Not understanding what was happening inside the shield, Alaric watched in panic as Olivia's skin became shiny and then pointed at Eldrin. It all happened in a second. It was as if the dawn had come early, and the sun was rushing down on them. He heard the crack of the shield breaking, and he, Mantok and the wizards who had caught them by surprise, were catapulted by the shockwave caused by his own daughter.

His back slammed into one of the rocks. The impact knocked the air out of him, but he was lucky enough not to hit his head. He lay on his side feeling the wetness of the sand on his face and trying to breathe slowly and deeply, while with great effort he tried to move his numb but not broken limbs.

His eyes were wide open, but he couldn't see anything, not even the moon. He feared that the brightness had blinded him, but gradually he got used to the darkness again and purple spots appeared scattered behind the clouds announcing the beginning of dawn. His ears were also slow to perceive the chaos around him. Screams. He could not distinguish whether of war or fear, of men or women, perhaps the very wizards of his own castle who had betrayed him. There could be no other explanation. Eldrin had been waiting all that time for the opportunity to leave the castle, and find Olivia. And the Count, again, had served it to him on a platter.

He cursed himself for not foreseeing that. Being among friends, he even have left his sword in the care of Cormac, who was waiting for him in the camp they had set up near the village.

He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't know whether to be relieved that Olivia had stood up to Eldrin, or despair that she was now wandering around looking like that. In a matter of seconds his daughter had revealed a side of her self that he was completely unaware of. Her magic seemed to have reached the level of a Master, or might even have surpassed it. Were those the powers of a descendant of the elves? He had taken Eldrin at his word, when he had stated that his daughter manifested no special ability for magic, that she seemed to be just another Initiate like so many other common humans beginning their studies in the Ethereal Codes.

Would Leander have betrayed him too? He shook his head, not Leander, not his childhood friend. He would never do anything against Cormac either, unless his captain was also part of the plan, and was now searching for him among the chaos to put him to death at the first chance. If the same wizard who had so faithfully served his father all his life had been deceiving him what could

he expect from the rest?

A few feet away from him, he heard the faint cries of Mantok. Alaric managed to sit up slowly, experiencing twinges of pain with each movement. He followed the sound of chief's voice until he almost bumped into him lying on the ground.

“Mantok, where are you hurt?”

The old man let out a shriek that didn't sound like words. Alaric felt his body, and when he reached his head he felt a warm, viscous liquid. The smell of blood flooded his nose.

He had to find Olivia, but he couldn't leave Mantok alone in that state.

“Help! Help!”

He screamed several times, and with each scream that came out of his mouth the anxiety grew stronger. He could almost feel his chest closing in on him as so many times when he was a child.

“Help! Somebody! Help!”

He had to make a decision. He couldn't wait any longer.

But then a couple of voices gave him hope again.

He had feared that wizards would have run into them.

“Alaric!”

“Papa! Grandpa!”

Both sirenians, confused and terrified, came running up to the two men. Alaric felt Yaritza's cool hands wrap around his face, and bring him relief like cool water on a sweltering hot day. She pressed her forehead to his, he grabbed her arms.

“I'm all right. Your father... he's hurt.”

Numi was already at her grandfather's side when Yaritza broke away from Alaric and crouched beside Mantok. The two women placed their hands on the old man, and a golden glow began to shine.

“Can you heal his body?” asked Alaric.

“It will depend on the damage, he has many wounds, some of them deep,” answered Yaritza with a tense voice. “What happened?”

“What happened to Olivia?” Numi asked anxiously.

“We were ambushed by Eldrin and other wizards of the Order of the Shadowrock. They betrayed me.”

Both women looked at each other in disbelief.

“And now?” Yaritza asked.

“From the screams, they must be running towards the village. I have to go there. Olivia must have gone in that direction too.”

Yaritza frowned.

“That doesn't make sense, Shadow. What's the point of...?”

“She's been kidnapped?” Numi shrieked.

Alaric didn't feel up to lying anymore.

“No, it's more complicated.”

“What do you mean?” Yaritza insisted.

“I don't know myself, to tell you the truth. You'll have to trust me this time,” Alaric started walking away.

“I've always trusted you, after so many years that should have been clear,” Yaritza murmured.

“I will go with you!” said Numi.

“Your mother needs you more than I do. Focus on healing your grandfather.”

“He is right, Numi, his injuries are severe. I need your power as well.”

The young sirenian gave in to her mother's plea, and turned her eyes to Mantok who was trying hard to speak but was unable to do so.

Alaric ran along the shore stretching his legs like a runaway horse, although he was forced to stop at times due to a pain he felt in his side. He could be bleeding to death inside, but he couldn't worry about that now.

Suddenly, a glow lightened the vicinity of the wooden huts. He heard explosions and more screams. Some huts began to catch fire, and burn like a pile of parchment in the fireplace.

It made no sense for Eldrin to attack the village. He should have run away without anyone seeing him.

But maybe it hadn't been Eldrin.

And he was right. Following the trail of charred huts and new explosions, Alaric came to an empty space where he encountered the blue-robed girl, who was unceremoniously firing fireballs left and right at the attacking wizards. Even so, her rigid posture was very calm, as if she was consciously making each attack and not out of desperation.

He had never seen that kind of magic. The most powerful attacks of the magicians consisted of nothing more than shockwaves and the use of shields to ram their opponents. Now all they could do was to use the shields to repel Olivia's attacks, whose fireballs bounced and crashed against the huts that soon burned.

Eldrin also found himself with his hands in a defensive position, and every now and then he would take the chance to launch an attack when Olivia was distracted by one of his subordinates. Like the rest, the Master's red tunic looked singed, to the point of resembling mere rags. His breathing was heavy, and he was noticeably losing his strength. Alaric had never seen him like this, not even when he had once attended a magic tournament in Nemertya where the old wizard, without ever losing his dignity, had been defeated by Rovenna Astra who would soon after become the Master Arcanist.

“Lady Olivia! Don't force me to fight, I beg you! Please come with me! We are on your side!”

Olivia's lips opened, but the voice he heard was not that of his daughter.

“You don't see, foolish wizard, that I don't need you.”

It was a deep, resonant voice, like a chorus of otherworldly beings whose voices enveloped him from various points.

The Master fell to his knees after avoiding a fireball that exploded against his invisible shield. After that he failed to get up on his own.

“Though you may still serve my purposes. That's why I'll let you keep your life,” Olivia said and continued on her way.

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Two wizards came to lift Eldrin from the ground. Alaric would have loved to kill him right there, but he had no weapon or magical power to face the others who seemed to have given up as well. He continued running after Olivia who barely swinging her legs seemed to be moving much faster than him.

From one side he saw members of the tribe appear, both humans and sirenians, running with spears and arrows towards Olivia. Some belonged to Yaritza's family. Before the Count begged them not to attack her for their own safety, she repelled them with a single swipe sending them flying through the air and falling among the black debris of the huts. Some sirenians came to their defense moving their hands and making waves emerge from the shore that took the form of various animals that charged against the wizards, but when they reached Olivia she simply crushed them.

The rest of the tribe ran towards the hills or jumped into the water seeking shelter, while the smoke covered almost the entire village, and continued to expand beyond the shore.No matter what Mantok said, they were not aggressive beings. The sirenians had been created by the Dragon to save others from danger and act as healers. They did not even possess magical abilities that would serve them well in a battle, let alone one as unusual as that one.

“Olivia!” Alaric shouted so loudly that his lungs burned. “Stop it! The people! Why are you doing this?”

The girl turned to face him. The Count was stunned to discover those eyes shining in an unnatural way, like two blue stars that had come down from the sky.

“If you want to live, Count, stay away. She begged me not to do anything to you.”

That could not be.

“You are not my daughter.”

She did not answer, and continued to advance towards the water, as if she were heading for the promontory.

“I don't know what you are, but if you don't leave her body now...!”

“You are nothing.”

Olivia reached out her hand and a shockwave caused Alaric to fall backwards.

“I am Olivia and she is me. I exist from the very moment she took her first breath in this world. Whatever happens to me, happens to her.”

Alaric sat up with his legs shaking from the exertion.

“What has the Lake Tribe done to you?”

The strange being ignored him again, and continued on her way to the promontory.Alaric was about to continue behind her, but a hand grabbed his arm forcefully, and prevented him from doing so. He was about to fight back with blows, until he realized it was Cormac.

“My Lord,” the agitated captain held out his sword. “Thanks to the Nymph you are well.”

Alaric took the sword, and forced him to release him with a push.

“Order the soldiers to help the tribe evacuate, and you head for that area,” he pointed to the place where the meeting of the chiefs had taken place. “There you will find Yaritza, Numi and Mantok, who is seriously wounded. I entrust you with their protection, and that of their entire family. I know I am asking too much of you, but I cannot abandon Olivia.”

“What will happen to you?”

“Do as I said, Cormac!”

“My Lord,” with that Cormac took his leave, and ran with his sword in hand to where his lord had pointed it at him.

“You are pathetic,” said that voice coming from the body of his daughter, who remained with her back to him. “Your sword is nothing more than a mere toy in the face of my power.”

“I will not leave without my daughter,” said Alaric, brandishing his sword with both hands.

She continued to move forward without responding to the provocation. Alaric watched as her body rose and floated above the surface of the lake, while the water was already reaching his waist.

Olivia stopped and, still suspended in mid-air, stretched out her hand again with her palm pointing towards the promontory that indicated the location of the Dragon's tomb. Her body was illuminated by a glow that emanated from her, and like a shooting star it fired against the rocks.

A thunderous blast reverberated across the lake, as the promontory crumbled and its remains sank to the bottom, disappearing completely as if it had never existed. All that was left were violent surges that washed ashore.

“Is all this because of the Dragon?” Alaric asked, raising his voice, as he withstood the force of a wave that suddenly hit him.

Olivia turned around, and gave him a tight smile, devoid of emotion.

“Ask the woman to whom I owe my existence.”

“Daephennya.”

“I owe you a debt as well, so go away. Do not force me to show ungratefulness.”

Silently, Alaric raised his sword again.

“Your daughter is crying. Her own father wants to hurt her,” the voice lamented falsely.

“I know my daughter. Do what you have to do. If I have to follow you to the ends of the earth and abandon my land, my family, my title, my identity, I'll do it. You'd better erase me now. Olivia, if you are there, forgive me. I will right all the wrong I have done to you. It has come to this because of me.”

“Is this the fate you have chosen for yourself?”

“I'd rather die right here than have you take her away.”

Olivia pointed her hand at him. Alaric felt fear rise inside him. He wanted to close his eyes as he waited for the impact, but he held up his sword tightly clenching the hilt to ignore the trembling in his hands. Another part of him wanted to laugh. That unknown being wasn't so wrong. He was nothing. He was a sickly child who by sheer luck had become a Count and had spent his life pretending to be something he was not. Since his father's death he had been wrong about everything. He had failed both Yaritza, as well as his innocent wife Irina, he had allowed himself to be manipulated by a damned elf, he had driven Barthra away, he had made Numi unhappy, and he had ruined Olivia's life.

Useless, useless child, I wish you had never been born. Despite his forgiveness, his father's harsh voice still echoed in his memories. It had been nothing but a circle of pain, and at the center of it was himself.

All he could do now was give up, and wait for a miracle.

A new glow shone from his daughter's hand, and she turned to him.Don't close your eyes, Alaric told himself, may Olivia be the last thing you see in this life.

But the light blinded him, and everything went white.

That was the end of it all. Now he died as what he had always been: a terrified little boy who every night in his bed waited for death to take him.

“No!”

Alaric's heart skipped a beat.

That simple word had been uttered by a voice that no longer belonged to the mysterious being, but to his daughter. In front of Alaric everything remained white, but he felt nothing much except warmth.

Suddenly, the whiteness receded, and returned to its point of origin. Devastated, Alaric watched as the glow hit Olivia's body, and she plummeted unconscious into the water. Alaric threw down his sword, and dived for his daughter. He managed to grab her by the foot in time, before she continued on her way into the dark depths of the lake, but he was exhausted, and his body struggled to reach the surface.

Suddenly, lights of all colors flashed around him and several sirenians, including Numi, caught hold of him and Olivia, and did not let go until they reached the shore.

“Is she breathing?” Alaric asked Numi, holding his own breath, and the sirenian reassured him by nodding as she rested both hands on her sister.

Olivia began to cough and expel water. The Count could not repress the impulse to hug her and kiss her forehead. His daughter did not resist, although perhaps it must have been because she had not yet fully regained consciousness. Alaric didn't mind, as long as she was all right. He stretched an arm toward Numi, and pulled her to them.

The sun was rising. The first rays were breaking through the rolling peaks of the hills. After so many years, he now had his two daughters together and in his arms, no less.

He could die peacefully right there.

But there was still much to do.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Eldrin advance with the help of other wizards through the thick smoke that still pervaded the shore. The exhausted sirenians around them stood in front of them as a shield. Others had rushed to help the rest of the villagers to extinguish the flames by manipulating with their hands the water that fell in the form of rain on the burning huts. The more experienced ones created horses and other creatures made of water that ran off to the areas farthest from the shore. He wondered how many of them had seen Olivia in that state.Alaric had to end the hug, and stepped between the sirenians and the wizards. In the distance, he watched as Cormac and several of his men approached them.

Another fight was about to break out, but the Count wanted to prevent more damage than had already been done. The Lake Tribe had lost all its possessions, and would have to be rebuilt from scratch. All his mistakes had led to that disaster.

"Surrender, Eldrin, you are badly wounded.”

“Your calculations are wrong, Count. My power is still intact, and there are still many wizards following me. Shadowrock is under my control now. Hand over your daughter, and we will avoid unnecessary deaths.”

Alaric had lost his sword. He had to wait for Cormac, but he seemed far away still. Smoke from the fire filled the air, and caused the sirenians to start coughing. Meanwhile, the wizards were advancing towards them, and Alaric knew it would take them mere seconds to get their hands on Olivia again. He turned to his daughters, and covered them with his arms as a human shield.

“If you are listening, Blue Dragon,” the Count pleaded, “punish these wizards who have invaded your resting place.”

Suddenly, he heard more distant but approaching screams. Alaric raised his head, and looked for their origin.

Despite the imminent attack, he could not contain his surprise. At full speed down one of the slopes, one of his own carriages was hurtling down, with the shield of Shadowrock carved on it, though he and his men had made the entire journey on horseback.

The most curious thing was that it seemed to be moving on its own, without horses. At first he thought it was simply falling, but no, it was moving forward at full speed, as if pushed by an invisible force, and when it reached the lowest part of the hill it continued moving in the directions of the traitors, who were so stupefied at such a scene, that, when the carriage reached them with the speed of a whirlwind, it was too late for them to react.

In fact, as the artifact approached, an endless line of shockwaves shot out of it, fired by what seemed to be four other wizards. Three of them he did not recognize, and the fourth was none other than Leander.

“Korinna, damn it, stop this thing!” shouted one of the women who was supposed to be driving the vehicle, but had lost control of it. She seemed familiar though.

“We can't! The force of the seals is too strong!” shouted the other one.

And so it was that the carriage, as fast as a lightning strike, rammed the group of traitorous wizards, and did not stop until it was floating in the water of the lake, apparently no longer powered.

Meanwhile, Cormac and his men had arrived on the scene, and formed a defense around the Count and his daughters. The sirenians, taking advantage of the confusion of the wizards, raised great waves that struck the traitors who had escaped the onslaught of the carriage.

The four wizards who had come in the cursed carriage emerged from the water to deal with the others who had been left unconscious on the shore. Alaric searched with his eyes for Eldrin's body, but did not find it. There was still a lot of smoke around. He must be unconscious somewhere.

Without wasting any time, his unexpected saviors pulled out several chains that must have been those with the annulling seals, since they began to immobilize with them the wizards lying on the sand who offered no great resistance.

He left Olivia in Numi's care, and approached them.

A skinny and weak-looking man, though with a strong voice, exclaimed:

“My name is Myrius Sentos, and I am the Master Leader of the Chimera Protection Task Force Unit!”

Alaric stopped in his tracks.

What had he just said?

The Master Leader continued.

“By the authority of the Council of Wizards you are hereby detained for conspiring against the Guardian of the Circle, perpetrating an attack against the Lake Tribe, as well as attempting to kidnap the only chimera known to exist! You will be conducted to the capital to stand trial before the High Arcane Tribunal who will be the one to dictate your punishment!”

Just hearing that, the Count could begin to feel the twinge of a coming headache.