different. He gazed through all the members in that circle until he reached Icarus. His stomach squirmed in a bump. The elemental looked straight at him from behind Ren and the other Flamine. The look was so intense on his strange fiery face that Toni wanted to run away. Icarus had an intimidating aura, and he did not even need to make an effort. The young man's heart skipped a beat when the massive voice of the Flamine clearly echoed.

— Time to go. Your sister might need you.

Toni involuntarily slipped his eyes to his sister in his dream, who was still talking to the other elemental, without realizing anything.

— Not that sister. The real one.

Toni's hair stood on end when Icarus floated over their heads, approaching him. He tried stepping back, but there was no real space in that environment of illusion.

— Wait. You're not grabbing my head with those giant hands again, are you?

— You bet I am.

Before he could move or try to get away, Toni was blinded by a flash again.

******************

He woke up in a spasm; his hands flew wildly all over, as if he was trying to rip off something stuck on his face, trying to catch his breath. He did not know where he was. He diffusely noticed a blanket falling, which once covered his body. While he was floundering, he hit something on the nightstand and dropped a spherical object. He opened his eyes and, trying to control his breath, he looked around himself. It took him one or two minutes to notice he was in his cabin, inside his ship. He waited for the image to change just like magic, taking him somewhere else. He waited for a while, and as nothing changed, he risked getting out of bed. He did not want to put his foot down and state that he was awaken, but it was worth exploring a bit more.

He sat on the smooth mattress and looked at the object he had dropped. A flaming globe. It was unique and Toni got distracted looking inside it, seeing that it moved just like fire in a fireplace. Admiring the sphere, he got out of bed. He noticed a strong oscillation of his body to left, and he only stopped falling when he hit the ground.

— SHIT!

He had completely forgotten to summon his magic leg. That had not happened for at least five years. He was so focused on looking at that stupid ball that he even made the major mistake. But at least Icarus had fulfilled his part of the deal and handed him the elemental artifact. Finally, something was working out. Toni left the sphere on top of his night table, got his magic leg running for a while and stood up. He was dressed in his old pajamas. Ren had certainly dressed him. He was embarrassed for the trouble he always put his sister in, but it would all end soon, no matter what.

He grabbed the first pair of pants and shirt he saw. Actually, he decided to also grab a coat, that old black coat full of pockets that kept him warm on winters. After all, was he imagining it or did the temperature suddenly drop? It did not matter. He would find out as soon as he left his cabin. When he was about to open the door, he decided to take another look at that fire globe. He wondered if he should stick it into one of the pockets. He thought it was better to take it, but he did not know why. He adjusted the artifact into a pocket by his chest, distractedly.

He ran through the small corridor of the ship, passing by Ren's room. She was not there. She was also not in the boiler room or anywhere at the bottom of the ship, either. If she was not on the deck, Toni would go out and look for her. He had no idea where they were docked, whether they were still at the Flaming Forest or not.

As soon as he opened the door to the external part of Newcomen, he was soaked in a freezing and unnatural wind. The cold went through his clothes, reached his bones and made him lose his enthusiasm. Toni vaguely thought he should have put more clothes on. Snowflakes floated around him and, as they touched his skin, they practically burned him. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to retain his body heat. In no time, his breath formed thick layers of vapor in the air. Definitely, what was going on was tottaly unusual. It should not snow in that time of the year, in the middle of spring. Looking at the sky, Toni noticed the magic controlling the weather, flowing uniformly across the sky, coming from a single spot below the ship.

At the prow, he finally saw Ren next to the gunwale, accompanied by an elemental. They were both looking down to something on the ground. The lad startled when he realized the Flamine beside his sister was the same he had seen in his daydream imprisonment. There was no doubt about it and Toni also knew they had sealed a deal. He could not even imagine how he could be so certain of it, but he was.

The Flamine was halfway faded; the strength of the fire was carried away by the cold. Marionete was floating around them, staggering.

— Ren, what's going on?!

He had to shout to be heard, because the sharp wind was deafening. Both turned around to check where the voice came from, and Ren opened up a smile when she saw her brother. Even the elemental seemed relieved. But there was no time for greetings.

— You have no idea how happy I am to see you up, Toni... I think we have a problem.

— I can see that! Who's doing this?

— Well, brother, isn't it obvious?

Toni hesitated before Ren's question, but soon a name came to his mind. Ren could not be talking about Irene, could she? Why the hell would that lady be causing such a violent cold wave? What for? To freeze them on board? Had she gone mad?

Then, as if it was another bizarre scene from one of his dreams, Irene slowly rose above the gunwale. First, the top of her head, with loose flowing hair, then her forehead, her eyes – terrifying eyes – and her face. She kept her arms stretched, with her palms facing up, as if she wanted to give them a freezing hug as a greeting. Toni wanted to know how she was able to rise in the air like that. When she rose a little more, they could see that, from the waist down, her body was a water swirl, quickly spinning like a typhoon, enabling her to rise.

Her eyes were changed, in a strange way. They used to be hazel, but now, they were intimidating and red. She had never looked at them like that before. It was something between cold satisfaction and complete despise. She had a sort of grin that looked like a smile.

They were silent, astonished for a second, as Irene looked from one side to the other, with morbid happiness. Afterwards, she put her right hand on her lips, kissing the tip of her index and middle fingers. It was a hand position. They barely had the time to dodge the razor-sharp splinters of ice that flew like arrows towards them. Clumsily, Matches was hit around her abdomen by one of the splinters and steam formed where fire and ice met. However, she calmly focused on melting that barb. Toni and Ren dodged those by millimeters, but the pieces of ice did not get stuck in the wood of the ship. The edges broke and ricocheted.

— She went crazy! She keeps murmuring that she's going to get us and slice us! We have to fight back, Toni!

— I can't hear her say a word, Ren!

— She's talking through magic!

— I heard it too, Magic Leg. We must defend ourselves.

So the Flamine would help them. Well, the more allies, the better. He did not know what Irene would be capable of.

The Water Dragon made the gestures again, making the place even colder. She intended to slow them down with the low temperature, so their muscles would stop responding. Toni was aware of that also the fact that he did not want the fight to happen right in the middle of his ship.

— Let's go down there! If someone wrecks Newcomen, I'll kill them!

They split up as each one of them ran to a side of the boat. Marionete threw herself towards her owner, who firmly held her. It gave them some advantage because, for a moment, Irene did not know who to strike first. As they reached the ground, they ran away from the ship and the woman, in the opposite direction of the Flaming Forest, going through a dirt road that led the way out.

After the initial hesitation, the Water Dragon turned around to where they have ran to, and the tornado that held her up started to diminish, taking her naturally back to the ground. They could run, but they would never escape. They were just postponing the inevitable. On the ground, her legs materialized amid the liquid around her and she walked towards them.

Ren, at a safe distance and not quite sure of what she was doing, stopped, let Marionete go and put the artifact in front of her chest. Matches perfectly understood the signal and her body became diffuse and shapeless as the fire was wrapped around her partner. The flames were absorbed by Ren and soon they became another being, like the phoenix Matches had mentioned.

The power burned in each and every cell of Ren's body; the connection was smooth, just like it was supposed to be. She now realized that the Flamine was right and fire was indeed her element. The connection was stimulating; she felt it was right.

But that moment came and went away. Before she realized it, a deadly splinter of ice went through the fire sphere, breaking it in half. The edge of the splinter reached Ren's chest, opening up a cut that now bled. It was not a complete tragedy because the artifact had cushioned most of the blow. While both halves fell to the ground, Matches screamed, splitting up from her partner's body and fading in the air. Soon, there was only a warm wind around her.

Irene, with that evil smile that went straight up to her eyes, calmly walked towards them.

— You fool. You must never try an association in the middle of a battle like that. It's a slow and vulnerable process. But you did not know that, did you?

— Did you kill her?! — Ren desperately asked her, feeling the rage boiling. Her vision was blurry due to the shock.

The older woman just stared at her and huffed disdainfully.

— Don't be an idiot. Not even I can kill an elemental. She'll be back sometime.

Suddenly, a magic form entered Irene's visual field, which she made up a little too late. There was no time to protect her face when Toni's leg hit the right side of her head, causing her to fly a few meters back. She never actually hit the ground because she created a layer of ice on it, squirming and sliding until she got up again. An uncomfortable resonance ran through her eardrum, not fully healed from the injury caused by Ren. But she was far from looking shaken; Irene was even more excited.

— Magic Leg, have I ever told you you're very sexy when you fight and strive? I wonder if you'll still be beautiful like that once I turn you into an ice statue.

— What are you doing, Irene?! Are you insane? You could've killed Ren!

— It's a shame I can't, though.

— Why are you doing this? Answer me!

Irene stopped for a second. What was she actually doing? When she tried to think, everything turned into a mist and only one thing was vivid in her mind. Fight. The necessity to bring them down. Maybe torture them a little, if she had the chance. She could not clearly focus. She soon got tired of it.

— Let's just play for a while, okay?

While she got distracted with her thoughts, both took the advantage and discreetly surrounded her. When she realized it, a vibrating gust came from Ren while Toni detached a part of his magic, which came towards her as a fire ball. Without losing any more time, she built an ice barrier that stopped Toni's energy and, as se stretched her hand in front of her body, the temperature got lower, making the sound molecules emitted by Ren slow down until they sounded like a whisper when they hit Irene.

In a second, she picked her target. As fast as a flood, she went up against Ren, planning to freeze her and get her out of the game. She was the most vulnerable due to her temper, because she was led by rage and never focused on what was important. Now that her elemental partner was gone, Irene believed she must have become even unstable.

She was surprised to get it wrong. Sound Wrath was indeed furious, it was easy to see it in her eyes. But she was more focused than usual, snapping her fingers several times, aiming to produce dry sounds, directing them to hit several parts of Irene's body. On the rush to reach her, she was not able to avoid the blows that hit her arms, legs, clavicle and chest. It happened in a split second, and Irene was impressed that Ren could keep up with her. The disadvantage of freezing someone completely is that she could not do it from the distance. The bruises that formed almost immediately where she was hit reminded her of that.

Anyway, the attack was not enough to stop her, so she kept on going, grabbing the young lady by the arms. She immediately screamed as she felt the cold running through her muscles like thousands of knives. Fortunately, she screamed without putting magic into it, or Irene would probably be deaf by now. She reasoned that it would be very beneficial – for her, of course – to freeze the opponent's vocal cords before she decided to do it effectively. So she ran her hand through Ren's arm and grabbed her neck, with a freezing blue aura detaching from her hand and illuminating the tanned skin of her opponent.

Toni once again went up against her, willing to kick her on the back of her head. But Irene knew better and, as she turned the hand that held Ren's forearm into a water whip, she hit him on his side, throwing him back. The lad plopped on the ground, with torn clothes and a cut in his body.

— I'm starting to get VERY PISSED at water elementals!

At the same time Toni yelled that, Ren took the momentarily freedom of her both arms and violently clapped. The magic-filled sound threw Irene back, causing her to lose her balance and fall on the dirt.

Immediately afterwards, Toni sat on her belly, with his hands coated with the same matte blue energy that formed his left leg. His right hand was in a fist, ready to hit her in the face. As he realized he was about to crush Irene's face, he remembered she was no ordinary woman.

The first blow shook her teeth, but they remained in place. The second one, on the other cheek, caused a sharp pain on her temples. The third one must have cut her mouth, because the taste of blood filled her tongue. Irene could not even calculate the damage of the fourth one, because she was taken by a murderous fury. When Toni raised his arm for the fifth punch, he only hit water, because the woman fully took her undine shape. He tried to step back, but Irene involved him with her whole body. In the blink of an eye, he shut his mouth until it was a fine line, but the water had entered his nose. When the liquid hit his lungs, he coughed, and it made him swallow even more water. The feeling of drowning was terrible; it burned his chest and his throat. He uselessly squirmed, in clear despair. But Irene had not thought it through and forgot that Sound Wrath knew how to solve it. They all felt a strong vibration in the air. The resonance made the liquid in Irene's body unstable and caused Toni's skeleton to shake. Both looked at Ren, who was partially recovered from freezing and emitted that sound through her mouth.

The Water Dragon instantly stepped away from Toni, coming back to her human form. The white skin of her naked body showed several bruises and some were not recent. Had she fought someone else before?

With no patience for the looks they gave her, Irene conjured countless, maybe hundreds of ice arrows, aiming at her opponents. Realizing it would be easier to look for shelter, Toni rushed towards Ren, grabbed her by the hand and both ran away. The first spears hit the ground right behind them, missing their feet for centimeters. Right ahead, there was a fallen dead tree in a depression, where they hide themselves. It started snowing again as they were hiding and the wind was so intense the whole tree was shaking. Irene lowered the temperature and Toni, who was soaked, started to frenetically shiver. His limbs were sore from the cold; breathing was painful. As he stared at Ren, he noticed she was not felling very different. They hugged, trying to retain each other's heat. The lad wondered whether an undine could control their element as extremely as Irene.

— That bitch... I've always known we shouldn't have trusted her! — Ren screamed louder than the terrifying, howling wind.

— But, Ren... She's weird... Different. Didn't you notice?

— Notice what?

— I don't know, her eyes, I guess. They're very different from what they usually are. You're always closer to her than me, didn't you notice that?

Ren blinked twice.

— No.

— Well, you should have. She's got old bruises, which were not caused by us. Maybe something happened. I mean, did she leave while I was asleep?

— Well, yes, she was away for a couple of days.

— Maybe something happened to...

Interrupting their conversation, Irene stuck her frozen arm between them and grabbed Toni by his hair. With no gentleness, she dragged him away, covered him in potent punches and threw him a few meters away. When she came back to do the same to Ren, she got a sonic gust in her whole body, being obliged to step away. Her eardrums, which had been hurt before by the same strike, bled again. Irene did not seem happy at all. Sound Wrath took the advantage and crawled out of her hideout, waiting for the older woman's reaction.

Despite the displeasure printed on her face, it was as if that feeling was not strange and if the same situation had happened before. The Water Dragon could not be sure because she was not thinking straight.

Toni was waiting for the world to stop spinning before his eyes. The spots where he had been hit hurt with the cold, as if he had held ice for a long time. He thought that when his skin unfroze, he would feel the pain in double. When he focused, he saw Ren and Irene in front of each other, staring.

— Talk to her, Ren! With no sounds, like you always do!

Ren thought that was funny, even in the middle of that mess. They never had soundless conversation, but that is how her brother saw it. She hesitated in using those magical vibrations for a while and was embarrassed for not knowing what to say. But whatever she would say, she had better hurry before the other one decided to go up against her again.

— Irene, you idiot... Can you hear me?

The woman just paid double attention, with a deadly glare on her eyes. Toni was right, she was different indeed. She could not remember a moment when Irene had given her that cold, emotionless look. She had always smiled, even if those smiles were malicious, and her eyes always expressed tremendous joy, even if they sparkled with irony. That woman in front of her was not Irene. At least, not in her normal state.

— Irene, what the hell happened? Did you meet that Elias guy? Did he hurt you? Tell me what happened!

The resound entered Irene's healthy ear and bothered her. That girl reminded her of something, it was right there, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not figure it out. She had fixed thoughts, practically in a conflict. Some told her to fight and some told her to talk and reveal things. But what was to be revealed? The urge to fight was way stronger. Her mind was locked in a constant spin, which did not allow her to think about anything else.

— You have a grotesque bruise on your stomach, Irene! We didn't do that! Tell me what happened!

"That's where Elias kicked me, dumbass." A different thought came up, but a sharp pain started poking her in the forehead. She realized she needed to make the girl shut up. She turned into water again and went for Ren, willing to rip off her tongue. She should not kill them, but no one said she should not cut off parts of their bodies.

Ren only glanced at her opponent's body liquefying and, right afterwards, she was a few centimeters away, returning to her solid shape and with her outstretched arm as if she wanted to grab Ren's face.

As if by magic, Toni stepped between the two, and with his arm covered in magic, he held Irene's wandering hand. She immediately took her other arm to his neck, but he had it coming. Their fingers entwined tightly; she forced on one side and he held her weight on the other. Their elbows began to bend and their faces got closer, eyes locked.

— How about a kiss, Irene? Then, I'll bite your tongue. Don't turn into water while I rip it off.

She wanted to laugh at that comment, but there was only room for the fight she kept thinking of. It was exhausting, tiresome, and she wanted to get rid of that burden as soon as possible. As she increased the pressure on Toni's hands, she dropped the temperature of her arms, with a crooked smile on her lips.

He could feel the cold through the magic armor, but he did not worry. He tried to push her back, away from Ren, but the woman was like a rock. An alarming spark hit him when his fingers started going numb. Could it be possible? Could Irene really be freezing his arm covered with magic? Could she be freezing magic?

— Ren, we don't have much time! Talk to her! Make her remember! It must work, if she stays still for a minute!

— Irene, listen to me! You have to stop, do you hear me, Irene? IRENE!

Toni felt the pressure minimally decreasing. Yes, she stopped to listen. He was not very devoted to deities, but he prayed to all the ones knew so it had to work.

Irene's eyes started to get blurry. She was thinking, and trying hard to do so. Ren's voice messed with her mind. It reminded her of someone. Someone far away, from a distant past. The Dragon focused on the sound and on her auditory memory. She let herself get carried away.

— Irene! IRENE!

Irene... Irene...
18 – Past, life and death

— Irene... Hey, Irene, are you okay?

She opened her eyes, as pain ran through every little bit of her being. She was lying on the cave ground. She had passed out, rather than fallen asleep. Her body was shredded; several injuries and bruises covered her white skin. Why did that happen to her? She just wanted to live in peace. Her only encouragement was that strange water entity who helped her since the first time she had gone there, hurt. She looked at him sweetly, despite feeling like trash.

— Oh... Hey, Teju. Have you been here long?

The creature rose from the depths of the great clear lake in the middle of the cave and approached Irene, worried. Teju Jagua was his full name and he was an undine. The cave was large, and interestingly, a warm blue light rose through bottomless pit, from where the elemental bent. The glow was reflected in the clear, volcanic-looking stone, and bathed Irene in brightness, highlighting her exhausted features. There were words carved on the wall in a strange language, which used the same standard of written language as Novea, but it was incomprehensible to the girl. Something like "Aqui jaz o poder da água" or "A magia nos cerca". There was a word or a phrase in nearly every wall. Stalactites and stalagmites dotted the landscape here and there.

Her fellows never went there, they were afraid of the monster-spirit that rested there. They said he was like a giant lizard that gripped the soul of the unwary and devoured their empty shells.

Irene herself had only got there for lack of choice and because she did not know where to run to. To her surprise, the place had airs of a sanctuary, and quieted her heart with its radiant beauty. And the "monster-spirit" was nothing more than the "monk" who took care of that place, like a guardian. A water elemental.

— Oh, Irene, my little friend... It's so hard to see you like this... You have to leave his house as soon as you can. He'll kill you. — The undine whispered with fear.

"He'll kill you." Her own father.

She lived with him. Her mother had died some time before from a heart condition and since then, he had been strange. He was gloomy, taciturn. Sometimes he got pissed off for no reason and discharged his frustration on Irene. On these occasions, she ran away from home and spent some time out until the man calmed down. However, his fits of rage only got worse over time, and each time Irene got more and more bruised. He was never pleased. If she cooked and dropped the silverware, she got slapped in the face. If she did not do the laundry right, she got punched and pushed around. If he did not like the coffee, he kicked her on her legs.

— Teju, I don't know what to do. — Irene cried and hugged the undine, forgetting about her injuries. — I don't know anyone in my father's family and my mother's relatives live all the way across the world, I don't know how could I get there... My father is all I have, but he's unstoppable, he never stops hurting me... I wish I was gone, or I had never been born.

The girl stared at the undine with sad eyes. She straightened herself in her friend's water arms. His body protested, but she ignored it. She was very thankful for meeting Teju Jagua, because without him, she would probably have no strength to deal with that situation. Watching his liquefied face, she remembered the day they met. One of the worst in her life.

For some reason unknown to her, Silvano – her father – thought she was flirting with someone at their village. He was a rough, rustic man. He worked as a lumberjack at Baiúca's village, and was morally rigid. A simple, honest conversation in the afternoon could be interpreted as something malicious by him.

Silvano occasionally drank but, on that day, his alcoholic breath could be smelled meters away.

Even when he called her a whore, she tried to justify his attitude, remembering that he was a simple man. Even when he slapped her on the cheeks, she tried to convince herself, remembering how much he cared about his daughter. Even when he knocked her down, she told herself it was because he cared about her.

She was not able to think about anything else when he broke her arm. Amid a white mist, as if in a dream, she ran out the door and ran away. Silvano came for her, and the despair made the teenager, who was not more than eighteen, accelerate the pace and soon he missed her. Distressed at not being discovered, she hid where she knew her father would not come. The Dark Cave, where it was certain that no one would go.

She never forgot how hard it was for her to drag her arm. Her arm was inert like a dead animal, she could see the visible tip of the bone near the elbow, and blood stained her chest and stomach. She walked as far as she could from the entrance, sick of the world, tired of reality. When she reached the beautiful bottomless lake, she did not enjoy its beauty because her head was already heavy and her senses failed. That was the first time she ran to the place she would always take cover from mistreat and humiliation.

With the palm of her good hand cupped, she took some water, which was cool to the touch. Delicately, she splashed it over the wound to clean it, but it was useless. She would bleed to death or get an infection, she knew it. She gave up and closed her eyes, wanting to be in the dark.

She could not really remember how long it went like that, but for her, it seemed like seconds. It was when she spotted a weird movement in front of her, through half-closed eyes. As soon as she opened them completely, she could see another pair of eyes looking back at her, but those had no eye globes. They were aqueous, liquid. When she took a better look, she realized its whole body was water. She remembered the dialogue that came afterwards perfectly; it would become an inside joke between them in the future.

— Oh, so you're the monster-spirit? Please, take my soul and set me free at once.

— Monster-spirit? You humans make a lot of stuff up, huh?

With a bright smile, her future confidant rose from the pit; water shaped him from the waist up. Irene imagined he was a male version of a mermaid, in a torpor. She laughed, but her laughter sounded like cough. He spent at least three uninterrupted hours taking care of her fracture, and she noticed that it was not a simple task.

When she felt better, he introduced himself and asked what had happened in order for her to be in that state. She only changed the subject. She did not want to talk about the humiliation her own father put her through, because she thought she was guilty. She quickly talked about something else, asking about Teju Jagua's origins and what he really was. He explained everything there was to know about undines and other elementals, and revealed he was a very old specimen, one of the first undines ever. One day, he lost the will to live in a community and wanted to create something with his bare hands. That cave was a treat; it was his shelter and his raw material. He explained that, when he found it, the bottomless pit under the lake did not exist. The walls were made of rough rocks, rather than smooth, entailed ones. The sentences he had written belonged to the ancient magical language, which could be understood by any magic being and by people who studied that art. As many younger generations of wizards considered it a very difficult language to learn, they distorted it and created a sort of sign language.

When the amount of information overwhelmed Irene, she thanked him and apologized for all the trouble she had caused to her new friend. Her arm was brand new and she felt no pain. She was dazzled by his work. Now that she had found out that he was not the horrible monster people usually think he is, she promised him she would come back and visit him. But she did not really mean to.

Irene thought everything would be fine, because she thought her father would never touch her again, after he had got to the point of breaking her arm. The man did not even seem to notice what he had done, because he barely paid attention to her when she came back.

However, a few weeks later, Irene ran to Teju Jagua's cave once again. And again, after a month. And a week after that, there she was. The situation repeated itself many times afterwards; her friend comforted her as she needed to be taken care of.

The teenager pouted. Once again, there she lied, at the Dark Cave, while Teju Jagua wrapped around her slender body.

The elemental had already lost count of how many times it happened. He was filled with anguish for not being able to help.

— Oh, sweetie, if you only knew just a little bit of magic... We could seal a deal and I'd drown you father. Just a little, enough for him to think twice about laying a finger on you again.

Irene huffed, in amusement and pain. Even as he hugged her, the healing magic acted, and Irene felt relieved. Friendship did come in the most unexpected ways.

— Teju, I wish I could stay with you forever. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you.

— Trouble? You're a sight for sore eyes, sweetie, as you humans like to say. But, well, my eyes never get sore, I guess.

Irene laughed willingly this time.

— We'll be friends forever, ok? Promise me.

— Of course. Forever.

They were together for a while. They talked and enjoyed each other's company. They analyzed all feasible options for Irene, places where she could go and people she could turn to get help. She intended to leave her father's house within that week. When she thought she was stronger and settled, she hugged him again, saying her goodbyes. He was a fascinating being, magic was something amazing. In her mind, she saw herself as a fully-formed wizard, who went over to invite Teju Jagua to be her partner. She nurtured and kept the idea in the heart, and when she was far away from there, she would find a way to learn those arts, only to return with her head up and make that invitation.

Little did she know, her father would change her fate forever that very same day.

******************

Before she came back to her father's house, Irene entered the small cemetery that was the last residence for everyone in Baiúca. It was a discreet place, with no adorned or exotic graves. Most graves only had a tombstone with some sayings. A melancholic aura dominated the environment, which, after all, did not give it a dark character. She walked through the dirt corridors all the way to the back, where she found what she was looking for. In a grave, just like the other ones, some words lulled the person in eternal rest.

"Elena Olivi Walker. Beloved wife and caring mother. May the Greenfields of Mereon receive you with abundance and tranquility."

Irene kneeled in front of her mother's grave, removing leaves and branches that the wind had carried. A tear streamed down her face as memories came back. She was not religious like her parents. Gods were an addiction, a comfort for the desperate. She was convinced of that. Even so, she internally asked her mother for a little help, if she could, so everything would end up well. That did not mean she wanted to reestablish the link with Silvano. Actually, she would like Elena's spirit to guide her steps when she left Baiúca.

She remembered her fondly, she was a quiet woman, but very observant, who early noticed her daughter's sharp mind. Elena knew that a free and curious soul like Irene's hardly settled for orthodox dogmas and rules, which did not admit questioning.

Irene sighed emotionally, stood up and went towards the exit, through the same path she came.

When she returned to the house, the day was almost at the end. A dim purple light lingered in the sky, and darkness was already taking care of most of the simple residence. Silvano was in the small garden, chopping wood into small pieces so they could fit perfectly in the living room fireplace. As this was his job, his tools were carefully handled, honed and sharpened with excellent expertise. He seemed distracted and she decided to pass right by him and not say a word or make any noises. She almost tripped on her own feet when he called her.

— Irene. Come here.

She hesitated. She was five meters away from the house door and really did not want to talk to her father then. But if she ignored him, it would be even worse. She wondered whether she had been through such indecision in some other moment in her life.

— COME, NOW.

The authoritative tone did not open room for discussion. Irene approached him clumsily, like a sparrow that had fallen from a tree. His grim face and big hands clutching tightly the lethal axe did not cause a good impression on the girl.

— Girl...you know I'm very devoted to Mereon, don't you? The god of the crops has always been very kind to me, but I think I did something stupid, because he has forsaken me. It's true when they say that you reap what you sow. I think he forsook me for letting you not follow his dogmas. So everything in my life has been ruined. Your mother believed everyone was free to believe whatever they wanted, and she died. She convinced me to let you go on a different path and not believe a thing. And see where we are now, kid. She's dead. And you're in cahoots with a monster.

Irene shivered. Monster? If he was saying that, he knew about her hideout at the Dark Cave. But Teju Jagua was not an evil being like everyone thought. If she could explain it to her father, maybe he would stop believing those superstitions. But Irene could not figure out how he had found out about it. Maybe he had seen her enter there. Or maybe someone at the village had told him.

— Father... It's not what you're thinking. I...

— SHUT UP!

The handle of the axe struck at the base of her throat, choking her instantly. She fell on her knees and hands as the world went dark. Silvano screamed like a lunatic, walking around her, with the axe wielded with violence. Irene looked for some words amid pain and surprise.

— Do you think I never noticed how you came back without a single scratch? This is a shame... a hazard... you whore. — In a long pause, she manage to cough, without listening to a word. — You're lost. People are talking! They whisper around about how you spend hours in that cave! I never should've let you follow other dogmas than Mereon's ones. Your mother died out of lack of faith! She believed in Mereon, but she was weak and he took her away! And I was a fool for letting her raise you so freely. And this is my punishment! You reap what you sow! Living with a damned kid like you, who conspires with monsters! What do you talk about, huh, filthy girl? The best way to kill me? Is that it?

Irene was speechless due to the shock. She and the father were never really close and did not talk much about any particular subject. But she could never imagine, even in her wildest dreams, that the man held such a grudge. She was positive that Silvano had been upset when she said she did not believe in any Gods of Novea, because they made no sense to her. Elena helped to reconcile the situation, and after plentiful discussion, she managed to persuade her husband to let her daughter go on her own way. But he had never forgotten about that, Irene could see it now. It must have been like a nail constantly piercing the palm of his hand, and now that a part of his world was falling apart with the death of his wife, the decisions he made in the past were right in front of him, defying his faith. Irene was disappointed for knowing he never respected her opinions after all. Actually, she only let it go because she had a deep, respectful love for her mother.

And moreover, Silvano believed she was plotting his death with the help of the "monster-spirit". A man could not be more wrong.

She desperately tried to clarify her side of the story. But the words got stuck on her injured throat and only hoarse grunts came out of her mouth. That caused Silvano to be even more irritated.

— Don't even think about it! Don't deceive me, damn girl! I'll get rid of this curse that is you!

Irene ran, stumbling, but Silvano grabbed her by the hair and threw her back on the ground. He kicked her wherever he found the space to, and without hesitation. He stricked her body several times with the axe handle, and the spots hit turned red. The girl was almost fainting, but she glimpsed her father turning the cutter to the right side, and lifting it. She immediately widened her eyes, disbelieving that he had reached that point. Two lonely tears ran down Silvano's cheeks, with a tortured expression.

— I had dreams, Irene. Although I'm a brute, I just wanted to live in peace with Elena, but she had to leave me. I just wanted a good future for you, a decent marriage blessed by Mereon, respectable children... but you had to go down an unexpected path. You both ruined my life.

There was nothing Irene could say. He would promptly shut her. She would die for something silly, by the hands of a hallucinated man who did not know how to take the unexpected turn of fate. She closed her eyes hard and turned her head around, just waiting for the final strike.

Irene's scream hurt her already injured throat, so poignant that some birds nearby flew away. For her horror, her father did not put an end to that unfortunate scene, but he wanted to see her suffer. So, instead of hitting her on the neck at once, he opened a huge gash below her ribs, where the axe was firmly stuck in the flesh. She immediately started breathing heavily and feeling an excruciating pain.

Letting go of his tool, Silvano bent down beside the girl.

— I could've just killed you, but it wouldn't be enough. Stay here, die alone and little by little. I'll be back tomorrow to throw you in a ditch, without the Walkers' name, of course. You reap what you sow.

He went away as the first stars came to watch Irene's agony. She noisily slammed the front door, disappearing.

First, the girl thought about dying. Then, it would all be over. She would not need to worry and all difficulties would go away. That was a relief she desired for a long time. She looked at the sky, considering the option.

There were so many things she wanted to do and many places she wanted to see. She wanted to study and become an explorer. Maybe she would find a way to defy that hideous race of Psyminds, who imposed themselves to other races through their mental power, forcing everyone to live scattered and isolated.

Suddenly, she remembered Teju Jagua. Well, she had promised to become a magic user, to come back and invite him to be her partner. Yes, that's what she wanted to do.

She felt an enormous rage towards her father. He had no right to beat her because he thought she was in a bad path; he had no right to tell her how to lead her life. She would not satisfy him by dying in his yard like that. She would survive to come back and rub in her father's face how well she was doing.

The blind hatred made her hands three times stronger to take the axe of her own entrails. She dropped the tool with repugnance as her blood spilled in the grass. Suddenly, she was totally focused on her purpose; her concentration made her rise, staggering, and walk, for the second time that day, to Teju Jagua's cave.

It was not an easy walk. She almost fainted in several stretches, with a painful breathing. Her head spun and her body stopped responding. Fortunately, the cave was not far and she managed to reach it with not much delay. As she entered the depths of the cave, she tripped several times in the rough terrain; each stumble seemed to further open the tear in the ribs. When she spotted the dim lighting of the lake and the first few sentences carved in the distance, she tried to call her friend, but no voice came out. Dragging herself through the last few meters, she fell by the water and her bloody fingers touched the surface.

Teju Jagua immediately appeared, alarmed. He had felt the blood in the liquid. As usual, he did not leave the lake completely; water formed half of his body. He held Irene in his arms delicately and leaned her against the closest wall. He analyzed her wounds and there seemed to be nothing more severe than the clear gash on her side. She rolled her eyes, quickly losing consciousness.

— Little Irene! Listen to the sound of my voice, can you hear me?

Without wasting a second, the undine began to repair her injuries, but the process was slow and Irene had already lost too much blood. For the first time in ages, Teju Jagua was scared.

Feeling a little better with the healing magic, the teenager opened her eyes, which were more attentive then. It was still hard, though. The image of her friend appeared blurry to her. The bruises and scratches became less and less severe, slowly fading. But the main wound was not even a milimiter erased. The water elemental feared it would not heal in time and Irene's life would fade away. After a few minutes, she went unconscious again.

Realizing his effort would be useless, Teju Jagua stopped. Something within him clenched and shuddered. He did not want that human to die. He wanted to save her, take her away. She should live, no matter what.

All those feelings were new to the undine. He did not know where they came from or how to deal with them. But he decided not to think about that. He knew a way of helping her certainly, definitively. But would he be willing to do it? As he noticed her friend's delicate face, her limp body, he weighed it all. He was an ancient being. He had done it all, with uncountable partners, in a community or alone, in several ways. He knew the whole world and was not interested in the current paths of destiny. What was there for him to lose?

He glanced at his home and everything he had built there. His unconsciousness had made the decision. He had just to realize it.

Leaning forward again, he held Irene's face between his hands, carefully.

— Little Irene, I won't let you die. You'll leave this place walking, towards a new life. It may seem difficult at first, but I'm sure you'll adapt to it, because you're very smart and clever. You'll have unique powers, because I'm a rare being. Some people may covet you. You'll go through it, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Please, don't forget about me. I'll always be with you, in your heart. And you'll always be you.

Irene, despite hearing her friend's voice, could not make sense in his words. Suddenly, she was filled with sadness. She knew she would never see or talk to him again.

One of Teju Jagua's liquid hands went up to her forehead. The other one was smoothly placed in her chest. An intense white light illuminated the place they were in and nothing could be seen but that brightness, in case someone entered the cave. It was warm and Irene could feel it in every pore of her body. She was no longer in pain. The flicker went into her mouth, eyes and nose. And into her wound as well. Teju Jagua's presence slowly faded, together with the water in the lake.

Irene was ecstatic; the light accumulated in the form of energy, whirling inside her body. She could only see white, even with her eyes closed. The power expanded, and it was amazing, stunning and pleasant at the same time.

She started to lose shape as her body liquefied. The water streamed away and dripped on the rough rock. She was water. The gash had completely faded amid the magic that helped her keep her human shape.

Then, in an explosion, it all ended. Her conscience fell within her own head abruptly. The glow of the lake had disappeared along with Teju Jagua. The water was gone from the pit.

Irene was confused, blinking non-stop her eyes, calling her friend in the dark.

— Teju? Teju, what happened? Where are you? Teju!

She could see things clearly in the darkness. Weird. Actually, it seemed that the cave was only slightly dark. She looked inside the pit and was shocked because it had gone dry without leaving traces. There was not a single drop, and it looked like it had never had any of it. The stone on the banks was dry, with no moisture at all. Right when she touched the stone, she took a look at her own hand.

Through her palm, she could see debris on the ground, close to her. With her fingers, she tried to pick up a small rock, but it went through the liquid that formed her body. In shock, Irene watched her own body in despair, touching her arms, legs and shoulders. A brief high-pitched scream of someone drowning escaped her throat when she finally understood.

Teju had done the only thing he could to save her. He had given her his life, his essence, so she could have a chance.

She struggled to rise, but her body fell apart as running water. She dragged herself anyway and as she reached the exit of the cave, she had already got the hang and figured it out.

In the early night, the full moon filled a great part of the sky, mildly illuminating the path. Irene knew she could not be there anymore. She could not and did not want to come back to her father's house. She would find her own way; go down the path that destiny had chosen for her, with the new life Teju Jagua had given her. After all, it was all she ever wanted. Living the way she always thought was right.

It was the beginning of hard times for Irene. At the time, there was a war between humans and Psyminds, to be later known as the Ten-Year War. For a long time, humans were treated as inferior beings; most of the times they were enslaved and murdered. Psyminds did not give them many options with their mind skills, and used to compare them to cattle. Humiliation was constant; it was a real weapon they frequently used.

Ironically, Irene ended up as a slave for a human family, in one of the groups of the revolution against Psyminds. She found out too late how difficult it was to resist the elemental impulse to serve whoever knew magic. It happened two months after she left Baiúca, her homeland. It was still hard to control her undine shape, and she could only assume her human shape for a small amount of time.

She was used against her will at the war, in which she fought in some battles, when she found out that mental attacks caused little or no effect on her.

She became a key part in the unfolding of the battle, concerning the opposite side, which focused its efforts on eliminating her. After a well-formulated ploy, the Psyminds managed to break the pact she had with humans. But they failed at the attempt of using her in their favor. Irene lost another beloved friend in the process and, in retaliation, she taught humans a way of dodging and preventing mind control. Not because she felt sympathy for any of the sides, but because she wanted to put an end at that stupid war. She did not care which side would win, as long as it would all end.

After that, Irene quickly went away from the eye of the hurricane, travelling far away for months. As an undine, she did not need to eat, so there were no worries towards feeding. That was when she came across a community of undines and, for the first time in a long time, she felt home. Everyone accepted her as one of them because they could feel the ancestral power emanating from her body.

It took her a year to finally understand that such place was not her final stop either. The elementals taught her their way of living, how to channel her energy and how to be part of nature. But her human side began to scream in despair, resolute that she would lose her sanity if she stayed there any longer.

At that point, she could manipulate her water powers quite well and practically had no more trouble staying in the form she decided to have.

For five years, she lived in human cities, but never stayed at the same place for a long time. In that period, human communities were growing back and expanding, away from the Psymind domain. They had quickly lost the war, when the technique of mind occultation – that Irene had passed forward herself – became popular. She thought it was interesting how living beings rapidly adapte to survive, just like she had had to.

But she was not satisfied. She always had to adjust to the places she went through, with no power to give vent to who she really was. She was a mix, a hybrid. People would not understand and would probably kick her out as if she was a demon. She felt restless, with no peace as her two sides loudly talked within her about whether she should continue her journey.

And so she went on, tirelessly. While she passed by cities, she finally met Mikaela, the Weaver, and Elias, with his nickname – Constant Depletion. That meeting was not pleasant, though.

Sitting on the grass at the edge of a small road, Irene looked at a huge map she had bought in the previous city, ten kilometers away from there. The day was coming to an end, with the last rays of sun dying on the horizon. She wanted to go to the next community before dark, but she got lost. That was a route with little movement and, as far as she could see, she was alone.

She stayed there for a few minutes, analyzing the map as she took the moment to rest a bit, when she realized, through the corner of her eye, that a man was approaching, out of a grove nearby. She raised her head to see him better, and that was how she noticed small bright strings wrapping her trunk.

Finding it odd, she tried to remove them with her hand, but they were firmly attached to her skin. As she got nervous, she tried to stand up, but for her surprise, the strings got tighter and pulled her back down. They seemed to be made of wool, but thinner. They were multiplied now, keeping her hands static at her sides. Irene felt the man's presence behind her. He was tall, had white skin, like milk. The threads holding Irene came right out of his fingers, in a constant pulsation. He seemed extremely annoyed at something, because he walked up to her with a heavy expression. Attentive, but not alarmed, she waited to understand what all that was about.

— What a strange pattern of energy a mere, useless human like you have. Are you running away from the Guild? I've never seen your face before.

— I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you? Let me go right now.

— You're so bold, and yet, so small. You should address us, weavellians, on your knees. You should not look me in the eye with that petulant attitude, you filthy beggar. — The man smiled with mockery. — It's not that I want to introduce myself, but I think you deserve to know at least the name of the man about to teach you a lesson. They call me Jonatas.

The man named Jonatas reached Irene and both stared at each other. She was still sitting on the ground as he looked down at her. With a slight movement of the palm of his hand, he made the strings dance. Irene was lifted from the ground; the filaments clinging to her skin were so tight that she bled in some spots. It made her kneel.

— This is quite better, don't you think?

Irene was afraid for a moment. No one had ever trapped her like that after she acquired water powers. But it was not just that. That Jonatas guy did not only seem threatening, but also happy. He felt good as he humiliated and looked down on her. She had found out about the worst character trait of most weavellians in the most painful way. The boundless pride and superiority they felt towards any other race.

— Go to hell, motherfucker! — She roared, with a blazing glare.

— How dare you?

She felt the strings pulling her neck down. The man wanted to make her forehead touch the ground. And as she forced her way up and the threads strangled her, she watched him prepare the kick that would crush her skull. Finally, Irene seemed to wake up. In a burst, she turned into water and the strings sank on her body.

She stepped away, but Jonatas was a quick thinker. Wasting no time, he discharged a new load of wires, but modified this time. They had an intense, magical shine. They tangled up Irene's body – now liquid – once again and unexpectedly hindered her movements. She struggled and splattered all over, but she was not able to free herself. She opened her mouth wide open to the man, who, at first, heard no sound. Right afterwards, her scream hurt his eardrums.

— What is this, you demon? What the hell are you?! Are you a woman or an undine? I had never seen this before. Go back to your original shape, right now.

But Irene only kept staring at him with the utmost anger she could convey. How could that bastard restrain her to her elemental form?

— Listen, you infernal being, we are way stronger than a mere undine, that's why my magic can trap you, you see? That's why there's no use in struggling. — He said it as if he read her thoughts. — But you're not very obedient, are you? I told you to go back to your human shape.

As she did not move a millimeter to abide by his orders, she suddenly felt as if lightning went through her head. The pain was intense, even in her elemental body. How did he manage to do that? She could clearly see the energy discharge coming out of his fingers, covering the distance to her. She courageously endured, but Jonatas had barely changed his breathing. Beat and held only by the threads of her torturer, Irene succumbed. She came back to her original shape, exhausted. A fierce glare lit up the eyes of her attacker, and he approached. When he was about to slap her in the face, a group of people appeared, emerging from the grove.

There were three men, and they all had the same milky-white skin. When they saw the duo by the road, they opened up smiles. They greeted Jonatas tapping his back and hugging him, then, they looked at the trapped girl. The taller man spoke.

— What is this, Jonatas? Who's that?

— She was hanging out here at the road. She's a troublemaker. She tried to attack me, thinking I had some money. Doesn't she deserve a lesson? Tell me, Fernando, are master Mikaela and master Elias far?

— You bet they are. We came first and now, we are quite ahead of them.

Irene was stunned. That repugnant man had completely inverted the story, putting his teammates against her. She felt hatred boiling within her when the four men surrounded her. She yelled and spat curses, when one of them stopped her with a slap. Another one pulled her hair and another punched her.

The young woman stoically endured until her mind screamed that she did not deserve that, that it was a wrong thing. She had suffered enough mistreating in the past, and it was ridiculous.

A cry of rage formed in the recesses of her soul was accompanied by the despair roar of the four men around her, who were slowly frozen from the inside out. Irene's eyes shone intensely with a white light as energy was thrown out of her body, generating airwaves. She realized she was gnashing her teeth as a layer of ice formed around each of her attackers, one by one.

When they were completely still, Irene punched each of the statues to pieces.

Humiliated, she went to where her clothes were, crying openly. When she put on her soaking blouse and her pants, another two characters went out of the grove, walking fast towards her. Irene decided not to wait and give any explanation, so she ran the other way. When she had run just a couple of meters, an old lady appeared in front of her, like magic. Irene stopped and looked back. A gray-haired man calmly walked towards her, with an intrigued expression. The problem was that both were preventing Irene from running away through anywhere. With no options, the young woman wasted no time and came back to her undine shape. With a liquid arm, she went up against the elder. She just dodged, with inconsistent agility within her appearance. She looked furious and as she watched Irene's transformation, her eyes were clear with understanding.

— What did you do to my children, you freak?

Irene froze, but she soon realized that the old woman spoke of the four men who attacked her. Her skin was as white as theirs. She seemed to know exactly that they had been turned into ice statues, because she pointed at the shards on the ground. As she stopped to see better, Irene noticed the intensity of the elderly's gaze, which, at that time, conveyed no senility. She was so angry that she could fulminate the young woman only with her eyes. Irene gulped.

— They attacked me, I had no way out...

— They attacked you? Why would they do such a thing?

— Because they were animals! They attacked me out of nowhere and had what they deserved!

— You bitch! I seriously doubt that!

— What other reason could have led me to do it?!

— Many people want to see the members of the Guild dead... You must've seduced them to catch them off guard! I can't believe you managed to do that right under our noses, bitch!

— You're the bitch here, old lady! I don't even know what you're talking about! I did nothing more than what those maggots deserved!

In a second, the lady made four hand gestures, but Irene could not see them. The young lady came back to her human shape almost immediately because she had no control over her magic. At the same time, she felt as if she was choking; the air did not reach her lungs. She staggered back, hands on her throat and despair forming in her heart. She did not know what the old woman had just done, but she was sure she would die. Die in a stupid, senseless way – she thought, dissatisfied. When the world started spinning and she felt as if she would faint, the gray-haired man, who just silently watched the scene the whole time, came forward and supported her, preventing her from falling down. As quick as the old lady, he made other four gestures and Irene breathed in noisily; this time, her lungs were filled. As soon as her sight had cleared up, she looked at his face. Strangely, given to the situation, she could not help but think about how charming he was. His jawline was square; his nose was straight and elegant. His eyes were dark-colored and denoted great patience, even though they demonstrated mild irritation. He had an unusual kind of male beauty. Irene did not know why he was helping her, but decided to keep quiet to see how things would develop from now on.

— What is this, Mikaela? Have you lost your mind?

— Elias, she confessed she had killed my children! What am I supposed to do?!

— Didn't you hear what she said? She was attacked! And given the behavior of those four assholes, I don't doubt it. Why did we bring them along? Weren't they supposed to learn a little discipline?

— Yes, but... They were getting better, and...

— Mikaela, this proves that there was still a long way for them. Too bad they messed with the wrong person, huh? You reap what you sow. They never learned that basic lesson. Now, they'll never learn.

Irene involuntarily remembered her old father. She had not thought about him or the sayings he loved to repeat for years. As impressive as it still was, the hate she felt towards him did not retreated a milimiter.

— But it doesn't justify this bitch killing them...

— Oh, Mikaela, come on! Four big men attacking a girl justifies a lot. I'm taking her with me.

— You're what? That's not allowed! I won't let this girl join the Guild!

— Mikaela, the council has given you way too many concessions. When you created this being you call "children", everyone turned a blind eye to you because of a few other members, who interceded for you, myself included. Your situation got worse and worse because of those four troublemakers. Now that everything's settled, you don't want me to help this girl?! I'd like to see you beat me here.

— Everything's settled? So, you wanted my children to die, Elias? Is that it?!

— Oh yes, I just wished it had been done sooner. — A tense pause set between them. — Don't be an idiot, Mikaela. We went out in this unfortunate mission – with which I totally disagree – of hunting strays just so they could stick in their heads what it's like to act in a group, with discipline. If I wanted to see them dead, believe me, I would've killed them. The council forced me to come along in a very well-prepared maneuver. Since I had no alternative, I tried really hard to teach some moral to those poor devils. But the only things these rascals did was eating too much, messing with everyone they met and throwing us off. Now they're dead and we can go home. Are you going to cry over spilled milk? I'm not.

— Enough, Elias. We'll discuss this later. At least help me find the ideal place to bury them...

— It won't be necessary. Once the ice melts, there will be nothing left.

Irene ventured to speak. She did not know how she could state that. Perhaps that was reminiscent knowledge from Teju Jagua.

Mikaela – who was already known as the Weaver – went up against the couple, willing to make Irene never address to her again. She bumped into Elias's hostile power, depleting hers. The elder reached the conclusion that it would be useless to fight the gray-haired man directly. She gave in, grudgingly.

— Young lady, come with me to my home. I promise you'll be very well treated and taken care of. I must also say that your case is odd, and I'm really not interested. I'm lying, I'm actually very curious. Would you come with me and allow me to take a better look at it?

While Elias talked to Irene, she took her time memorizing all his particular facial traits, somewhat distracted. She agreed without thinking too much, because he had put some sort of spell on her, which dazed her.

She also thought about the fair-skinned lady and her jerk sons. They were strong, but they respected and feared that man... She could definitely get him to teach her a trick or two.

She woke up from her thoughts when he whispered something, in confidence, so Mikaela would not listen.

— Thank you for setting me free from this curse! You're the genie who made my wish come true.

She smiled conspiratorially. She had never heard the expression he used, but she understood it.

After the incident, Elias introduced her to the Guild and managed to put her in a special spot among them. Few months later, the Weaver withdrew permanently from the Guild, for her incapacity to live side by side with Irene. Her departure was authorized by the others, since her children have never been well accepted. However, she was advised to leave this dimension, going to a barren place, where there were no other Draziws. Irene never really understood the concern the members of the Guild had with stray magic users. What they feared the most was the organization of another group as strong as theirs, but the girl thought it was rubbish, distant issue. There were not enough wizards for that to happen.

Hence, the Weaver left taking her children. She would contact the Guild periodically, whenever necessary.

From then on, she enjoyed the happiest time of her life. In addition to spiritual and personal growth, she had found her first love. She did not believe in nonsense like love at first sight, but when she laid eyes on Elias, in that vulnerable moment, she felt protected in a heat she had never experienced before.

The Draziw only saw in her a case to be verified and documented, at first. Always with an acid tone, which she soon learned to like, Elias confessed that, at first, he was impressed with her unique ability to become an undine, which he eagerly wanted to understand better. He explained that human beings could associate with elemental for short periods of time because they were too complex. Animals could had longer fusion periods for offering less mental resistance. Irene's condition was unique; it was the perfect symbiosis. And certainly, few undines had the power to freeze water. The original elemental, the one who gave his life for Irene, could undoubtedly decrease liquids' temperature to that point. It was something extremely rare, and Elias wanted to understand the circumstances and the environment needed to do such a thing.

However, in time, she ceased to be a mere research to become his second great passion.

For Irene, he was a mentor, a teacher, a confidant, a companion and a lover. She learned the oldest known spells, secret words and ancestral stories. She learned how to control her own magic, to look like anything she wanted. In order to live with her partner, she was advised to retain her own energy so it would not be freely depleted, although it was really hard to control.

From then on, she and Elias were always together, hand in glove, making decisions, learning and going through both good and bad times.

One of the bad times was when finally, after twenty years, Irene decided to settle things with her father. It grew within her with time. If it was true that you reap what you sow, it was about time to Silvano reape what he had sowed.

Elias knew about her father issues, of course. Despite thinking getting thrashed would do good to the man's character, he tried to convince her that the meeting was not worth it; that it would be a waste of time to go back to her hometown to look for a man that might be dead. He knew Irene was not a bad person, but he was afraid of what she could do in the heat of the moment. He did not want her to do something she would regret later.

But she was stubborn and always wanted to do things other people wouldn't. Hence, Elias accompanied her back to Baiúca, which was extremely far from the Guild. Irene was forty-five, but her appearance was of a twenty-five year old, which was the age she had chosen for herself. Silvano must have been seventy-three, if he was alive.

As they arrived to the old village, the first place she went to visit was her mother's graveyard. It was a bit larger now, but Elena's grave was exactly at the same place. The tombstone was worn by time, darkened, with plants and weeds growing all around it. But the written words were perfectly readable. Irene cleaned and picked up everything she could and smiled at the result. She said no prayers, but she wished her mother's spirit to be in peace.

The second place she visit was the Dark Cave.

Irene only remembered the good moments with Teju. Despite the empty pit and the darkness of the place, Irene could see the writings on the wall, and with it, a tear of nostalgia rolled down her face. Apparently, the local villagers still feared approaching that place, for the place was still untouched. She said goodbye to Teju forever, because she would never come back. Ever.

She had no trouble locating Silvano. According to the villagers, her father was alive and still living in the same place, with a new wife. Their son was also living in town, with his wife. Some of the villagers asked if she was related to Silvano, and told her how the man had been upset by the disappearance of his daughter from a previous marriage. Irene just thanked them for the information and went away with an enigmatic smile.

"Of course the man was terrified when he noticed the missing corpse." Irene thought, satisfied.

Elias just followed her around, without talking to anyone. He let her deal with the case, and advised her as he could. She was resolute, though, and he hoped that, if she was to kill him, she would do it without calling anyone's attention.

As she reached her former house, she was swept by old memories. Mostly good ones. She kept the bad ones away. She soon saw an old man who, helped by a younger lady, carried a pile of logs inside his home. Irene did not wait for him to finish his task. She did not even waited for him to stretch his back. When he heard the sound of her voice, which he had never forgotten, the old man immediately dropped the logs.

— Interesting to see you've moved on with your life so well, Silvano. Did you feel complete putting some other woman inside my mother's house?

The old lady had just left the house to help him when she heard the female voice in the garden. She was followed by a gray-haired man. She looked at them and at her husband, who shivered from head to toe. It was as if he had seen a ghost or a demon suddenly materialized in front of him.

— What is it, father? What happened to your sharp tongue, which never let me explain a thing?

Silvano was quite old. His hands, previously firm and accurate, as the hands of a lumberjack were supposed to be, were now crooked. His face had lost the vitality and his hair had gone completely gray. The man was a sketch of his younger self. Despite that, his head was still good. For he recognized his daughter as soon as he laid eyes on her.

— M-My daughter... You're here for me, aren't you? It's time, isn't it? I do deserve to go where you want to take me. I know what I did was wrong, I realized it afterwards, and I'm really, really sor...

— Oh, shut up, Silvano. I'm not dead, I just wanted to inform you that you did not do a good job that day. I did all the things you didn't want me to do, I saw the world you didn't want me to see. Despite your moralism, I lived as I wanted to, and I'd like you to know that I'm doing fine. Do you see this man? We're not married, but we fuck every day, father. Every day. What do you think about it? Is it bad? Immoral, huh? Do you think I'm a whore? Well, let me tell you that what you think doesn't make any difference to me. I like to live like a whore, if it means living away from your hideous beliefs. And look at that! No lightning fell on my head for my immorality. You reap what you sow, huh, father? Now this amazing meeting finally came, so what do you think? Did Merion work this out for you?

The old man could not say a word. His wide eyes and his heavy breathing implied that he was still listening.

— Well, Silvano, I just came for this. I just wanted to see this disgusting face of yours and make sure it didn't haunt me anymore. You're quite different now. You're just a shadow of what you used to be. Age really does come to everyone. I want you to take this image to your grave. The image of your daughter fine, happy and alive despite the beating, the curses and the humiliation you put her through. Remember this well, and know I'll live for a loooong time.

— I-Irene! But I...

— Don't say my name. Ever. Goodbye, Silvano. Always remember I'm alive and happy.

Without saying a word or expecting to hear any further explanations, Irene walked away, passing by Elias without looking back. He stayed for a few more seconds, only to watch the old man kneel down with tears in his eyes and aguish in his face. The gray-haired man could understand how someone regretted past acts, but it was too late for Irene's father.

Silvano himself knew that. He knew there was no way he could ask for his daughter's forgiveness. Despite his cruelty and thoughtless attitudes, she was still there, alive. And in a weird way, the old man was relieved to know that. The expression in his eyes went from agony to content as he watched her back as she walked away. He reaped nothing more than what he had sowed.

Elias understood that. Even if he could narrate what he saw in details, Irene would never understand.

When the Draziw turned around to accompany his partner, he could see, through the corner of his eye, the elder's wife running to help him. That would be the last time they saw Silvano. Few months after that, he died calmly in his sleep, at home, as if a burden was taken off his back.

— You reap what you sow. — It was the last thing he whispered to his wife before he went to eternal sleep.

******************

— You positively surprised me today. I'm proud of you.

— Really? Why is that, Elias?

— Because I thought you were going to kill the old man. I'm glad you didn't. A small part of you would die in the process, even if you don't admit it.

— Despite everything he had done to me, I never thought about killing him. Weird, isn't it?

— Irene, you are a weird person. — She punched him in the shoulder, laughing. — Ouch! I'm kidding! So, are you happy? Just know that I'm very happy with you. I especially liked the part when you said we fuck every day. We didn't today. What would you say about we settling this?

In the dark board house room, Irene smiled. She snuggled closer to Elias's chest, who firmly hugged her. Those moments were rare, but she enjoyed when her companion was so direct. She kissed him and grabbed his hips, pulling him closer. His hands went down to take her shirt off. The intensity of the act was always fiery and she loved it.

After the climax, both were exhausted and sweaty, he pushed a strand of hair out of her face and planted a kiss on her forehead.

— Boa noite, Irene. See you in my dreams.

She found the gesture somewhat atypical, but she opened up a huge smile. He also said something she did not quite understand.

— That's cute. But what were those first words you said?

— Boa noite. It's something like "goodnight" or "see you", or anything like that, in magic language. I read that somewhere.

— And do you really see me in your dreams?

— Oh yes, and we do a bunch of interesting things...

— Really? Then, show me... — She let the phrase fade in the air, with a malicious look on her face.

For a long time, they would still enjoy each other's presence. It would all be eternal for another two centuries.

Finally, the day came when Irene's soul became restless; her core aspired for new experiences. Elias did not understand it at first, since he had been used to be like a rock, with no great changes. For a long time, Irene had to insist him to understand her. They fought and argued a lot, until he eventually understood curiosity and temerity were part of her spirit. She was indeed a lot like him. When he realized it, he had to admit it. Finally, even if reluctant, he helped her leaving the Guild, under the protest of the other members. Despite being a part of the council, he had to talk to the others into responding to his requests, using the best arguments and making many promises. He forbade them of following or hunting Irene and ordered them to let her lead the life as she pleased. However, he advised his lover to be careful with eventual persecutors dissatisfied with her leaving attitude.

Hence, Irene left behind another part of her life, she also turned another page. Few more years would pass by until the foundation of Contrary River, where she would go, together with the friends she had made along the way.

Her life even seemed short, exposed before her eyes, as if she was floating inside her own head. The story was reaching an end, and she wanted to wake up. But she noticed someone else's presence with her. Someone who restlessly called her non-stop.

— Irene, Irene, Irene...

In a quick movement, she opened up her eyes and looked around. Suddenly, she spotted a cylindrical white corridor. She had not noticed it before. It seemed to be kilometers and kilometers long. Irene could only realize this because of the chandeliers lined up on the walls in a row, until they were lost from her sight, giving the feeling of depth. Not very far from her, a figure approached her, sliding. Yes, there he finally was. That being emitted a warm indigo light, blocked by her body, which caused the only shadow in the place.

— Teju...

— Little Irene. Long time no see, my dear friend. I'm so glad to be face-to-face with you again. We haven't been able to talk since that day, and...

Unexpectedly, she threw herself on him, who was startled and tried to hold her in the best way he could.

— Teju! Teju...! How I wanted to see you, thank you, tell you shouldn't have done it...

— Irene... I'm actually very ashamed. I'd like to apologize for all the bad moments you've been through... If I hadn't turned you into a hybrid...

— If you hadn't done it, I wouldn't even be alive to complain, in the first place. This is life, Teju. We have good moments and bad ones. It's not your fault. You gave me your life so I could still live mine. How could I waste this second chance?

They just looked at each other, friendly. They hugged again and Irene thought the texture of water was amusing. Did her undine-shaped body ever felt like that? She thought that, for Teju, hugging a human was also weird.

— But how can you be here? Actually, where are we?

— We're locked inside your mind. I've always been hiding here. You were sent here on purpose. But I couldn't wake you up anyway. You only came back to consciousness when your friend started calling you out there. Your friends are going through some bad stuff up there. I believe it's time to go back.

Irene listened closely to the sound and she could really hear someone calling her in the distance.

— Yes, I have to go back. Oh, Teju, I wish you could come with me...

— But, little Irene, I'm always here. I have never left you, not even for a second. We'll always be friends. Remember? Go in peace.

She reluctantly walked away, without losing sight of Teju Jagua. She focused on what happened outside. She could clearly listen to a woman calling her. "Irene, Irene, Irene..." She completely focused on going back to the surface and as Teju Jagua stayed, she waved him goodbye with a warm smile.

Finally, she rose resolutely, faster and faster as the brightness increased. She started to feel her own body again. She let herself be guided by the voice, which showed the way.

— Irene, Irene, Irene...
19 – Unexpected turns

— Irene! IRENE! Wake up, fuck! Irene!

In a burst, Irene took control of her own body. Then, she saw everything clearly: the blue sky, the path to the Flaming Forest, her hands that were freezing something. Looking up, she saw Toni, with his arms frozen to his elbows. Ren was behind him, yelling and cursing more than ever.

Clumsy and without understanding how things got to that point, she slowly let go of Magic Leg's fingers, who instantly knelt down, with pain stamped on his face. She did not remember going all the way there. Apparently she had been fighting the siblings, but she had no recollection of that either.

— She's back, Toni! She's back! Oh, I'm so glad you were right...

— I'm gladder. I hope she can unfreeze magic...

Irene tried to search for her last memory and, suddenly, Elias appeared before her eyes, as well as the Psymind lad. As soon as she remembered him, she started to listen clearly to his voice, right in the middle of her mind.

"Mrs. Water Dragon, you have to tell Magic Leg and Sound Wrath the information I gave you because it concerns their family. I have already forgotten it because I transferred my memory to you. If I know anything, I have to tell my 'master'. But Elias will force you to rise against them through me. So listen up. You won't fight until you kill them, because he wants them alive. So, when you beat them or get defeated by them or, with a little luck, escape your mind prison, you will be fully awake and will remember this conversation."

The memories Henrique had gotten from Emon's head came to her. She finally knew where, how and with whom he was. Vital information on Magic Leg's family was clear now, and a phrase kept on pounding her forehead. "The password is ProjectNextMachina01. Ask the metal doll."

Irene shook her head and looked at the siblings, ready to tell them what she knew. For her horror, she sighted a gray-haired man going towards Sound Wrath's back, with an object in his hand. An elemental artifact.

Before she could even think about Elias getting the wrong sister, he had already stuck the fire artifact in the young woman's spine.

Ren howled as the object got stuck on her back and burned her skin. At the same time, the other three artifacts – water, earth and air – started to float around her, locking her inside some sort of force field. Then, as if she had no strength, Ren went into torpor, with idle arms and pending head. The only thing that prevented her to fall on the ground was the absence of gravity within the force field.

Toni rose as quickly as an arrow and, even with frozen limbs, he ran towards his sister to try and set her free. As he got closer, however, the man who had attacked her, and who he had never seen before, suddenly appeared in front of him, hitting him on the face with his arm. Toni flew back as the power of the strike shook his every bone.

He fell on the ground, sitting, next to Irene. The man stood in front of Ren, blocking the way. Toni startled when Irene yelled at him, with imperial voice.

— Elias, stop it right now! This girl is not the one you need!

He stared at her in slight disbelief.

— How can you affirm such a thing, Irene?

She went towards Toni, touching his frozen arms, turning ice back into liquid and setting them free. She advised him to use his own magic around his skin to warm it up. Right then, Ren's body started to spasm violently, and each movement caused her to hit the invisible wall in her tiny prison, out of control. As he watched it in horror, the lad with the magic lag ran forward again, not minding whether he would be stopped again. He only wanted to get to Ren, because she was in pain and he needed to do something.

Again, he was easily held by Elias, who grabbed him by the hair. He had a substantial amount of energy drained, enough for his leg to disappear. He fell on his hands and his healthy knee, powerless.

It happened quite quickly. Before Irene could make a move, the elemental artifacts floated away from Ren, extinguishing her prison. The spheres went back to Elias's hands who, in confusion, caught them. The young woman's idle body laid on the ground, with no perceptible changes. After a few seconds still as all breaths were held, the gray-haired man let out a disapproval huff. Irritated, he quickly put away the spheres in the internal pockets of his outfit.

Desperate, Toni dragged himself towards his sister. One certainty hit his perception as the sting of a poisonous insect. But he was wrong, he could only be wrong. He did not want to believe the worst had happened, but the feeling was so strong he could not drive it away. Still with numb arms, a skinned knee and covered in dirt, he went through the distance between him and Ren. She was lying face down, and in a last effort, the lad turned her body upwards, pushing her shoulder. The sight was registered by his brain and went through his chest, ripping his heart, which skipped some beats.

Ren's eyes, captured in a last moment of terror, were still open and blurry, not seeing a thing. A small trickle of blood dripped from the left corner of her mouth, which was open in surprise. Toni put two fingers on her throat, but he felt no pulse. He checked again, again and again, but her heart had suddenly stopped. Refusing to accept it, the lad shook her. With no response, he straightened himself and held her on his lap as her head pended on his chest. He called her twenty times, but she insisted on not answering. Defeated, as comprehension slowly came to him, he closed his sister's eyes with his hand and hugged her as his screams were muffed by her hair.

— Shit. It wasn't her. We only have the first sister now. LET'S GO, HENRIQUE!

Irene watched Elias shout to the boy, but she did not know where he was. Suddenly, a large shadow covered their heads. The woman looked up and there was the Newcomen, Magic Leg's ship. In the heat of the moment, no one had noticed it moving subtly. The ship barely made any noises. When Elias called, the pilot – presumably Henrique – accelerated the ship to reach them. The Draziw quickly jumped in. Reading Irene's thoughts, he said his farewell.

— Goodbye, Irene. Tell Magic Leg I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen. It was good that I had prepared this ship with my magic and asked Henrique to sail it. This is quite fast. By the way, Henrique is feeling better regarding what you did to him.

Gritting her teeth, Irene prepared to jump after her former companion. She took a better position in order to easily reach the ship's gunwale, passing by Magic Leg in the process. For her surprise, the lad prevented her, holding her wrist. She tried to set herself free as the ship quickly went away. But his hand was like a tourniquet, firmly grabbing her.

— Magic Leg, come on, Elias is getting away! Let go of me!

Irene shook her arm to set herself free, with no success. He only lifted his head to stare at her as tears streamed down his face as if he had not understood – or even heard – what Irene had said.

— She's dead. Dead! For the love of the Gods, what am I going to do?

— Magic Leg, unless we do something, your other sister is going to die, too.

Toni blinked. She could clearly see that he was trying hard to process that information. He shook his head without letting go of Irene, but it was as if she spoke in a different language. He eventually gave up understanding her.

— You have to help me, Irene. You can't leave me alone! Maybe we can still do something! Use your healing magic, come on!

Irene gave him an audible slap in the face and Toni let her go, startled. It was too late, though. The ship was fast and was already out of reach, hidden by the canopies of the trees in the Flaming Forest.

— Fuck, Magic Leg! Fuck! Listen up, brat! Your other sister is going to die! We have to go after Elias immediately!

Dizzy and with his face marked by four red fingers, he refused to understand. He just held his sister's corpse, crying loudly this time. Irene went forward to grab him and kick his ass until he was back in his consciousness. She was interrupted, though.

— Are you going to blame yourself for this too, Magic Leg?

Icarus's strange voice was audible in the environment, and they both held their breath. He crossed the path, floating towards Toni; the resplendent magic formed rough legs that were not actually used.

Irene also stood still, paying attention to the Flamine. Now she knew he was someone to be taken seriously.

— Magic Leg, are you going to think this through until you reach the conclusion that it's your fault? Undine Irene has mentioned twice that your other sister is in danger. I'm very sorry for Sound Wrath, but there is nothing else to be done. Your guilt paralyzes you; it doesn't allow you to see the obvious and act on it. It's not that I care, of course. On the contrary, I believe those humanity manifestations are fascinating, but even I can see that this is pathetic. Until when are you going to let this happen?

Icarus's words reached his mind and he took some time to analyze them. Once again he had been useless, failing in protecting his family. They were not safe yet, though. For some reason, the damn gray-haired man was now flying towards Adri. He was sure Ren would be furious if she knew he had wasted the chance of doing something instead of staying there in shock. He had to let go of that torpor.

Irene, on her turn, assumed a distrust posture.

— Why didn't you help him, Icarus? He's your partner now. You could've helped him, including against me. Is this all because you're afraid of getting a little wet?

— Hmpf. Don't be silly, Undine Irene. He did not conjure me, so I didn't come. It's as simple as that. You know how it works. I don't need to explain, do I?

— As if you needed a call to butt in... You're so cynical.

In the mean time, Toni straighted Ren up in his arms once more, kissed her forehead and gently laid her on the ground, joining her hands over her chest, in rest. He concentrated some energy and conjured a brand new leg. He noticed his arms and healthy leg were quite stiff, but he did not mind. As he rose, he looked at his sister's face one last time, with tenderness. Then, he finally became the good old Toni, guided by tranquility and resolution.

— Enough, guys. Let's not fight. Irene, we have to go to Amol, where we live. Will you accompany me?

— I was willing to go even without you.

Toni smiled with grief. He still had something to do.

— No matter the rush I'm in, I can't leave Ren like this. I wanted to...

— The Flamines can arrange a fire funeral for her in a few minutes. You can even take the ashes with you, if you'd like her to rest in her homeland...

— No, Icarus. I don't want anyone to touch her. Irene, can you create an ice skiff or something?

With no questions and as quick as she could, Irene approached Ren. There was no time for grief. Still, the heart of the undine woman sank against the inevitability of fate. She knew she would miss that girl when the fury and agitation came to an end. She could totally be hot-headed, suspicious, impulsive and aggressive, but she had such strength and inner power that she reminded Irene of herself when she was younger. She found it hilarious to argue with her because she quickly got mad and lost herself in the arguments. She knew she could have become a loving friend if she had conquered her trust. Now, Irene would not have that chance, and she was sorry for that.

In less than five minutes, it was done. The perfectly rectangular skiff, with no imperfections, lied on the soft grass, with Ren's corpse inside. While Irene dedicated herself to that task, Toni had picked up small flowers that grew along the road. He put them on the ice coffin, above his sister's hands. The vessel was so cold; it burned his hands when he touched it. He was forced to quickly take his hand off of it. As he walked away, he felt his job was done, at least for now.

— Icarus...

— The fire elementals will take care of her. There is nothing to worry about. If you don't think about me, of course.

Irene huffed.

— Don't worry, Magic Leg. I assure you that Icarus is going to spend some good time trying to melt the ice skiff in case he thinks about opening it... Well, the problem now is how to reach Elias. That ship of yours is very fast. I'm afraid that not even in my undine shape I would be able to reach him. Not even applying magic to an object and accelerating it to maximum speed...

— I believe the Flamines can help with that, too.

Both Toni and Irene stared at Icarus, waiting for what he would say next.

— Wait here. — He instructed as his body lost shape and he flew away, like a rising meteor. He went above the canopies and disappeared.

— What is he up to, Irene?

— I'd rather not think about that now... I have something more important in mind. Where is that damn metal doll?

Irene could only be talking about Marionete, Toni concluded. He had not thought about Marionete in a while, and could not see why the woman was asking for the doll. But he would be interested in knowing where she was because – he realized, with a blinding pain in his chest – it would be a memory from his sister.

He quickly looked around and, soon, he found her lying almost frozen in a bush nearby. He took her with both hands and, for a second, he feared she would not work.

— Marionete, hey, Marionete. Are you there?

— 15% CHARGE. FROZEN AND DEFECTIVE CIRCUITS, INITIATING REPAIR MEASURES.

— Would you like me to recharge you?

— DO NOT DO THAT OR THE ENERGIES WILL CONFLICT, PROBABLY FRYING MY SYSTEM. IT HAS BEEN REGISTERED IN MY HARD DRIVE THAT I CAN ONLY TAKE CHARGES FROM RENATA MARO.

— So, you'll be gone along with my sister...

Irene approached them, grabbing Toni by the arm and dragging him back. Icarus had come back with company.

— We've wasted enough time, Magic Leg. We'll talk on the way. The cavalry has arrived, we have to go. I'm glad you found that piece of trash.

Toni saw what Irene was talking about right beside the enormous fire elemental. An involuntary smile blossomed on his face.

Before him, there were two towering, gigantic fire horses. Or cafires, as Irene would say. A white, dapper steed with a firm gaze pawed the ground with its fiery hoof. Thunderbolts came off its paw each time it hit the ground. Its mane was a red flame, fluttering with the wind.

The other was a black steed, the one that seemed to lead his band. Its muzzle shone with its golden hair and its mane and tail were also on fire; it fidgeted. It looked at Toni with a cunning countenance, daring him to mount it. The lad watched them with awe, as if they had just come out of a children's storybook.

— This is our ride, Magic Leg. I'm glad they agreed to help us. These are Auan and Iuan.

— Which one is the black horse?

— Auan.

The lad approached the black stallion, amazed. It pawed the grass as he approached, but did not step away, allowing Toni to touch its radiant fur. Afterwards, he touched its mane, and the fire did not burn him. He was impressed.

— I only have one doubt. Why are you helping us, Icarus? — Toni asked, while he tried to jump up Auan's loin.

— Because I'm not obliged to be coherent. I'm a fire being after all. Corrupted, as you say. Who could blame me? — His huge smile cut his face in half.

Toni already waited for such an answer. Without wasting any more time, he mounted the cafire. Thus, riding fiercely, he went on the road, with a misplaced piece of his heart. His responsibility had grown exponentially. There would be time to feel guilty, as he knew he would. But he would have to wait until he caught Ren's murderer, preventing something bad to happen to Adri as well.

Little did he know he would not do so.
20 – Consciousness, power, awakening

Adri felt strange that morning. She had woken up with a heavy head and certain distress within her chest, which she could not explain. She fixed her own breakfast, restless, with a weird feeling in the air. Aman had left earlier to deal with something she did not share with her. She did not even say where she was going. But Adri knew how her "mother" worked. Being someone's Magic Heart allowed you to know that person intimately.

As she mixed coffee and milk and sat on the chair at the kitchen, she suddenly remembered the man they had rescued downtown at the village. The poor devil spoke so incoherently; he was so lost that the people at the square threatened to lynch him. They were very superstitious; they did not think that the man was just mentally ill. He was lucky that she and Aman were downtown shopping for supplies. Together, they calmed down the mob of rioters and rescued him. What person there could deny a request from Adri, the famous singer, and her mother?

As soon as she had laid eyes on the man, she knew two things: he was a weaveliian and he had definitely come across Next Machina. What a weavellian was doing in those lands was a mystery to her. But he had definitely seen what could not be seen and ended up that way.

Anyway, they could not keep him there. Thus, they decided to take him to Kailotron, to Nicolas Anturium's renowned nursing home of.

She thought what had happened to him was weird. He was not the first to get lost in the Regular Forest, but he was the first one to come out of it in that way. Often, the unwary never returned, coming across the Reverse, who, hence, fed on them. But the man they had rescued was totally oblivious to reality. That could not have been caused by the Reverse. It was certainly Next Machina's work. But why?

Adri sighed, straightening herself on her seat. How was he at his new home? She hoped he was doing fine, despite everything.

Her blind eye bothered her in a weird way. It madly tingled, as it had not in years. She wondered that might have been the reason for her restlessness that morning. She resolutely decided not to mind about it, finished her scanty meal, and began to clean the house. She would only have to perform at night, so she would enjoy a lot of spare time. She tried to focus on her tasks. A stubborn dust ball that refused to leave the floor behind the door, dust accumulating quickly on the furniture... Even focused on cleaning, she had something on her mind, poking her from within.

Huffing, she decided to do the laundry and hang it out to dry outside. Some fresh air would certainly do her good. As she efficiently washed her clothes, she felt comforted. The water was cool, the contact with her skin felt nice, as the morning got warmer. A strong wind began to blow and Adri ran towards the clothesline, as her long red hair flipped back. It was when she spotted it on the horizon.

She immediately stopped what she was doing, after hanging only one garment. Well, isn't it the Newcomen?! Antonio and Renata were finally back! The ship quickly approached, as only it could. Whatever her little brother was searching for, she hoped he had found it. He never said exactly why he had to unexpectedly leave for a trip around the world. He thought he could fool both Aman and her. They both knew Toni left telling only part of the story; however, in view of the current situation, it was extremely convenient that they decided to leave the house. In a certain way, they would be safer. Still, she could not wait to give her siblings a tight hug.

The ship stopped moving a few meters away from the house and there it stood, smoothly hovering. She would soon see them jumping off the ship, as they were too impatient to use the ladder. She still remembered when she started to feel magic emanating from their bodies. First Ren, then Toni. They tried to hide it for as long as they could, until she made them come clear. After discussing it with Aman, she said the situation was almost inevitable. They should only be alert, especially concerning Ren, who had the most unstable powers.

Adri startled when two men jumped off the gunwale. She was even more alarmed when she recognized one of them. He was one of the leaders of the Elders Guild, where she had been over twenty years ago. He was the same tall, gray-haired man back then. When he touched the ground, followed by a dark-skinned lad, Adri still decided whether she should run or stay. She had no idea on what an Elder was doing there. Maybe he had discovered Next Machina's hideout. Or maybe he had come to finish the job.

He walked slowly on the grass, followed closely by the younger one. The dark-skinned lad had a large scar on his right arm. Adri took a few seconds analyzing it, and it was as if his limb had almost been ripped off. It had probably been recovered with magic.

She decided to wait for a while, given the ease with which they moved, but she was ready to run at the slightest sign of danger. If they wanted to kill her, she would probably be dead by now, anyway. As soon as they reached her, the gray-haired man stepped up.

— Hi. It's been a while, Adriana Maro, Mermaid Voice. You look beautiful as always. Your injured eye does not harm your beauty at all. It's inebriating. I must confess that it's almost a relief to be back here.

Adri was momentaneously confused. Had he been there before? Paying attention to his movements, she noticed that he had almost casually reached for a spherical object in one of his pockets. She became alert when she realized it was an elemental artifact.

— What do you want here, Elder? Have you been here before? Where are my siblings? Are you here to finish a twenty-year old job? — She prayed that they had not found about Next Machina.

Elias stopped, staring at her with narrow eyes. He was clearly trying to put sense in her last question. They all remained silent for a tense moment, with just the wind blowing stronger and stronger.

— Wait...you can't be that lonely soul that tried to invade the Guild a long time ago... The Singing Swordswoman? So, are you telling me that Mermaid Voice is the Singing Swordswoman? Well, this is such a coincidence.

— And thanks to you I've been deprived of my magic. And now, here I am, blind of one eye. I have failed my mission... The fortress is well protected.

— But, if I can remember, you had both eyes back then. I saw you so quickly... I could never forget beauty like yours. I remember you managed to get away. But they used a containment Encanto and sealed your magic, right? That's why I feel no power coming from you.

Adri just nodded in confirmation. Henrique only followed their conversation, silent. Elias laughed in mockery, as if he did not believe the situation.

— Singing Swordswoman... How did I not recognize you before? You're a great singer. As a fan, I believe you should leave that simple tavern and look to perform in a larger venue that is more worthy of your amazing performance.

Adri weighed that. If he mentioned her performances, he had definitely been there, snooping around. But if he could not remember that she was the Singing Swordswoman, the woman that tried to invade their fortress alone... Why did he bother to investigate her in the first place?

As she did not show a reaction, Elias went on.

— You caused great fuss when you tried to invade the Guild on your own, did you know that? The Elders haven't suffered such a direct strike in a long time. Tell me, how's Amanda?

— I'm not obliged to answer that.

Elias kept on watching her, with a half smile, as he spun the elemental artifact on his hand, almost carelessly. He liked to torment people. But, above it all, he was a trader.

— See, Singing Swordswoman... Adriana. Don't worry about your siblings. I'm sure they'll be here in a minute. Meanwhile, I'd like to make a deal with you. I can't undo the Encanto that sealed your power, but I know another trick that can set your magic free.

He was a trader, although not an honest one, who worked with half-truths. It was very likely that Toni would soon come. Of course, her sister would not. The fact that he could not break the Encanto was also not real. With some patience and focus, it was very likely that he could. But Elias had other plans in mind. If Adriana accepted to become a flagae out of her own will, it would be much simpler. She would have her powers back, after all. However, he had no idea what would be the genie's fate after she made his only wish come true.

He silently rejoiced when he saw he had hit her in full, because the one-eyed girl redoubled her attention and interest, although suspicious. So, yes, she wanted to recover her magic, even after such a long time. He could see the sparkle of greed in her eyes.

Shortly afterwards, it was over. She stepped away, with anger printed on her face.

— Do you think I'd trust an Elder? Go away now! I don't want to make deals with any of you! I want to know where my siblings are! NOW!

Elias sighed, still amused. Henrique looked from one to the other. He had been commanded not to say a thing. He knew that lady's future was already established, but the Draziw liked to give the impression that the counterparty stood a chance. It was a strange cat and rat game, and Elias was pleased to do that.

— What a pity, Adriana. But I don't think you have another choice anyway...

In the blink of an eye, the gray-haired man was already standing before Adri, grabbing her by one of her shoulders. The hand that held the elemental artifact sank into her stomach and the spherical object disappeared under her clothes and skin. Immediately afterwards, the spheres left their hideouts in Elias's pockets on their own, floating and entering the woman's body. The scenery was dominated by a blinding white light as Adri screamed in agony. The flash dominated it all: space, vision, sounds and even time. Before he was swallowed by it, Elias felt fear as he asked himself if that was right.

******************

The cafires ran quickly. From the horsemen's point of view, the landscape around them was perceived as a blur. The trot of the animals could be heard kilometers away, as their manes, paws and tails glowed diffusely, with crackling fire and flying sparks. In the dark night, they could be easily confused with lost souls.

Toni held Marionete clumsily under his arm. In the hurry they left the Flaming Forest, it was the only way to carry her. The lad tried to balance as he rode, holding its neck with only one hand. The metal doll had a better appearance, as if it was possible to put it that way. Despite the low battery, she had successfully restored her circuits.

Irene had told him about her confrontation with Elias and Henrique. Ren's killer's name burned his thoughts and he would not rest until he found him. He had missed his chance with Armstrength, but it would not happen again with Elias.

The only thing he knew was that the bastard wanted to conjure a genie, a flagae. No one knew what he would ask to it. The problem was that the target – the raw material for a genie – was no other than his sister Adri. According to Irene, Adri was a Magic Heart in human shape.

Toni got lost with that information; the concept was too hard for him to grasp. It meant that his father or his mother must have been a Draziw in some time. A ripped-off Magic Heart was deemed "the child of a Draziw", in case it assumed a human shape. Toni could barely remember his father, who had been missing since he was one year old. And his mother, Aman... Well, she had always been strict and never mentioned anything about it; she did not even seem to know about it. Accordingly, it meant that Adri was not his sister, at least not in the natural sense of it. But Toni was not worried. Whoever Adri was, she would always be his sister. That is why he would not let Elias touch a single strand of her hair.

Questioning Irene so she would tell how she suddenly knew all about it, he found out that the lad that always followed Elias around, Henrique, had smuggled information inside her mind, in a way that not even he would remember what he had done. Despite the Encanto that controlled his will, the Psymind had not turned himself in. Toni admired his wit and courage to do what he considered right. The lad with the magic leg could only have a vague notion of the obstacles Henrique had already faced and wished he was able to thank him and help him somehow.

That game of telephone[¹] was interesting. Emon had obtained such information somehow, which Henrique accessed and passed on to Irene.

The woman, on her white cafire, watched Toni with the corner of her eyes.

— Has that doll finished doing what she had to?

— Yes, but she must be almost out of charge. Whatever you want from her, you'd better be quick.

— 7% CHARGED.

— Good. Tell us everything you know that's behind the password ProjectNextMachina01.

Marionete beeped slightly when she said the password.

— ACCESS GRANTED.

Her voice immediately changed. Both Toni and Irene sharpened their hearing. The recording of a male voice echoed through the robot's small speakers.

"January twenty-fifth, Platinum age. For the record, we inform that the Machina prototype has been a total failure. The situation is of complete disaster and chaos. Machina was not capable of solving the geological issue for which it was built and, on top of it, most part of the Earth's energy field, vulgarly known as "magic", which also serves as fuel for our technology has been 90% washed out from existence. As an emergency measure, we were obliged to trigger the next project, Next Machina. Triggered by flagae M, flagae N's twin that brings Machina to life, Next Machina has great chance of success in containing such issues, for it is more controlled than the prototype"

The male voice stopped as Marionete was also silent. Irene and Toni exchanged glances, amazed, but before they could exchange their impressions, the voice came back on.

"February seventh, Platinum age. Next Machina has been successful on the operation for Machina's containment and also in solving the geological disaster. But the condition of the energy field could not be restored. I repeat, it could not be restored."

After another pause, another entry.

"June seventeenth, Platinum age. Next Machina has vanished from the premises; measures have been taken to find it. It is now the only guardian of the magic that still lingers in this world, our top priority is to find it as soon as possible. We suspect it has fallen into enemy hands. Code red, all teams..."

Then, a high-pitched shriek interrupted the man's voice, and the record was incomplete. Marionete's rumbling voice resonated again.

— DAMAGED FILES. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO RETRIEVE ALL OF THEM. THE DAMAGE IN THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN MORE SEVERE THAN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY CALCULATED. 5% CHARGE.

Still, the doll beeped and hissed, as if she was looking for relevant data. Few seconds afterwards, Toni noticed that Irene was engrossed again, while Marionete continued without providing any new information.

— What is it, Irene? Are you hearing something odd?

— What? Oh! Sorry, Magic Leg. She is talking through magic now. Hey, piece of wreck, do you think you can reproduce this in a way human ears are able to listen?

— ADDRESSING ME THROUGH MY DESIGNED NAME INSTEAD OF PEJORATIVE NICKNAMES WOULD HELP MY SYSTEM IDENTIFY THAT YOU ARE TALKING TO ME.

— A piece of wreck with feelings. I believe I can live for another five hundred years and not see it all.

— ALLOW ME...

"Only another five cases of Magic Hearts turned into flagaes in all those centuries. At least, five that I've been aware of and could register, of course. None of them were used to move iron armors. Such technology has been lost over the years and so it should remain. I wish I could delete all records of that era, but it is virtually impossible. As long as I exist, it will be impossible. It is not that I want to or can afford to disappear, right? Well, I hope I do more good than harm. End of recording."

Toni and Irene exchanged glances again. The recording was not from the man in the other recordings. It was a feminine, neutral voice. There was no date and it did not seem to be directly related to the previous files. After the last entry, Marionete went silent and did not speak again.

— Irene, what does this all mean? Platinum age? We learn in school that this period was at least fifteen thousand years ago.

— It means genies are older than I thought. There is no information about such an advanced technology fifteen thousand years ago... Even worse... If what the doll has in there is not fake, it means Next Machina is real, and it is basically a flagae. A flagae with an "iron armor", according to that female voice.

— Not just that... she also said she would like to get rid of the records of that time... Which means she really destroyed most part of them! I wonder if that is why there are no records of technology from back then. And there is more! Maybe Elias's purpose has something to do with this.

— I don't know, Magic Leg... But I'm starting to get anxious, and we'd better hurry. I have a bad feeling. By the way, it reminds me... It would be good if I quickly taught you how to defend from Psyminds.

In line with Irene's concerns, Marionete beeped and hissed for the last time as a warning and, with a last sentence – "SHUTTING DOWN SYSTEMS" – she hushed forever.

******************

The intense brightness exceeded daylight and everyone in the small Alumar – and beyond – were captured by it. The animals at the Regular Forest panicked, as well as the Reverse that lived there. The birds flew, but fell shortly afterwards, incapable of seeing anything. The sunlight itself was slowly swallowed up. Foxes, hares and badgers desperately ran because the flash penetrated the depths of trees, and they instinctively realized something was wrong.

******************

The people of the village, caught in their routine tasks, thought it was the end of the world and could not even run to comfort or be comforted by their family because of the heavy white pulsating light that stunned everyone. The light seemed to go through their bodies, as if they did not exist. It was everywhere. Closing eyes was useless, people could still feel it pressing their eyelids. They only ducked in horror, waiting for what would come next.

******************

The being that lived with the Reverse at the Regular Forest closely listened. That phenomenon had not happened in hundreds of years. It felt some sort of excitement, an anticipation. It was an event that demanded extreme care and monitoring, but there was also the curiosity to know how everything would unfold. It waited.

******************

Both men at the center of events saw nothing. The wind and the glow had taken everything, and the very notion of time looked deformed. Disconnected thoughts crossed the young Psymind's mind uncontrollably, as happened to both the woman at the center of the glare and the Draziw before her. He could not help but read them. His "master's" thoughts translated his awe before the unknown, but also his excitement. Unexpected incidents just made him amused by emotion.

The woman's thoughts were impossible to be understood. Pieces of memories floated here and there, mixed with feelings. He could hear words and loose sentences, apparently senseless. Her knowledge and awareness gave the impression of expansion. The lad startled. How could something like that be happening? Soon, everything that made her got so large that a terrifying pain split his head in half. He armored his mind in the best way he could, alarmed.

******************

Even Toni and Irene, still at a considerable distance, were blinded. The origin of the glow came precisely from the direction they were heading to. The lad with the magic leg trembled. He prayed that everything was alright with his sister, but all his other senses told him otherwise. A strong tightness in his chest oppressed him, and he wanted to get there as soon as possible.

The cafires, although nervous, did not slow down, even without seeing a thing. They snorted and whinnied, aloof, but were not discouraged. Their instincts guided them now.

Irene had never seen something like that in her life, and she had no idea what could emanate such a large amount of energy. She hoped Elias had not done anything stupid. She felt an irrational terror in her heart and feared the scenario they would find.

******************

Adri could not understand what had happened. Her body was stuck, but at the same time, she exulted with the energy flow that swirled and spun, as it had not happened in years. She remembered the times she was just a level-one wizard, which seemed millenniums ago. The fight against Aman. The defeat that followed in that fateful night. The day Aman gave up her Hearts, when she regained consciousness. The moment when she met little Renata and just could not go up against Aman. The way they both took care of Toni and the reassurance of her happiness in such an unexpected way.

Then, everything was very clear for her. The world seemed strangely easy to understand. She perceived each blade of grass, insect on the ground, planted tree, all people's motivations. Not just that; she also perceived each cell that formed people, each atom, each electron. And also the molecules in the air, and their apparently random motion. She knew how the tissue of reality worked. Not only she understood it, she was all those things. She was everywhere, she could bond with whatever she wanted, because everything was life. It all had a purpose, which was now understandable. She could be anything she wanted, from a tiny ant on the ground to the cold sweat trickling down her previously little brother's face, who came at full speed.

She no longer had a linear vision of time; she could just see and be aware of the facts. Then, she found out that she was the raw material to make a flagae, seeing all the events in time that culminated in that moment.

She knew what Elias, Henrique, Irene and her brother wished. And the irony was that she was not allowed to say a word about it all. That was the nature of a genie: obey and make an only wish come true. Adri thought it was right because the danger of an entity with such power and consciousness was potentially huge. Such being should not even exist in her opinion. Just the fact that she would have to meet one demand was risky enough.

But she already knew beforehand the possible outcomes of interactions that were yet to occur. Thus, she waited, patient.
21 – Clashes and illusions

After what seemed to be centuries, the intensity of the event started fading. The mess caused in the village diminished, as several people ran and locked themselves at home. The winds subsidy their currents, and the animals also calmed down. There was silence, only broken by a small pulse.

As there was only that kind of buzz, Elias opened his eyes. Those were burning and watering as if they had looked at the sun for too long. He waited a few seconds until his vision fit properly and poked Henrique in his shoulder as he continued with tightly closed lids.

The Elder observed the woman's silhouette when the sound of trots were audible. Just before Magic Leg's ride stopped a few millimeters away from him, prancing its front paws and almost hitting him in the chest, he could notice the woman's bright, cunning eyes looking directly at his face.

Jumping breathlessly off his cafire, Toni landed awkwardly on the floor and his right leg furiously protested. But he did not mind. All he could see in front of him was Elias and his fierce urge to punch his face until it become unrecognizable. He limped towards him and even grabbed him by the collar... until he saw her.

Toni's hands let go of the Draziw's neck, trembling, as his mouth opened in confusion.

The pulsating sound finally caught his attention, and he closely watched the woman in front of him.

She was not amid the brightness. Her body was made of light. She looked like a mirage, an illusion. The linings of her body gave the impression of disappearing in the air, as if she could fade at any second. Her features were also gone. There was no mouth or nose. The only thing left was her eyes. Toni blinked. Her right eye was completely restored. For a moment, the lad felt genuinely happy. But then he came to his senses, before the situation and the scrutiny of her look. The woman stared at him with piercing intelligence, as if she knew exactly what he was; she knew him in a fundamental way. In a certain way, he remembered Adri's expression, because his sister always knew them – him and Ren – so well, foreseeing exactly what they would do before they actually did it. However, Toni understood that she was not just Adri. She was something greater, with further knowledge. Something non-human, great, scary and intimidating. A being that already had privileged information on him and that did not need them after all. Because whatever she wanted, she would just have it, because she was Toni. She was Toni, Irene, Elias and Henrique, or whoever she might want to be. The lad with the magic leg could not understand how he knew such thing, but he had no doubt that it was true. It was as if he was before a deity.

The elemental artifacts floated around her, forming some sort of energy field. Toni suspected that it was the only place she could exist, but he was just not so sure about that. It could also be a prison. He approached her, intending to talk to her. Elias interrupted him.

— Isn't she one of the most amazing things you've ever seen? Not even you, with that magic leg, could cause such perplexity. Not even I, in my purely magic form, could get close to such majesty. I'm very, very satisfied for being able to witness and contribute with the appearance of a flagae nowadays. I can die happily now.

— Well, that's what you'll get, because I'll kill you myself.

— Yes, Magic Leg, I know. Isn't it scary when a scenario happens just like in a dream you had? I'm terrified with the resemblance. I think that, deep down; I never believed it would be so strictly the same...

But Toni had gone up against Elias, with his fist prepared, ready to punch the Draziw directly on the nose. In the heat of the moment, Toni did not remember to put some magic in his fist. It certainly was very advantageous for Henrique, who jumped between them, separating the blow, but not without suffering from it. The lad with the magic leg was surprised and he pulled his arm back.

— You're Henrique, right? Why are you protecting him, man?

— Because I have no choice, as I believe you already know.

— Don't do anything stupid then. I'm sure Irene can do something for you...

— There's no need for you to tell me that. I know, but I can't help it. By the way, I suggest you to run, because I'm already engaging your minds...

Irene touched Toni's shoulder, forcing him to get off her way so she could somehow reach Henrique. But the very next moment, she was not there anymore. When he looked to his front, the blue-eyed lad and Elias were gone too.

He turned around towards his former home and found Newcomen. The ship was only half built; its skeleton was almost completely exposed, with only a few planks in the place. Toni's breath failed for a few seconds, without understanding how it could be happening. He ran up to one of the ends of the vessel and walked around it, listening to hammering sounds. Halfway to the other end, he found the one who was hammering.

Ren, with tar-black hair in a ponytail on the top of her head, sweated heavily under the scalding sun. She was absorbed in the task, and did not notice Toni's arrival. The lad, with the deep impression that something was wrong, sat beside her.

— Hey... Are you okay?

— Better late than never, Antonio Maro. I thought you'd let me do all the heavy work today. This is not even my ship. You slacker. But hey, how are your arms? Are they hurting any less?

Toni stared at her. Something was deeply dislocated, but he could not remember what it was. As he would not answer, the girl looked up to see him.

— What?

— What what?

— What what what?

— Oh, stop it, sister! What are you doing there?

— You started it. I'm taking care of this crappy ship of yours, what else? Didn't you ask me for help because you had pierced your hand with a nail?

— I had pierced...?

Looking at his right hand, he saw that it was all bandaged with gauze, and he kept his sleeve over it, trying to hide it. He thought it was odd, because it seemed as if it had happened a long time ago.

— Then you came up to me, crying as if you're five years old, asking me to help you with your hand, which was bleeding profusely. Imagine if mom finds out about this...

— It's incredible how you manage to be unpleasant sometimes, Renata. I wasn't crying, ok? And mom does not know about a thing unless you open that big mouth of yours.

— I won't open my big mouth if you stop this nonsense. But now, with me helping you, everything will be alright. This ship did need a feminine touch...

— In your case, it's a monster touch.

Ren got a bottle of water that she had been using to prevent herself from dehydrating under the withering heat of the sun, opened it and tried to throw the liquid at her brother, who escaped, running to the side.

— You bastard! Now you have to get me some water!

Both laughed out loud, despite the insults. When they were able to control themselves, she called him closely. She took his right hand and started to take the gauze off, delicately. She looked at the wound, clean and well taken care of.

— It's healing just right. It doesn't even look inflamed. Be careful for now, ok?

— I will. Thanks, little sister.

— Relax. It may not seem that way, but I just want to see you fine. Sometimes, I get mad at Dr. Breno. Sure, he must know about these things, but how can he attest with such certainty that you're going to die? I can't believe that...

— Ren, it's quite obvious, isn't it? If my body is slowly shutting down, starting with my limbs... But don't worry. I won't die. We're going to figure this out, right? — Toni interrupted her, pointing at the Newcomen with his head as the girl bandaged his hand again.

— Yes, but... Do you think the Reverse can be trusted? He told us about this Weaver that can help you, but... I mean... Ok, we learned a great part of our magic tricks with him... But don't you have the feeling that he is always trying to hold back from doing something to us?

— I don't have that feeling. I know that. That's why I believe he is telling the truth. Whatever or whoever he's afraid of, he wouldn't say anything to harm us out of fear of retaliation.

— That's a good point. But don't you think it's better to come clean to mom and Adri? Toni... your situation is very serious, and...

— No. You know mom will never let me out of the house again if she knew what's going on with me. And if we mention the Weaver, they might laugh at us. Or think we've gone insane. Let's just let them think I'd like to see the world. What shall I lose while searching for the Weaver and checking the veracity of the Reverse's story? If there is no way and I die, at least I'll have tried...

Ren's palm flew towards his biceps, bursting into a painful slap. Toni looked at her, dumbfounded.

— I hate, I HATE this talk! If you'd like to go on a blind quest with that defeat talk, you can go by yourself!

They stared at each other in that way that only they could. The lad tried to say she had got it all wrong. He was not sure if she had understood the intention though, which was weird. He also could not read her expression. He was not sure what was going on in his sister's soul. Suddenly, Ren looked down, ashamed. Still sitting, she took the moment to hide the hammer among her clothes so her brother would not notice it. Apparently, he did not, because he started talking again.

— I'm sorry, Ren. I didn't mean to make you mad. It's just that this situation bums me out. But it's okay. We'll leave soon. I didn't want you to go, but you're so stubborn, what can I do?

Without a warning, she stood up and watched Toni, with a frank smile. That strange feeling of something misplaced swirled feebly within him.

— Of course I'll go. What would you do without me?

— I think you want to go because you are the one who can't live without me. — He smiled back, forgetting about that feeling. — What worries me is leaving Adri and mom on their own. Are they going to be okay?

— Well, as you have gift of the gab, you even managed to convince them to let you build this ship to "know the world", right? They are settled with the idea of being away from you for a while. I think you should consider being a salesperson, you've always been good in persuading people. That talk you had with Adri, when she went through all that trouble... She was feeling bad and desperate. But after talking to you, she seemed much more relieved. It was really amazing.

— What did you just say?

Ren startled and looked at him, confused, as the hammer was almost falling from its hideout. Toni had his eyes wide open, with outrage stamped in his face. The girl hesitated.

— W-which part exactly? I mean, Adri felt much more comfortable after talking to you that day.

— Wrong. I never talked to her that day. I never talked to her about what happened. You're describing what I wish it had happened.

The alarm in the lad's mind sounded loudly. Both stared at each other again. What was to come next was not expected by anyone. Not even by Elias.
22 – Appearances and clashes

As soon as Henrique opened his eyes, with an almost tormented expression, Toni and Irene did the same concomitantly. The Psymind breathed in deeply, as if he was calming down after an exhausting physical exercise. The couple of friends only stood still, their glazed look wandering away, as if they were on hold. The soft breeze caused hair and clothes to flutter and, for several minutes, that was the only movement around. The bright sun bothered Henrique, but he finally recovered, straightening his body and cracking his back as he did so. When he looked ahead, Elias was exactly at the same spot, watching him, next to the flagae.

— So? — He calmly asked.

— It's okay. They are on hold. As you commanded me not to hurt them...

— Yes, enough with the killing, right? I wanted to cause less damage as possible. But things never go 100% as planned. I'm glad you're back.

Elias turned his back to Henrique and approached the one who used to be Adri, but now a flagae. He watched her closely for several minutes, as if he was waiting for something she had to say. She only gave him a sly look, as if she knew a lot, but would not say.

The scenario was not as expected. What else would the Draziw have to do? He was afraid of asking it to the genie. Maybe the answer to that question would be considered as a wish granted and she would disappear forever. He was surprised by hearing the Psymind's voice, which drove him away from rambling.

— Didn't you make the wish?

— No.

He made a quick pause.

— Elias... after all this, won't you tell me what you're planning? You're exactly where you wanted to be, with the flagae and nothing to stop you...

The gray-haired man laughed hoarsely, with irony impregnating his laughter. He looked away from Henrique and back to Adri. He finally stared at the horizon, as if he was uncertain of what he should do.

— I'm not exactly where I want, Henrique. Things are slightly misplaced. The scenario is almost this one, but it's not complete.

— What scenario? You always talk about that, but I can never understand you. Why is it so important for you to follow pre-established steps?

— Because I don't want to take the risk of someone changing my fate. I feel that, if things don't go exactly as in my dream, it won't work. That is why I hoped Magic Leg would do more. Frankly, I wasn't hoping he would be captured that easily. — Elias sighed, almost tired.

Fury suddenly hit Henrique. The Draziw's ability to say everything and nothing at the same time, explaining things partially and giving more questions than answers, was impressive. He wanted to cause a mental shock in his mind, taking everything he wanted to know, but he could not. He breathed deeply again, trying not to show his impatience.

— Elias, if you allow me, may I ask what this fate is? How did things develop in your dream?

— It happened magnificently and vividly. But many details are misplaced and I don't know what to do. — Elias looked very confused indeed. He looked at the ground, without seeking for anything in particular, as if he was searching through his memories. He hesitated so much that the Psymind did not think he was faking it.

— How can you not know what to do? The genie is right in front of you.

— No... it's not right. This is the scenario, but things happened slightly differently...

— Is it possible to bring her back? Assuming that you don't make any wishes, is there any way to restore her human condition?

The Elder stared at the Psymind. He was oddly communicative. Henrique hardly ever started a conversation, let alone an interrogatory like that. He watched him closely. There was something different about him, but he could not identify what it was. He analyzed Irene's and Magic Leg's faces. They seemed unresponsive, with oblivious countenances, staring at nothing in particular.

— If it's possible, I don't know, Henrique. But she was not a human being. She was a mere Magic Heart, a doll who pretended to have feelings. Under that perspective, she does deserve to die anyway. Just like that stupid Renata, who just slowed me down.

From then on, everything happened quickly. While Henrique's expression changed to disbelief and Irene's lips twitched, a figure ran by them like the wind. Before Elias himself could notice, a fist had exploded in his chest, throwing him several meters away. Toni noticed that the Draziw's Magic Heart went out in the process, but he barely paid attention. He still panted with rage; his hand was pure bright magic. He gnashed his teeth so hard, his jaw was sore. The arm that had given the blow was numb, but Toni shook it, with fury.

Elias could not help it but falling flat on the ground. Oxygen escaped completely from his lungs, and his wheezing breathing forced the air in. As soon as he pulled himself together, he immediately started laughing. Toni had the urge to go up against him again, but Irene and Henrique, at each of his sides, held him by his forearms.

— Wait. — Irene whispered, grabbing his biceps hard.

The Draziw guffawed as his voice regained strength. He rose slowly, as if he was enjoying the moment. Fully erect, he stared at the trio with an amusing, but also sarcastic, smile.

— I knew it! I knew there was something wrong with you, Henrique. You don't know how to disguise things well, boy. — He teased, rubbing his chest. — Magic Leg is just like his sister. He hears a few insults and already loses his mind. However, I could never assume someone would be able to break my Encanto so easily. Not just that, but also impregnating Henrique with magic so I wouldn't notice its absence. Congratulations, Irene.

It was Irene's turn to smile ironically.

— Thank you, Elias, but I didn't do it.

Elias frowned, not understanding it.

— Well, of course impregnating the lad with magic was my fault. Too bad it didn't really work out, because he is a terrible actor. But I wasn't the one who broke the spell.

Elias automatically looked at Toni, with disbelief stamped on his face, like a lighthouse.

— That's impossible... How...?

******************

— Wrong. I never talked to her that day. I never talked to her about what happened. You're describing what I wish it had happened.

Toni and Ren looked up and down at each other. Toni realized something essential was not right. Ren's eyes did not say a thing when they should say everything. She just stared with an idiotic expression, as if she did know what else to say. She eventually came clean and smiled in defeat. She was no longer worried about hiding the hammer.

— Yup. You got me. This is so awkward.

— It's you, isn't it, Henrique? Do you want to kill me or am I this annoying?

— Well... I don't want to kill you, maybe just hurt you a little. Elias wants you alive, only the Gods know why. It's very difficult to separate what really happened from what you wish it had happened. Your conversation with Adri is so engraved in your brain that it seems real.

— Since you managed to forge this memory, I guess you understand why you had this imaginary conversation.

— Of course... Who am I to judge you? Anyway, you weren't supposed to notice incoherencies. This was supposed to feel like a dream. Who...

— Irene. She told me to pay attention to details.

— Yes, obviously.

— But is it possible to hurt someone in an illusion? I mean, physically.

— It is an illusion, but we're on your mind.

— And you can do it even though I know it's an illusion?

— I'm afraid so. That is why I suggest that, if you have a trick, use it now, for I'll have to attack you.

— Wait, wait. If you're going to do this could you at least don't look like my sister?

— Well, there is no commandment specifying the type of mental attack. I think I can meet your request.

— Wait.

— Again? What now?

— I just wanted to thank you for transferring your knowledge to Irene. You took a chance, so... Thank you.

— I have no idea of what are you talking about. But if it was something that defied Elias, then I'm sure it was my pleasure.

Henrique instantly came back to his original shape. For Toni, it was quicker than the blink of an eye. Without giving chance for him to get ready, the Psymind ran towards him, with the hammer ready to strike. Caught by surprise, Toni fumbled and the object exploded against his forearm, but he managed to hold both Henrique's hands, immobilizing him. But the blue-eyed lad was strong, and Toni could not hold him for long.

During the attack, Toni had noticed a slight flicker wrapped around Henrique. He could not analyze it right. However, now that they were face-to-face, he could better watch him. Yes, his body was flickering! He could see the intermittent light. It was not condensed enough so he could understand what it was, but it looked like words. He could not read them. If only his opponent stood still...

With a tight grip on the lad's wrists, Toni stepped forward and fit his shoulder on his chest. Using all his strength, he boosted his opponent's back, causing him to fly over his head, and let gravity do the rest. The fall caused Henrique to sprain his wrist and drop the hammer.

The lad with the magic leg kept the Psymind's arms stuck. But he started to struggle desperately.

— Would you stay still?! There's something on you... — Toni impatiently yelled. Henrique calmed down for a few seconds.

— What are you talking about?

— There's a sort of light, something is around you. It looks like words.

— Words? What's written?

Toni squinted his eyes to better see. The image became clearer and clearer as Toni focused on them and his heartbeats slowed down. The letters were around Henrique, causing the lad to smile as he compared that sight with a hula hoop. But the feeling was that Henrique had been marked. It could only be the controlling spell that Elias had cast on him. The circle glowed and slowly spun, more and more visible.

— It looks like... "Encanto de Contenção".

A new word instantly appeared within the circle. Toni could clearly read it.

— There's something else now... It looks like... "Libertar".

Exactly when he finished enunciating the word, the arc around Henrique shone brightly, exploding into a million sparks, dissipating into the air. Toni immediately let him go, thinking those particles would hit his face, but they went through him. The young Psymind rolled on the ground until he stood up. He looked straight at Toni as the last fragments of light got extinguished. There was no longer that uncontrollable urge to confront him to defend his master, and Henrique felt strange. That spell controlled his will for so long that, for a few seconds, he did not know what to do. When he finally came to his senses, realizing that he had no urge to obey, he gave a mischievous smile to the other lad.

— How the hell did you do this, Magic Leg?

— I don't know! What exactly did I do?

— You broke the spell! I don't have the slightest urge to attack you.

— What?! Was it because I read those strange words?

— I guess so.

— I'm not even going to waste my time trying to understand how I did it. Let me out, Henrique. Elias is my target. Where is Irene?

— I'm inside her mind, too, but she realized it was an illusion even before you did. You are hard to fool.

— I'll take that as a compliment. Come on, let us out!

— Wait, wait. — With the same ironic smile, he mocked Toni on purpose. — You're rushing into the shark's jaws without a plan. Irene told me to take the advantage. I think it's really the smartest move.

The Psymind was right, Toni thought. In regular circumstances, he would not be so impulsive. But that was not a regular moment, considering what Elias had done. It would be foolish indeed to go up against him with no strategies. Therefore, Toni closely listened to what Henrique had to say. He assumed Irene would be listening too, wherever she was.

Theoretically, the plan was flawless. They would pretend that both Toni and Irene had succumbed to Henrique's mind manipulation and he would be in charge of questioning Elias about his purposes and whether he knew how to bring Adri back to her original human shape. As soon as they had the information the Psymind would capture in the man's mind. He assured he would be able to do it if he caught the man off guard.

Too bad the plan was only theoretically flawless.

******************

Elias watched Toni still with eyes wide open. The lad certainly had unique abilities, even the Draziw admitted that. But to think he could break an Encanto without knowing the required hand gestures was raising lots of expectations about his own ability. However, the initial shock had faded and he thought things through. Perhaps it was expected. If Toni had to do what he had done in his dream, it would actually be the least to expect from the lad. How he managed to achieve the feat was irrelevant. The important thing was that he was, in fact, the target. Elias felt a bolt of electricity through his body, renewing his hopes.

Toni saw the bewilderment in the gray-haired man's face slowly being replaced by a kind of excitement, a rapture. He thought it was not a good sign. He looked at Adri and did not see anything considerably different. He breathed in, relieved, and thought it was very odd. During their confrontation with Henrique, Elias had not moved. He had all the time required to ask the sister for his only wish, but he did not. It was as if he was not interested in it. Or, Toni grimly thought, he was such a sadistic guy that he wanted him conscious while making his wish. Regardless of what he intended he was resolute. He would kick his ass anyway. He did not even want to think about what he would say to his mother about Ren and Adri. He put the thought into his deepest recesses, as anger rose again.

His heart almost escaped his mouth when, suddenly, Henrique's voice exploded in his ears.

" _Magic Leg! MAGIC LEG!"_

Automatically, Toni turned around to look at the Psymind, and he looked back in surprise. At the same time, he heard Irene speaking inside his mind, without moving her lips and rolling her eyes.

"Congratulations, Magic Leg. Now, Elias knows we're communicating through

our minds."

Toni felt an enormous urge to swear at them, but he could only form one sentence in his mind.

" _Are you kidding me, right? If I wasn't supposed to look, Henrique, you could've normally called me rather than yelling in my head."_

" _Sorry. I had to build the network between the three of us. I didn't know whether you were listening and I exaggerated."_

" _Toni. Listen up. The plan is: attack. With a single Magic Heart, he will hardly be able to deal with the three of us."_

While he heard Irene speaking directly into his head, Toni turned to face the lone opponent again. He was exactly at the same spot, waiting with a crooked smile, filled with superiority, particularly looking in his direction. If he knew they were communicating with no sounds, why was he still like a rock and did not take any advantage though? He was weird, no doubt about that. No one could foresee his actions. They were all random and senseless. However, Toni could not help thinking about what the man represented, how much he had taken from him and how he had changed his life. He wanted to face him on his own; after all, it was an issue concerning only the two of them. He would not let anyone else get involved.

" _Irene. I don't want you to fight him. Not even you, Henrique. I want to settle this on my own."_

The Water Dragon, who waited for Toni's answer, thought she did not quite understand it.

" _What did you say, Magic Leg?"_

" _That I don't want you to meddle. I'm the one who has to do this."_

The response was not positive.

"Magic Leg, I don't think it's wise. Even with a single Magic Heart, he's very skilful and powerful." The Psymind claimed, believing that the best strategy was to act together.

" _Henrique is right. Even weak, he is an opponent with greater experience than yours and even mine, Magic Leg."_

Before Toni could talk back, a gigantic hand grabbed his whole face, pushing him forward, towards Irene. He felt his shoulder colliding against the woman's chest, while his energy slowly slipped from his body, and he realized his magic leg was losing consistency. The fingers, just like claws, let him go right afterwards and he flew towards a tree, using his arms to soften the impact. As soon as his buttocks hit the ground, his left leg was completely gone. He just stayed there, discarded, surprised and dizzy. Elias's hateful voice, filled with fun, was heard through the agitated air.

— You're taking too long. Do you think I'm going to wait forever? Irene, where is your old impulsivity? You've become extremely careful as the years went by. And is it all to protect these kids you barely know? What a softy girl.

Although stunned, the woman went mad. She went up against Elias with her hands in fists. As agile as a cat, she managed to hit her former companion in the stomach several times, without giving him time to fight back.

Before one of her hands touched her opponent's body, she made skillful gestures with the other hand, which generated a magic impact. It was magic that clashed against her adversary with the strength of a hammer.

Elias knew that it was not her specialty, but her favorite technique to face him, because it was hard keeping up with her, given his size. Whenever he tried kickback to suck her energy, she retorted with a movement of her fingers, which nullified the intent.

Irene avoided turning into an undine around him for her magic was exposed. As a human, it was easier to control energy's withdrawal.

In a quick sequence, the Water Dragon stroke her elbow on Draziw's solar plexus. Afterwards, her knuckles flew towards his chin, finishing with an accurate kick in his stomach, knocking him down. Dissatisfied, she ran to the man on the ground and jumped up to crush him under her feet, but he was faster, making four quick hand gestures and casting an Encanto on her.

Irene raised her arms to protect her face and felt the wave of magic through her body, throwing her back. She rolled around the ground and stood up, and everything seemed to be moving quickly. The movement of wind rustling the leaves of the trees and the grass was sped up, making Irene miss a few frames of vision. That was exactly why she did not realize when Elias quickly approached her, punching her stomach. She realized the second before the strike and later noticed that she was on the ground. The Haste Encanto. It acted on nerve impulses led from the optic nerve to the brain, accelerating them and causing several moments not to be recorded by the gray matter. The Draziw had explained it a long time ago. She knew that trick and how to break it. She unsteadily rose to her feet as quickly as possible, as her eyes failed to record moments of her own movement. As she tried to break the spell, Elias emerged again in her visual field, punching her on the face, which made her jaw tremble and depleted some of her energy.

She was knocked down again and spotted an enormous hand around her neck, forcing her to rise and taking her off the ground afterwards. Elias even held one of her wrists so she would not break the Encanto, knowing that she would need both hands free. She felt air escaping from her lungs as her skin burned underneath Elias's touch, who depleted her magic through her pores.

Suddenly, the man let her loose, flinching and taking several steps backwards, as if startled. Irene heard Henrique's voice inside her mind, as clear as water.

" _Do something now! He thinks you're his wife, but I won't be able to hold him for long..."_

Irene instantly made the gestures and broke the Encanto and her eyes started to see the real speed of events. Elias was still looking at her open-mouthed, but he shook his head violently and Henrique gasped, startled. He could not hold the man as long as he wanted. He shivered as his looks crossed paths.

— Henrique. You are really dangerous. I can't let you stand in my way any longer.

The blue-eyed lad gulped, but when Elias went up against him, a powerful water blade cut his back, preventing him from moving forward. Irene quickly turned her arm back to human shape, and without wasting time, she ran towards the Draziw, punching and kicking.

They exchanged several attacks and defenses, as if in a dance. Elias could sense the pressure in his brain the whole time. Henrique tried to break into his mind in order to get Irene some advantage.

The Water Dragon already showed signs of fatigue, in pain, with heavy arms and slower body for it was impossible to prevent all energy thefts. Both of them had several bruises in their face and arms. The gash on his back was not superficial, but he was still at full load.

Without a warning, he reached out for Irene's neck again, to try to immobilize her. But she was still agile enough to dodge him. She quickly ducked, taking the momentum to sweep his ankles. Elias fell down, but his back never touched the soil, floating a few millimeters from the ground. Without noticing the detail, Irene jumped like a jaguar as her fist aimed for his nose. She sat on top of Elias as her fist exploded on the grass because the man dodged it at the last second. They stared at each other for a few moments, rapidly breathing, dripping wet from sweat and with a smile emerging on both of their faces.

— You're still in shape, huh, Irene, my dear?

— And you, for a level-one, are a smart-ass, right?

— Sometimes, I still think about us just like this.

— Fighting and bruised?

As he rolled his eyes, Elias pouted, amused.

— Almost that.

Feeling light as if she had no weight, Irene went up, intrepid, giving room so her former companion could rise as well. They stood still and mute for a while. The Dragon broke the silence.

— Do we really have to do this, Elias? What do you intend after all?

— I'm afraid we have, my dear. Everything will be clear in a while, I assure you.

He did not make room for conversation, making three quick gestures, summoning another Encanto. Irene stiffened her muscles and prepared as she could, but the magic was never released.

Suddenly, it was as if Elias had been affected by a very strong headache. His eyes were shut and his hands were spasmodically clenched, shaking.

Irene turned her head towards Henrique, and he was in a similar state to the Draziw. They took a few seconds in the mental battle until the unexpected happened. Elias was finally enraged. A powerful blast of energy was formed in the environment, carrying Irene and Henrique in its shock waves, throwing them back. The woman's body contorted in a tailspin and she managed to fall on her feet.

Elias leaped forward and reached for the Psymind's body in the air. He grabbed the lad's head with his hand, sinking it aggressively into the ground. Before fainting, the Draziw's raspy voice reached his ears, through clenched teeth.

— Using Hana's image once is bad enough. Trying to fool me with her image and Helen's is an abuse. You asked for it, Henrique.

Toni, who had felt the blast of magic bursting everywhere, tried to rise and help Henrique, but the most he got was shoring up the tree trunk as he has not gathered enough strength to materialize his leg. Irene went up against her former companion, trying to keep him away from the unconscious lad, but the man was more attentive and focused than ever and easily dodged the punch, striking her chin and throwing her into the air. The Dragon, feeling dizzy, flew aimlessly several meters above, while the Draziw slightly bent his legs and concentrated all his strength to jump like a spring. He paired up with the woman and grabbed her whole face, immediately depleting her magic. She tried to break free, but she felt her limbs alarmingly losing strength. When Elias fell, still holding her head, her body was already loose, languid.

— IRENE! — Toni roared in despair, almost collapsing on the floor.

The semi-conscious Dragon fell when his hand opened up and let her go. Elias turned around to Toni, with sparks in his eyes, as anger still danced within them. It was as if he waited for a reaction from the lad. Toni noticed the pressure but, no matter how crazy he was to go up against him, his magic leg was just not properly responding. He was once again at the mercy of the events; he was a cripple. His cheeks burned with hate and shame.

The man once known as Constant Depletion possessed walked towards the place where Toni was anchoring. But he seemed to have given up halfway. Still with a flaming glare, he huffed in frustration.

— Damn you, you brat! I'm right here in front of you and you won't do A THING?

It hit him like a rock in the middle of his forehead. Obviously he wanted to do something, like strangling him. He made new efforts to conjure his leg once again. It shone for a few measly seconds, extinguishing afterwards. Grasping, he threw himself forward in a vain attempt to reach the opponent, and all he did was getting his face dirty from dust. When he realized the situation he was in, tears of anger busted from his eyes.

When he looked at Elias, humiliated, the gray-haired man was no longer furious. Toni felt a pang of anguish in his chest; the man's countenance had softened. His expression showed only one feeling. Sympathy.

— I guess I was wrong about you, Magic Leg. You're quite different from the one I saw in my dream. The dream must've been wrong, after all. It's a pity. — He sighed, seeming really disappointed.

Turning around, Elias approached the flagae that had once been Adri. She was still in the same way, just watching the events with sharp piercing eyes. Facing her, Elias spoke out loud.

— You leave me with no other option, Magic Leg. I didn't come here to leave empty-handed. I was just hoping you could help me with that. Not your sister. Never mind. Whatever.

Toni crept fiercely, trying as much as he could to reach the man next to his sister. He did not, could not stand still, not like in the last time. His impotence caused such an agony he thought it was impossible to feel it. All his failures flashed before his eyes: the first failure with Adri, which caused her to be blind of an eye. His inability to build his boat by himself, which caused Ren to accompany him and had her life taken. And now, this new lapse with Adri, because he could not prevent her turning into something other than herself. He begged the gods he knew to help him, to give him strength, because he was a bastard.

The sound suddenly started. That noise, now deafening, filled the sky and the earth. Spinning gears, metal against metal, grinding, screwing. Everyone there unconsciously held their breaths as their heads buzzed with the noise. Toni had heard it with a similar intensity, but nothing like that. He felt oppressed, as if he was about to be crushed against the ground. Elias had his eyes wide open and yet, he frowned, in a mask of shock that would be amusing at any other time. Even Adri slightly widened her eyes, as if it was not expected.

When they heard that calm voice, time was different. Vague, pasty. It originally came from the Regular Forest, but in a very few seconds, the sound seemed to come from everywhere. Even the landscape seemed to be unfocused, imprecise, as if it was behind a dirty glass.

— Don't let guilt lead you. Icarus has said that. You must be led by your determination. Conjure that leg and go forward to him.

Toni recognized the voice, but he was far from realizing it. He automatically answered.

— I can't! Even if I tried, I can't get enough energy! He took it from me! I can't!

— Calm down. The wizards of today are used to solely depend on the power of their Magic Hearts. You're different, but your ability cannot be fully functional in the current context. This land has almost recovered from the unexpected event from fifteen thousand years ago. The levels are still way below normal, but there will be no harm if I release the energy from nature so you can restore your leg and fight at full capacity.

— Release the energy from nature...? What are you talking about?

The voice went silent as Toni could feel the pressure in his ears and the sky echoed the sound of the giant machine. Suddenly, the sound went up two or three tones, making his skull vibrate with the tinnitus. He had the impression that if it spoke again, its voice would make his eardrums burst. But the voice replied with the same blandness.

— Original magic comes from the world, Antonio Maro. The Magic Heart retains a limited part of that power. You have to train your eyes. Look around, look close, this is your gift. Focus and see magic in everything. You only managed to break the Encanto that controlled the Psymind because you put your sight at fullest. Use this on your advantage.

Toni did as the voice had said. He looked. The world was in abeyance. He took a deep breath. It took a while for him to start noticing the first signs. A bright mist, which, at some points, turned into tiny luminous spheres, could be seen around trees, shrubs and bushes, flowers, grass, dirt. It floated in the air, gently spinning.

As he looked towards the Regular Forest, he was breathless.

Magic was not a mist there. It looked like a compact, massive, sturdy wall, with an intense glow wrapped around its entire length, spinning in a considerable speed. He wondered how he had never noticed it before. All the energy could not be emitted solely by the forest and one Reverse.

Whoever spoke to him, could read his thoughts.

— You're right, Antonio Maro. But it's not relevant now. Do what has to be done.

The lad was not so sure about the next move. But intuitively, he knew. He began to visualize that energy was flowing from nature to him, wrapping him around. Entering his pores, strengthening his body, reviving his own center of power, his "Heart". He was aware of every particle migrating to form his leg. Small cuts and wounds were closed up in a split second.

Without knowing how, he was sure it was the right move. The natural state of things. Magic was there, just waiting to be given a reason to exist. Waiting to be molded, moved, filled with action. Because it was not inert. Every form of energy craves dynamism.

Wasn't it the way the elementals lived?

Everything was clear. Obeying magic's will, Toni gave it shape.

He firmly rose, as the strength of his magic leg made him confident. It shone even brighter in an indigo tone, as power frantically spun, coming from everywhere. He stomped several times, testing its resistance. The moves left trails of light in the air, and Toni was stunned, like a child. He felt he could do anything; his guilt was buried deep inside his mind.

That magnificent sound that dominated the environment was gradually decreasing, becoming a mild murmur, resembling a tide. Until it completely stopped, just like the voice that had mysteriously appeared.

Elias was also captured in the temporal vortex and although he had noticed that Magic Leg had had a dialogue with someone, he heard nothing but the lad. What really haunted him was magic popping out in streams from nowhere, joining him to conjure his leg. He had never heard of something like that. As far as he knew, it took hours for someone to recover from energy depletion. It was never as instantaneous as that. Not even the eldest Draziws could replace that amount of energy so quickly. Without realizing it, Elias was glad. Not only because Magic Leg had accomplished a feat he had never seen before, but also because he believed again that his goal was possible. Maybe it would all go as it was revealed to him, after all.

Adri was still impassive. After her subtle surprise, her face came back to the previous mask. It was impossible to say what she was thinking about.

Feeling satisfied, Toni stabilized his left leg and walked up to his antagonist.

— I'm sorry if I made you wait for so long.

Elias chuckled.

— Oh boy, you have no idea how long you've made me wait. I'm glad you're in a good condition.

— Really? Enjoy it, then. Soon, you won't be that happy.

Toni went up against him as quick as a bolt of lightning, as his foot drew a trail of light in the form of an arch when he boosted it to hit the side of his opponent's head. A sharp hiss and a hallucinatory gust of wind were formed, carrying pieces of grass and dirt clods. Nevertheless, the man was faster and could grasp his sole, preventing the impact. Magic was now so powerful that it hurt his palm. However, without alarm, he got ready to deplete the lad's energy.

Toni stretched his lips into a smirk when Elias's expression turned to estrangement.

— What is it, bastard? Is something wrong? Are you not able to do that trick of yours today?

— How are you doing this? — The Draziw incredulously snapped.

Toni changed the density of magic and his foot slipped through Elias's fingers. He immediately punched his abdomen – his arm also wrapped in blue brilliance – causing him to step back. More than pain, the Draziw expressed confusion.

— Now I can see how you do it. It's as clear as water. Your skin absorbs magic, but a very small amount of it. The key – and really dangerous – spots are your hands. It's where you focus your ability. It's easy to observe the moment of power drainage and divert my power from these points, molecule by molecule.

Straightening and smoothing the wrinkles in his clothes, Elias smiled from ear to ear.

— It's amazing. Stupendous! That is why it had to be you.

For Toni, Elias was just babbling nonsense. He was not interested in his speeches and fantasies. He was running out of patience. Therefore, he did not hesitate for even a second to shoot an energy projectile to his face. But the man raised his hand in order to absorb that power. Toni slightly moved his fingers, in a gesture upward and, at the same moment, the energy sphere deviated from its original route with an incredible speed, going around to the right and hitting Elias on his back. He stumbled forward, hands clenched, teeth chattering and his face contorted in a slight grimace. His skin, already cut by Irene's strike, suffered even more with burning. He cast a quick healing spell on himself, but he knew it would not do much, because such conjuring took a while to have any effect. Very few people had the level of magic manipulation that Toni now demonstrated, and Elias was appalled. He would have to fight harder.

It took three seconds to recover and launch himself as an arrow towards Toni, with an idiot grin. He tried to grab his neck or his face. Noticing the pattern with which the Draziw fought from his clash with Irene and Henrique, the lad with the magic leg was expecting a similar attack. He dodged it at the last second, holding his opponent's wrist and punching him on the elbow. His arm went dangerously upwards but failed to break because Elias had planted a sphere of white light on Toni's shoulder with his good arm. The lad felt as if a lightning went through his head and split it into two. He immediately dropped the gray-haired man.

Right afterwards, without showing any kind of pain, the man hit the lad's dizzy body with several punches. He used the same technique to fight as Irene had used before.

Toni was not as agile as his friend and he was easily knocked down with a punch that burst in his face. He fell on his back, panting. The boot that Elias slammed against his sternum made the act of breathing even harder.

With the helpless lad at his feet, Elias made three slight movements with his left hand behind his back. Magic immediately manifested itself around him, wrapping him like a giant blanket. Squinting, Toni could see the little words formed amid the power that swirled. But it was impossible to focus and read them.

He could not do much when his opponent took a position to release the spell. He tried to throw him off balance, but it was now too late. Once the spell engulfed him, the man pulled his foot off him. Toni's head started to spin. He felt dizzy and nauseous, as a strong pressure crushed his skull until he thought it would break apart. Reality began to flicker and in each flash, he seemed to be transported to a different place. In a flash, he was at home, having dinner with his family. Then, he was at the Regular Forest, with the Reverse keeping him and his bloodied stump company. Right afterwards, he was at Newcomen's prow, supporting his magical leg on the gunwale. Suddenly he was at the Weaver's majestic hall. Then he was in an all-white place, where he failed to distinguish anything.

Toni screamed. He did not know whether he was really being transported to these places or if it was just the result of an illusion. In between flashes, he saw himself lying on the ground; the Encanto cast by goddamn Elias was still acting on his body, in a whirlwind. In every two frames, where he was in two different places, he came back to where he originally was. At least he was able to realize it amid the pain through his head. He used all his willpower and spirit to focus only on the scenario where he was surrounded by magic. The words oscillated amid power, crazed. If only he had seen the hand gestures... Of course Elias would not be such a fool to make the gestures in front of him, no matter how quick he would do it.

The lad was tossed around again and, this time, it was at a time he knew he had never been before. He saw his mother and sister Adri arguing heatedly by the side of the Regular Forest. He had never seen them raising their voices at each other. But he could not identify the reason of the dispute.

The image shifted again and he watched Ren's back, standing before Armstrength, who had an idiotic expression, as if he was in a trance. Toni prepared for the moment in which the scenario would change again, recording the visions that penetrated his retinas. When he came back to his senses, he wildly sought for the letters. He had to read them somehow. Found them floating right next to his nose. In a flash, they waved and disappeared, but this time, he managed to catch a glimpse of them.

"Manipulação da Memória".

Without knowing how, he remembered the word he had used to free Henrique from the Encanto that imprisoned him, so he ventured to say it.

"Libertar".

He startled when he was thrown into a dark room with no doors or windows, filthy as a mouse's abode . His skin felt the rough, dirty floor, as if it was perfectly real. In the dim light, he spotted a crude wooden table, rickety and rotting. Behind it, sitting in a chair probably as destroyed as the table, was a man with long, shaggy hair. His face was covered with a long beard, as if he had been in that place for a long, long time. Toni watched him for an indefinite time, and did not understand from where Elias had come, bringing a stool to put at the other side of the table, in front of the man, blocking the vision that the boy had had.

"It's a risky journey. If you set this scenario, your death will be certain." - Toni listened to the man's raspy voice, enunciating each word slowly, as if he was very tired.

"Can you assure that, Foreteller? You're a little rusty from being here for so long." - Elias replied in a friendly voice, yet drawl with irony.

"If you don't trust me, why did you ask for my opinion about your dream?"

"Because you're the best in what you do. Your interpretations are 99% accurate. You're not stuck here for nothing."

"So don't piss me off with your questions. Just make an effort not to kill anyone, ok?"

"I can't assure you that. But I'll try, from the bottom of my heart." - Elias's face was stamped with a grin.

Toni stood up to reach out for the men who talked. Over Elias's shoulder, he saw the man smile, but not to his interlocutor. For a terrifying moment, Toni's bones froze. He was looking directly into his eyes.

— Dad?

The scenario suddenly changed again, and Toni returned to his own body, still wrapped in the magic barrier, as the Encanto ran at full steam. He only had a few more seconds before being tossed to another time. Who could predict how much more his brain could take? The pain in his skull was so intense that his vision was affected. He saw duplicates.

Squinting as much as he could, as his lids formed wrinkles in his face, Toni searched for the missing word. He instinctively knew there was one, the one that would set him free from torment, just as had happened with Henrique.

Floating a few centimeters from his face, he saw it. He heard an odd sound, a shrill scratch. He was surprised to realize it was his own voice.

— FINALIZAR!

The blanket of energy that swirled like a tornado shattered, like a big glass wall smashing. The shards crumbled into dust, being carried by the wind.

Simultaneously, the landscape ceased to flicker and Toni easily stood up. His head still seemed to be about to crack, but the pain was not as pungent. Elias stared at him with a look that mixed several elements: a little surprise, a lot of excitement and a little frustration.

— You're good indeed. This ability to see magic is really very advantageous. That was my best Encanto, Magic Leg. The most powerful one with my current level of power. — He revealed with a grin.

— What were those images you showed me? Who was the man you were talking to?

Elias looked alarmed.

— What are you talking about?

— Cut the crap! You know exactly what I'm talking about! Why did you show me that conversation?

As incredible as it seemed, Elias was genuinely confused.

— Wait, Magic Leg. There's a misunderstanding here. This Encanto is my invention and it affects areas of the brain known as the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. Those are areas responsible to control memories. The intention is to cause enough trauma so the target doesn't distinguish what is real from what is a memory. Theoretically, you shouldn't have seen anything that you wouldn't remember. But you cleverly managed to focus on the point of breaking it up without using gestures. The magic language is a dead, lost language. No one else knows how to pronounce it, not even us, the Elder Draziws.

Toni was getting tired of that little game. Many other scenes which he could not have simply remembered paraded before him, ignoring the fact that they were not memories. He thought it was a waste of time to continue arguing with the Draziw, who was full of irony and half-truths. There was no way to measure whether that talk about affecting areas of the brain related to memory was true or made up. For a moment, he thought that the bearded man in the vision man was his father. It was absurd. He did not even remember his father, who had vanished when he was about two years old. He associated the confusion to Elias's spell, to a delusional sight.

He thought it would be painful to wrestle with the Draziw for he was faster and physically stronger. Then, an idea ran through his mind like a lightning. He grabbed Icarus's elemental artifact. He quickly analyzed the sphere's inside. It sparkled with eternal fire and the boy's own eyes flashed in understanding. He could do it. He just hoped to be right. He put his free hand on top of the object. After a second, with a sudden yank, he made a bow with his arm, throwing it to his back. Following the object's movement, an extremely hot thread of fire was formed. It was as if he had snatched a whip from inside the artifact. The flames danced around him for a few moments, without burning him. Then they began to engage him in a dance, from his shoulder up to his face and, then, his feet. The only place where the fire was not concentrated was in his left magic leg. In little time, his skin was red, as if dominated by high fever, and vapor clouds came from his body.

Elias startled as he saw it. For the second time in two minutes, Magic Leg surprised him. He was before a rare phenomenon.

— Magic Leg...when did you learn to use the element without conjuring the elemental?

— Now!

So he flew up to his opponent. He stopped in front of him and punched him over and over. For Toni's surprise, those were all nimbly avoided by the gray-haired man, who did not fail to feel the heat of the flames, as his face and arms got scorched, in addition to the tips of his hair. He did not even have the decency to fear burns.

But it did not correspond to reality. Actually, Elias was very worried. The fact that the boy was using Icarus's powers was a terrifying thing. He had been through the experience of his skin and muscles being completely destroyed by those flames.

Toni went up against the Draziw again. He stabilized when he saw a gap in his attack and, seizing the moment, in the blink of an eye, he threw himself to the ground, kicking Toni's magic leg with the force of a battering ram, causing him to lose his balance and fall flat on the ground. Shortly after that, he conjured the same ball of white energy, which he threw at the lad's stomach crashing into it. The power caused a crater in the ground just below his back, and Toni felt as if his belly was about to explode. Even as he screamed in agony, the fire did not leave his body.

Elias felt safe to speak.

— I'm sure you don't know it, but what you did is a very rare thing. Few people in history have managed to control the basic forces of nature without the elemental to support them. Today, they are worshiped as gods or saints. It was very smart of you, though. If you had conjured Icarus, he would certainly cause more problems than he would solve.

Toni was sure he had an internal injury. Something was broken for sure, because the pain was almost unbearable. The taste of iron flooded his mouth, and he turned his head to spit blood. When he did so, his vision cleared a bit and he could see Elias walking towards him. But it was no use, as the following image was of several lights exploding and sprawling behind his eyelids, when the toe of his opponent's boot hit his temple. His conscience dangerously swayed, when the next kick came. A myriad of colors blurred his eyes with another kick. And many others followed, but he could not count anymore. He went into some sort of trance, without actually fainting. Amorphous scenes and nonsense passed before him. He was almost out when he came to his senses. Would he let himself be beat like a stray dog? In respect to his sisters, he could not let it happen.

The kicks were incessantly repeated; his face distorted as the blood flowed. Using his willpower at maximum, he thought of the voice that had given him instructions before. So he focused and tried to visualize once again the energy flowing from the environment to him. Soon, he stopped feeling the impact of the kicking. Pain was the next to fade as he increased his focus. The outside world had disappeared completely, leaving only the greedy mind. A world made of wishes and ideas appeared before the eyes of his soul. There, energy swirled, just waiting for the order, the intention and the time to obtain shape again.

Grass, dirt, air, animals, plants... Everything was a source. He wished for it. It wished for him, as well. Magic frenetically flowed towards him. He was flooded as his veins, vessels and tissues were instantly restored. The swelling and the deep cuts on his face regenerated in seconds, as well as the internal injury in his abdomen.

As he understood what was happening, Elias startled and reflexively bent down to grab the lad's face, covering it completely. The intention was to stop the regeneration process through energy drainage. However, inadvertently, Magic Leg held him by his wrist, pulling him away from his face. Five fingers were engraved on his skin as if caused by coals as he screamed in pain.

Toni rose and gathered the flames in one point, throwing them forward in order to carbonize his opponent.

The Elder's reaction was vertiginous. Twisting his wrist to release himself from the flaming grip, he went two steps back and took a huge leap, going over the lad's head. Toni turned around 180 degrees without flinching, but he was surprised not to find him anywhere.

A muffled, painful laughter called his attention. Contrary to all common sense, he had to look up. To his horror, there he was, hanging in the air, floating at least four meters from the ground. There was something wrong, though. Elias was bent and his hand rested on his left flank. Part of his clothes were torn and below them, he could only see the blackness of the charred skin from the middle of his thigh up to his first rib. He precariously hovered, as pain made it difficult to focus on the flight. He trembled slightly, but he never let the smile die. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to cover up his agony.

— Apparently, I wasn't as quick as I wanted. The energy you're using... Is not yours, is it? That healing ability is not normal. How are you doing this? — The underside of his eyelids began to twitch up, as he no longer could hide the damage caused. He unconsciously swayed his burned arm through Toni's fingers, his teeth still showing in the same disturbing smile.

The lad with the magic leg was astonished at the fact that his opponent was flying. So wizards were even capable of flying. He thought the prospect was exciting. But thinking back about the question addressed to him, he replied with scorn.

— If you beat me, maybe I'll tell you.

— Well. How daring. — The Draziw replied, pretending to be outraged.

Elias joined both hands in front of his body, twining his fingers. Despite the stinging pain, he aimed at Toni, and at his foot, a huge magic circle with arabesque designs shone. A kind of electricity was perceived in the air and an alarm trumpet was triggered on the lad's mind. He tried in every way to leave the demarcated area, but an electrified wall sent him back to the center. The charge quickly increased, and he already felt the hair on his arms and his neck stand on.

He hastily turned his face down in an attempt to discover how the magic circled through the drawing. He watched the flashes in the energy flow, and how it propagated over the lines. Concentrating fire on his palm, he made it burn intensely. In the pauses between the pulses, he threw the flames, which, as they touch the surface of the figure, acted like a bomb.

It all happened in a split second. When the explosion destroyed the floor taking a piece of the circle and making it imperfect, the wall acting as a barrier came undone. The instant he got out, a lightning rose from where he stood and ascended to the sky, shaking it. It disappeared with the titanic noise of a thunder, which soon followed. If he had taken a little longer, he probably would not be alive to check the burn on his right boot.

Dissatisfied, Elias aimed at him again, and his hands glowed, creating a new circle that confined Toni once more. However, knowing how to proceed, he executed the same strategy, managing to escape the electric column, which seemed to have become more violent. Anticipating another attempt, this time the lad jumped into the air, towards his opponent, not to be enclosed again. To his surprise, the man was nowhere to be seen.

The violent magic and the vibrating electricity in the oxygen particles were what prompted Toni. He turned around in the blink of an eye and energies clashed in brutal explosion. He did not even wondered where the Draziw had come from. He had only been able to effectively see him when his fist, wrapped in fire and magic stopped Elias's electrified punch. Not without consequences.

With the shock, Elias was destabilized in his flight, and was forced to go down. Toni was launched several feet away, forming an arch with his body, until he fell flat on the ground. At the speed of a thought, the Elder was already on top of him.

— Electricity is the only power of nature I can use. I'm glad it didn't go away with my other twelve hearts. It's way weaker, though.

Holding Toni's head, Elias applied a huge electrical discharge, which made the lad have a violent seizure. After a few seconds, the torture ceased and he laid still. The man took the moment to absorb the magic in spurts. The instant he felt it in his body, he noticed the immediate change. It was something refined and more sublime than the gross energy gathered in magic hearts. It was clean and eager to fulfill its role. After noticing this, the cut and the burn on his back instantaneously regenerated. The fingers branded on his wrist were clear and gone. And the terrible charred wound in his flank and thigh disappeared, as his skin once again assumed the usual tan.

How was that possible? For thousands of years there was no news of "saints" – those who were able to take ownership of the element without the elemental's help. But what Elias had before him was not that. Not just that. He just did not know where the power used by Magic Leg came from. He was sure it was not from his own Magic Heart. It came from an external source. Nobody had a sophisticated magic like the one circulating within him at that time, not even an Elder. But the question was: what was the source?

Elias rose, fully healed. He was thoughtful, staring admiringly at Toni. Unfortunately it was no longer a prerogative to worry about that. If he had met the boy years ago, finding the source of such energy would have probably become his newest obsession. But not now. Now, what really mattered was that Magic Leg was still fighting.

The lad was still down, as if he had fainted. Elias turned his back for a moment to see if Irene and Henrique had risen. And that was his big mistake.
23 – Measuring strengths

A withering blow wrapped in magic and flames impacted against Elias's sternum. He was immediately launched few meters away, as his clothes and skin got scorched. Interestingly, all his strength had faded away, as if the power source had been cut somehow. He had never felt something like that before, and it was truly absurd. For a moment, he was unable to focus his energy and counterattack. He let himself to be afraid for the first time, but he buried the feeling with no delay.

The heat increased in waves, stronger and stronger. It toasted the grass and the land around him, causing them to lowly hiss. More and more steam came off that slender body, shining in an even deeper shade of red. The hot air wildly oscillated, giving the impression that the landscape trembled and wallowed like a mirage. The intensity of the magic leg increased. His hair wildly rippled, without burning. Frowning and with eyes set deep into his opponent, Toni rose fully recovered. He was quicker than last time. The heart that once was inert and useless by the electric discharge now returned to pump blood with renewed will, as soon as it was restored by magic. Magic that now was molded quicker to his will.

Once all his concentrated anger reached the man, Toni noticed the brightness inside his chest oscillating and fading. His opponent was stunned, and not only due to the pain he obviously was feeling. But because the fuel that allowed him to act out had been interrupted, inhibiting any reaction based on magic. However, the moment had passed as his Magic Heart shone back as before. It was when Toni noticed a weak spot. He had done it before with another Draziw. Gerson, Irene's former personal assistant. Yes, he knew what to do then. He would focus on that.

Suddenly, he felt a grotesque tug at the bottom of his biceps, the same arm that had struck Elias. It was clear that even the extra magic withdrawn from the environment would not be enough to cure his illness. Possibly, by then, it was too late to treat such an old disease. He pressed the sore spot strongly, as if it could avoid the deterioration of his muscles. He did not let any trace of pain reach his expression.

Leaving the arm aside without giving space for the Draziw to fully recover, Toni stepped forward, like a bolt of lightning. He gave one, two, ten flaming punches in his face, as the man's skin turned scarlet red. He wrapped him in a whip of fire, throwing his body into the air and causing him to fly away.

Despite serious burns in some spots, it was not enough to stop Elias. Still in the air due to the previous strike, he turned his body to align the center of gravity, as he opened a satisfied smile. Barely touching the ground, he went for his young opponent. Electricity shook once again in his palm.

Toni managed to dodge several strikes with fire's help. However, he was hit many times and his skin got burned.

The fight then proceeded to take absurd proportions. Each clash of powers made a rumbling sound, and the land trembled. Flames hovered over Newcomen while flashing uncontrollably. Pieces of wood accumulated outside Maro's house and used in the fireplace, caught fire, threatening the integrity of the residence. Some sparks flew to the edge of the Regular Forest, starting a fire on the trees nearby. Small animals and birds ran away in panic to the depths of the woods. The air boiled, making it painful to breathe.

Toni could make the flames disappear, but he was so distracted that he could barely notice what happened beyond his surroundings. The Elder was strong, but he did not have full powers. It made the lad wonder how horrible he would be at full capacity. He was an eccentric man. What had made him give up his invincibility anyway?

A particularly strong shock rocked the house's structure and Toni was brought back to reality. They were threatening everything around them, including Adri, Henrique and Irene. The latter were both unconscious. They could not keep up with that madness. He had to stop it. He focused all his energy, and the temperature rose to an almost unbearable level. A light came off his body in such a manner that was even harder to look at him directly. Despite the amazement, Elias was not intimidated. It was easy to feel the ripples of magic emanating from the lad and he could predict his position and direction from that.

Suddenly, Toni went up against his antagonist, surrounding him from all sides with bursts of fire, so he could not escape through any place. He aimed a powerful punch coated with magic and fire at his opponent's chest, aiming to extinguish the glow of his Magic Heart once again. Unlike what had happened to Gerson, it would not be enough to beat the gray-haired man. He was aware of that, but he had a plan.

Elias laughed condescendingly. When the thermal waves were about to hit him and finish him off, he just picked a boost and escaped from above, avoiding the impact and floating away.

The columns of flames clashed at the point of convergence, eventually exploding over a surprised Toni. An amused laughter could be heard. The lad felt extremely anger as he recovered, as the flames were harmless against the user himself. He prepared to jump right back in when he felt liquid fingers touching and squeezing his wrist. A scalding steam arose and spread. Irene, with a sick and pale appearance, just like a corpse, looked straight into his eyes. Coincidentally, Henrique was also awakening, but he had not been able to get up yet. He was still somewhat dizzy, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He tried to pay attention to what the others were saying.

Irene looked away from the lad with the magic leg and stared at her former companion, high above them.

— Elias, are you trying to get yourself killed?

It was not a threat nor a bluff. It was a serious question, as if Irene had just thought about it. Toni was caught off guard. He suddenly remembered all the opportunities that the Draziw had to make a request to Adri and the words of the old bearded man in his reverie.

"If you set this scenario, your death will be certain."

That was what the man had said. And was not Elias giving the impression of setting a scenario he deemed appropriate according to a dream?

— I won't let you carry on with this if you remain shut Elias. I realized Magic Leg is important for some reason. If you don't start talking, I'll kill the lad and no one else will have to worry about him ever again.

This was a bluff and everyone knew it. Not because she would not be able of it, but because she could not do it by then. Magic Leg was her friend, even though he did not think of her in such way.

She was debilitated for magic recovery was slow. But she was no opponent to be underestimated. Perhaps it made Elias give in a little.

— Alright, my love. How did you reach to this conclusion?

— First, because I know you. What's the point of getting rid of all your Magic Hearts? You've been fine with them, so far. And you insist on not using the flagae's power. You've had a few opportunities to, but you didn't. Apparently, you don't want to simply die. You want someone to kill you. You want Magic Leg to do it.

The Elder stared at her with certain amazement. She had reached a conclusion very close to reality with so very few elements in her favor. But the truth was a little bit more complex than that. Toni took the opportunity to speak.

— You say you have to build a scenario according to a dream the whole time. The bearded man to whom you talked said that, if you set that scenario, you'd certainly die.

Elias sighed loudly through a grin. What was there for him to lose if he revealed his intentions? They would be the first ones to know. Strangely, that perspective comforted him. Stuck within him for so many years, that fixed idea was freed with ease. He could barely believe the lightness he felt.

— Well. You win. I think I owe you all an explanation after all, you've helped me to set this scenario. Maybe I should start with the most obscure question around, which is: Why do I...
24 – Research and decisions

...need a genie if I'm not supposed to make a wish?

The man with the long beard stared at Elias, jaded. He had been there for so long that natural light bothered him. He asked for the door to be shut as soon as the Draziw entered. He needed a shower, which was only occasionally granted. His long nails were filthy, just like the rags he wore. His hair – which, if well-maintained, would show shaggy curls – was tangled and stiff. He was sitting in a rotten wooden rickety chair. At his left a cot with a threadbare, stinky mattress. The stone floor rivaled with the dirt in his body. Near the corner of the wall in front of the bed, there was a hole in which he satisfied his physiological needs.

Without seeming to care about the situation of the place and the captive, Elias sat on the spare chair, as in bad shape as the other one, next to a rickety table, in front of the bearded man. He expected an answer to the question he had made earlier, with genuine interest in his eyes.

The captive scratched the wound in his neck for the thousandth time; dirt would not allow it to heal. He sighed.

— I already told you I don't know, Constant Depletion. This is the most nebulous part of this strange dream you had. But I can assure you. What you had just told me are your final moments. This is undoubtedly the scenario preceding your death.

Elias rubbed his chin with his fingers, pensive. The Foreteller had the gift of correctly predicting any person's dreams, in addition to making predictions and seeing the future with extreme accuracy in most cases. The Elders certainly valued him very much, that is why he was their prisoner. Elias saw no purpose in that, but his isolated opinion did not change the council's position.

The dreams. They started exactly one hundred years after Irene had left the Guild. Exactly around the time his heart was once again inhospitable as a rock. The time with Irene brought back the warmth, the dazzle for the world. Although he would not even admit it to himself, he had become a better person, who saw the colors in the world again. But with the absence of his companion, the colors were pale, the cheerful, naive hope had faded, and his pessimistic view of life, which was usual, came to inhabit his thoughts. He started living one day after another, just like before he had met his second love.

The dreams came to show him that reality was much more than he could see. They came and told him how accommodated he was. Many places swayed and vanished in those illusions. Places he had never seen before, different from anything existing in Novea. Ice castles, landscapes made of metal and glass, forests of light and many other odd things. In all those scenarios, she was almost always there: Hana.

Somehow, he knew those scenarios were not the results of a mind that went too far. He was unsettlingly sure they were real. His extreme innate curiosity aroused while he developed methods and schemes to visit those places. He improved his techniques with knowledge acquired through direct consultation with the entity known as Time. At that time, in possession of all his thirteen magical hearts, it was unnecessary to have elemental artifacts for its summoning because Elias could take care of that with his own power.

For one hundred and fifty-five years, the Draziw visited unknown plans, always in the shape of pure magic and without actually interacting to it. He was looking for Hana. The companion that was always present in every place, the one that kept appearing in his dreams, but who was never found.

Anyway, Elias felt ecstatic with the discovery of the expansion of reality, and made copious notes of each place he viewed. With time came annoyance for not seeing his loved one anywhere. Why would she appear before him if she was nowhere? He wished for a glimpse, an image. He knew he could not touch her or talk to her, but he wanted a sight. It was all he aimed for.

Until the day something different happened. He prepared himself to leave his body once more; his soul was involved in the magic of thirteen Hearts, as taught by Time. He went through several known plans, deciding to go beyond as much as he could. He coveted distant and unknown lands with all his strength. The speed of his ethereal body increased exponentially, as smudges formed before his eyes. Until he reached somewhere; some sort of room. Gray, neutral. There was absolutely nothing in that space. It looked like a sterilized, average room. He was in a corner and he walked towards the next one.

Out of the blue, there was a glow. Elias was overshadowed, having to face away from that direction. He was not able to identify how many were there, but he only realized that those were conscious beings when they spoke Novea's native language in a perfect tone.

— We're sorry, wizard, but you can't go beyond this point. This place can only be entered by those who have disembodied.

Elias was stunned with the voice and the information.

— That is why we are sending you back. And we ask you not to come again. Now there were two of them. The pitch of the first voice was lower, in a masculine tone. The second one was melodious and feminine.

About the same time he realized it, he was pushed, as if something had crashed into him. He was thrown back even quicker than he had got there. When he woke up in his own body, it was as if he had fallen from high above and hit his back on a water wall. He was completely sore as he rose from the padded table in his research laboratory. He stumbled to his desk and quickly wrote down the latest developments. Of course he had no intention of following those bright beings' advice.

"This place can only be entered by those who have disembodied." Could that be Mag Mell? The land of the deceased? Could Hana and Helen be there? Elias was willing to retry.

He went through that path many other times. Sometimes he barely managed to find the gray room. And when he did, he was always sent back.

After five long years of fruitless attempts, Elias began to take what the guardians of light said seriously. Mag Mell could only be entered by the deceased. That acceptance led to a total change in his perspective.

Did he have anything to lose? Was there anything that kept him on that world?

He thought about Irene. Maybe, if he left the Guild and followed her, that obsession would eventually leave him.

But it would only be trouble for the both of them. The Guild would never let a member like Elias leave; they would hunt him until he was finished. Besides, Irene had her own life, her own business and – who knows – maybe even new lovers for long. It would be pathetical for him to beg for her love then.

He could try and move on normally inside the Guild. He immediately laughed at his naiveté. Once his interest was captivated, it was virtually impossible for him to leave it aside. Why would he try to live in ignorance, when there was a whole world out there to be explored?

He spent days weighing and analyzing everything he would have to give up if he decided to go in that journey with no return. Finally, he wondered what else he intended to do in that land, which he knew like the back of his hand, as he was over two thousand years old. With that last though, he made up his mind. He was about to leave Novea forever.

With such resolution, he prepared himself. Several researches, especially notes on other worlds, were shipped out of the Guild, away from the council members' eyes. They did not know a thing about it, nor were they supposed to. Greed and lust for power could become too dangerous. And the one thing he did not want was those old men achieving glory at the expenses of his work. He chose to destroy some records and agreements. Years of research gone forever. He could not help to feel his chest tight.

With that, he reached the final part of his preparations. Taking out his Magic Hearts so he could become mortal once again.

He removed the Hearts, one by one. The process took time, because he could not take more than two per day. And he always ended up exhausted and in terrible pain, which made him stop his quest for at least twenty-four hours. Little by little, beautiful gems, which reflected light like a prism, were been formed in his hand as they were ripped off his chest. He stored them in a safe in his laboratory. Finally, on the seventh day, his final challenge came. The last Heart.

To his surprise and horror, his own Heart, which depleted all the energy, was impossible to be removed. It had become something insubstantial, ethereal that could not be dislodged. Whenever he removed a part of it, a new part would appear right afterwards.

He felt the bitterness of irony. He had inadvertently discovered the true formula to immortality. Just when it was no use to him. It was almost ridiculous.

That night, he broke everything in his laboratory. Anger had swollen too much to be contained; he had to vent somehow. It was late dawn when, beat by fatigue, he decided to lie on the padded table. He did not try to sleep, just to relax a bit. Sleep stealthily engulfed him in troubled lethargy.

Then the dream came. That one was different. It had not shown any new plan or mysterious places. It showed somewhere in Novea. Elias did not know where, but he had the certainty one can only have in dreams. It was possible to visualize the edge of a forest in the background, and a simple house next to it. Something – someone – stood next to him. That someone floated close to the ground, the face was formed only by a pair of sly eyes that pierced his consciousness, as if that person knew everything about him. It was not possible to see it exactly, but apparently, the being was made of pure magic. Irene was also there. She was farther, staring at him melancholically. There was a figure behind her, which he could not identify. He looked like a young man, but he was not sure. In front of them all, the Draziw could clearly see the image of a lad, with energy circulating around him in giant gulps. He lacked a leg and supported the weight of his body with magic, which took the shape of the lost limb.

The Draziw would take another three years until he personally met the lad with the magic leg, but he could not know that then.

He woke up in a jolt and with two irrational beliefs: That magical faceless being was a genie. And the legless young man was the one who could kill him. However, those were the only things he was sure of. He did not know what was that place nor why Irene was in his dream. There was someone else with her, but Elias almost forgot about that detail.

For a week, he relived that dream, knowing that there was a special, essential feature, which eluded him. It was when he thought it would be better to ask no one other than the Foreteller.

Of course the poor man did not even suspect his previous dreams and his journeys to other worlds. Neither did he know that the Draziw had taken twelve Magic Hearts off. He just needed to know about the latest vision.

The Foreteller confirmed that the pure magic being was indeed a genie and also revealed that it was in the dream for a reason, but it was not his destiny to make a wish. It naturally raised the question of why was the genie in the dream. But the tattered man did not have a conclusive answer.

— And what about the lad with a magic leg, Foreteller? Do you know who he is? Or is it just my subconscious trying to pass some kind of message?

— As I've said before, this is a scenario in one of your potential futures. So this kid must really exist somewhere. Our fate is not defined, but we can catch a glimpse of some of the possibilities. It all depends on the decisions you make.

— That's interesting, Foreteller. If you can visualize all future possibilities, how come you were not able to predict that the Guild would capture you?

— I'm capable of seeing, but I don't always hit bull's eye. It's not an exact science, which I'm sure you know. Sometimes, the variables are infinite and many things can interfere.

— So let's make this clear. If I set this scenario. Irene, the genie and the lad with the magic leg in that same spot. There was someone else, but I can't remember what they look like. If everything is like the dream...Am I going to die? Is that it?

— I'm 99% sure you are.

Elias suddenly stood up from the rotting chair, which swayed so much it almost fell apart. He approached the door, giving his back to the captive. He wondered how he would set that scenario, what he would need and how long it would take. Without him realizing it, an anticipation smile took place in his face. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind.

— Wait. What about the remaining 1%?

— It'll depend on the limping kid's disposition. But in practically all futures in which you meet, he wants to finish you off. I suggest you to stay away from him.

So Elias was right. He was really the one who could kill him. He had to find him.

— Well. Thank you for solving it all for me, my dear. Now I have to take care of some tasks.

— Cut the sarcastic talk, Constant Depletion. — The bearded man completely changed his tone, leaving boredom aside and taking a serious tone. — You've got the answers I had to offer you. Now, hand me the keys.

Elias slowly turned around to face the captive at the end of the cell. He was still sitting like before, but now he had smile upon his face. So he had predicted even that.

— Tell me, my dear. What are the chances that I'll give you the keys and tell you the best way to get out so the he Elders took a while before realizing it?

— 48%. That's enough for me, if you want to know.

— I'm glad to know that at least I'm not that predictable.

The Draziw came back to the rickety chair, which miraculously was still able to support his body. He handed the keys and explained how the bearded man could leave. He told him to wait for another ten days, when there would be a general meeting. On that day, security would be reduced and it would be the ideal moment for a subtle runaway. The captive listened closely, interrupting the man only to ask for a thing or two on the architecture of the place. Finally, when it was all settled, Elias sighed.

— And can you imagine that twenty years ago a woman fought a demon on her own to get you out of here. If she knew what I'm doing now, she'd probably be thanking me on her knees. Who was she, after all?

— Do you think I'll be so foolish to give you such information? Oh, come on. And knowing her as well as I do, I think she'd never thank you, especially on her knees.

— Meh. It's okay. It's not relevant to me.

— Don't forget. It's a risky journey. If you set this scenario, your death will be certain. — The Foreteller thought it would be good to stress that consequence. He only saw the future. He was incapable of predicting each person's individual wishes.

Elias took the chance to tease him a little. As soon as he finished, the captive made a request.

— Just make an effort not to kill anyone, ok?

— I can't assure you that. But I'll try, from the bottom of my heart.

That was when the ragged bearded man looked away from Elias's face and wandered somewhere above his shoulder. He showed an odd smile. The Draziw decided not to pay attention to that. After all, different strokes for different folks.

******************

A day after the general meeting, Elias secretly left the Guild. No one had found out about the Foreteller's getaway yet. He was amused with the thought about the others' reaction when they realized the bearded man and himself were gone. If someone asked, he would say they were just a bunch of narrow-minded fools. They did not have the slightest idea about the activities he carried out in his laboratory. That laboratory had been completely dismantled and locked, and the notes had been shipped away. If there were people with whom Elias did not want to share his knowledge, these were his own comrades. He doubted that the elders would understand something or would not distort his work disastrously.

He would be as careful with it as with his Magic Hearts. He would not allow any of the Elders to find them. Therefore the first part of his journey would be dedicated to finding a safe place for them.

The scenery had to be set. Elias did not have the slightest idea where to begin. Maybe he should search for Irene. Maybe he should try to locate the place he had seen in his dreams, where Irene, the genie and the limping lad would be. Or maybe it was better to start by finding out how to find a genie. That was an unsolvable incognita. The Draziws at the Guild had the oldest records in the world and even there, he could not find a single clue on it. They knew about the existence of such beings but nothing else. Where they came from, how they managed to grant wishes, whether they were conjured or created... it was all indefinite. It was lost knowledge.

Elias decided to risk a quick search in a town called Estrelada, just because of the name. It was an ancestral place with a name in the ancient language. It meant "Starlight". Maybe it could really enlighten him and show him the right way.

As he talked to a local elder, the latter did not hesitate to show him his ancient library when he found out he was talking to a Draziw. Regular people feared the Elders because they had always ruled through terror. Elias had really no opposition about that because he was someone who appreciated the "fear-stuffed" with respect.

After all, his intuition proved to be right. A book fragment, tattered and almost unreadable, quickly addressed the characteristic of genie. They were formed from "the child of a Draziw".

He was stunned. As far as he knew, Draziws could not have children. He read the excerpt over and over; it was the only thing he could read in that piece of paper. It was impossible, but still, it was there. Enraged, he shouted about how useless the elder was and stormed out of his house, knocking several objects over. The old man did nothing but cringe in fear. However, Elias kept that piece of information deep within his mind, even if he could not use it then.

Amid his research throughout other cities and as he realized he was not moving forward, he decided to search for all Draziws who went stray from the Guild. As he was sure there was no Elder with children at his former home, nothing more natural than trying to find those from who he had not heard. It was around a year after he began his journey.

He did not have to search much. Passing by the region of Amol, in the small village of Alumar, he decided to stop to rest and drink something with strong alcohol content, at the only tavern in town. He expected a dark, smelly and dirty place, full of bearded men with beer guts jumping out of their pants, with unfriendly expressions. But, in the most pleasant surprise, it was an extremely clean place, with a considerably large stage, where a good-looking, busty lady with attractive curves performed. She had a melodious voice and wore a dress that enhanced her body. She seemed vaguely known to him but Elias could not decide if he knew her or if he was just mistaken. A bit alarmed, he noticed that she could not see from an eye. But the detail was far from hindering that angelic face's delicacy. He felt strongly attracted to her, until he laid eyes on people closer to her, right in front of the stage. No one other than Amanda, another lady with tar-black hair... And the lad with the magic leg.

Despite being on his seat, Elias almost fell of the chair. Other men around him frowned, but he only gave a half-hearted smile. Rising from his seat, he stared one last time at Amanda and the lad. Amanda had changed, looking as if she had aged. He could not understand why, as she was also a Draziw. Has she decided to change her appearance?

The magic leg calmly shone as the lad sat comfortably on the chair. No one seemed to care about it there, which meant he was a local. Suddenly, Elias left the tavern.

Late at night, as he walked around, he noticed two brutes standing against one of the tavern walls. Bouncers. Handing them a generous sum of money (after all, money is not a problem when one's a wizard) he asked everything he wanted to know about the people gathered in front of the singer.

He found out they were her family. The older one was the mother, Amanda. The black-haired girl was called Renata and she was the middle sister. And the lad was Antonio, the youngest child. Questioning about who would be their father, he got the answer that the man had lived for a short time in Alumar. The brutes did not even remember his name. He vanished when they were still children.

How was that possible? Amanda's children? That was ridiculous.

Impressed, Elias asked where they lived. With a stronger and stronger hunch, he ran to the house, following the indication of the two big men. Finally, the second surprise of the night.

It was exactly the place which he had dreamed about. A simple house near the edge of a forest. Same trees, same vegetation.

He did not know how everything would unfold, but those were most of the pieces of the puzzle. He had met the people and seen the place of his dream. If that was not luck, he did not know what it was. There was Irene, of course. And the whole genie thing. But he should not hush things up. He was sure it would all work out.

He decided he would stay in the village a little longer. That night, he slept at a small inn next to the tavern, the only one in town.

Two days proved enough to show him that there was nothing relevant on site. Alumar was a rustic place, basically directed to basic agricultural activities. There was only one school and no libraries. No information could be obtained there. That must be exactly why Amanda decided to take refuge there. Which Elder would think about searching for something at that forsaken village? He was there by chance, just because he decided to stop for a drink.

That night, he decided to go on with his plan. He came back to Natanael's Tavern – as it was known due to its late owner. Apparently, his son was running the business now.

He drank several shots as he listened to the beautiful and melancholic voice of Mermaid's Voice, nickname of the good-looking singer, Adriana. Once again, he let himself watch her closely, seeing her beauty renewed by mystery. The fact that she had only one eye intrigued him. What events had led to it? Elias wondered how it was possible that she stood there, singing beautiful songs, if Draziws were supposedly infertile. And who was the father? He could not come into direct contact with anyone in the family, at risk of Amanda thinking she was being followed by the Guild and disappearing with her children.

Therefore, as he finished his drink, he looked for the bouncers again. He paid them so they would keep an eye on Maro family's activities, and report any suspicious movements. The brutes were superstitiously scared when Elias gave them an auditus and explained its function. But with the extra money that they had been offered, they accepted the object with no further questions. Elias also promised to send regular amounts of money, so the men would maintain their vigilance assiduously.

Having found the right place, locating the lad with the magic leg, and hiring spying employees to accompany him, part of the equation was solved. Irene, the genie, and the third person who appeared as a shadow in his dream were still missing. Elias was not so worried about the latter; because he believed his fate would bring that person to him. Irene was certainly the easiest variable to solve. The issue would always be the pure magic being. He decided to focus only on how to make a genie then. He would use all his efforts for it and then, handle the rest.

Thus, he carried on his research in libraries and study centers. It was when he realized that he needed the help of a Psymind and the benefits it would bring him. So, he "hired" Henrique's services. Two years later, he found out that Antonio and Renata had just left their homeland in a flying boat built by the lad. His spies did not find out what they intended to. But Elias would watch them closely. Soon, he would change the focus and give up his investigation, so he could search for the elemental artifacts and, once and for all, eliminate the mystery about the genie, asking for the matter directly to Time. He would surely take a long time on his undertaking, but it was better than looking for information that could not even exist.

Because he knew he would be successful. No matter how long it took. His certainty was once more right.
25 – The brightest gem

Everyone listened closely, incredulous. Even Henrique, who had dizzily stood up, recovered during the statement and was now interested. No one could believe the uproars, unexpected turns and coincidences in their interlocutor's story. Everything was so fantastic, so hard to believe that for a moment everyone doubted that anyone would go through such a path for something so vague, so ephemeral. But Irene pondered that, after several millennia of existence, life was going to be like a thin, fragile and dull fabric. Anything that became a goal, even if only a draft of a goal should be pursued so that existence made sense after all. Elias had always shown a certain propensity to develop obsessions. No wonder it was hard when they had to split up. But she thought she could understand it.

Toni was stunned. His family hid more secrets than he could ever think of supposing. Adri was a Magic Heart... from her own mother, a Draziw. And above it all, she knew Elias. The man bothered to spy on them for at least two years.

— I've always suspected Henrique was the last person in my dream, the one who was just a figure then. And I believe I wasn't wrong about that.

— Why did you have to kill Ren... If you had so much information on us, why did you do it?

— When I conjured Time, it refused to tell me which one was the one I needed. Hence, I had to test both. It was all a miscalculation.

Anger boiled within Toni. He called Ren's death a "miscalculation". He stepped towards him.

— Elias. What I don't understand is how could Toni be successful where you had failed. How could he kill you?

— I know how, Irene.

Toni whispered to her, a second before he disappeared in the air. He materialized in front of Elias – who still floated a few meters from the ground – so quickly he barely had the time to protect himself. He used the flames to confuse him.

It all happened quite quickly. They exchanged blows and, in the first opportunity Toni had, he wrapped his left arm in magic, punching Elias right in the center of his chest. As expected, his Magic Heart faded. Without quite knowing what to expect, but with a clear idea in his mind, the lad with the magic leg wrapped his other arm with energy. While Elias's trunk was slightly bent from the impact, he went forward and put his fist inside the man's body.

There was no resistance from his bones and muscles, and he felt the man gasp when he reached a pulsing point. The Magic Heart, which, little by little, depleted energy again. Quickly, Toni ceased to feel the palpitation, and it was as if the Heart changed its consistency, trying to escape through his fingers. Seeing the results of the process, he tried to reverse it, using energy borrowed from nature. It worked. He realized it was turning solid again.

So, before it could drain energy, Toni violently pulled his arm. He felt Elias's weight instantly, as if he was falling. And indeed he was.

The Draziw grabbed Toni's shoulders, dizzy. The only thing that held them in the air was that bright gem, with multiple faces, which the lad held on his palm. Irene watched the outcome, stunned and with her mouth wide open.

Feeling drained and with an excruciating pain, Elias raised his head and looked from Toni's face to the thing he now held. He smiled, tired. For him, that damn Heart was like a ray of Sun, impossible to retain. And now it lay like a compact piece of diamond in the lad's hands. He really was the person appointed for that, because of his unusual magic and skills. He deeply inhaled, gathering the strength to speak.

— At last! Now finish the job, Magic Leg.

— No.

There was an instant of heavy silence. Elias stared at him trying to understand him.

— I'm not a murderer. I can't murder someone in cold blood. Even more than that, I'm not doing exactly what you want.

The Draziw's expression changed to disbelief. He busted in laughter.

— See that, Foreteller?! You were wrong! 99% chance? You're a charlatan!

Toni frowned.

— Are you always that weird?

— Only when I want to die. — Elias rested his hand on the shiny object on Toni's palm. — And no jokes about me giving you my heart, right?

That being said, the Draziw let go of the lad. He did not resist. He only had the reflex of trying to hold someone who is unbalanced, but it was no real resistance. Because he already knew what were the man's intentions. Elias fell from little more than twenty meters. As Irene saw it, she panicked.

— ELIAS!

Stunned, Henrique noticed the body of the man who enslaved him for so long growing as he approached. Her jaw dropped due to that unbelievable scene.

The sound of the impact was not as loud as it was expected. Irene reached him in about half a second, kneeling by his side. Henrique came right afterwards. Toni found out how to make the gem in his hands take him to the ground. He slowly came down and joined the others.

The Water Dragon put Elias's head on her thighs. He was still weakly breathing. He had a faint smile. A trickle of blood came from between his lips.

— You idiot... Why? Why all this...? — Irene, with a cracking voice and eyes filled with tears, asked.

Elias raised his hand up to her face and with his fingertips, he caressed her cheek.

— Oh, my love. If you live as much as I did, you'll understand. Here. Take this. I've left you a message.

With difficulty, Elias pulled an auditus from the folds of his coat. He opened Irene's hand, which looked like a child's hand next to his, and put the object on it. While the brightness of his eyes faded, he slowly turned to Toni and Henrique, who just watched, serious.

— Henrique, I won't apologize, because it would be very hypocritical. I know you must have felt the urge to kill me several times.

— You have no idea.

Unexpectedly, both smiled at each other. Then the gray-haired man, gathering his last strength, looked at Toni.

— Do you know when you dream, and within the dream you're completely sure about something? I was completely certain that, despite all the harm I did, I'd still do some good to you. Not that I cared. Enjoy. You're hardly going to have an opportunity like this one.

Toni did not understand it at first. But Elias gestured with his head towards the flagae, which still floated nearby, watching silently.

— What? The genie was in your dream for that? So I could make a wish?

Elias weakly nodded in confirmation, and then his eyes went back to Irene. She pursed her lips and held her companion's hand harder.

— Boa noite, Irene. See you in my dreams.

A solitary tear rolled down her cheek, but she said nothing. She just rested her forehead on the top of his head. She looked at his face once more when he spoke, as his eyes turned totally unfocused.

— Look, Irene! That's Hana. My dear Hana! Helen is there, too! Can you see them Irene? They're as beautiful as you are. Am I dreaming? — His mouth revealed his white teeth when he smiled. Finally a true smile.

Of course Irene could not see a thing, but she whispered a confirmation. She pulled his body against hers. She heard his breath slowly coming to an end, in a placid manner. He closed his eyes, with satisfaction on his face. His breath completely ceased.

When she rested her hand on his chest, however, he exhaled for the last time. Then, he went still, forever.
Epilogue

Toni stepped forward so he could watch Adri closer. Most features on her face were lost – or just hidden behind the light emanating from her entire body. It was impossible to know for sure. The only recognizable feature were her eyes. The missing eye was fully restored, and now her golden irises sparkled in piercing coldness, concentration and sharpness.

The lad with the magic leg unconsciously held his breath as he realized she was paying attention to him. He remembered Irene and Henrique were behind him and only that made him not hesitate. He thought about the deal made with Irene. After he would make his wish, they would both return to Contrary River in the Newcomen, taking Elias's corpse, so Irene could give him a decent burial. As he had never expressed any concerns or specific desire to have his final resting somewhere special, the Dragon thought he would not mind staying by her side in death. Thus, she built him an ice skiff, much like Ren's, and said her last farewell, kissing the icy surface, at the height of his lips, which lay deeply frozen.

Now the trio of survivors looked at Adri, the newborn genie. Toni remembered his mother. He had looked inside their house, but she was nowhere. Henrique assured that he had only met one person at the residence, with no sign of an older woman. Where would she be after all, since she was gone and left Adri alone? Uncertainty caused him to feel distressed, fearing for the safety of his mother. His thoughts were silenced when they heard the flagae's rumbling voice, speaking as if the sound was coming from everywhere at once.

— Worrying is not necessary, Antonio. Amanda is far away, minding her own business. Come on, hurry up and make your wish. You're really the one to get a wish granted, after all.

— Adri...sister... What's all that "Antonio" thing about? Call me Toni, as usual!

— I'm no longer the individual called "Adriana". I'm no one's sister. I'm just accumulated power that must be used for one purpose or my existence is meaningless. I've waited enough. Come on.

Toni looked back at his fellows, in search for advice. Irene shook her head and Henrique shrugged.

— You can ask for anything, Magic Leg. Ask her to be who she used to. — The woman said.

— But what about Ren?

— Ask her to be who she was as well!

The rumbling voice echoed once more.

— Those are two separate wishes. Sorry, I'll only grant one.

— What if I asked everything to be as it used to?

— And bring Elias back? I don't know if it's such a good idea.

Toni looked at Henrique.

— Any suggestions?

— Well, she knows exactly what you'll wish for... She just won't let me see it. — Both Toni and Irene looked at him with wide eyes.

— You can read her mind?! — Both asked almost at the same time.

— Just a glimpse. Nothing too clear and she kicked me out a while ago.

The lad with the magic leg huffed. He did not know what to do, which decision to make. He could not even contemplate choosing between the two sisters. But he was also concerned about his health. He knew how much his limbs were deteriorating at an increasingly rapid pace.

The situation butchered his insides, and for several minutes he wondered what would be the ideal thing to do. He had reached a dead end. Finally, he put his thoughts aside for a few seconds and turned to the flagae.

— There is no way to bring the both of you back, sister?

The genie squirmed. The golden eyes narrowed, as now, she was making a lot of effort.

— Antonio, do you remember your initial purpose? Why did you leave your home and family? You're dying, aren't you?

— No, no! Don't say that. I can't just leave you! I can't! — Toni was desperate.

— Damn... — The Flagae was making a real effort now. — I can't let you waste your only chance, Toni... Make a wish for your health...

Irene was alarmed. Should that be really happening? A being like a genie, totally formed by energy should not be capable of questioning a human being's will. Even elementals, which were partially formed by magic, could barely oppose to anyone. What was the meaning of that 100% energy-made genie, challenging Magic Leg?

Toni widened his eyes and stepped towards the sparkling being.

— Adri? I know you're there. — He whispered, focused.

The Flagae turned indifferently, once again and recomposed herself. She watched Toni with the same cold eyes as before.

— Have you made up your decision, Antonio?

He could not argue with the genie. Adri could still be in there, but her consciousness was fading and Toni realized it instinctively. Distress took over him. He did not know how to act. He really wished to be healthy. It was his purpose ever since the beginning, after all, that was the reason he went on the quest for the Weaver in first place. But the circumstances were different now, and the consequences of their journey were much more terrible than he had ever figured.

What would his mother say?

That thought pierced his chest violently. He felt immediately guilty. He was responsible for the unfortunate fate of both his sisters.

Why was he not able of accepting his own destiny? Why had he not accepted he was a cripple and languished in peace? Ren was dead because he was selfish. And no one knew what would happen to Adri after he made his wish. Boiling hatred welled within him. Once again, he had it all wrong and he could only blame himself. He felt disgusted, repulsed by his desires and attitudes. A single tear streamed from his firmly shut eyes. The tight wrist trembled with anger rising, his nails hurting his palm.

With no strength, he kneeled as guilt eroded him. He thought of that happy time, when everyone lived together, with no worries. He especially remembered the event that brought together all the local people in the small town center, for fun and giggles with a caravan of actors who passed by Amol. Ren watched the show holding her belly, her eyes filling with tears as she laughed. Adri, with a pair of shrewd eyes, occasionally giggled as her lips got dirty with the sugary layer of a candy apple. Amanda was luxuriant in her green dress, still marvelous in her maturity. Her tar-black hair swayed with the wind, ending up on her face as she amusedly watched the show. And Toni was with them, by his spitfire sister, laughing as spasmodically as her.

That memory was kept within his mind with a lot of affection. His whole family was intact. That was a special, once-in-a-lifetime occasion. A moment when the shadow of his disease and guild did not torment him and no mutilations had yet happened. When he went on that journey, he thought about situations like this. Situations which he urged to have again.

It was when Icarus spoke in his mind.

"You took the blame and decided to put it on yourself. That's selfish, huh?"

And there he was, doing it again.

Instead of being cool and trying to do something practical, he was berating and blaming it on himself again. The solution was in the memory he just went through, but he would rather blame himself because that behavior had become a habit. He had to break that cycle.

Was he responsible for what had happened to his sisters? Maybe. Quite probably. But he could also be responsible for turning the tables. Bringing both of them back. And on top of that, getting rid of his damn illness.

Yes, that was possible. And he already knew how to ask.

— You've finally reached a verdict, Antonio. Make it official. — The flagae gave an ultimatum.

Irene and Henrique were apprehensive. The woman approached her friend and looked at his profile, which showed a half-smile.

— Magic Leg... Are you sure...?

— Don't worry, Irene. You'll see magic is about to happen.

Then, he took a deep breath to contain his anxiety. He closed his eyes and opened them right afterwards, observing the genie's cold stare.

— Good. I want my happiness back, Adri.

There was a pause as everyone stood still. Irene stared at Toni, frowning. Henrique only watched, impassible.

— Are you sure, Antonio?

— Yes, Adri. You can't deny me that, can you?

— Of course not. My existence is solely to grant your wish. So be it.

Accordingly, everything that existed disappeared as if by magic around Toni. There was no Irene, nor Henrique; not even the genie. He could no longer see the ground or the sky. There were no images to be seen, nor sounds to be heard. Nothing to touch or sniff. The world ceased to be to become something else. He tried to look at his own hand, but it was also not there. He himself was not there, just his consciousness. Everything around him was pure white, no taints. He was not scared, because he was sure everything he wished for was coming true and coming his way. He just let himself be carried away, sprightly.

That is why he almost came undone in a startle as he realized there was another figure. And unlike himself, it had a shape and it was quite real. It was a colossal humanoid, at least two and a half meters tall. At first, Toni thought it was a gigantic woman, but looking closely, it was not it. Its body had a slightly feminine appearance due to a thin waist and a mild hint of breasts. It was surrounded by an armor though. The material was slightly similar to Puppet's: sturdy and polished metal, but this figure was even nobler. The helmet was wrapped around its head, in a rudimentary face, with custom eyes with a fierce appearance. There was no nose or mouth. Its arms were two segments of the armor, articulated like the legs of an insect, with hands ending in sharp claws. The part below its chest, down to the abdomen, was segmented with sharp edges. The lower limbs were like the hind legs of a cat, facing backward, which certainly gave it tremendous strength. The feet also ended in claws, but those had only three toes. There were many cracks similar to vents, through where large concentrations of visible magic escaped. One of these openings was located in its back, just below the shoulder, where a considerable amount of energy formed a magnificent cloak around the shield.

Toni watched the being, stunned. He could not even begin to imagine a reason for that presence. He had no body or vocal chords. He could not even express his amazement at being in front of a figure like that at an unconventional location.

— That's easy to settle, Antonio Maro.

While the young man was trying to remember where he had heard that female voice before, he felt the gathering of atoms and molecules, carefully reassembled with his exact appearance. He fell, sitting down on the void. The urge to rush out was almost unbearable when the colossus approached him, the sound of footsteps emitted by the armor penetrated as shots in his eardrum. Steps that would probably burst the floor, if there were one.

— What is this place? Who are you? And how can you be here? — Toni spat the questions, one after the other.

The giant stopped a few centimeters away from him, and watched him for a while. When the scrutiny became unbearable, the figure answered.

— We're in the limbo that precedes the realization of your wish. It's the space which the flagae should access to alter reality, if such a request is made. I'm Next Machina. I can be here because I'm a flagae too, only much more ancient.

Toni felt completely lost. He did not have the slightest idea what it was talking about. Did it just say it was a flagae? What did that armor mean? Suddenly, a memory appeared in his mind.

— You... It was your voice that we heard coming out of Puppet.

Next Machina nodded positively. Toni went on.

— And also... You were the one who guided me to use magic from nature. — That was not a question. — When Elias took my power, you taught me how to see the environment's force and use it to my advantage. Besides, you're the origin of the large engine sound across the sky, am I right?

Next Machina did not move, but it was as if it had nodded. Space-time was odd and Toni could not trust his eyes.

— You and your sister Ren are the first wizards of your kind in ages. The "Draziws", as they like to call themselves, are the strange result of a world with reduced magic. They vampirize each other's power through their Magic Hearts because they're not able of evolving through nature.

— Why can't they?

— Because I won't allow it. A long time ago, this land suffered a brutal loss of energy to the point that a large part of life ceased to exist. Since then, I've maintained a rationing so the world had a chance to recover. The Draziws have always been a threat to the system, but I developed a way to make them sterile if they have more than one Magic Heart. I could not take the risk of their populations increasing exponentially, or jeopardizing the magic recovery process of the world. It's a slow method, but we're finally coming back to the original levels.

Toni weighed and wondered about the amazing information. The amount of questions only increased.

— But you said Ren and I are special somehow... What do you mean?

— You're wizards, on the original sense of the word. The Draziws are nothing more than the warped sense of the word. They are the way humans found to circumvent the magic rationing, and thus gain power quickly and continue with their controlling games. You two are of a type that did not exist for millennia: those who can bend and shape magic from nature on your behalf, without taking advantage of the fuel of your Magic Hearts. Even though, the environment does not favor your skills.

— But if it didn't exist in a long time, why now? Why us?

— It was unexpected, but I believe that is the way the world has to say it's almost ready. It's ready to house the original wizards once again, which ceased to exist fifteen thousand years ago. Why you, that's a mystery. But one of our priorities was to keep you hidden and safe.

— Our?

— Mine, your mother's and Adriana's. The Elders Guild are watching you now. And me too. That is the reason I'm here. You have to beware. You must not stay in Alumar.

— What do you mean?

— The way you channel magic is interesting to them. And they wish to destroy the barrier which retains the magic of the world: me. Remember telling Amanda I'm leaving the Regular Forest.

Toni gulped as his head collapsed. The dimensions of a much older and larger problem began to take shape in his mind. His private world of guilt and illness seemed so small now. The implications of his actions and desires extended and branched much further than one might naively assume. There was lots of question. He wanted to ask it all to the giant, but he felt he was running out of time – or whatever that was. He only managed to form one question.

— Why are you telling me all this?

Next Machina squirmed or flickered. It was hard for him to tell for sure.

— I'm not telling anything. You're the one getting knowledge. Another ability of the original wizards and, unexpectedly, weavellians. I never studied that race with required depth. I think you can imagine my surprise when this Emon appeared in the Regular Forest and began acquiring ancient knowledge, eradicated long ago. I tried to make him forgetting such information, but I only managed to mess up his pshyche. So, I shielded them in the best way I could. But it wasn't enough, for what I've noticed. Even you know more than I'd like to teach. But I won't do anything. I've already analyzed and concluded that I don't have the expertise required to deal with the mind. That is why it's imperative that we split up here. Don't forget to pass the message to your mother. And don't stay in Alumar. Oh, yes. And remember to keep Puppet always close to Renata Maro. See you soon, Antonio Maro.

When he was about to ask the reason for the latter warning, Next Machina suddenly went away. Or maybe he was repulsed, there was no way to state that. But before it completely disappeared, he managed to capture something. Those were not words it was a sort of feeling; a notion that Ren was in extreme danger if the metal doll was not around her.

Without a warning, he lost shape again, being spread into millions of particles. And this time, even his consciousness disappeared. He did not see or hear a thing or a person. He just ceased to be.

To be something else.

Then, he woke up in a jolt.

The smell of cedar was the first thing he assimilated with his senses before he could even see where he was. It was what enabled him to realize he was back at the Newcomen. As he realized it, he squinted to see the sensations his nose was bringing him.

He looked at his old cabin. Everything was as it always had been. His bed was in the same spot, beside the night table. A mirror was nailed on the nearest wall, a gigantic chest laid next to the door. Some clothes were hanged on the rack in the farthest corner.

And within him, the intimate and visceral certainty that death was no longer an imminent variable filled his soul with a joy he had not felt for long. His limbs immediately responded at his will, with no pain or the looseness with which he had grown accustomed over the years. He could walk up and down the walls and jump from the floor to ceiling without making the slightest effort.

He pirouetted, throwing himself out of bed. He almost hit his head in a corner, due to the lack of space, but he did not even mind. Once he looked down to the small nightstand, he noticed Icarus's elemental artifact. With a large smile, he turned his back to the object with no hesitation and opened the cabin door. He flew through an intermediate room, where he could distinguish a penetrating chill escaping through the cracks of the wood. Soon he realized what was inside, and they needed to take him to his final resting place, as agreed before.

Going forward faster and faster, he finally saw the door leading to the prow. He pushed it with both hands and his strength caused the door to knock loudly on the opposite wall. The bang comically startled a small figure with long black hair, who was serene by the rudder. The time she had to turn around and try to figure out where the sound was coming was the time Toni ran the distance between them. He hugged her as hard as he could. She hugged him back, but in a confused way. It was as if she had just woken up from a very vivid dream, and could not distinguish reality from illusion. She felt as if she had slept for centuries.

— Toni... What's happening, brother? Did I sleep? I'm confused...

— Stop ruining the moment with your squeaky voice, Ren.

She broke the hug to slap him loudly on the arm. Toni exulted. She was the good old Ren.

— I knew this was too sappy for me. But right now, I'd like to know who's the Psymind standing by the door.

The lad looked back at the path he had run. By the door through where he went, a medium height lad, with a shaved head and dark skin was sitting, cross-legged. Luckily, he was at the opposite side from where the door hit the wall, Toni thought.

— It was no luck, actually. I heard your thoughts coming and I switched sides. Good, huh?

Toni approached Henrique. He offered his hand so the lad could stand up and as soon as he did, they greeted each other.

Irene emerged right afterwards, coming from the rear end of the ship. She startled at the figure of Magic Leg. Actually, at the whole thing. Because his magic leg was still a magic leg. She approached him, touching his shoulder.

— What's this? — She pointed at the limb, slightly flickering with an indigo tone.

Toni followed the direction she showed.

— A leg.

The woman rolled her eyes.

— Spare me from your little jokes. Why do you still have a magic leg if you're supposed to have a flesh-and-blood one?

Henrique remained silent, looking at both. Ren approached then, without quite understanding what Irene meant. Her perception of the latest events was still messed up.

— Well, I never thought a flesh-and-blood leg was part of my happiness. The fact that I can walk normally with this replacement was always enough for me. The focus has always been my health and, after these latest issues, my family.

— Can someone explain me what you're talking about? What happened for us to be here after all?

— I'll explain it on the way, Ren. Now, we have to get back to Contrary River so I can fulfill an agreement with Irene.

— Thank you, Magic Leg.

— I think it's time you called me Toni, okay?

Irene smiled. Ren widened her eyes.

— I'd rather call you "Leg". What do you think?

— Perfect. We're settled, then. — Toni laughed.

— I think you have a lot of things to explain to me.

Toni went to the rudder to set his path and take them to Contrary River. Henrique followed him.

— After that, could you take us to Kailotron? There's a cheeky old man there that I have to visit. Besides, with Irene's help, I'm sure we can fix Emon's mind.

The mention of Emon brought a sort of reminder to Toni. Someone had talked about Irene's partner, but none of the present did. Suddenly, he was overwhelmingly certain that he needed to talk to his mother but he did not know about what. Something was urgent and demanded action, but he did not remember what. He thought about it for a while, but he did not have the slightest idea of what could be so urgent. After a lot of meditation, he just did not bother anymore.

His intuition told him his adventure would not end there. Everything seemed too good and that perception made him restless. There was a price to everything. And maybe a very high price for a wish as great as his. But his happiness had been restored and, in no time, his whole family would be reunited.

So, for a while, it was all that mattered.

Because nothing else did.

At least for a while.

The end
Acknowledgements

This story took quite a while to be concluded and many people helped me to pass it on to paper. In the initial phase, my dear friend Blanxe Yui was kind enough to read the first sketches, she suggest great ideas and couple of taps to keep me stepping where I should be stepping. She also made all the review of this manuscript. Thank you, girl!

My brother-in-law Rodolfo Salles, and my friend Gilberto Tensai who were also my guinea pigs for the first readings. Thanks, guys!

For all the support, patience and help that you gave me when I balked within a scene, I would like to give my special thanks to my husband Rodrigo Salles. Thank you, Ro!

In this English version, I owe my life to Bianca Carlos Pereira, who translated the Portuguese version, and to Carol Pimentel who proofread it. Thanks for the great job, girls!

And you, dear reader, for believing in an unknown writer and for taking the decision to read my material. Thank you very much! I hope you have enjoyed the story!
About Priscila Barone

Priscilla Barone is a banking who is very fond to write. She was born in São Paulo and has a degree in Media and Advertising. She was always keen on drawing, but with the hectic routine of the bank, she had to leave her hobby aside. But the desire to tell stories remained and then she went on to write. She already has two stories published by _Editora Draco_. One entitled "Reminiscences," in the collection Boy's Love (2014) and another one called "Pampa" in the Dinosaurs collection, which will be published in 2015.

It is told that she uses pen and parchment to write but this has not been confirmed.

She likes pop culture in general, watching series, video games, comics, and cartoons. She is discreet to admit that is a geek girl, but she cannot avoid it!

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¹] Chinese whisper [[back]
