„The gulf Ṭārṭṭar isn't just an abyss like any other. It's more than this because it keeps the breathing of the Underworld in its bowels. That's why everybody is afraid of it."

„But, grandma, why everybody is afraid of this place? I see it like any other place seen around: the fields, the mountain ridges, and… even this craggy place in front of us,” Zeal said innocently, looking at that gulf next to which Island Diar and she were standing at that moment.

Hearing her great-granddaughter talking like that, Inlan Diar finally looked at her. But she didn’t look at the girl to scold her: she was preoccupied and somehow confused about tomorrow, just like she started to feel hatred so suddenly in her heart. Yes, she felt hatred for that evil that threatened to destroy the world and especially to make her father vanish from the earth’s surface once and for all.

Zeal instead didn’t look at her but kept staring at those weird clouds that seemed to dance above the Ṭārṭṭar, some white-fogy clouds that seemed to be milky sometimes. Yet, from time to time, when Zeal blew some warm air in front, her power chased those clouds away and she could clearly see that mountain ridge that was floating right above the gulf.

However, that ridge wasn’t something that grew up from the gulf’s entrails but looked as if split up, right from the middle. Thus, it could float above Ṭārṭṭar, surrounded by those clouds and by strong air currents that formed fog and smoke around it just to hide it from the others’glances.

„Hm, it looks like any other normal landscape,” said Zeal suddenly and, shrugging, she turned her back to that place.

Inlan Diar said nothing instead. She only looked carefully at each of her great-granddaughter’s movements. Yet, even if it seemed that Zeal acted childishly, no trace of reproach was seen in her great-grandmother’s glance. Per contra: she seemed even worrier than before, and this made the blue of her eyes have a dark shade, somehow dark-purple.

Suddenly she winced when she heard drums noise and laments coming from the depths of the ground, and this also made Zeal stop. But she continued to stay with her back on the gulf, staring in front at that large plain where Tikil and the Titan of the Sun Tī had fought thousands of years ago and which was illuminated by a strange light of shadows at that moment. Even so, even if those shadows were clearly seen wandering all over that field, nature seemed so beautiful… with its herbs and multicolored flowers that were slowly dancing, embraced by those warm gusts of winds felt there.

Inlan Diar hadn’t been amazed by seeing Zeal stopped and staring in front, but because of those laments and drums sounds that came from the deep underground, heard louder and louder with each second passed, as if something deep inside the ground was madly shaking.

Then, the cry of an eagle made Inlan Diar attentive and she focused her glance on the night of the gulf. Seconds later, however, nothing has been seen or heard except those drums and the laments. Later, so suddenly that Inlan Diar took a few steps back and she even fell on her back, crawling toward Zeal, she felt two huge wings flapping in front of her and a huge monster, unseen before, has been seen coming to the surface of Ṭārṭṭar. And… as if having a vision, she saw that monster breaking Zeal into pieces while using its sharp claws, right above that abyss. She even saw the monster’s beak tearing parts of Zeal’s body while Bestla and Sephir were also there, fighting with that monster right above the gulf and desperately trying to protect their sister. Even if it was a useless fight.

But… when someone touched her shoulder, Inlan Diar winced again and looked to her right. Thus she saw Zeal right by her. Yet… what caught her glance too has been to see Zeal’s glance focused on that gulf, eyes that suddenly became dark green, slowly moving in circles as if charming the cobras. That’s why the Queen of Ice sighed, but that sigh was one of relief, for it meant that what she saw a few moments ago had been only an illusion and Zeal was fine.

„Because of this, you said that Ṭārṭṭar is more than a simple gulf, isn’t it? Because of this, you said that it has something to do with the Underworld, right? Because someone can see things only by looking at this gulf.”

Who answered her instead of her great-grandmother has been a thick voice, of a man, coming somewhere off the gulf, from that mountain ridge seen floating above Ṭārṭṭar. „And you’re right,” said the voice of that man and they looked over there.

Nevertheless, even if they heard him talking, they couldn’t see anything until Inlan Diar didn’t touch the medallion in the form of a Polar Star that was hanging at her neck. Thus, after touching it, the horizon has been cleared by a light gust of wind and they could see that mountain ridge very well, that was covered by snow at that moment and, right on the highest top of it, they could see that big black panther that was always kneeling Tikil in front of his sister each time the monster was trying to hurt his sister.

„Who’s…?” Zeal wanted to ask, but she didn’t say a word, feeling a strange energy coming from her great-grandmother like a kind of command to keep silent.

Yet… she received an answer and very soon when she saw Inlan Diar worshiping in front of the panther. Later, the Titanide whispered: „father! Are you also here?”

„Father?” murmured Zeal, frowning while trying to remember if they talked about something like this or if she knew about this before. But, no matter how hard she didn’t try to remember the name of the one whom Inlan Diar called „father,” she couldn’t. Actually… she was sure that they had never talked about this before. And this was weird, for… how was this possible that from a black panther, even though he was a magical one, a such strong and good Titanide as her great-grandmother appeared in this world.

Yet, Zeal didn’t bow her head as she should have done when the panther turned toward her and stared straight into her eyes. On the contrary: the young girl took a few steps to the right, but she kept an eye on that strange black being that was standing on that snowy mountain ridge.

Her eyes instead turned black suddenly, controlled not by her power, but still moving in small circles. Thus, even if she couldn’t fully control her power, she still could control her mind and her movements. That’s why she didn’t get a fright feeling something strange at her. She even seemed interested in that new change, considering it as being a kind of lesson forcibly learned, but still damn useful.

And… as if having a vision, Zeal stopped and looked into the panther’s eyes, and their glances halfway met when the two magical beings were already standing on a kind of realm made by clouds, but on which one could step as if it was solid ground right above the gulf Ṭārṭṭar. After that, Zeal murmured: „Accam Kuṉṟu!”

„Wonderful! I see you know who I am!” The panther said in a playful voice, but without using cunningness. And… also, any trace of malice wasn’t felt in his voice. „This means I don’t have to introduce myself.”

„I won’t be that sure,” said Zeal confidently and walked back and forth, trying to see that mystical being in all her splendor.

Accam Kuṉṟu kept standing in the same place and only his eyes were slowly moving, analyzing each of the girl’s movements. „Why?” He asked eventually.

„Because I’m damn curious to know what I’ve been brought here for because I’m very sure that not only to show me this gulf, bottomless in fact, of which everybody is afraid as if the devil itself is living there. I mean… of you,” and Zeal hissed the last words, turning suddenly into a cobra, the same cobra that was appearing each time a wolf Vanamar was around.

„Zeal!” Inlan Diar shouted reproachfully, and her words made Zeal turn her head and, unwillingly, she furiously looked over there.

Suddenly, she felt that she was falling. And, to protect herself, she tried to use all the power she could use at that moment: she flattened her cobra neck as much as possible, a neck formed by her clothes, her tail turned into a windmill, and her eyes got a devilish green color which was generally used by her to control the cobras, but nothing was effective or kept her floating. Per contra: she started to fall even dizzier than before.

But… even if she got scared at first, thinking that it was her end, she calmed down very soon and this was because she didn’t hear Inlan Diar’s voice at all: neither she screamed nor she sighed and this was weird, for she was sure that if she had been in danger, her great-grandmother wouldn’t have simply stood in place and allowed her to die, even if the one who sentenced Zeal to that test was her own father. This meant that she was still safe and that everything could have been only an illusion. But… what kind of illusion was that?! She couldn’t understand.

That’s why she closed her eyes and accepted her defeat. Thus, with slow movements, she lay back, even if she had fallen face down by then. Falling this way, Zeal put her hands on her chest, intending to enjoy the magic of that place to the max, even if there was felt only black magic there, just to fill herself with power. Thus, she was sure that she would find a way to jerk again up and save herself… on her own, for she was sure that that was a test and nothing more, something she had to solve alone.

She very soon widely opened her eyes instead, staring at that extremely clear and blue sky seen above her when she heard the eagle’s shout again. And… this amazed her so much because nothing was seen around her, not even the rocky steep walls of the gulf. Yet, she didn’t have time to think more about this when she felt a strange pulsation of the air to her left, like a pounding of a heart, and, forcing herself to turn to the left, she managed to grab that eagle by the feathers in the nick of time.

Thus, while they climbed more and more, hidden by the eagle’s feathers, which were as white as the snow at that moment, even if not that many white eagles were living around there, Zeal could finally see what Ṭārṭṭar looked like: it was built on dozen or maybe hundreds of levels and had a lot of catacombs on the walls, that probably had the final point in the depths of the ground. And, looking at the entrance in those catacombs, Zeal found them very strange as if they have been created by huge worms, of the Underworld.

Even so, she didn’t find that place frightening, at least not at first glance. But she understood very soon that not everything was as she thought when she saw, hidden by the darkness of those catacombs, hundreds of eyes of fire, sparkling in the night.

„This already isn’t good!” Zeal said to herself, carefully watching those eyes that seemed to stare at her and she has been so amazed to hear a strange voice talking to her by using telepathy: „that’s right, princess Zeal! These are Kirāma or as others know them… the Rooters!”

„The Rooters?” asked Zeal even more amazed than before, but not because she heard the voice, which she understood was the voice of the eagle, but because of the name given to those monsters.

„Yes, and they got this name because they love to „dig” into one’s soul, looking for the most hidden sins. In the past, they were also known as Viḻuṅkum (eaters). Now… they probably also don’t know what’s their real name.”

„Yet, why do I have the feeling that they’re after us? As far as I know, only the dead souls are „searched for sins?”

„Now you’re wrong, princess Zeal because… anybody who gets into the Underworld is followed by these Eaters of Sins,” and the last part the eagle practically shouted it, and Zeal heard it as a shriek, something that made her close her eyes. But she did this not because she got scared of the shriek but because of the Viḻuṅkum, for a few dozen of worms jerked toward them from all over and she saw that they were huge, having a dark-green color of the skin, with long, sharp fangs coming out of their throats, fangs that were actually stained with poison saliva, that had a purple color.

But the moment those monsters were about to eat them, the eagle used all the strength he could use at that moment and climbed more, probably also helped by Zeal’s inner power, who couldn’t control herself at that moment, and, thus, they very soon felt fresh air caressing their skin.

Zeal, however, opened her eyes only when she didn’t feel any movement around. Thus, she saw that she was still on the back of the eagle, who was floating at that moment at a half distance between Inlan Diar, who was still on the shore, waiting in silence for the final, and that mountain ridge where the panther was still seen.

Yet, something made Zeal attentive: the fact that the eagle slowly bowed his head in front of the panther, who seemed to kindly look at him, like a father watching his son.

„And you’re right, Zeal!” She heard her great-grandmother’s voice. „Argol is one of Accam Kuṉṟu’s children now.”

Zeal winced. „Argol?” She said to herself. „But… how is this possible? Argol is a bald eagle, with dark brown feathers and is smaller in size. How can this eagle be…?”

„Nothing in this world is like it seems to be, Boor’s child,” the panther Accam Kuṉṟu said. „The same happens to Argol, the one with a human soul, the one that got to be in the service of the great powers of the world.”

„The eagle with a human soul?” Zeal mumbled, confused. „But… wasn’t he Cronus’s eagle?”

„Yes, you know him like this. But, since today, Argol will be your eagle,” added the panther and, unwittingly, Zeal thought that the panther smiled.

„Wow,” she said eventually. „Sephir has a cloud in her service. Me… an eagle. Interesting… what waits for Besta?”

„Well, Bestla has already someone at her disposal,” the panther added cunningly.

„Ah, yes… I forgot this: the horse Soan.”

„Yes. That’s why, because you were the only one who was still unprotected, I decided that Argol will serve you from now on. Thus, using your powers, you have more chances to succeed in a fight, and this is because difficult times are coming.”

„Yet… I don’t get where this is going,” Zeal said, being wiser this time, for she suddenly remembered that the last time she said something „bold,” she saw what the bottom of Ṭārṭṭar looks like and she wasn’t for sure eager to see those worms Kirāma again or hear their chatter one more time because… maybe she was a cobra, a dangerous one actually, but still… she loved to be away from those worms. And… as far away as possible from them actually.

„You’ll see! All in good time! Don’t rush time, Zeal or you can turn the Balance of the World upside down.”

„As if it isn’t already turned upside down,” mumbled Zeal. But she kept silent when she saw a black cloud floating at the horizon and heading at full speed toward them, a cloud that both the panther and Inlan Diar saw too.

„It seems that Cronus found out the news already,” the Titanide said.

„Anyway, it wasn’t a secret,” the panther said confidently. „He already knew that Argol won’t serve him forever. I revived this child for something else, not to serve a grumpy Titan, who sees nothing more than power and control wherever he glances.”

„Now you went too far, Accam Kuṉṟu!” Cronus’s thundering voice has been heard soon after, from above, and, very soon, that flock of black birds, which seemed to be a flock of eagles and were heading toward them, moved in the air and formed the Titan’s face. „Even if Argol hadn’t been given to me to serve me forever, you could have at least told me about this or asked me if I agree to leave him free. But you… no, you preferred to consider me a fool that’s always the last one to find out about something,” Cronus snarled this time.

Accam Kuṉṟu, at all bothered by Cronus’s anger, who actually had no influence on him, slowly turned toward that face painted from black birds and, staring over there, he said: „just as the Titans never ask us if we agree in something and we always find out about something when it’s already done and nothing can’t be changed.”

„We have this right!” said Cronus arrogantly.

„Really?!” mumbled Zeal ironically, crossing her arms on her chest and staring at Cronus’s weird face, who, even if he heard what she said and Zeal was sure that he heard what she said, preferred to play the fool. „Lately, he’s pretending to be deaf,” Zeal kept teasing the Titan. But she kept silent, hearing Argol’s telepathic voice: „it’s not the right time for challenges, princess Zeal. It’s time for wise decisions.”

„Like?” insisted Zeal, looking at Argol, which was also watching her at that moment.

„Like having our feet planted firmly on the ground: literally and metaphorically,” Argol said, and, slowly flapping his wings, he turned toward the shore where Inlan Diar was waiting for them.

His movement made Zeal grab his feathers again not to fall. Yet, while they were heading toward solid ground, she turned her head and looked again at the place where Accam Kuṉṟu was still standing and she saw his lips moving, but she didn’t hear what he told Cronus. She understood, however, that they kept arguing about Argol, and this was because she saw thunderlights piercing the black vault of the sky.

„Why are they still fighting, grandma?” Zeal asked Inlan Diar when she descended already off Argol’s back, which, right after this, took his usual form: smaller in size and having brown feathers, his way of being invisible to others.

„Because they have never agreed about Fate and other weird things,” said Inlan Diar randomly and turned her back to that place, for her mission, to bring Zeal there to be tested if she’s worthy of having Argol in her service, has been fulfilled. Thus, she could turn back to her kingdom and be on guard, for she felt that something evil was approaching those places, but she still couldn’t figure out what it could be.

She stopped when she heard Argol’s telepathic voice, words that only she heard, and this seemed weird to her… why Argol, who was already in Zeal’s service, chose not to tell her too about this: „Tikil is about to be awakened, my Lady! Soon, we must face him again!”

„Will he be awakened? By whom?” Inlan Diar asked, confused, still staring at the eagle that was heading toward the gulf again.

„By those whose eyes don’t see and since long ago,” murmured Argol, closing his eyes, as if the light bothered him.

„The Yātrīkars!” said Inlan Diar and sighed.

„That’s right! The Devilish Virgins are heading toward this place now. I saw them while coming here. Actually, they are at the foot of the mount already.”

„Then, let’s rush!” Inlan Diar ordered and she hurried to leave that place, closely followed by Zeal.

Argol kept standing in the same place where he stopped after saying the last words to Inlan Diar, and this thing astonished Zeal, who looked back to see where he was, and this amazed her because she thought that once in her service, he’ll follow her everywhere. Yet, she thought that maybe it was only the weird way of being of the huge bird, who wanted some moments of silence and loneliness. That’s why she turned her back to him and moved away.

And Zeal’s thoughts weren’t weird or untrue: Argol really looked for peace, for he has been born in those places. Better to say, he has been revived there, after he fell into Ṭārṭṭar like Alton, but who raised in the air like Argol, leaving the Underworld thus, accompanied by the little girl Inlan Diar, who threw herself into Ṭārṭṭar to revive him.

Actually, he was seeing namely those past events at that moment: he, the white eagle, with his wings widely stretched to the sides, raising above Ṭārṭṭar and leaving its darkness behind, having a blond child on his back, a child with purple eyes, a child that was known like Accam Kuṉṟu’s daughter, the Titanide of Ice and Cold, Inlan Diar. But what he could never remember was the moment when he turned into that magical and strong white bird from a human because… the last moment which he remembered was that he fell into that gulf, he closed his eyes, and fell prey to… silence.

***

„Grandma, tell me, why is Argol considered Accam Kuṉṟu’s child?” Zeal asked while she and Inlan Diar were heading toward their kingdom, crossing a big grassy field where a lot of fragrant flowers were also seen.

Actually, Zeal asked that question when she remembered the panther’s words: that Argol is the child of the mountain, and she remembered this when she saw the eagle lately following them from above.

„Because it’s true, my dear. Argol was born from the depths of Ṭārṭṭar, and who gave me the power to revive him has been my dad, this mount, Accam Kuṉṟu, or as it’s known by others - the Mount of Fear."

„Did you revive him? Do you want to say that a dead soul turned into a bird?”

„No, Zeal. Argol’s soul isn’t dead. He only… had luck. When he was still a man, he unwillingly witnessed the fight between Tikil, the monster of dread, and the Titan of Sun Tī. That’s why the poor man died after falling into that gulf.”

„The Titan of Sun Tī? The unseen one?”

„Yes. Actually, Tī never came to this mount again after that fight when Tikil has been closed in the depths of this mountain.”

„But… why that monster has been closed? For killing a man?”

„Of course, not,” said Inlan Diar, smiling. „Being closed, Tikil is paying for other sins, but this is another story, longer actually than the one I told you already. A story that I’ll tell you one day when we have more time. Now: let’s turn back to Argol. That day, after falling into the gulf, Tī and I decided that if a soul that shouldn’t have died gets to the Gates of the Purgatorium then the Balance of the World will be turned upside down. That’s why we decided to revive him.”

„Nevertheless, you two didn’t know then that the Balance of Time was already turned upside down, and since long ago.”

„That’s right, my dear. But our decision hadn’t been wrong or reckless because… this soul has a special mission to fulfill in this world…. to protect you and this mountain at the same time.”

„However, after being reborn, he had been given to Cronus to be his eyes on earth.”

„Well, this is true and… I also don’t understand why my father and Gaea decided this that day. It’s probably a kind of pact made with Cronus. Which one exactly… I don’t know and probably I won’t ever know.”

„What I think is that you can find out this and very easily actually: why don’t you ask Argol?”

„Because I doubt that they told him the reason. And… even if he knows, Argol won’t ever tell me that reason.”

„Why? Because he’s faithful to that panther?”

„No. At least this isn’t the only reason. It’s because the eagles of the mountains are tied by the vow of silence. And I mean here: no matter what decision the Spirit of the Mountain will take, it’ll be a secret forever, and… even if Argol is threatened with death, he won’t ever tell anything to anyone. And, as I know, this happens not only with Argol but with each of the eagles that serve the mountains: they keep the secrets only for them. Yet, they will always help each other in case of need.”

„The mountain eagles? Do you mean that each mountain has its own eagle?”

„Yes, Zeal. Argol is only the eagle of this mountain, just as Palar is the cloud that rests its body only on this mountain ridge, even if they both can wander the entire world.”

„Then? What about the other eagles? Do we know them?”

„If you know them or not, I don’t know if you had this luck. Yet, I think that’ll be fair to know their names. At least four of them: Paṉi (snowy) - the eagle of the Mount Nittiya Kuṉṟu (eternal snow), Ñāṉam (wisdom) - the eagle of the Mountain Olympus, Vitikaḷ (rules) - the eagle that lives on Kyllini Mountain, and… finally, Argol, and you know whose eagle he is.”

„And… are they in the service of the mountain only?”

„Yes, sweetheart, because these eagles are the messengers of the thoughts of the mountains, of their power, and… most important, they are those who keep the balance between humans and the huge power of each mountain. And… I’ll tell you now a secret, Zeal: not only the Titans and the magical beings fill their bodies with power while being on the mountain. The same happens to humans and other creatures. Even to the plants and to the sky, and even the water takes its power from here.”

„Well, I knew this one because… each time I come here, my cobras become even more powerful than before. That’s why we simply love to be here.”

„What you love is to frighten me to death, because… each of you is a nuisance for me,” Inlan Diar made a joke and, touching her great-granddaughter’s girdle, as Zeal did too, the two continued to walk further and further from those places, closely followed by Argol, which allowed the wind to take him on its soft wings, surrounded by magic and longing because that mountain not only kept secrets but also emotions which hadn't been yet felt, emotions that were waiting in silence at the Gates of everybody’s soul… to have the permission to get in.

***

„Let’s carefully advance!” Kaṇkaḷ told the other Yātrīkars that were following her in silence. Then, looking to the left and to the right to be sure that nobody followed them, Kaṇkaḷ has been the first to enter the forest that was to their left, and the 50 Yātrīkars that were accompanying her followed her right away.

Yet, even if they thought that nobody saw them entering the forest, they have been actually spied from everywhere because many eyes could be seen all over: on the leaves, on the trees’trunks, from the bushes, even on the sky some eyes made from clouds could be seen slowly blinking, white clouds, that appeared on the black sky’s vault only for a few seconds.

But… besides those eyes, which weren’t actually some ghost’s eyes, but of nature, from the burrows dug deeply into the ground, not that far from that forest, three small black and wet noses have been seen by the world at first. Later, three pairs of eyes - black and wet - sparkled, revealing the fact that they were different in size, and, in the end, the top of their ears has been also seen - a white bunny, a small grey mouse, and… a badger, which, actually… wasn’t that clear why was he outside of the forest that day because the burrow he exited, in the end, wasn’t his but an abandoned one. Nevertheless, it served him as a hide-out when everybody felt something strange approaching those places. Then, the three „spies” squeaked, each in his language, and headed in an opposite direction of the path taken by the Yātrīkars because they had to get very quickly to the Icy Palace and tell others about the intruders.

Thus, closely followed only by nature’s eyes, which showed up here and there, the three „messengers” got in a hurry to the border of the Kingdom of Ice, where they met an entire army of cobras, sent there by Zeal. But… even if the bunny, the mouse, and the badger stopped, seeing that army of black tails waggling as the wind was blowing, they didn’t turn back, but they slowly approached them. Yet, they stopped about 3 meters from the cobras as if there was a line they couldn’t cross and started to squeak again, each of them in his language.

Namely that squeak made the cobras, which proudly kept their heads up, carefully look at them. Then, when the messengers finished telling their „problems,” they turned their backs to the cobras and rushed toward the forest to hide because, somewhere on the horizon, black birds appeared, evil birds, controlled by an evil mind, that were flying above that place, not looking for prey but spying on what was happening around.

That’s why the cobras started to deafeningly hiss, seeing that black army under that sky covered by black clouds, and the cobras’hissing alerted the soldiers that were guarding the border. Thus, hearing strange sounds around, the soldiers looked in the distance and saw the cobras coming straight toward there and this made them look also at the sky and saw the birds.

„Cronus!” said one of the soldiers. „Those are Cronus’s birds! Spies! Everybody to the shelter!” And all the soldiers rushed to hide and the cobras simply „vanished” because it wasn’t the right time to show others that they were also there.

Yet, even if everybody hid where he found a normal place to hide and not be seen by the spies of that grouchy Titan, how Cronus was also known among people and other creatures, one soldier managed to ring the bell and give the signal. Thus, other soldiers ignited the fires and informed the rest that something bad was approaching their kingdom.

***

The ringing of the bells have been heard when Inlan Diar and Zeal got in front of the Palace, intending to get in. Thus, stopped next to the stairs, the two looked at the horizon and saw the smoke made by the fires ignited by the soldiers.

„Spies!” murmured Inlan Diar. „The Yātrīkars are already on the mountain. They come toward here.”

„No!” Zeal replied confidently, seeing her cobras approaching them from the forest, in a single file. And, right after exiting the forest seen not that far from the palace, the cobras were practically sticking to the ground not to be seen by the spies, and even the color of their skin was changing, being impossible to differentiate them from the other things found around them. „Those spies are listening to the orders of another busybody who is always poking his nose in our businesses: Cronus. Ah… you don’t even know how much I hate that decrepit Titan.”

„Decrepit… well, I’m sure it’s not the right word to describe him!” And Inlan Diar winked at the children that were staring at them and peeping from time to time from behind their mothers. „Yet… it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hide because…”

„Allow me to think differently, grandma! This time, we must show him that’s not a good idea to poke his nose in our businesses and to stay away from this realm.”

„We also know this, Zeal, and very well, actually. But… it’s the only way to hide our intentions from him and look for shelter.”

„No, grandma! If we turn tail and run away, he will make fun of us, calling us cowards and he’ll think that he can win!”

„Then? What do you want to do?” asked the Titanide, frowning, for she knew very well what Zeal was capable of and more… when she was angry. But… even though she knew that the girl could chase Cronus’s spies away, Inlan Diar didn’t want to expose her.

„Just… trust me! Meanwhile… you should hide because… if something, I can protect myself. But I don’t know if I can defend others too,” and, putting two fingers into her mouth, Zeal hissed as loudly as she could, and a black-like pitch horse appeared in front of the palace, galloping. Then, when the horse passed in front of her, Zeal jumped on his back and they galloped away from the palace.

„You've heard what Zeal said!” Inlan Diar shouted at her people that were coming in big numbers toward the palace. „Let’s hide for the moment. Yet, Eṉōl, let the soldiers be ready in case we’ll be forced to defend our realm!” She said. After that, she put the hood of her Veppam cloak on, and went in the same direction where Zeal had left, closely followed by Eṉōl, a man about 40, very similar to Arion and Āṇmai, who hurried to fulfill her command.

„What about us? What should we do now?” The rest wondered.

„Let’s not be a burden for the soldiers and hide,” replied an old lady. „Yet, stay on guard and, if necessary, we should help because… we are still able to defend our houses.”

„That’s right! She’s right!” Said the others and, very soon, they rushed toward their houses. But, before entering their homes, both men and women have armed with spears, axes, shovels, and everything else that could serve as weapons. Then… the doors and the windows were closed one by one as if being programmed to be closed, and this happened at the moment Cronus’s spies had been seen at the horizon so close to their houses.

***

„They are here!” whispered Eṉōl while he was behind a wall, used for defense, along with a few soldiers from Inlan Diar’s army.

But only they were hiding while Inlan Diar was standing on the wall of the palace, at sight, with her cloak Veppam completely covering her body. Nevertheless, she was standing on that wall not like the adult woman, but like the child Inlan Diar, the only face that couldn’t be seen by others while wearing that cloak. Thus, she could lurk on others without fearing that she’ll be seen.

Being there, she saw Cronus’s spies so well… the ravens, flying above her kingdom. But they couldn’t see even a mouse crossing a field because the power of the Titanide of Ice was huge when she had to defend her people.

Even so, she suddenly smiled, when she had frowned by then, being worried. And that smile amazed even Eṉōl, who finally dared to leave his hide-out and come to her. Yet, he hid behind the wall not to be spotted by the ravens, and looked in the same direction as his queen. But he couldn’t see anything at first. Seconds later after this, he finally saw a white big eagle coming from under that wall and heading toward the sky.

„Argol!” he murmured, surprised.

„That’s right! From now, Argol is in our service. Better to say, he’ll serve Zeal.”

And… finally, Eṉōl could see Zeal on the back of the eagle while she had stood hidden by his feathers by then, straightening her back and looking into the distance. Then, she aimed at the ravens by using her tweaker.

To see better, Inlan Diar formed a small icy sphere in her hand which got to the size of a basketball later. Thus, both she and Eṉōl could clearly see Zeal’s face, who was cunningly smiling while her eyes were bright blue, a hint that she was more than confident in her power.

Also… in that sphere, they saw the image of the world quickly moving toward Zeal. And, when the ravens weren’t that far from her, Zeal said: „did you think that you can act up in the Realm of Ice without being punished for this, stinky beings? Did you really think that’s that easy to conquer it? If so, then you’ll regret this so much because… you just met a cobra!” And the last part she hissed through her teeth. After that, she released the small ball from the tweaker, which flew like the wind through the air. Then, when it hit the first raven, it turned into a long lace that wrapped around the bird’s neck, wings, and legs. Thus, sentenced to death for not being able to fly anymore, the bird fell and, in contact with the soil, it turned to dust and ashes.

The same happened to the other birds. Nevertheless, even though she was shooting sphere after sphere, Zeal didn’t manage to kill all the birds and some of them turned tail and ran away.

„Should I follow them?” asked Argol.

„No!” replied Zeal, smiling. „We got what we wanted: Cronus got the message and very clearly actually. Thus… if he shows around here one more time, he’ll share the same destiny as the ravens that are dust now. And, if he doesn’t want to run with his tail between his legs, I’ll suggest to him not even try this. Now, let’s turn to the ground.”

Argol listened to her command right away and flew toward the same place where they had come from.

Thus, being with their back to that place, they didn’t see Cronus’s face showing up in the sky, formed by small white clouds.

The one who saw it, however, has been Inlan Diar and Cronus also saw her. But none of them said anything. They only looked behind Zeal, who was already on the back of that black horse and heading in the same direction where her cobras had come from, away from their kingdom and intending to enter the same forest where the three messengers entered after telling them about the visit of the Yātrīkars on those realms.

But… once next to the border of their kingdom, Zeal changed her mind and stopped. However, she saw nothing else around. Only a strange wind was playing with her hair and clothes, a wind that whispered strange words, secret words, about a message that should be sent to her, but which Zeal couldn’t understand in the end. Nonetheless, she understood very well that that wind was probably informing her about the approaching war.