As we know, your people, like mine, consider that the first to be at fault are the others and that those who have led to such excesses are also the others.

I make this reminder to you to remind you of the consequences if today's conflict degenerates in equal measure.

Extract from a letter, hidden in the secret archives of Irvanon.

The city of Tera was impressive, from where he stood Jonah could see the sunset illuminating the whole city. The lanterns hanging from the towers and along the bridges made the view enchanting. It almost cheered him up enough to bring him out of his gloomy mood.

- How boring... Why did we come here again...?

Watching the sulky fairy flit around him, Jonah couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation.

- If you're bored, just go back to Almaeris, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you.

The fire fairy chuckled.

- You're a very bad liar, human. And it's boring out there.

Flying right in front of his face she pointed a peremptory finger at him.

- You are much more interesting.

After these last words, she left, giggling. This fairy had arrived just as he was about to leave on his suicide mission of ant extermination. She had kicked the first fairy who was supposed to be his supervisor, before asserting in an authoritarian tone that she would be the one to accompany him.

Since then, Jonah couldn't get rid of her. She looked more like the fairies from the fairy tales of his childhood, a little human, except with hair and wings of fire.

- Vuur! Stop it!

The fairy who was pulling his hair flew away, giggling.

Jonah sighed in despair. What had he done to deserve this?

- If you let her do what she wants, she'll never stop.

Jonah turned to Zarune. The Eldar princess was still her usual self, after he was saved by her, the other Eldar, and yes, Leila. Also. He was just worried that she'd be trapped by Almaeris like he was! Damn it...

In any case, after his rescue, and the return of his Svärdstav, they had returned to the Tua River. The return was not easy, certainly, their trip was more pleasant than when he was walking alone in the forest, but their number also had its defect in itself. That is to say that they attracted attention more easily. Nevertheless, the quick response of the Eldars had kept them out of most trouble, so even if there were a few fights and encounters with unfriendly monsters they had made it safely to their ship. They had even met a Celan on the way. Which was a good sign according to Zarune and Leila.

The Eldars were particularly happy to be alive after this encounter. He had even seen a smile of relief!

Once he arrived at the ship he was reunited with Marie and Aurora, and soon after with Mustapha who had had quite an adventure with a band of Eldars brigands. Each time he told the story their numbers grew. He had saved Imoran's life, and Imoran felt he owed him a life debt.

Only then did Jonah allow himself to shed a tear over Mat's death, he had not yet reached the battle zone and already he had lost one of his own. Since then he had been dark. She thought he didn't know, but he knew that Leila had asked the others to leave him alone, she knew him well. She knew he preferred to deal with his grief alone.

Clutching his Svärdstav in his right hand, Jonah did not answer Zarune.

- If you're looking for someone to blame, then you've got him right next to you.

Turning quickly to her, Jonah opened his mouth. Then he closed his mouth and turned back to the city, swallowing the lump in his throat.

- It's not your fault. You're as much a victim of the situation as we are.

Impassive Zarune resumed in a flat tone.

- Maybe I am. But if I had been the one to make that decision, I would have done it too.

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, Jonah says.

- No, you wouldn't. You may say you'd do anything for your people, but you wouldn't sacrifice innocent people, to save your people, as your father did.

Zarune bared her teeth in anger, before continuing in an emotionless tone.

- You don't know what I can do for my people.

Jonah only gave her a sad smile without answering. After a moment of silence, Jonah continued.

- In any case, if I were to look for someone to blame for my pain, it wouldn't be you.

- If not me, then who?

- I don't know. What's the point anyways? Anger wouldn't solve anything, it would only create more tragedy.

Zarune looked at him in silence.

- I hope for your sake that you'll be able to keep this state of mind. But I'm afraid it will be difficult.

- We shall see.

As they waited in silence for the docking, Aurora arrived and stepped between them. Not hesitating to play with her shoulders to get the best place to observe the city covered by the twilight. Jonah could hear Vuur snickering, hidden behind a barrel, not far from them.

- Tell me Zarune, why are the Eldars cities so different from each other?

Zarune, who was smiling with amusement, replied.

- What do you mean?

Gesturing enthusiastically towards Tera, Aurora exclaimed.

- Look! She has nothing to do with Irvanon or Tuanon. Where we come from, we also have very different architectural styles, but they are different depending on the culture, or the time they were built. Ah, it's because they were built in a different period of time in the Emerald Kingdom, right?

- No, most of our major cities were built over a period of a few centuries. Although Tera was built longer after Irvanon, that's true. A little over a millennium later.

- And your other cities are also different from each other?

- Yes, building a city is not only an architectural challenge, it is also the need to integrate it into its environment. It is a challenge to our greatest craftsmen, rewarded by Leomer himself.

- Leomer, the God of craftsmen?

- This is one of his domains, yes. Everything we create is dedicated to him, and one of his primary precepts is utility but also elevation.

Jonah intervened.

- Elevation? What do you mean?

- Craft is not only about utility, it is also an art. The object must evoke something in the user's soul, a simple knife must be able to tell a story.

Aurora frowned. Drawing her dagger.

- Yet my knife is no different from yours.

Taking the knife from her hands, Zarune showed her the handle.

- You see, here, it was made with walnut wood from Ssar, the steel, with its colour, comes from the mountains north-east of Versaon. This is a good blade, made in Tuanon, here, you see the mark. A dagger made with materials from two provinces, by a craftsman from a third.

Aurora squinted and looked closely at her dagger.

- You have better eyes than I do...

Zarune laughed softly.

- It is normal for me to be able to recognize the craftsmanship of the Emerald Kingdom, and the materials they used to make them. Don't worry.

Presenting his weapon Jonah asked.

- And my Svärdstav, what is its history?

Zarune smiled a little, barely lifting a corner of her mouth.

- That's a secret.

Disappointed Jonah muttered under his breath.

- You have a lot of secrets.

Aurora flicked him in the ear, and as he turned to her, offensived, she glared at him, and said in a disappointed tone.

- Jonah!

Zarune laughed, a frank laugh this time, which was so rare for Eldars. The humans had managed to influence the Eldars more than they knew.

- We are the children of Karrus after all, and if he is the first Weaver, he is above all the God of deception and secrecy.

Jonah frowned and said.

- I don't know if you should be so proud of that...

- Every culture has its facets, and if Eldarion gave his pride to Zarune to save us, it still exists in part among the Eldars, less strong, but still there.

- Because you were prouder than you are now?!

- Jonah!

Zarune laughed again.

- Lucky for you you didn't meet the Eldar of the old Empire.

Leila heard her friend's laughter and approached their little group.

- It looks like you're having a good time here.

Zarune turned to her with a smile.

- We were talking about Eldar pride.

Leila raised a single equivocal eyebrow at the mention.

The ship lurched, tying up to the dock and the sailors began to work. The Eldars soldiers were already on deck waiting in silence, the veterans on one side with Kastrapa at their head, and the Zarune men with Dereur at their head. Only Imoran was not in the ranks, he was talking with Mustapha, both of them next to Marie, on the riverside of the ship. Imoran pretended not to see Dereur's murderous look.

Zarune, regaining her seriousness, said.

- It's time, we'll probably stay here for a few days before leaving for the fortress of Jengai.

As Jonah was about to intervene, he was cut off by Aurora.

- Zarune...

The princess turned to her, surprised by the young woman's tone.

- I know Kastrapa is incapable of finding Mat, but...

Turning to the river, from where they came.

- I can't help but believe he's still alive.

Leila intervened in a gentle tone.

- Aurora...

Jonah took her by the shoulders before quickly wrapping his arms around her, then turning to the princess.

- Let's go Zarune...

Glancing uncertainly at Aurora, the silver-haired Eldar gave Jonah a discreet nod.

Jonah turned to face Aurora's accusing gaze and said softly.

- Let's go into the palace, and discuss this when we're rested, shall we?

Aurora, the crease in her mouth still tight with displeasure, nodded her head grudgingly all the same. She also let Leila give her a quick hug before she followed Zarune as she approached the ship's ramp, before turning to the military on deck.

- Let's go.

As the Eldars disembarked, Jonah gathered with his comrades, giving a smile to Mustapha and Marie who returned it, they followed the military. As soon as they arrived at the platform they were met by other soldiers.

Unlike Tuanon, they did not have a parade, the citizens who passed them merely bowed their heads when they recognised Zarune. It would seem that the royalty in this Kingdom was quite well known. Was it the silver hair? It was true that Jonah had not met any other Eldar with this particularity, Eldars had many hair colours, as strange as lavender, but the queen and her daughter were the only ones he had met with silver hair.

The man who had greeted them saluted the princess. His soldiers behind him did the same and held the pose. Zarune nodded to the officer.

- Your Highness. His Highness Brenin awaits you at the palace.

Zarune frowned.

- Brenin has returned from the fortress? Has the Green-Lands been reconquered?

- Sir Daelmar has taken command again, and General Gaelic has authorized of his Highness Brenin departure, with a unit to accompany you to the fortress and protect the Assets. But I'm sure His Highness will be able to give you all the information you need.

Zarune remained silent as Jonah approached her, Leila beside him. They ignored the stares of the Eldars military. Jonah met the Princess's impassive gaze, but he remembered her warning from yesterday. They were on the lands of the Trishera, stronghold of the House of Living Fire, the same ones who had probably sent the bandits who had attacked his companions in Tuanon. She expected trouble.

Greeting the Eldar officer again, they were led along the docks. The city did not begin until the floor above. All the buildings on this level were storage buildings for goods, there were no taverns or dwellings. Above their heads, several dozen metres away was the first floor of the palace, inaccessible from where they were.

To get there they had to walk along a huge staircase the size of the structure above them which had a ramp in the middle to allow the goods to pass through. In the middle of the staircase along the walls, two doors were facing each other which allowed entry into this part of the Palace, Palace who had the form of a gigantic staircase.

They did not enter here. They were going to enter through the main doors, which were at the very top, on the highest part, where the first waterfall originated. So they went up all the stairs to the end. At each level of the staircase, the sides opened up, revealing the city's dwellings. Only large white marble pillars supported the palace above their heads.

Jonah felt uneasy about having so many tons of stone above his head, but he had to admit to being impressed by the buildings and their aerial architects.

Climbing from floor to floor, progressing through the city and their different districts, Jonah felt like visiting. He had avoided Tuanon but Tera was making him want to do some sightseeing. Yet he already knew he wouldn't do it. He took the threat of the Eldars targeting them very seriously.

At the end of each floor, the stairs started again, in the same format as the first. A huge staircase bisected by a bannister and two huge doors in the middle of the staircase on a flat floor, before taking the next staircase that stopped once the open floor was reached.

Jonah could hear the sound of the waterfalls around him, the pure water, he could see fish swimming in it and the distance slender rowboats of all sizes were sailing down the river between the floors, with Eldars lazing about, eating and drinking, enjoying the sunset at their backs. It was a nice place to live.

- I don't like this place... too quiet.

Jonah heard Vuur's sulky whisper in his ear. When did the fairy arrive on his shoulder?

Aurora heard the fairy and turned to her, her eyes shining. She had been looking for it as soon as she met it, unfortunately for her, the fairy was avoiding it. When Vuur realised her intention, she flew in panic onto Jonah's other shoulder, hiding behind his neck. Glancing behind Jonah's ears.

Aurora pouted sadly at the fairy's reaction.

Jonah remembered a few days earlier, shortly after Vuur's first encounter with Aurora. She had flown towards him quickly before whispering.

- Hide me! The girl with glowing eyes is looking for me! Help!

Jonah had smiled then, relieved for a while from his dark thoughts.

- Are you afraid of Aurora? She won't hurt you.

The fairy had looked at him, wide-eyed and a little misty-eyed, before whispering.

- Too bright! The bright-eyed girl is too bright!

Then, as now, she had done everything to avoid her, much to Aurora's dismay.

- Psst! There!

Mustapha murmured loudly and pointed to his pocket. The fairy's eyes widened with hope, and she flew to her saviour and hid in his pocket. Unlike Aurora and to a lesser extent Leila, she was very fond of Mustapha.

Aurora, aware of Mustapha's manege, gave him a reproachful look. Mustapha only gave her a big smile. The young woman merely looked at the young man's pocket full of envy.

Jonah, amused by their antics, simply exchanged an amused look with Leila. Leila didn't like the fairy at all, so she was delighted by his distress. She had even managed to trap the fairy with Aurora in a cabin. Jonah had seen her try to hide her laughter with one hand as she heard the fairy call for help, trying to get out of the cabin.

Jonah hadn't dared to tell her she was being mean, he knew she had no ill intent. True, the fairy, had pulled her hair a few times, but it was enough to pretend it was an annoying fly and ignore it, the fairy would get bored quickly anyway.

Anyway, that's when Leila learned that while the fairy looked harmless she could be dangerous. She had almost succeeded in burning the wood as she tried to escape from the cabin. Not by much, but if the flames on her wings and hair looked like they were just cosmetic, they were real flames, and Vuur could control whether they burned or not. Aurora, seeing the fairy's distress, had reluctantly let him out.

Jonah could finally see the great doors of the palace, which were wide open to welcome them. The guards of the ruling house of the city made a guard of honour for them. This minor house was aligned with the Trishera according to Zarune, so while they would be hostile to humans, they would mean them no harm. They were willing to use them if it meant they could end the war with the South quickly.

According to Zarune, they had invested heavily in the farmlands that made up much of the Green-Lands, which were all the lands between the rifts and the mountains of the Ride Dorsals. So their interest in the success of the operation with the humans was important. It was a lever that Zarune intended to use, and Jonah would do the same.

With these ideas in mind, Jonah entered the palace, accompanied by the Eldars military and his friends, both human and Eldars.