King Heinrich and his army crossed the valley and reached the plains of the Black Hills. He smiled as cheers and partying warriors surrounded him.

"Thank you, thank you..." He said with a proud grin on his face. "It was a risk investing in Duke's expedition, but I knew his judgment was--" He realized that none listened to him. Both Thyra's men and Duke Arnaud de Sforza's army commemorated the relief of victory together. They had no eyes for the young King. "For the Grey Guardian, what is this?" He groaned.

"You're late, your highness." Said Duke Arnaud de Sforza as Scheherazade, his mount, neared King Heinrich. He spoke with a disrespectful tone as he often did. "You were supposed to arrive at the dawn of the second day to break the encirclement. Thousands would have died, had it not been for Queen of the Northmen, Verano and I."

"Verano?" Recoiled King Heinrich in disgust. "Verano de Sforza? That kid who walks around with a Zigana, a bastard architect, and your idiotic son?" He chuckled. "How could he save anyone?"

"Didn't they tell you, blondie?" Candorra ran through the crowd. "Verano's the Aviator!"

"The Aviator?"

Giovanni covered her mouth with his hand.

"T-The Avatar, my most cherished leader, argh--" the boy struggled to keep the Zigana’s mouth shut, "the Avatar is the champion of the Grey Guardian. He is fated to bring balance to the--"

"I know the stupid fairy tale!" Snapped King Heinrich.

"I-I apologize, m-my lord."

Heinrich narrowed his eyes at Duke Arnaud:

"You believe this madness?” He laughed. “You believe that your adopted son is the Avatar, Duke? This has to be a joke…”

"I apologize, sir," the Duke smirked, "but I am a soldier, not a politician."

"And as a mere soldier, then; what is your perspective?"

Duke Arnaud de Sforza glared at his men and the Northmen. A horn blew and they all turned their heads to the eastern shore. The shadows of Verano, Thyra, Marzia, Arnaud Jr, Juan, Gavrila, Áine, and Ness eclipsed the horizon. Cheers welcomed them. Both hosts united as one to celebrate their saviors.

The Duke smirked.

"As a man who is as disgusted as you are, my liège," he faced his lord, "no leader can tell where their men's hearts should rest their faith."

The Northmen took Thyra as the hero of their host while the Fire Knights from Il Pugno Lombard, the Knights from the Duchy of Sforza, surrounded Verano.

"Come here, amico mio! (My friend!) Ha-ha!" Said a Knight as snatched the boy by the arm.

"Be careful, Matteo!" Yelled Marzia as she tried to stop Matteo from manhandling Verano. "Verano's hurt--"

The Knights stole Verano from the girl. They held him over their heads and dragged his body hand to hand to the center of the Fire Knights.

"G-Guys, guys, be careful--" Faltered Verano. Yet his voice was mute amidst the ecstatic horde. The boy quickly resigned as a warm feeling took over his stomach. "This is like the time I learned to Firebend.” He muttered with a joyful grin between the cheeks.

"Verano, the Avatar!" Chanted the warriors as they rested the boy on the floor.

“A-Argh.“ Verano moaned. He struggled to stand on his own. His body fought to stay in one piece after the long battle.

Stop moving, Verano!” Said Candorra as she sprouted from the crowd. “Acoustics won’t work if you collapse on the ground.”

"Acoustics won't work if you are sitting, Verano," said Candorra, "Lemme go prone! Knee down, that way it won't be a problem..." She lied down on the grass.

"C-Candorra?" The sight of her filled his eyes of luster. He never seemed so happy for seeing her.

"I’ll just take a knee so acoustics won't be a problem..."

“C-Candorra?” He glanced at the King Heinrich who faced him like a mad dog. “I don’t think this is too smart…”

"Quiet, I'm tuning the harp!"

Candorra kneeled before Verano and meddled with her harp. Yet the Fire Knights misinterpreted her gesture as a coherent sign of loyalty to him. Bodies fell on their knees all across the crowd. The boy faltered as he noticed that more warriors silenced themselves and repeated the action:

“Y-You don’t need to do this,” Verano blushed, “it’s alright.”

The crowd did not obey him. The Knights kneeled one by one until the boy was the only man standing in the middle of a sea of faces. The gesture gave the boy the acclaim of a king.

King Heinrich recoiled at the sight:

"Wait..." He swung his head in disgust. "Come on, that's already too much. I can't stand seeing this--"

Every back that walled his view of the scene fell. All warriors, noble or lowborn, silenced themselves and got on their knees to praise the Avatar who could barely stand.

"Guys, this is not--" Verano blushed.

"Thank you, Verano," said Marzia as she kissed his cheek. She repeated their gesture and kneeled before him.

"Don't worry, big bro!" Said Arnaud Jr as he arched his arm around his brother. "If you can't stand the fame on your own, I'll help you--"

"Get down, you idiota! (idiot!)" Said Marzia as she pulled her younger brother by his shirt.

"O-Ouch."

Verano frowned and saw himself surrounded by people, each with a new expectation of him. He glanced at the host of the Northmen and Thyra's blue eyes shined amidst the crowd. She nodded in support of him.

"We are both gonna make it. I don't doubt anymore." Reflected Verano as he nodded back at Thyra.

Yet a face robbed the boy of his attention. He rose his frown and narrowed his eyes at his adoptive father, Duke Arnaud de Sforza. The man resisted taking a knee, even when Count Adelhard and all around him did so.

Yet Johann Martel, Heinrich's spymaster, approached the Duke and whispered words in his ears:

"This is greater than you and your family quarrels, Marshal. You know this well."

Duke Arnaud heaved a loud sigh and took a knee. All the Fire Knights recognized Verano as the Avatar, except for King Heinrich himself and Count Otto.

"This is outrageous," said the young king, "they won't knee for their lord but will happily submit to a little kid--"

Count Otto took a knee. All the stares from the crowd imposed too much weight upon his shoulders.

"Even you, Otto?" Recoiled Heinrich.

"Let's just get this over with, my liège."

Heinrich rose his stare and faced Verano. The boy recalled his words about his king:

"I think that we are destined to beat horns forever."

King Heinrich jumped off Lavine. He faced the carpet of angry stares that paved the ground.

“What do you all see in him?” He questioned himself as he narrowed his eyes at Verano. The boy seemed frail, hurt and incapable.

Heinrich attempted to get on his knees, yet his pride hurt him like a blade whenever his knee leaned forward. The young King recoiled in disgust:

"No. I won’t do this.” He shouted with his sights laid at Verano. "You're not a chosen one, you're a brat. Avatar or not, I deny you."

Heinrich turned around and mounted Lavine, his lion-tigress, once again. He continued:

"The Emperor of the Holy Flame, bearer of Lettow's cause, is the Champion of the Grey Guardian. Not you, Verano de Sforza." He ranted while pulling his mount's collar. "Let's go, Lavine."

He turned his backs to the Avatar and departed from the Black Hills.

Yet Verano did not bother. The rejection from Heinrich was expected. What the boy never imagined was that Duke Arnaud de Sforza, his adoptive father, would recognize him. If even the coldest man in the world accepted that Verano was the Avatar, the boy had no more room for doubt: he was the one fated to bring balance to the Wild Lands. The people who looked at him with trust and love in their eyes were whom he was supposed to protect.

“I think I’m ready, Flavius,” he frowned at the rosary that his deceased friend had left him, “I’m ready to make a difference.”