It is an absolute nightmare to study the geography of this world.

Experience has taught us over the years that scholars have been reduced to mere spectators in the face of what magic has done to natural laws, creating deserts, lakes, forests and mountains in an unnatural way.

The observation of such phenomena has generated speculations about the way this planet has achieved enough balance to even exist. Although a small number of studies have been done, the way magic bends the rules of nature is silently respected by everyone who understands the myriad of phenomena that were previously unthinkable in the form of disharmonious and, in a way, fascinating environments.

Because, as attentive spectators, we know better than everyone the chaos that would be caused if magic lost its balance and let nature try to reorganize the entire world.

Demystifying a Magical World - Joanne & John Fritz - Vol. I

*

-Rinlia, if I intensify Arthur's training, I risk damaging his development. - Guinevere felt strange saying those words, since she was used to be the one justifying the intense training she conducted. She never needed to advocate for her student’s rest before.

-Then you must make sure he is obeying the schedule you prepared. I will do the same at home.

-What is the reason for the rush? He is already advancing faster than we thought possible, there should be no reason for us to further accelerate his development. - The blue-haired warrior stares at the elf, trying to guess her motives.

Rinlia is not concerned by such attempt, as she knows that it would be impossible for the other to guess.

-He needs to get stronger. You know how hard will be the trials that he will be subjected to, and I don't want him to get hurt.

-That can be said to any soldier and yet there seems to be something different here. You are concerned that he will not be able to endure something. What are the higher ups planning for him?

-Nothing was planned. Yet. - She admits, shaking her head. - I suspect that they will demand things that he cannot deliver right now.

-And I can assume that your suspicion is strong enough to justify the hurry.

-You would be assuming correctly.

-Right. – Guinevere puts her hand on her chin. - Leave the boy to me. I'll see what I can do.

*

Nafaester walks calmly through the corridors of the Castle. The veil on her head hides her identity and those who cross her path, although they want to decipher who is she, none of them seem willing to interrupt Rinlia's walk, and the elf is the one by her side.

They walk down the wide corridors and up a winding staircase towards the balconies on the upper floors.

-You did a good job of hiding your identity in the forest. - Nafaester says when she realizes that they are alone. – I could swear that you were nothing more than a commander of a handful of soldiers.

-Maybe that's my real job. - The elf seems as calm as the nymph. - And this is my cover.

Nafaester smiles under the veil.

-I don't think anyone else in this castle would believe that.

-They don't know what is my real job. And it would not be wise to ask too many questions about it. - The warning tone, although it carries a threat, delivers the sentence in the friendliest way possible, given the circumstances.

-I don't think it would be very difficult to find out. Big secrets are hard to hide. - They finish up the steps. - Take my stay in this castle, for example. Soon it will be impossible to hide it from Nida.

-And still, we will do our best. Besides, I've been hiding in broad daylight until now. Maybe I can do it for a little while longer. The same can happen to you.

Rinlia waves to the two guards who are waiting at the door of a separate balcony on the side of the tower. They make room and the elf touches the nymph's shoulder.

-Wait for me. I will be back soon to take you to your room.

*

Thiago concentrates energy in the palm of his hands, breathing deeply, counting the seconds, letting the electric current run through his fingers, going around his phalanges and forming a thin layer around his wrists.

The trembling of his fingers no longer interferes with the execution of the spell. Instead of containing the involuntary movement, Thiago accepts it as part of the process, working his magic around it.

As for his mind, that was the real problem. The act of taking control of his magic, although achievable, was still hampered by the troubled past that accompanied him. And the more he used magic, the more he found it difficult to chase away the ghosts of the past.

However, when he gives up using his magic and decides to rest for a few minutes, it is not a ghost from the past that bothers him.

It is the memory of someone who is alive; a certain someone who lives in the same city and breathes the same air as him.

Thiago gets up, fixes his uniform and walks around the training arena. Several recruits and even experienced soldiers were practicing movements, training with specific weapons, strengthening their muscles with exercises or reflecting about martial arts movements; some of them trained in pairs and helped each other.

The friendly atmosphere in the arena was possible because those gathered there were soldiers who had the prospect of a good future in the army, either due to talent or the strength of their families and names. Thiago himself had already been in other military quarters and knew that those with no intention of rising in the rankings only did the tasks inherent to their positions and showed up for mandatory training.

"They are the majority." He thinks, looking around and counting the number of those present in the Arena. "These ones in here are a minority that have the luxury of thinking about the future."

After all, how many soldiers died every year? How many would be dead by the end of the month?

“Meanwhile, among the ones in this building, how many are the sons of nobles, or precious students of important figures?”

"Those who die are always the ones closest to the front lines, and they are not the ones coming to the Arena." He reflects, walking and crossing eyes with some of the soldiers he passes. “They are the layer formed by those who have no one to protect them. They are the ones without a future, who live only for the present. Meanwhile, I can see these ones training and daydreaming about future fame and glory.”

He clenches his fists.

"And they respect me." He realizes that the nobody crosses eyes with him. “They saw my training and know that I am getting stronger. How many soldiers here would be able to defeat me? How many in the kingdom would be able to defeat me as I am now?”

Her image comes to his mind once again.

He sighs.

“And, still, it is not enough for her. It would never be, because although I am no longer among the weakest, I am still far from the center of the pack. A distance that is too great and cannot be reduced without the support of the right individuals.”

He shakes his head.

“What am I thinking about? Of course, there is nothing that can be done. It is better to do nothing, as nothing could help to save that relationship.”

But the thought still bothers him. A strange sensation runs through his chest. Something he did not remember ever feeling. Not like that. Not with such intensity.

"I need to continue my training. I will go crazy if I keep thinking about her.”

"I need to continue my training. And find a way to live my life after her.”

*

Nafaester enters the balcony and notices King Njalmar standing, leaning on the baluster, looking at the stars.

-I believe I was called in for a conversation. - She announces, sitting in a lounge chair, placed on one side of the balcony.

-Yes. - The king answers in a calm voice, with a half-smile on his face as he occupies the other chair, facing her. - I wanted to discuss some terms of your... Offer.

-Did anything in particular displease you? - The nymph's self-confidence allows her to permeate her words with a suggestive smile.

The King is unable to answer immediately.

-You look like her, you know? More than you would like, probably.

She does not need ask who he was referring to. Nafaester knew the similarities. She was also aware of the differences.

-She has changed a lot recently. You wouldn't say that if you saw her after the end of the war.

-And you hate her.

Nafaester's gaze narrows. She bites her lip and takes a deep breath before answering to the statement.

-I grew up in a small village, close to the sea. The population lived off fishing and hunting and I, as a child, survived on the kindness of those who lived with me. You see, our village was made up of sons and daughters of citizens of other countries and creatures of the Forest. A community of rejects by parents, raised by rejects and members of the Forest who could not have children and wanted to have a family.

-Like a big orphanage?

-An orphanage where no one was officially adopted and where it was easy to escape and become an outlaw elsewhere. A place that had everything to go wrong and yet, a place where life was, in a way, peaceful. - She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before talking again. – But the way the Forest is organized allows that, often, the strongest can oppress the weakest. And, during a territorial battle, magical beasts fled in the direction of our village.

She sighs. Before the king can interrupt, she goes back to speaking.

-The entire village was killed, including the adults who took care of me. It was a massacre foreseen by the Oracle. However, she also realized that, in the same vision, a blind spot was created in her visions; something that could only occur with the presence of another Oracle.

-She knew about your powers?

-She understood that there was a possibility of me having some powers. And she sacrificed an entire village for the chance of getting a successor. I survived because my brother, a werewolf, forced his transformation by accident at a very young age, cursing himself and being stuck in an intermediate state of transformation forever. We survived because of that. And because of the trauma of the battle, I awakened my powers. And that is how the Oracle commands the Forest. That is how other creatures faced a fate much worse than mine. Because of unilateral decisions, made only on the basis of what “Destiny” may desire. And not just “Destiny”, but the one interpreted by Nida. And that is why it is time for a change.

The king thinks for a moment.

-That explains how she lost so much support in the Forest over the years. I imagine that time has also weakened her physically. After all, nobody would consider facing her in the past.

-Is that what worries you? The strength of the Oracle?

-I would be a fool if I didn't worry. After all, she never expanded the Great Forest just for lack of ambition. Even if I was at my peak, a battle would be worrying. But that is not why I called you here.

-Oh, so you are concerned with the marriage proposal.

-It's an attractive proposal, I must admit. A position as king in the Great Forest was something that I tried to conquer through battles and the chance to do that with an alliance... However, I imagine that my position as king would be limited by your power, right?

-Obviously. - The nymph takes on a neutral tone. - Similar to what is done in Vivre, I would retain the position of queen and the decision-making would be essentially mine. You, however, would have a privileged position on the council and voting power only inferior to my own, as the second in command of the Forest.

-What about the future?

That was a question that the nymph did not expect to be asked anytime soon. However, she had one answer in mind.

-Connor is not your blood child, is he?

The king nods.

-When my wife passed away, I had no child. Following Fiandel's tradition, I chose my heirs among the most promising young people in the kingdom, and, among them, Connor was the one who stood out the most.

-I heard the stories. And that is why I made my proposal to you. - She smiles. - My intention is to form a lasting alliance, remember? This means that I wish to unite my lineage and that of Fiandel. From this generation onwards, we can form bonds of marriage between our royal families.

-Do you intend to unite our kingdoms? How can you do that, if the laws of the Forest only allow an Oracle to succeed?

-The laws are dictated by those in charge and the future is promising for us. However, it all depends on future events and you will have to trust me, Njalmar. What I can deliver immediately is a closer relationship between kingdoms and my hand in marriage. - She gets up. He imitates her. The nymph places both hands in front of her body with the palms facing upwards. - And with that, your oldest wish could finally come true, right?

-My oldest wish?

-Yes. The greatest desire of the great warrior Njalmar is well known. It is also one of the reasons why I calmly accept an agreement that ties my future definitively.

-And what wish is that?

-It is the reason why you keep thinking about wars even after promoting alliances and a period of peace never seen before. The reason why you will help me even when you are on the eve of an unprecedented war with the other continent.

She takes a deep breath and waves her hands, waiting until the king places his hands on hers. Nafaester squeezes his fingers between hers and says, in the most melodious tone:

-You want someone to have enough power to be able to mediate conflicts and prevent wars in the entire continent. You want stability, even if the power is not in your own hands. And with the union of your people and my lineage, who on the continent would be able to defy the power of the union of Fiandel and the Great Forest?

Nafaester's fingers intertwine with Njalmar's.

Njalmar's smile mimics that of Nafaester.

*

*