Carefully looking at Bestla’s face, who was sleeping at that moment on the hammock, where Boor had left her after turning back home, Samaya sighed. Then, touching her friend’s forehead, she moved the hair not to bother Bestla while sleeping. Thus, she saw Bestla beautifully smiling in her sleep when she felt Samaya’s hand touching her forehead. That’s why Samaya also smiled, murmuring, „What a release! You are still smiling!” After that, Samaya looked to her right, through the open door, at the night sky that looked so gloomy even though the torches were still burning in the camp of Rophions.

Yet, even though the light of the torches should have calmed her down and made her go to sleep, Samaya sighed again. Then, leaving Bestla alone, she got out of the house, sat down on the front porch, and looked in the distance, at all those houses that were so quiet at that late hour at night. Only the seven Guards were at their post, awake, just as Samaya was.

Eventually, seeing the surroundings so quiet, the young she-wolf lay on the porch and looked at the sky. No star was on it and this made her feel a strange pressure in her chest. Even so, she didn’t stop looking at it, clearing it in her head just to see those millions of stars that were making her feel so calm. Then, with the image of the beautiful sky vault in her head, Samaya closed her eyes and allowed herself to dream.

Nevertheless, not only dreaming took over her, but also the memories. The recent ones, from that day when they went to look for answers from Villō when they had been forced to fight with her eventually. That’s why Samaya opened her eyes again. Then, frowning, she asked herself, „Yet, why do I have the feeling that today's Villō’s attack is more than a simple revenge or tell us what she told us? It seemed to me more like a warning or preparing Bestla and me for something. Even though I do not understand why she trained us. This… is weird. Everything. Especially the night’s sky, which looks at me with its black eyes, even though I do not see them.” Then, somehow upset, she turned to the left side, facing the village, and closed her eyes again.

She could see, thus, and clearly actually, the moment she was still frozen, in that green field, looking in the distance. Yet, even though she could not move at all, somehow controlled by Villō’s power, she was still aware of everything. She even heard Bestla’s scream, asking her for help, but she could not do that at that moment. She could only sigh, in her chest, when she noticed, with the corner of her eye only, that knot of branches, cut from the willow, which Villō squeezed in her hand to hit Bestla’s back later and let her float in the air eventually, powerless.

That’s why Samaya tried, very hard actually, to get rid of the spell’s influence. For this, she even remembered all the tricks learned by her in all those years of practice. Even so, she did not make it. She could not even transform into the she-wolf as she had managed so many times before, and this was something weird. That’s why she shouted in her head, „Why, Villō? Why are you doing all this? Why are you attacking us? Or better to say, what do you expect to get from all this?”

„You are asking too many questions at once, don’t you think so?” The witch’s voice replied to her in her right ear. Then she heard Villō’s laughter in her left ear. After that, she saw Villō’s projection right in front of her eyes. This made Samaya frown, stuttering in her head:

„How… how is this possible? I thought that once cursed and closed inside of the willow, you cannot get out of there ever.”

„This is true. I cannot show up in front of others with my real body. Yet, for an unknown reason to me, something that I can’t also explain, I can show in front of you.”

„Then, it has been a trick only. The dream, I mean. The one I had last night.”

„No,” replied Villō confidently. „It has been as you said: a vision.”

„A vision?” Grinned Samaya with the voice of her mind. „Allow me not to believe you this time.”

„Why?” Asked Villō innocently. „I thought that you are the only one who believes me while everybody is against me. Only what, you have defended me in front of your friend.”

„You don’t even know how much I regret this,” hissed Samaya through her teeth. Then, the she-wolf growled, in her head only, as she couldn’t transform while Villō was laughing like a mad person, seeing the young girl’s desperate efforts to escape from her control.

Then, when she finally managed to control herself, Villō approached Samaya and touched her left cheek with her palm. That’s why Samaya looked straight into her eyes. Yet, she saw only the abyss in them, a bottomless one. Even so, the young girl couldn’t understand what she saw in the witch's eyes.

Suddenly, both Samaya and Villō winced the moment a huge place in fire appeared reflected in the witch’s eyes. Then, in Villō’s eyes, Samaya saw that place covered by ashes while a young girl, wearing a long gray cloak, hooded, was coming toward her.

„Just like the image seen by Ūḻal next to the Stream of Power,” murmured Samaya suddenly. However, even though she wanted so much to close her eyes and stop seeing that image, she couldn’t. Per contra: it seemed to her that Villō was stubborn and that she was forcibly trying to show her a world that fell prey to hatred, despair, and evil. „Villō, what place is this?”

„I don’t know,” the witch replied in a murmur. Then, feeling dizzy, Villō closed her eyes and took a step behind her. „It’s the first time I see such images and I think that’s because of you.”

„Because of me?” Asked Samaya, confused. „I… have also never seen such images before. Only Ūḻal had seen them, the Titanide of Lie, who…”

„Yes, I know who is Ūḻal,” the witch answered in low voice. Then, turning her back to the young she-wolf, she looked into the distance. „I saw her once, a long time ago. When I mistook her for a human. It was then that she told me what would happen to me. I… didn’t believe her, thinking that she was lying to me.”

„There is a truth in every lie,” murmured Samaya, barely heard.

„You are right, young she-wolf. That’s why I made you come here.”

„You made us?” The young girl hissed through her teeth. „No, it has been a lie, hoping to get revenge on Bestla for transforming you into a willow twenty years ago.”

„No, Samaya, the wrong one is you. I wasn’t looking for revenge when I summoned you here.”

„Then?”

Yet, Samaya didn’t hear an answer from Villō. She only saw the witch sadly smiling at her when she looked at her again. Then… both of them winced again when an arrow, shot from far away, passed so close to them. This made them both look over there. Thus, they saw Dike and Boor approaching that place in the gallop of the horses. That’s why Villō told Samaya, smiling and without watching her, „Your help is here! So good: it will be funny today!” After that, she snapped her fingers and vanished.

At that moment, the spell that kept Samaya captive in that place stopped controlling the girl and she fell to her knees, feeling great pain in her chest. Yet, it was something she could control, for Villō wasn’t trying to hurt her, but only to keep her in that place. What for… she wasn’t sure.

More than that, she didn’t have too much time to think about this, for she saw Bestla still floating in the air, with those branches wrapped around her. That’s why Samaya took Lifid Ibloma out of its scabbard and, jerking from the place where she was, she ran toward the place Bestla was. Yet, it was weird for her that Villō didn’t even try to impede her from getting next to her friend or cutting the branches that kept Bestla captive. More than that, after the branches fell to the ground, they turned into worms. Something weird because those worms crawled, as fast as they could, toward the river and hid in the water.

Samaya, however, didn’t pay too much attention to them. For her, it was important that she could release Bestla. Nevertheless, even though she hugged her and lay her on the ground, slowly touching her face to make her react, she couldn’t wake Bestla. That’s why she looked at Dike, scared, when she saw him running toward her.

The Titan said no word. Not even when he got next to the girls. He only touched Bestla’s neck, checking her pulse. Only after that, he looked at Samaya and told her, „She will be alright. She’s asleep.”

„Asleep? How is this possible? I thought Villō took her power when she hit her with that knot of branches.”

„Yet, she’s fine,” replied the Titan. „Now, be next to her and let Villō for us. I intend to help Boor and also return all the favors this old witch ows me.” After that, leaving the sword Samaya had forgotten grabbed by Shinar’s harness, Dike stood up and looked at Boor.

He saw God standing in the middle of that tall grass field, powerfully squeezing a Īṭṭikaḷ spear in his left hand. Boor had his eyes closed at that moment and seemed not to hear or listen to anything. Yet, Dike was wrong thinking this way, for when he intended to head toward him, he heard Boor’s voice in his head, „Just stay where you are, Titan! Allow me to get even with this crazy old witch. At the same time, I will have the chance to get revenge. For what she did, twenty years ago, to my daughter.”

After that, seeing with the eyes of his mind that Dike didn’t move from his place, Boor threw the spear, grabbing it with the right hand this time. Then, slowly moving, he took an attack position, preparing himself to throw the spear toward the willow. Yet, he stood in that attack position for a long time, carefully looking at the willow, which seemed to dance its crown and make a powerful sound everywhere. Even a hard wind started to blow around him, not controlled by his power.

This, however, didn’t scare Boor. He only focused his mind and looked at the willow, especially at the shaking of its leaves, trying to understand the message the crazy Villō was trying to send to him through that savage dance of her branches. Yet, even after minutes of waiting, nothing happened. That’s why he decided that it would be easier to understand something if to close his eyes.

Nevertheless, the moment he closed his eyes, Boor felt the wind getting more force. Yet, the wind’s touch on his skin was soft and pleasant because that wind was Teṉṟal, which in the ancient language of the People of Ice meant the Summer's Ripening Breath. However, the fact that that wind was there was only a trick of the witch, for Teṉṟal’s touch made Boor feel as though someone was caressing his skin, and, because of that caress, he felt that his blood was madly running through his veins. That’s why he hissed through his teeth eventually, „You are playing dirty, Villō!”

„Do you think so?” He heard the sweet voice of the witch as though she was trying to seduce him. „I was only trying to play, for… I adore this game. Just as we loved to play, being only kids. Do you still remember those games, Boor? Those games we played in the green fields, through tall and soft herbs.” Then, when Villō kept silent, children’s voices started to laugh and talk everywhere. Moreover, those children were happy, singing and shouting while running one after another. Then, the same children started to sing a song that seemed to be more a spell than a song:

„Show up, sun, sweet sun, up through the clouds,

And make the wind, the sweet wind, run through the bawns,

Make the trees, the old trees, bow to the ground,

While the kids, the sweet kids, will cheerfully laugh around.

And you, sun, proud sun, that appears through the clouds today,

Sing, sing, cheerfully sing, while chasing the dawns away,

Those dawns that splash around with dew and morning prey,

As the swallow that sings sorrows in the morning way.

And the playful wind that blows the windmill so fast,

To help us get, get home quickly till, till dusk.

Making this world happier at least for today,

Getting to know each other at least this way.”

Remembering this song as being part of his past, Boor opened his eyes and looked everywhere. Yet, he saw those children nowhere and this made him feel a weird anxiety in his chest. That’s why he looked at the willow eventually and asked her, „What… what is this, Villō?”

Instead of an answer, he saw that willow in the middle of a green field and not in the glade as before. Then, that grass grew so fast that it got the size of the grass that surrounded God while he was preparing for the fight with Villō. Later, to be weirder than before, he saw a trodden path crossing that field and stopping right in front of that beautiful willow that appeared there only thanks to Fate.

More than that, it was so quiet there. Everywhere actually. Meanwhile, Boor saw that he was already standing on that path, looking at the willow. Yet, when he heard again the song he had heard before, he looked behind him. There, however, was nobody. That’s why God frowned, understanding that Villō was playing with him in fact, even though he was clearly hearing those children’s voices that seemed to head toward him closer and closer actually. Yet, he couldn’t see them anywhere. Thus, to defeat crazy Villō’s magic, as he got to name her, he closed his eyes and tried to focus.

Villō, however, wasn’t stupid at all. She knew that if she allowed Boor to focus, she would lose. That’s why she whispered into his ear with the voice of a little child, „Do you know me?” Thus, she made Boor open his eyes. Then, by magic, he saw two children: a boy and a girl about eight running toward him.

At first, he saw them like a projection, running through that tall grass. Something that made the blades of grass wind. Yet, this didn’t deceive Boor, who carefully waited till the boy and the girl got out of that field and started to run onto that trodden path toward him.

Then, as if by magic, he saw that the girl wasn’t eight, but only five at that moment and that she had black long hair that got up to her heels. More than that, he saw that she had brown eyes, of dark shade, while her skin was as white as the milk, wearing a gray dress that got to her heels, too, moving around her legs while she was running. Then, in both children’s right hands, Boor saw windmills.

It was the windmill, from the boy’s hand, which made Boor attentive eventually. The same windmill he played with while he was still a child. That’s why he murmured, confused, in the end, „It can’t be! Those children are…

„We are those kids, Boor. Those children, who used to play together at that time. Yet, the world and this damn life separated the paths we walked onto in life, and this is only because Fate couldn’t allow to a little witch to be with the God of Winds. This is what made us enemies today.”

Her words, however, made Boor laugh. Then, still standing on that path and looking at the two children that were running toward the willow, Boor used his power. Thus, he could see the real Villō instead of the willow. After that, he told her, „It’s not Fate or Time who separated us, Villō. It happened because of you, the one who always wanted more than she could have.”

Villō also smiled. Then she suddenly changed her appearance, being twenty years old again, just as Boor saw her last time when they saw each other. She had black long hair, up to the heels, and she was wearing a long red dress with a thick black belt at her waist. That belt wasn’t simple at all: it was made from a shiny fabric, with different golden symbols sewn on it, symbols that reminded Boor of old times a lot. Then, on the dress’s cloth, there were also seen, embroidered with golden wire, leaves and flowers, a bear’s head, the head of a hyena, and two black panther's heads, one on each of the sleeves, which were large enough near the wrists.

Yet, not this made Boor attentive, but her eyes: dark brown, which were so beautifully shining, just as they had shone while she was little and innocent. At that moment, however, no drop of innocence was in Villō’s soul, whose red lips were devilish smiling at Boor. That’s why he smiled, too, seeing her. „Did someone tell you that you are a true witch, Villō?” He asked her.

„Yes. Actually, you always said this, every time we saw each other. Now, hearing you saying this again, I realize that you have missed the time we have spent together.”

„Of course,” replied Boor cunningly. „I missed it a lot. To… break your neck actually for what you had done to my child twenty years ago, Villō.” Then, suddenly, Boor returned to the real world and threw the spear toward the witch, whose projection he was clearly seeing in front of the willow.

Villō, however, even though she saw the spear coming toward her, didn’t move. Only when it was really close to her, did she lay back and the spear passed across her and flew toward the willow. Yet, even though Boor thought that the spear would stick into the trunk or one of the branches eventually, it passed between them, as though those branches suddenly got a life because they moved aside from in front of the sharp top that was threatening them to bite deeply from their wood. Then, right in front of the witch that was still lying back and staring at the tree, the spear changed direction and returned to Boor.

The spear didn’t get to Boor eventually because it got stuck in the trap of a few willow’s branches that quickly wrapped around it. Then, as though those branches were a trebuchet, they threw the spear to Boor, intending to hit his heart. Yet, the branches also failed the target when the she-wolf that appeared there from nowhere grabbed the spear between her teeth. Then, landing on all four paws, she broke it into two. Later, turning toward Boor, she told him, „No offense, but something that fell prey to this damn witch’s magic, must be destroyed. That’s why I say to try something else to defeat her. Meanwhile, I’ll be around if you need help to break her neck.”

Her words made Boor laugh. Then, staring at Villō that was cooking her nose, for she disliked that the she-wolf interfered in her plans, Good told her, „Well, Villō, what about this game? Did it remind you about old times?”

„Of course!” The witch hissed through her teeth. After that, she suddenly disappeared. That’s why Boor and Samaya looked around, but they saw her nowhere. Even so, Boor didn’t allow it to deceive him, and he took the sword out of the scabbard, preparing for the attack.

Then, he suddenly „froze” when Villō appeared behind him, touching his chest with both palms. She even whispered into his ear, „Well, Boor, I think it’s the right time to help you remember our time spent together.” After that, in seconds only, her hands doubled, tripled, and so on, delicately touching Boor’s body.

The she-wolf, however, who was standing right in front of Boor and staring at Villō’s game, smiled. After that, narrowing her eyes, she managed to send a wave of blue energy, like snakes, toward God. Thus, the moment Villō felt those „snakes" moving on her skin, she screamed like a crazy woman and took her hands away. Even so, she didn’t manage to vanish when she felt the blade of Boor’s sword touching her throat the moment he suddenly turned toward her. Then, he hissed through her teeth, „Well, witch, you can’t bring me to my knees with cheap tricks.”

„Do you think so?” Replied Villō ironically. Then she suddenly vanished, forcing Boor to look for her. The same the she-wolf did. Thus, they both saw Villō appearing and disappearing here and there, trying to confuse them.

However, her game was over the moment the she-wolf, understanding what the witch was trying to do, sneaked through that tall grass. Thus, being too focused on what she was doing, Villō didn’t notice her. This allowed Samaya to get next to her and, suddenly pouncing on the witch, she put her eventually down, immobilizing her with the paws. After that, bending her snout so that she almost touched Villō’s face, the she-wolf snarled, „Stay quiet if you don’t want to feel my fangs stubbed into your neck.”

„You don’t have this courage,” Villō tried to tease her.

„Are you sure?” The she-wolf told her confidently. „Actually, others also tried this. But…” Suddenly, when, by magic, Villō managed to release her arms, the she-wolf had to fight with her because Villō grabbed her snout and was squeezing it with all her force. That’s why Samaya was hitting her with her paws. Even so, Villō couldn’t throw Samaya off her. Because of this, to punish Samaya, Villō set fire to the she-wolf’s fur, making her yelp.

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The fire didn’t hurt the she-wolf eventually because of Boor’s sword that passed over her. This gave Samaya some courage. Then, hitting the air current produced by Boor’s sword, Samaya sent it toward Villō’s face, something that the witch felt as a punch. Then, screaming, Villō finally released the she-wolf.

Yet, when Samaya was ready to pounce on Villō again, Boor demanded her, „Let her for me, Samaya, for it’s her last day on earth!” After that, squeezing the handle of his sword, he stuck it right next to Villō. Right after this, a barely heard sigh was heard around them. Nevertheless, even though he didn’t see blood on the sword’s blade, he knew that his magic touched Villō and that, because of this, she hid. Actually, Villō suddenly became invisible and only the grass next to which she was passing by was moving aside.

Even so, even though it seemed that the witch gave up on the fight, Boor wasn’t ready to let her unpunished. That’s why he took the sword out of the ground while he kept looking around, carefully. The same the she-wolf did. Nevertheless, none of them saw anyone there. Even the grass was „calm” and the wind stopped blowing.

„This doesn’t smell good already,” the she-wolf furiously snarled. „If she ran, without even allowing me to taste her bitter flesh, it means she still has some power to fight with us.”

„Undoubtedly,” murmured Boor, carefully looking around. He jumped up eventually when a ball of black energy, which appeared there from nowhere, hit the she-wolf. Thus, because of the impact, Samaya flew a few meters away from the place where she was.

Then, while Samaya stood up, she hissed through her teeth, „Damn witch!” Yet, she didn’t have too much time to think about what she was thinking when a second ball forced her to jump aside while a third one, thrown lower than the previous ones, made her jump and turn into a human. She even waited for a fourth ball, but it seemed as though Villō gave up on her plan. Even so, Samaya preferred to float in the air, carefully looking around just not to be taken by surprise again.

Thus, she could see Boor preparing for the fight. Nevertheless, he missed the fourth ball, which hit his chest and forced him to fly a few meters, just as Samaya did, and then to roll on the ground. He, however, didn’t stay too long in place. Then, while standing up, he hissed through his teeth, „This one damn hurt!” Then, he sent Samaya a telepathic thought, „Help me with the next one! There is a fifth ball for sure!” After that, he started to run toward the willow, intending to provoke Villō.

His plan worked eventually because, after a few meters of running, even though he didn’t see the ball coming toward him, he heard the hissing through the air. That’s why, jumping in the air so suddenly, he hit with the sword, „splitting” the air around him. Thus, he managed to form a kind of net of air chains, which formed so quickly that Samaya felt dizzy watching it. Yet, those chains weren’t formed only because Boor hit the air, but with a purpose: it suddenly turned into a catapult for the fifth ball.

Thus, hitting the net, the ball couldn’t pass through that energy that was controlled by Boor, and it suddenly colored black. Then, „pushed” from behind by that energy, the ball was sent to Samaya, who was waiting for it already with her eyes closed and squeezing the sword with both hands.

Yet, even though it looked as if Samaya wasn’t seeing it, she was hearing the ball coming toward her. That’s why she managed to hit it eventually, cutting it into two. Thus, she provoked a kind of implosion that catapulted the ball later toward the place from where it had been thrown at first. Then, the moment it hit Villō’s chest, the witch flew without a broom, hitting the willow eventually and she even vanished inside of the trunk after hitting it.

Only then, did Samaya smile and said, „Now I believe that it hurt!” After that, she looked at that black smoke from around her, which was still seen after hitting the ball, for namely her hit and Boor’s chains of energy, which got next to her, helped her to defeat Villō. Nevertheless, seeing Boor smiling, the girl touched the ground with the soles again and, while putting the sword into the scabbard again, she teased him, „Nice shot, God Boor! I didn’t know it. So, tell me, where did you learn this one, from winds?”

Boor laughed, „I wish I could have learned it from winds. Yet… other cunning people have taught me this trick. A long time ago.” Then he pointed the willow with his head. Yet, seeing Samaya frowning, he also looked at the willow and saw Villō exiting the trunk, outraged, „Oho, it seems that we will pay for what we’ve done!”

„Do you think so?!” Samaya teased him ironically. „I thought that the sky cracks only. It seems that it was only Villō in flames. Then, taking the sword out of the scabbard again, she said, „I say to fry her then.”

Boor frowned. „What are you planning?”

„Me? Nothing weird. I just missed the fried meat at the grill. And that net you made not long ago was actually perfect to catch the source of our meal.”

„If you say so?!” Mumbled Boor. Then, even though he didn’t understand what Samaya was actually planning, he decided to help her and formed that net of energy by hitting the air with the sword again. Then he told the girl, „Only don’t make her well, Samaya, for I love it medium, in fact!” Then he winked.

Samaya, however, seeing Villō nails growing so much and sharpening, squinted at Boor and told him, „I don’t know why, but I think that before eating her medium fried, she eats us in blood.”

„Really?!” Replied Boor at all bothered by what amazed Samaya so much. She understood very soon, what he meant when she saw Villō, who started to run toward them like a mad soul and threaten them with her sharp nails, hanging in the air after hitting the net.

Even so, even though she saw that she was trapped in that net, Villō seemed not to be ready to calm down. She even started to struggle with the net. Nevertheless, she only managed to wrap it more around her. Then she even yelled like a mad person when she saw that not even her sharp nails could cut it. That’s why she looked at Boor and yelled, „Release me, Boor! While I still ask this kindly!”

God, however, looked at Samaya and told her, grinning, „I didn’t know that our game still bites!”

„Neither I. Yet, I think that before seeing it on the grill will see first how a witch looks on a stick. Frozen I mean.”

Boor, who didn’t understand the joke, looked eventually in the same direction as Samaya. Thus, he saw an outraged Bestla, whose eyes were whirling just as when she was a child and she returned to the palace stained with blood. That’s why he scratched the back of his head eventually, knowing what his youngest daughter could do, and said, „Eh, I was so happy thinking that I would eat fried meat today. It seems that I must be full only after swallowing the saliva.” After that, putting the sword in its scabbard and sweetly yawning, he took a few steps away from Samaya, who was staring at him, for she couldn't understand how he could joke seeing what Bestla looked like at that moment.

Actually, Boor didn’t bother at all because he knew that Bestla was mad at that moment. This was so because, while approaching Villō that kept struggling in that net, she hissed through her teeth to the witch, „Damn you, cobra! Are you still able to bite? I thought that I left you without fangs two decades ago. Yet, it seems that I was wrong and I caught you in my paws again.”

Villō, however, didn’t taste the joke. More when she realized that Bestla escaped from her control so quickly. That’s why she started to writhe, intending to escape from that net at any cost. Yet, run, Villō, only if you can do that.

Eventually, understanding that she had no other choice, Villō calmed down. However, she didn’t keep silent. More when she saw Dike approaching Bestla. That’s why she hissed through her teeth, „I should have imagined that you were also around. What a release: at least I can get rid of you all together.”

„Do you think you can do that?!” Replied Dike ironically. „Actually, do you really think that Fate has allowed you to exit that trunk only to get revenge?”

This made Villō attentive. „Then?” She looked to her left eventually when she heard Samaya saying:

„The dream! It’s because of it!” Then, in Samaya’s hand, the witch saw the cube for reflections. That’s why she cooked her nose, for she knew well what it served for.

Even so, she decided not to show others that she was aware of what they were doing. She only innocently asked, „Which dream?”

„I can’t believe that! She pretends to be stupid now!” Bestla hissed through her teeth. „We all know which dream because you had been so kind as to disturb our sleep last night. So, tell me: what the hell were you thinking about when you awoke me too if you intended to show that dream only to Samaya?”

Villō looked askance at Bestla, „I didn’t wake you. More than that… I didn’t allow you to see anything.”

„Do you say so?!” Said Samaya ironically. „Well, if you don’t want to tell us while we are still kind, you will do that when we are mad. So, Bestla, your turn!” Then Samaya threw the cube in the air, which Villō watched like charmed wherever the cube moved through the air.

Yet, doing that, Samaya didn’t manage to impress only Villō. The same happened to the rest, for, that cube, she was using at that moment, was Nīlam, the same cube Lodur gave her when she started to talk to him telepathically. That’s why Dike murmured, thunderstruck while staring at the blinding light of the cube, „Alabar’s reflections!”

The Titan winced eventually when Villō stuck her hand through the wires of the net, intending to grab the cube. She even murmured like dement, „I must have it! It’s mine! It has to be mine!”

Boor looked at her, disgusted, „You always want to have what isn’t yours.” He winced eventually catching Bestla’s furious glance focused on him while so fast squeezing the gelatin in her hand. „What’s your problem?” Boor asked her. „She’s the prey.”

Bestla grinned, „Actually, papa, I know you very well. More after seeing that you had a lot of fun being only a child. More… in your youth when you spent your time in the arms of this witch,” she hissed through her teeth.

„Only… neighbors!” God stuttered, looking elsewhere.

„Yeah, and I am a worm. Yet… we will talk about this later. Now I intend to reckon with… your old love first.”

„To reckon with me?” Villō suddenly shouted. „Why? Because I wanted to take back what is mine?”

„Yeah, and everything around is also yours, right? The sun, the moon, even the air is yours.”

„Bestla, it isn’t the right moment!” She heard Samaya’s voice in her left ear. „So, if we want to make her talk, I say to use the old trick.” Yet, even though Samaya thought that Villō couldn’t hear her inner voice, she was wrong. That’s why she winced when Villō asked her:

„What trick?”

Even so, even though she realized that Villō could hear her thoughts, Samaya preferred to ignore her. Then, while the others’ears were buzzing because of Villō’s scream, who kept yelling at her to tell her what trick she wanted to use on her and then to curse everybody, Samaya sent a thought to the others.

Understanding what the girls wanted to do. More when he spotted Bestla’s grin painted on her face, Boor growled. Then, staring at those twelve blue spheres, which had the size of a golf ball and which were floating around his daughter, he mumbled, „Don’t even think about this, Bestla!”

Bestla, however, at all bothered by her father’s upset, told him calmly, „I don’t only think about this, papa, I am sure you will do that! If not, I will be upset and, who knows, I can even send a thought to Sephir’s mother. A spicy one, where the main characters are you and the… witch Villō. After that, I’m sure you will walk with a purple eye for a long time.”

„You won’t dare do that!”

„Try me! Yet, you know that I’m very good at that. At sending… thoughts to others, I mean!” Then Bestla grinned, satisfied.

She had why to be satisfied because she saw Boor coming toward her. Yet, while heading toward the girl, Boor kept mumbling, „Damn you, little witch! I swear I'll put my paw on you! And then…” However, his anger and the mumbling didn’t bother Bestla. She only used her power to stick the spheres around her waist. Then, when Boor got next to her and, grabbing her by the waist, threw her in the air, she got to spin as fast as though she was a spinning top on a floor. This, however, was a good plan because it helped her to throw those spheres to her right. She didn’t even miss one because, the spheres, when one was thrown, another one was taking its place, helping somehow the girl.

Then, after throwing all twelves sphere, which suddenly turned to oval mirrors, Bestla touched the ground with her soles again. After that, she looked at her father, who wasn’t that far from her and who hissed at her through his teeth, „If you force me to play this damn game again, I swear I will forget you are my daughter!”

„Game? What game?” Samaya asked her father. Dike, however, only shrugged.

Smiling, Bestla explained to them, „The famous game with the air horses. Something that my father simply „adores.”

„Me? When that?” Boor shouted. „Better, stop playing because it’s already dusk. I don’t intend to play this damn game with the witch at night.”

„Why?” The girl teased him. „I thought that the game is spicier at night.”

„Bestla!” Samaya tried to make the girl keep her mouth shut. Bestla, however, wanted to play. Yet, she had to calm down and let her game for later when she saw a red light exiting all the faces of the cube, two red rays on each face actually. Those rays, however, weren’t projected randomly, but straight toward the mirrors.

„It can’t be,” murmured Villō suddenly, seeing red waves on each mirror. Then her eyes also turned red so suddenly. Later, the moment Ionas’s handle illuminated blue, Villō lay on her back and looked as charmed. Nevertheless, she didn’t stay in that position for long. Seconds only after that, she sat legged, while Boor’s net, controlled by Samaya’s power, took a cube form.

After that, slowly-slowly, right in front of those four, while Villō was staring in front, the grass, under their soles, suddenly vanished, and, instead of it, ashes and gray feathers appeared. That’s why Villō murmured eventually when they looked at her, „Now I understood what trick you talked about! The Mirage of the Mirrors and Fate reflected at the horizon!” Then she looked at Bestla.

The girl didn’t avoid the witch’s glance. On the contrary, she looked straight into Villō’s glance, making the witch wince eventually. Then, feeling a strange energy moving inside her, Villō murmured, „You knew about this!”

Bestla, still looking into her eyes, told her calmly, „Not me! Yahon knew it! Actually, who sent you his thoughts twenty years ago, he was. That’s why you summoned Master Dike here.”

Dike stared in amazement at Bestla, „Yahon? That child?” Eventually, he looked at Villō when she closed her eyes and laughed:

„He isn’t a child,” the witch said. „He only appears in front of others as he wants. Yet, even though he wanted to show you Fate through my eyes and he sent you here today, he didn’t know one thing: Tarther!”

Hearing the name of that evil bird, Samaya shuddered. Even so, she looked at the witch and asked, „Is there any link between Tarther and Fate?”

„Of course, for Tarther appeared from Eris’s thoughts and not because Fate or Parca wanted it as you think.” After that, opening her mouth a little bit, Villō blew a black air current in front. Then she sent that current toward the mirror that was in front of her. Yet, when the black current touched that mirror, the same image appeared on all twelve mirrors: the huge bird Tarther, in flames, flying toward them. Nevertheless, in an instant only, the transparent blue of the mirror suddenly turned black-like pitch. Then, so suddenly, they all saw Tarther flying above a huge desert where the sand was burning.

That’s why Dike murmured, afraid, „Māṉsṭar Kēlaksi!”

Hearing his murmur, Villō replied without watching him, „You are right, Titan. The same star you guarded ten thousand years ago. Actually, namely there Tarther was formed. Later, Eris sent him to Earth inside that black diamond. The same diamond that is seen today on Mannar’s forehead. It was only an egg then. However, when the diamond fell into the River Maranam, it split into two and then the egg „hid” at the bottom of the river. It didn’t stay in place, however, for it had a mission. That’s why, as though it was a small stone, the water of the river moved it further and further. Eventually, it got to the same stream created by Mirianor on the Lands of the old Noear. There, from that water, Tarther appeared in this world. Thus, exiting the egg, the small bird hid in Mortor Forest. Nevertheless, neither the forest understood that it was evil. It only received the little black chick in its arms, without knowing that it was actually growing the snake that burnt it to the ground later.”

„Even so,” replied Boor, thoughtful, „I don’t understand why it didn’t die when Noears died.”

„Because Tarther’s fate wasn’t to die. On the contrary, he still has a lot to do on this earth. One of his purposes is to find his soulmate.”

„To find his soulmate?” Samaya asked, thunderstruck because the witch’s words amazed her a lot.

„That’s right, young she-wolf. Thus, if you want to know who Tarther’s soulmate is, the one hidden in Rophion Forest for 7 millennia already, ask your father, for he knows for sure who Tarther’s soulmate is.”

Then Villō looked at Dike, just as the others did. However, the Titan didn’t look at any of them. He was just staring in front and seeing images from that day when the Kingdom of Noear fell… burned by the flames blown by the two Tarthers. He winced eventually when he heard Samaya calling his name. That’s why he stuttered, barely heard, „Baradar! Is he the second Tarther?”

„That’s right, master,” Villō told him, bitterly smiling, „Yet, just as you didn’t know this, the minikin also didn’t know it.”

„Nevertheless, this is impossible, witch! How can be Baradar Tarther’s soulmate?” Dike screamed.

„I don’t know this, ok?” Villō murmured. „All I know is that Baradar’s birthday is the same day Tarther entered Mortor Forest, in the form of a black chick. Yet, even though I don’t know their history, I know one thing for sure, that…”

„…the minikin didn’t finish his mission on earth that day.” Murmured Samaya. Then, looking at Villō, Samaya heard a message sent only to her:

„And you are right, princess-wolf, for the real Fate is the one hidden behind the Mirage of the Mirrors. Nevertheless, you will see it only when all the mirrors will be broken, and you will not be capable of restoring them or turning Fate back.”

Then, Samaya looked at those twelve mirrors. On each of them, she saw fragments from the day Noears died. She also saw that big Tarther fell asleep in the net of chains controlled by Odin and that Baradar fell on the ground after finishing his role as the small Tarther. Yet, what surprised her so much was to see, on the back of the small Tarther, right before turning into the minikin, a big golden key. That’s why she murmured eventually, „It can’t be that simple!”

„What exactly?” Dike asked her, afraid, grabbing her by the arm not to fall because Samaya trembled on her feet.

Who answered him was Villō eventually, „The second element Eris needs to escape from her hell is on the back of the minikin. Yet, it won’t be easy to catch him, for it seems that Fate has turned its back on you this time.” Thus, after finishing what she had to tell them, Villō vanished. Right after that, the twelve mirrors fell apart and broke, making the four protect each other.

Then, when silence took over the surroundings again, they looked around and saw tall green grass all around them again. They also saw that the gelatin was in Bestla’s hand and the cube in Samaya’s, even though the girls did nothing to have them back. Even so, even they were so amazed, the moment they heard the murmur of the River of Crystals, they looked over there because, until then, they didn’t hear it.

Yet, Samaya didn’t look for long at the water as Dike, Boor, and Bestla did. Actually, Bestla even lost consciousness so suddenly, as though the murmur of the water charmed her. Yet, until Dike and Boor checked what happened to Bestla, Samaya looked at the willow. Thus, she saw Baradar, who awoke that day as the Spirit of the Woods already, heading toward the Mortor Forest. Then, right after he passed by the first row of trees, Samaya saw a golden key, caught by a thin chain at his left wrist, a key that was so beautifully shining around.

***

The next day, right after the first rays of the day appeared in the sky, Samaya looked for Fenrir. She found him at the stables, along with Dike and Arion. Then, arriving next to them, the girl told her brother, „Tell me you know where Baradar is.”

„I?” Asked Fenrir, thunderstruck. „Why should I know where Baradar is now?”

„Because you are the only one who can connect with him, at least this seems so,” Dike answered instead of Samaya. „That’s why, rush to contact him! If you can summon him here, better.”

„In the camp? The minikin?” Arion asked, confused. „Why exactly?”

„It’s a long story,” replied Boor, approaching them along with Bestla.

Her brother’s laziness seemed to bother Samaya. That’s why she yelled at him eventually, „Now, Fenrir, we don’t have time to waste.”

„Yeah, I got it. I got it. I don’t understand why you are so stubborn this morning.” Then, sitting on the ground, legged as though meditating, he tried to enter that Mortor Forest where he could meet Baradar whatever he wanted.

Nevertheless, the impatience on Samaya’s face and, more, the preoccupation on her father’s and sister’s faces, made Sephir frown, for she was turning back from the brook after washing her body when she heard what they said. Yet, even though she didn’t understand anything about what was going on, she decided not to ask anything loudly. She only approached Bestla and grabbed her by the arm. After that, they took a few steps aside, and she asked, „What is wrong with Samaya?”

„It has to do with the minikin,” replied Bestla in a whisper.

„With the minikin?” Sephir asked, amazed. „What did he do this time?”

„Nothing out of the ordinary,” Boor answered Sephir. „He just… has the key.”

„The key? What key?”

„The second element Eris needs to open the Gates of Aeon?” Bestla replied, grinning. „Yeah, this is definitely something ordinary,” she added, frowning while staring at her father.

They, however, looked scared at Fenrir, who, so suddenly, started to burn even though he didn’t turn into a wolf. That’s why all of them pounced on him and helped him, as they could, to extinguish the flames. After that, when he was safe, Dike told him reproachfully, „The idea was to summon the minikin here, not to burn yourself.”

„I know, father, but…,” stuttered Fenrir.

„Just… focus and try to reach him,” Samaya demanded him. „We can’t lose Baradar! Not this time!”

„If you had told me why the rush and not yelled at me, maybe I would have been able to reach him,” Fenrir hissed through his teeth. „Yet, to be more precise, I can’t enter the old forest. It feels as though someone has built a Barrier around it.”

„Then others also know about the minikin,” Arion said, thoughtfully.

„It seems so,” replied Dike. „Even so, we must find the minikin before them.”

„Then, let’s look for him in his glade,” said Fenrir while standing up. „However, first… tell me why the rush!”

„The key,” Samaya said. „The minikin has the key, the second element to open the Gates of Aeon. Moreover, Baradar is the second Tarther.”

„What?” Shouted Fenrir. „Baradar is also a Tarther?”

„I told you that the minikin stank,” mumbled Arion.

„What I don’t understand is who you actually like,” Bestla teased him. Yet, seeing his angry face, she told the others, „Probably, Baradar has left his glade and since long ago, for Villō is right: something is moving him from inside.”

„I think you are right, Bestla,” said Dike. „That’s why I, you, Samaya, and Boor will go to look for him.”

„What about the others?” Insisted Fenrir. „If we join our forces we can find him faster.”

„No, Fenrir. It’s better for only four of us to leave the camp and look for the minikin. The rest will guard the camp, for something tells me that this place will be attacked soon.”

Everybody, however, has heard his words. That’s why the rest of the wolves, who were approaching that place after having their council, heard them. Thus, hearing the wolves’murmur, everybody turned toward them and Yamu. Yet, they kept silent when Yamu raised his hand and said, „I think master Dike is right and we will be attacked soon. It is something predictable actually, once we are waiting for war. That’s why it’s better to think about this right from the beginning than to be taken by surprise and unprepared when this happens.”

„Then… I count on you, Yamu, for this place can’t fall,” Dike told him, approaching him, and resting his right hand on Yamu’s left shoulder. „Meanwhile, we will try to find Baradar and get the second element. If not… we will all burn in this big war.”

***

Four travelers, wearing gray cloaks, hooded, and squeezing the swords in their hands, left the camp of the Rophions that morning without knowing if they would return safely there, later. Yet, they had hope in their hearts. More than that, they were proud to fight for their people. That’s why they took weapons with them to be sure that they would make it eventually. Thus, with the bow and the quiver with arrows on their back, with daggers hidden in their boots or at their waists, and armed with swords, they left the camp. Moreover, they had an advantage in front of Evil: they trusted each other and weren’t able to leave anybody behind them, just as they loved each other, something that gave them the power not to fall.