X.

I saw it. The magic used by the great commanders. I witnessed the power of those who, in battle, conquered prominent positions in the great armies. I was a poor peasant, trying to defend my land just to pass through the winter without starving to death. I fought besides them. I saw their strength.

And, in the fields of battle, I understood the difference. What separates us from those mythical creatures that fight in the great wars.

It is the magic.

Strong enough to crush entire buildings. Sensitive enough to cut a drop of water in half. Faster than the sound of a battle cry.

And it was in the field that I learned that the mages lied to us. Magic does not exist to promote equality. There is, in fact, a great danger, hidden under the skin of society, waiting for an opportunity. Just one war and everyone will see. One big battle and everyone will understand the strength of magic.

And the insignificancy of the creatures.

Soldier of the Independent Tribes of the West

*

Rinlia is in one of Vivre’s towers. Some of these towers are used as birdhouses dedicated exclusively for transmitting direct messages to other kings and governors. These are special birds, imbued with magic and able to fly for days without rest.

The queen allowed the elf to use one of those birds to convey a message to King Njalmar in Fiandel. Alone in the tower, accompanied only by a bird, she writes her message.

Her physiognomy is sad and the paper in front of her has few lines of poorly done writing. The message is simple: “The mission has been done. Queen Aetna will attend the meeting for further negotiations. A formal letter will be brought by the delegation.”

In her mind, however, she still thinks about Arthur. Should she say something about the boy, or maybe wait until she could explain everything in person?

She looks at the paper and thinks about how she should explain to the king how she captured Arthur on the beach. How she took him to Vivre and, for her reckless attitude, paid the price of losing a potential asset.

In the end, she figures that it is better for the king to know everything, even if it was necessary to clarify some things later. She uses the fewest words possible, conveying only the essentials about the situation.

Her thoughts wander about the subject and she remembers the conversation she had with the prisoner. She remembers the image of the boy with alert eyes and slender body, pressing himself against the wall of the cell, as if fearing the pressure of the world around him. Despite the harsh words, the face with caramel skin and gentle features was not capable of expressing true hatred, certainly because he didn’t even have a chance to feel it.

-He is just a child… - She sighs, feeling responsible.

The sound of footsteps in the corridor denounces the arrival of a visitor. She folds the message and places it in a small container, from which hangs a ribbon.

Someone knocks on the door.

-Come in.

The door opens and the ogre steps in, slowly, his body carrying the weight of the armor.

-We are safe in this kingdom. – She says. – You don’t need to wear armor.

-There may be spies or something even more dangerous hidden somewhere.

-It seems to be a stressful way of living. – She ties the container to the bird’s paw, which doesn’t even move.

He approaches the table as she gets up, looking the message attached to the bird’s paw. Rinlia signals for the opening in the tower wall and the bird spreads its wings; a second later, the animal is wandering on the plains behind the walls of the citadel.

-Just one bird will be enough?

-It must be. – She answers. – Even a message is already a risk that I don’t like to take. It can be intercepted.

-But the date and location of the meeting are still secrets.

-It is not enough to calm me down. – She sighs, her gaze still on the plains. – I don’t think you came here to know the number of messengers we are sending.

The ogre agrees. He looks back, confirming that the door is closed. This, plus the fact that, on the way, he checked the entire tower is enough to convince him that they are not being watched.

-Do you remember how our last mission went?

The elf’s eyes shine.

-Yes.

-When we were disguised, protecting the prince of Fiandel, he made two promises, one to me and one to Yvanna. Do you remember?

-How could I forget? I was the witness when the royal word was given.

-Then, you certainly remember what will happen after this mission is over.

She nods.

-Great. – He says. – When I accepted his word, I knew there was a chance that I would die in the battle that occurred after, at the borders of Rendall. The prince himself thought that we would die.

-But we didn’t. And here we are: Yvanna, who is going to marry with the heir of the crown. And you, on the verge of retirement, close to spend the rest of your days in a land that ogres thought they would never have back.

-But all after this one last mission, right?

-That was a request from the king. And yet, you had the opportunity to refuse it.

The ogre shook his head.

-Refuse a request from the king? – He sighs loudly. – At least this is the last obstacle. One last mission.

-Are you going to tell me why you came here?

-I waited until we could be alone. I needed to say all this because I also needed you to know just how much it means to me the opportunity to end this mission and start my new life after the prince pays what he owes me.

She understood where he was getting at.

The ogre continued.

-I want to know if you intend to help the boy escape from prison.

The elf’s eyes are stuck in his face. How many years doing missions together? How many battles fought side by side? How many times they saved each other from death?

She would never tell that secret to anyone. Only four exceptions: Barsen, Yvanna, Gasser and Njalmar.

However, the same intimacy that impel her to speak is the one that make her want to keep the secret. She wants to protect them in the event of an emergency.

-You don’t need to know about that. – She uses the strongest tone that she can emulate.

-It seems like I did not express myself properly. Let me try again: This is my last mission. I am probably never going to see you all again. And I don’t want to leave open debts.

-You don’t owe-

-Yes, I do. I have a debt with you, and I don’t care if you do not want to collect the payment. You saved my life when you chose to protect me and put me as a soldier under your command. I also know that a little help in this task is not enough to pay what you did for me, but it is, at least, a symbolic gesture.

-You don’t owe me nothing.

-Rinlia, please.

The elf sighs and roll over her eyes.

-I should demote you, even if only for this last mission. Just to punish you a little for being so annoying.

The ogre’s face contorts in a smile.

-So… What are we going to do?

-Oh, we are just going to do a little thing here and there. – She smiles back.

*

The wooden door opens. Arthur does not even move. Since the time that Rinlia came to talk, some guards have brought food, water or a bucket so he could relieve his physiological needs. None of the guards allowed any type of approach. Any attempt of a verbal contact was answered with violent blows on well-chosen parts of his body. The leg seemed to be the most wanted target.

At this point, a prison break was out of question. Besides, his only ally – the ghost girl – has not yet returned, making so the isolation seemed to be getting worse by the second.

That is why, when the door opens, he does not even bother to get up. And he regrets doing so, because the figure that passes through the door is different from the others.

The one who comes in is a tall woman, with a long figure, dark complexion and long, dark hair. A creature that emits power and demands admiration. Behind her are numerous guards, silent and in position, waiting for her to proceed.

She smiles at the image of the poor creature with brown eyes and gentle features, who leans on the wall and struggles to stand in front of her. The smile on the woman’s face is one of melancholy. She feels like someone who remembers the last days of a deceased loved one.

She waits until he can stand up.

-Hello, Arthur. My name is Aetna. I am the Queen of Vivre.

The boy does not believe at first. She waits until he can adapt to the strange nature of the situation. And, finally, after a few seconds, he manages to open his mouth.

-It is nice to meet you.

She looks at one of the guards, who goes between them and places a wooden bench in front of her. The queen sits down with such dignity that Arthur could have sworn that the bench had transformed into a throne.

Another guard approached and positioned another bench, then went over to Arthur and gently guided him in that direction. The boy is unable to deny the assistance on the three-step walk towards his seat.

-You don’t need to be nervous. I am nothing more than another creature in this world. – She notices a slight change in his face. – It is the truth. Of course, people treat us differently, but the royalty are nothing more than individuals chosen since birth to fulfill the role of command in the kingdom.

-If we are so similar, then why don’t we change places? – He does not even try to stop the words that seeps through his lips. She does not fall for the provocation.

-It seems unfair, right? But we did not choose the roles that were given to us in this tragedy, Arthur. Otherwise, you probably would not choose to be a prisoner. And I… Well, I always wanted to fly. To fly over all the places that exists in this world. But the crown, while powerful, it is also some kind of prison.

-And who was this cruel creature that gave us such different roles from the ones we wanted, Your Majesty? Who is to blame, if not the people who hold the power?

-Ah, you are being ironic. But I am serious. In this world, there are stories that are told to children. Stories about creatures that influence the way we live and interfere with everything that happens. You know the names to designate them. They are the entities.

-And who are these “entities”? – He listens with apparent disinterest, but, inside, he is eager to get any hint of something that could be used to get out of prison.

-They are designated by common words. One of them is the one that protects our city. It is the “Life”. But there are several others, like Truth, Justice and Fate. This last entity is the one who chooses the life path of every living creature.

-Destiny? So, from the beginning, I was destined to be captured, brought to your city and arrested by your guards?

-Good. You understand the concept of destiny. Yes, I believe you were meant to come to my kingdom. My kingdom.

-Yes, I heard about it. – He grumbles. – The Kingdom where Life seems to be selective, isn’t it? Where only one life does not matter: That of an imaginary enemy; the life of someone who hasn’t even hurt you.

-Ah, it is good to be young, isn’t it? – She approaches him, ignoring the concerned expression of her guards. – When we are young, we think we know everything. Like you, who thinks that the incorporeal does not represent a danger to my people. You do not have any idea about the size of the danger that you represent.

-And what danger is that? – He is not intimidated by the proximity. His eyes spark with courage. – As far as I know, I did not prejudice anyone until now.

The queen sighs, thinking about different ways to guide the conversation. She concludes that the boy does not deserve – yet – to be punished because of his bad manners. And, due to the unfairness of his situation, she could, at least, show him the reason for all his troubles.

-Raise your hand.

-What?

-Raise your hand.

He looks at the palm of his left hand, which she readily grasps by the wrist and raises to put at the height of his face.

-What are you doing?

-You seem to think that your presence poses no danger to this world. – She raises her free hand and puts it next to his. She shakes her fist and a spark appears in the palm, followed by another and another. In the next moment, the royal fist is covered by green flames.

-Is this magic? – He knows the answer, but still feels the urge to ask.

-It is the magic that all living beings can use. Everyone except you. – She puts her fist close to Arthur’s open palm. He starts to back off, but she holds his arm. – Do not be afraid. You are the only one who should not fear this magic.

He did not have time to understand what happened next. Because the queen’s voice soothed him for an instant and, realizing that he had calmed down, she touched his hand with her fist into flames.

The sight of the fire startled him; however, the flames did not consume his flesh. The fire touched the hand and, before burning it, the magic was absorbed. The energy immediately fed the boy’s insides, who felt the same sensation he had with the “ghost” the night before. His body, refreshed, straightened in the chair and his eyes opened.

The queen, who expected him to feed from the flames, did not predicted that he would immediately start to drain the magic from her body. At first, she had directed her magic to his body, with the intention of facilitating the absorption that Aetna knew it should be natural to him. However, it was only when she pulled her hand away that her energy stopped being consumed. She felt that not only her magic, but also part of her conscience tried to hold on to the boy.

She got to her feet immediately and, seeing his confused look, tried to hide her embarrassment, talking fast:

-See? Not only you cannot be hurt by our magic, you can also absorb it. You are the only one who not only can easily confront something that is feared by everyone but can also use it to your favor. If that were not enough, you are also able to feed the creatures that threaten the existence of every living creature on the planet. No to mention that the way you manipulate magic, if left uncheck, could create problems like the one you witnessed in the vicinity of the Great Forest. Do you really think that you pose no danger to us?

Arthur understands her words. And, for the first time, that point of view seems to make sense.

Aetna continues.

-You are not only a threat, Arthur. You are the greatest threat that Life has ever witnessed. It is my duty to protect not only the citizens of my kingdom, but every living creature who is in danger because of you. It is my duty to deliver the sentence that our jury has formulated.

He remains silent, his eyes locked on hers.

-Arthur, the sentence you are going to receive is one that has not been served in our kingdom since the time of the ancient wars. That is why I am here. And, as a queen, I announce to you: Arthur, the traveler from another world, you have been sentenced to death. Your execution will take place in two days, in the presence of the statue of “Life”. The Kingdom of Vivre will take full responsibility for your death.

She turns her back to him before the boy can react to the news. She leaves the cell and hurries towards the corridor that leads to the stairs of the prison tower. Her husband awaits.

-I thought the execution would be held in three days. – He accompanies her.

-It will take at least two days for the arrival of the magician that is an expert in incorporeals. If he were here already, I would do the execution today.

-Why the hurry?

She stops and turns to the king. He cannot remember the last time he saw that expression on her face.

-He is much stronger than I predicted. If we do not kill him soon, I do not know what can happen in the future.

The queen keeps walking, opening and closing her fist, from where the boy absorbed her magic. She does not interrupt her walk until the castle, striving so that no one would notice the fear in her eyes.

*

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