Kael had a dream. In his dream, there are people rejoicing looking at him. He could see the relief on the people’s faces. He knew nothing about why the people were glad for him, but then, he woke up.

Kael heard the servants’ voices. Cadell and Seqina expressed their relief, and by how they spoke, Kael knew that the Earl was also with them. He was not aware of where they were, as he was temporarily blinded, but the servants seemed thankful that they went to the place. He tried speaking even though he knew that he couldn’t.

“Where are we?”

Kael was surprised. Although hoarse, his voice came out. However, the people who were with him were more astonished than him.

“You’re awake!”, Seqina blurted, elated to hear Kael’s words.

Kael was held by the Earl the entire time, a situation he never thought would happen. He was informed by the Earl that they were in the pathway leading to the village of Lucien faithfuls. The Earl made him know that the trees of alfris made him feel a little better. Hearing the Earl, he was thankful that the people he hoped to help him did help him.

“Thank you”, Kael said.

“Not yet”, the Earl replied.

The alfris trees did help ease Kael’s pain, but the trees could barely do anything on the already formed mana crystals. Kael’s body was still steadily weakening, the mana absorption of all the trees were too slow to be significant.

The Earl knew that the trees only gave Kael more time. If he wanted to bring Kael back to normal, they still needed the healing power that a powerful mage could provide for them. He said his concerns to Kael and his servants.

Kael felt the worry while the Earl talked to them. The trees were literal lifesavers for him. He remembered Amos and the village, the people that unintentionally saved his life.

“My lord, Kael have no choice but to stay here”, Cadell said after hearing the Earl’s statement.

“But he’s not going to get better if he stays here”, Seqina commented.

The Earl was quiet while the two servants justify their thoughts. He was conflicted as well. The two servants have good points, but Seqina’s statements bear more weight to him. He didn’t want Kael to stay suffering for much longer.

However, Cadell was more right in his arguments. The pathway is the only place that assisted Kael to slow down his crystallization. The Earl feared that the moment they stepped outside the area that the trees have influence over, Kael will succumb to an even worse suffering. If only there’s something they could use that could do what the trees did for Kael.

Earl Gideon commanded Cadell to cushion the ground near an alfris tree. He wanted to put Kael as near to the tree as possible, hoping that the mana absorption was more potent the closer Kael was to the tree. He placed the child, making sure that Kael was comfortable. It’s not clear if what he did enhanced the mana absorption.

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“Cadell,”, the Earl called. Cadell kneeled at him. “Take Elalios’s position”

Cadell quickly obeyed the order, but after he said his compliance, he immediately realized what the Earl was thinking.

“My lord, if I may”

“I understand your concern”, Earl Gideon said. “Let’s find something that we could use during travel”

Seqina also realized the plan and was quick to present herself to look throughout the town. The Earl didn’t let her, as he already had an idea.

“Find the smallest of these trees”

That’s insanity. That’s what the servants thought, after they heard the Earl’s command. Maybe it’s because of the Earl’s disordered mind, but from what they understood, the Earl will uproot a tree to accompany in their journey. A whole tree, a living one.

Kael heard the absurd plan of the Earl. It made him smile, but it might be the only way for him to survive the journey. And so, he tried raising his hand to get the Earl’s attention.

The Earl attended to Kael immediately. He held the child’s hand and listened to what Kael was saying. He nodded at the information that the child gave him.

“Guard Kael, I will be back”, the Earl commanded.

The Earl didn’t wait for the servant’s response. He dashed towards the village of Lucien faithfuls. The servants could only look to where he went to. He made the servants wait for several minutes.

After a while, they heard several rhythmic thumping from a distance. It was growing louder, the vibrations on the ground were steadily getting stronger. Then they saw the Earl, moving towards them with a tree twice his size in length. The servants were in awe, seeing such display of power.

“Cadell, you can call Elalios now”, the Earl commanded the still baffled servant. “We don’t have much time”

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Near the town of Edrei, in the Duke’s castle one morning, Duke Decynus prepared for his departure. He was invited by one of the Divine Emperor’s mages to go to Rezelus. The object of his journey was to accompany his sick grandson, a child named Lenan, who was suffering from mana crystallization.

Duke Decynus was invited so that the mages of Rezelus could provide the help that Lenan needs. He was pushed by his wife to accept the offer of healing, but even if he’s about to go to Rezelus, the letter of his friend kept bothering his mind.

His wife and his grandson went first to the carriage. He was lost in thought, and was only brought back to present when one of his guards called for his attention.

“Your grace, there’s a strange carriage approaching the castle”, a guard said.

Duke Decynus looked at the thing that the guard was pointing at. He was alerted, seeing that the said carriage was dragging along something huge behind it. The huge thing was covered with an equally large beige cloth. It was obvious to him that the person in the carriage was not willing to let anyone to see whatever was inside the cloth.

The Duke was about to order the guards to intercept and seize the arriving carriage if necessary, but upon closer inspection, he realized who was in the carriage. It was his friend, Earl Gideon of Cleron.

Earl Gideon spent a month traveling before he managed to get to the Duke’s castle. He got out of the carriage, and ran to the Duke. The Duke was delighted to see his friend.

“Gideon..”

“Your grace..”, the Earl bowed.