“I Pass?” Zedd asked out loud. “Pass where?”

“The fire mountain has opened its doors for you Darkstar,” the lion instructed. His voice resonated within Zedd’s mind. “Head for the base, find the door to Fort’s secret and leave this realm.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to fight you?” Zedd looked at the creature’s hind leg, it was good as new.

“You have already defeated me Darkstar. I’m a creature of time. I exist to halt your progress unless you remember.”

Zedd looked at the lion flying above him in silence. He tried to push his thoughts and questions away, in fear that the flying creature would read them. He had to keep talking, lest his luck turns sour.

“I have one more question before I leave for the base,” he said. The lion emitted a strange vibrating sound inside Zedd’s mind. He assumed it was a grunt. “Are you the Watchdog the tales and songs speak of? Are you the one guarding Ulmir’s secret?”

“Ulmir?” the lion asked in an amused tone. “He couldn’t remember. I had to throw him out when a new candidate arrived, tried to kill me.”

“That’s the one who calls himself Lord Supreme,” Zedd said. “He’s the leader of the Church of Dhobor, the Maker. Are you saying he didn’t remember as well?”

“He never listened. Fools always attack first. I despise his kind. Threw him out, never allowed him in ever since.”

“What’s your name?” Zedd asked. The creature intrigued him, he felt as though he’d known him before.

“Names are irrelevant aspiring one. Seek Fort’s secret, leave this realm. That Priest will never bother you again.”

The lion flew away and Zedd contemplated it heading for the other side of the volcano. The creature reached the summit, let out a roar that shook the earth then landed somewhere out of sight.

Zedd walked toward the base of the volcano, thinking all the while of the lion’s words. What was he supposed to remember? He knew he had realized the time loop and the trap they were in, but he never realized how he managed to get past it. He found himself thinking of Myles and the conversation he heard Utar and Lord Supreme have.

Before he joined Cane to transport the Queen to the Altar, Zedd had summoned his trusted Fairy. He had gifted the Fairy a fragment of his own soul then infused him with another Fragment that contained the power of Transmutation. Fragments are, after all, parts of souls. Finding the Monarch’s or the Scion’s Fragment was akin to finding a priceless treasure. They contained the power and the knowledge of the ancient ones.

Zedd had instructed Myles to change him into his sword. It was a complicated spell that required both knowledge and an immense reserve of Essence. They had been practicing this spell for months. He had also altered the Fairy’s memories to escape Utar Soul Search spell. He’d been thorough with his plan, thinking of every possible outcome and its counter measures.

But Darkstar didn’t think a sentient Fragment could summon the Holi Tribulations. He didn’t think Myles would come victorious, nor did he think that he’d lose his most powerful ally and Familiar. The thought of losing Myles saddened and angered him at the same time, for creating Familiars takes tremendous effort and time.

Creating Familiars involved infusing them with one’s own spiritual power, a Fragment of their soul. Before creating his Alfa Fairies, Zedd had encountered countless monsters and strong opponents.

He managed to strip most of his enemies of their most valuable Fragments. Alas, Darkstar couldn’t make them all his own. A Fragment has to be assimilated into one’s soul for them to be completely active and functional. Souls also had frequencies, like everything else that existed in the wide universe. If one Fragment didn’t resonate well with one’s own soul, its assimilation would be impossible.

Because of this, he had to improvise. He was lucky enough to be introduced to Familiar summoning. He made a pact with the dreadful Fairies and created three Alfas. Myles was one of them. He named it after himself, a reminder of his old life, a motivation to move forward and never give up.

Zedd had reached the foot of the volcano when he realized that he’d been too absorbed in his thoughts. He stopped to look at the large rocky surface before him. Javad was nowhere to be seen. He saw him run towards the base a few hours ago. He assumed the flying creature had taken care of him as it promised.

“Now,” he said out loud as he inspected the mountain with his peculiar eyes. “If I had to hide something valuable and dangerous, where would that be?”

He walked around the base, scanning every nook and cranny of the place. There was a volcano above him, which meant that caves were bound to exist underneath the sharp obsidian stones. “What did I have to remember?” he asked himself again. He felt that it was a crucial clue to finding the entrance.

He spent hours circling the large mountain, trying to find a way inside. As he did so, he also tried to think of what happened before he met the Priest. He could remember everything except that precise moment.

He remembered Lord Supreme throwing him inside the Painted World. Javad wasn’t in the vault back then. He remembered ambushing the Priest after he landed. But he couldn’t remember what happened before that. “The devil is in the detail,” he constantly reminded himself. He needed to think of everything.

“How did I managed to ambush the Priest? Now let’s see, he was watching the lion fly away. Fly away… fly away… away from what?!” Zedd’s eyes widened as he seemed to have remembered something important, something so simple he had to slap himself for forgetting.

The lion was flying away after they had both spoken. The intruder interrupted their conversation and Zedd was asked to dispose of him. His memories seemed to slowly come back to him. The lion asked him to sacrifice something dear in order to access the secret.

“But why did he ask me to dispose of the Priest?” he was talking to himself again. “Was it to distract me? I don’t believe such an ancient creature would resort to such petty maneuvers. But no matter, food for thought. I remembered the conversation now. Myles was taken away from me without my consent, but I don’t think that should’ve mattered to him…”

Zedd looked up at the sky then remembered the scribbling on the steep rock. Look at the sky and remember. It then hit him. It felt like being thunderstruck. The answer was in front of him all the time, yet he never really thought about it. Look at the sky and remember.

If one had to look at the painting from outside, they’d see the volcano erupting. The lion was flying above it as it erupted. He had to remember that and the creature’s words. Sacrifice something dear.

“In order to reach the secret, I had to make an offering. Myles being detached from my bonds meant that I had already made the sacrifice, at the foot of the mountain. But I still can’t find the –“

Zedd had finally understood. He started his ascension toward the volcano’s mouth. A door, he had to find one door while the mountain had opened many doors. Javad disappearing from sight meant that he’d found one of the doors that led to something terrible, Zedd estimated. If one needed to reach the base of the mountain, he’d need to get through its heart.

“So the chosen one was never fated…” Zedd thought as he escalated the dangerous rocks. “Lucky I was in the vault, I’d absorbed enough Essence to destroy that Lion in a minute. Reaching the base shouldn’t be a problem.”

Meanwhile in the Champions’ Lounge.

Utar was sitting on the throne, observing Cane from above. The Painted World had disappeared without a trace, only Cane remained. He was a reminder that this year’s Hunt had failed miserably. The Kozagan authorities had been trying to contact the High Priest for days, to get news of their Contestants.

Utar tried to calm Ulmir’s devotees by telling them it was all the Hunter God’s will. That He didn’t want the world outside to interfere. But seeing Cane emerge as the only survivor was the last drop. He had to contact Lord Supreme once more. He sat, observing the big bear in silence, waiting…

“Umm… Your Reverend,” Cane spoke after a long while. It was the first time he’d spoken in such an eloquent manner. Utar looked at him then nodded, giving him permission to speak. “Won’t we start the ceremony? No one’s coming out. I’ve seen them all die or disappear without a trace.”

“The Photons are sick. We’ll wait for someone to come fix everything for us before we start the ceremony,” Utar answered. His voice was mechanical. He didn’t seem to care about what happened in the Hunt anymore. His mind was somewhere else. “You may go to the common room, drink and eat while we wait.”

Utar waved his hand again and five guards surrounded the big bear. He was escorted to the common room in which he was offered some exotic fruits, three platters full of grilled meat and an ale keg, all for himself. The beautiful maid served him the food and stayed by his side. She was stroking her long hair as she eyed the champion with admiring eyes.

“You must be strong,” she told him while he chewed on the delicious grilled meat. “I heard you were the only survivor from this year’s hunt.”

Cane answered with a grunt.

“Oi!” a voice yelled from behind the big bear. “Doncha have some wiping teh do?”

It was Great, the one eyed Quartermaster. He was speaking to the maid, chasing her away from the champion’s table. The maid shot the Quartermaster a dark look.

“Why aren’t you shining your swords or axes, or whatever you Quartermasters do?” she spat at him.

“The Hunt’s over, bring me a horn of ale while yer at it!” Great answered as he seated himself next to the big bear.

The maid stormed out of the common room. She had given the Quartermaster the finger before she left. “Get your own drinks! One eyed freak!”

“Feisty little one ain’t she?” he asked Cane who was still busy eating.

“She’s alright,” Cane answered after taking a big gulp from his ale. “Why dya come ‘ere? I don’t need a midget for company.”

“Oh yeah go on, finish what she started!” Great protested. “I can get yeh better anyways. She’s just a maid ‘ere. Wait til yeh see the real beauties.”

“Whaddya want?” Cane let go of his meat then looked at the short one eyed man.

“That boy them blond hair and blue eyes, did he die?”

“I dunno,” Cane truthfully answered. “Now get lost!”

Great looked crestfallen as he obeyed. He dragged his feet toward the exit door when he heard the big bear beckoning him again.

“What did he promise ya?” he asked after the Quartermaster arrived.

“How dya know he promised anythin’?” Great asked back.

“He’s a little devil. He disappeared without a trace if that’s what ye wanna know.”

“I see,” Great said. “May I?” he said as he looked at the keg by Cane’s feet.

Cane filled a horn and handed it to the Quartermaster. He then invited the Quartermaster to share his food. As it turned out, Great was good company. Cane had a good laugh hearing stories about champions from previous Hunts. The Quartermaster told him about the harem the High Priest kept and how he would, on rare occasions, offer champions a one night in heaven.

“He offered that blond fella a night in heaven and he refused it. Can yeh imagine? To refuse such delights…”

“I say he’s stupid!” Cane said as he swayed right a left, bellowing at the top of his lungs. “Oi! Bar maiden, come ‘ere!”

The big bear turned around looking for the beautiful girl with long black hair but she was nowhere to be seen. He remembered that Great had upset her and pushed her to leave. With an angry, contorted face, he turned to look at the Quartermaster.

“I don’t get my prize, and ya won’t even let me have her! What am I supposed to do now? Fuck yer eye socket?”

Great immediately sprung up from his chair and backed away. In his drunken state he stumbled on something and fell down. The sight of a short disfigured old man falling and rolling on the ground caused Cane to roar in laughter. The maiden stormed the room to find Cane laughing while Great retreated away. She could tell the old Quartermaster was terrified of the big bear.

It took a long time for Cane to assure the old man that he wasn’t interested in his empty eye socket. The maiden’s presence helped calm the old man’s nerves as well. Guards outside had peeked from the open door to inspect the commotion too but soon got back to their duties after realizing it was just two drunks shouting inaudible words at each other.

Great finally joined Cane and the maid at the table after he’d calmed down. The maid had eyes only for the mighty drunk champion. The woman brushed all the Quartermaster’s taunts aside. She was adamant on staying near the big bear. In the end, Great decided to call it a day. Before he left though, Cane pulled him aside. He looked surprisingly sober for someone who had almost emptied an ale barrel on his own.

“I learned that Blondie was acting on orders. If yer lucky, his master’ll show up. Speak to ‘im, he might help.”

“No one’s here but you champion,” Great protested.

“There’s always the intruder,” Cane replied then went back to his table. The beautiful maid was waiting for him, gently stroking her hair and smiling amiably.