The day the prince married the one who, until then, was known only as “Vampire Yvanna” was certainly the event with the most distinguished guests, the tastiest foods and, modesty aside, the best sung music in my entire career.

Even the fighting exhibition between the consorts and the crown's chosen representatives – something which, I admit, I thought was an unnecessary and ineffective display of strength – proved to be an arena-worthy spectacle.

Even the biggest opponents of the idea of a battle at a wedding had to admit that Prince Connor's display of skills and Princess Yvanna's dazzling way of moving, attacking, and defending would become images burned into the minds of all the guests.

So great was the impression made by such event that even I, a lover of the delicate arts and a completely ignorant of martial arts, was able to understand that, through that ritual, the position of both consorts was definitively stablished.

Even today I carry with me the vivid memory of that time. A time of peace. Its existence makes the contrast with the days that were to come even more stark.

Elise von Reginald – Days in Chants: My Memories

*

Rinlia kneels in front of Yvanna. Beside her, Bernard does the same in front of Connor, in an act universally recognized as the challengers' admission of defeat.

Yvanna places her hand on her friend's shoulder, allowing the elf to get up. In the vampire's gaze, Rinlia sees a hint of irritation and spite.

"What did you expect me to do?” The elf is slightly annoyed. “To fight for real and take the risk of hurting one of us? Isn't your torn dress enough? Did you want me to try to rip your leg off?”

Yvanna's annoyance, however, lasts only an instant, and the spite for the elf's refusal to fight seriously soon escapes her thoughts as both challengers offer the rings to the couple.

Under the sound of applause, Rinlia and Bernard leave the podium and head to an adjoining room. The elf, however, insists on remaining in the main hall until the moment both, prince and princess, exchange rings and kiss in front of everyone.

-All right. – She tells Bernard and a servant. – We can go. There is only drink and food to enjoy now.

-Isn’t that enough? – Bernard asks with a half-smile.

-It would be, if it were not necessarily accompanied by all the problems that come with conversations between members of the high ranks of other kingdoms.

The servant walks away and Bernard insists, in a confident tone.

-With your position, I thought you'd be more interested in knowing what all these foreigners might be planning.

The elf shakes her head and raises an eyebrow, weighing the pros and cons.

-You are not entirely wrong… Anyway, I know that I'll have to subject myself to such exposure later. But you should know that it's not during dinner that I can find the things that matter.

-Is it not?

-No. - The elf heads to the infirmary. One of the blows she had agreed to take from Yvanna on her arm was hurting more than it should have. – It is after we run out of good wine and the low-quality beer is served to those who already had their taste deteriorated by the alcohol. It's at that moment, when the minds are drunken and the bellies are full, that the important information leaks out.

*

Ohana wanted to say something worthy of the situation she was in, but such words did not come to her mind.

Dan felt his pains finally subsiding, but he regretted that it only happened because fear pushed away any other sensation. He shifts his leg weight and leans more heavily on his cane, avoiding forcing his limb, which is slowly recovering from its recent injuries.

Still, he is grateful for the recovery of the past few days. After all, he no longer needed to lean on Ohana to walk, and gradually could walk at greater speeds, although he didn't have the courage to discard the cane, as every now and then his leg would suddenly refuse to work.

At that moment, both travelers stand on top of a ravine, facing an image positioned several meters ahead.

-Your magic...? – Ohana asks.

-I can’t do anything. – He says, walking along the edge of the ravine, looking for a way to get around the convergence without getting closer. – You…?

-Nothing.

Keeping their distance, both travelers see the big sphere of energy embedded in the ground, surrounded by a blackened mist. Even without getting close, it is possible to determine that the sphere is the size of a cabin and glows brightly, as if it were a beating heart. The mist that surrounds it, like rings on a planet, spins in all directions, penetrating the earth, coming out of it, floating in the air, and simultaneously expanding and retracting.

With each step, the air around them seems to get heavier and the inside of their bodies becomes tired. Their breathing is slow, although still paced and the eyelids are heavy, as if a heavy sleep intoxicated them.

-I can't feel the presence of any beasts. – Ohana always walks in front of him, ensuring that Dan was not the first to be attacked by anything.

Her analyzes the terrain, becoming familiar with the region and sharpening his senses.

-Watch out for the convergence influence... - He says, pushing his body away from the sphere. – See that black fog? It is a sign that this is an old convergence. It is going to start consuming everything around it soon.

-Really? Then, what is it doing right now? All my energy already seems to have been taken out of my body. Not to mention I can't use my magic. – She shakes her hand, annoyed by the fact that she cannot even produce sparks. Although dryads traditionally do not resort to magic all the time, the total absence of an option that has existed since birth is something that bothers her, as if the world were oppressing her for no reason.

-It is just disturbing the surroundings. - He answers. – Newly emerged or young convergences are basically energy cores of the world. A corrupted energy that alters everything around. When they get older...

-What? - His morbid tone bothers her. The sight of a wounded warrior with a tired voice creates a feeling of insecurity inside her.

- See that fog? – He points the black smoke around the energy sphere. – It darkens as the energy core weakens. After many years, it consumes itself and the convergence collapses, consuming the energy around it in an unstoppable way.

-The wastelands? – Between one stride and another in the middle of the ravine, Ohana turns to Dan. The warrior nods and says:

-Yes. That's how they became the wastelands. Convergences arose on this continent and, in recent history, convergences were seen surrounded by this mist just before the wastelands became uninhabitable.

-You seem to know a lot about the subject. - She says, pushing some branches and finding a space between the trees. It's a narrow space, but it is enough to improvise a trail.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Dan shrugs.

-I've traveled a lot.

-To these parts of the world?

-Mainly to these parts.

The dryad wants to ask more questions; however, her attention is drawn to the body of a lupine, lying between two trees. The animal had not yet been attacked by scavengers, and judging by the state of the surrounding terrain and the wounds on the fallen creature, a battle had happened recently.

-What do you think? – The dryad asks her companion. – Lupines are not irrational. His mind would not have been affected by the convergence.

-He must have been attacked by other creatures. That must be the reason we haven't had any problems here. – He says, approaching slowly with the help of his cane. His attention turns to the animal's neck, where a pendant with the tooth of a large animal hangs. – We should follow that trail and try to find where he came from.

-Are you sure? The place could have been attacked by beasts.

-It makes no difference. – He points to the pendant. – This is the necklace of the tribe of the wolfs of Vaes. Lupines from the Village in the End of the World.

The dryad sighs.

-We're close. - She approaches the body, analyzing the wounds and the pendant.

-Maybe closer than we thought. - Dan does not need to say anything else in order for her to understand that his attention is elsewhere. As she lifts her head, it is clear what caught his attention: The eyes of more than a dozen ogres, who walk towards them in the middle of the ravine.

*

The sound of small parties permeates many homes throughout Fiandel. It looks like all the taverns are open and all other establishments are closed so that families can drink and rest in celebration – not necessarily in that order.

Arthur, walking alongside Guinevere, notices the lights and voices in several of the residences. Simultaneously, they need to walk against the great influx of people who seek to gather around the castle, anxious for a possible appearance of the new princess of the kingdom.

-I thought Yvanna was already well known in Fiandel. – Arthur says when he sees the number of people looking for the main road to head towards the castle.

-She is. – The blue-haired warrior still feels relaxed by the effect of the alcohol consumed in the tavern. – Still, today, it is as if she were crowned. The coronation ceremony in which Njalmar will pass the crown to his son and the new princess is a smaller event, done in the presence of a few nobles and the royal family. Hence, many consider this marriage to be the most important public occasion in recent history.

-There is a lot of people partying... - The boy is unable to suppress the strong impression left by the consecutive houses in celebration and the number of drunk people they encounter wherever they walk. – Are you sure this blacksmith won't be at a party too?

Guinevere does not even hesitate.

-If people are on the streets, he's hammering some new weapon. He has a mild workaholism problem. – She points to the right. – Besides, if you have your doubts, you should just check it out for yourself.

They were on a less busy street, but still one wide enough for a carriage to pass. The pavement of the region was formed by large stones buried throughout the extension of some houses and businesses and the cleanliness of the surroundings indicated that the kingdom cared about the conservation of the place.

The building indicated by Guinevere was not tall, but it was wide enough to occupy the equivalent space of three residences. The front was open, making space to a large balcony and a display that surrounded the inner walls, displaying armors, swords, axes, helmets, items of cavalry and other objects of interest to soldiers and adventurers.

In front of the door, a large wooden plate had a design of a helmet under the name “Romeo”, written in curvy and flamboyant letters.

-Good morning, Martin. - Guinevere waves to the young man sitting at the counter. He had his face blackened by charcoal and his hands are red and swollen. - Where is your father?

-He is downstairs. I'll let him know you're here.

The young man does not wait for an answer before disappearing through a door behind the counter, allowing Arthur, for a moment, to see the stairs by which he would descend.

-So… This is the blacksmith that you trust so much. – Arthur admires the pieces on display. The armors had inlaid details and seemed to emanate some energy. He stops himself from taking it for himself, fearing to cause damage to the objects.

-Romeo is the best blacksmith in Fiandel. The most curious one, too. I don’t believe there’s anyone better in the kingdom to investigate that ring.

-And I'm very grateful for the opportunity to do so. – The blacksmith's voice comes from the door Martin had just left.

The image of the blacksmith surprises Arthur. After all, he had expected to see someone with a brutish appearance and a serious expression, with a stern, angry face. Instead, Romeo appeared before him as a soot-smeared, gentle-looking human. He was a taller version of Martin, with the same black hair, face blackened by charcoal, and an overall look like that usually seen on faces of Greek sculptures. One of the few obvious signs of his profession was his thick, callused hands, smeared with grease and other substances.

His son did not follow him, indicating that he had stayed downstairs, where the soot that soiled them was produced.

-Who is the owner of the ring? - He asks without ceremony. Arthur steps forward. – Is there any chance of you allowing me to destroy it to study its composition?

The expression on Arthur's face immediately changes.

-No! Don't tell me that you-

-What do I look like to you? An amateur? – The blacksmith turns to Guinevere, taking the ring out of his pocket. – I am grateful for the opportunity to study such a unique piece, but I am sorry to inform you that I have not been able to discover much. Without being able to dismantle it to try to discover the magical link between the parts and the method of work used, I will not be able to complete the investigation. You see, this is a very particular ring and, still, it does not seem to have any similarity with the methods or have the magical effects I have seen in the past.

Guinevere gestures and Arthur takes the ring from the blacksmith's hand. That ring was a gift from the Oracle of the Great Forest. During the banquet, she had given him the piece of silver inlaid with an octagonal emerald stone. Despite the magic that clearly emanated from the stone, Arthur had turned to Rinlia and, later, to Guinevere, to try to understand the jewel's powers before using it. They both told him to allow the ring to be taken to Romeo – without telling him where he got it.

-Is there anything you can tell me about the ring? – Arthur asks, frustrated. – Anything?

-Just that it's magic. And that it was meant to be used by someone with a lot of power. - He shrugs. – The energy needed to use it in battle is impractical, unless the wielder has a huge source of energy.

-Like Queen Aetna, for example? - Guinevere asks and the blacksmith nods in agreement. – Or Armenvald?

-Yes. I believe those individuals could use it for a while, but even them would not be able to do much with it. I tried to feed it some energy with my resources, but it wasn't enough.

-Were you able to identify any effects from it?

The blacksmith places a hand under his chin.

-Well, if we are talking about any side effects of using it, then no. I just know that the energy I used was wasted. Now, if we're talking about what the ring did with that energy...

-What?

-It's just a guess, but I'd say the ring just stored the energy. It is a powerful ring and someone would need a lot of magic to release its power. - He raises his eyebrows. - I wouldn't investigate too deeply because I'm not interested in politics, but I would say that the leader of the Great Forest might have something to say about the loss of one of their jewels...

Arthur and Guinevere look at each other. Romeo continues.

-I'm not saying that this is one of the crown jewels, but there are a lot of resemblance to the legends of the battles of the Oracle. A ring with these same materials, capable of storing a large amount of magic and-

-And able to release it all at once. Could it be...? – Guinevere faces Romeo.

-I believe that it's just a similar ring. The original is one of the ancient weapons. The ring of Life and Death could not be worn by anyone but the Oracle, as no one else knew the correct way to use its magic. I believe this ring could be activated by brute force, with the mere use of large amounts of energy. I don't know how someone would be able to release it, but-

-Maybe it's with brute force too. – Arthur interrupted and took the opportunity to ease the situation. - If it's a good imitation, it must have a good value, don't you think?

The blacksmith agrees.

-If you want to sell it, I would be more than happy to buy it and try and reproduce its effects. A fair price, however... I would need time to gather the necessary amount.

-I appreciate the proposal, but I don't intend to sell it for now.

-I would offer a good price. If you change your mind-

But Arthur would not change his mind. In the street, next to Guinevere, he looks at the jewel in his hand, wondering why he was presented with something so valuable.

-Do you think she would have given me one of the-

-Don't talk about it on the street. – The warrior interrupts him, looking around. People continue to celebrate. – Besides, it's nearly impossible to understand how she thinks. She said she wanted you to achieve your Destiny, isn't that what you told me? Perhaps this is a way to allow that to happen.

Arthur tucks the ring into his pants pocket, takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

"What was the name?" He thinks. “Ring of Life and Death? A ring that likes to accumulate energy, huh?”

"Well... let's see what happens if I give it more energy than it can keep."

*

*