Crystal Rose ebook

Andrzej Pawlus

Crystal Rose

Copyright © 2024 Andrzej Pawlus All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Cover graphics: Adobe Stock

Internal graphics: Adobe Stock, neural.love

Maps: Andrzej Pawlus (Campaign Cartographer 3+)

English translation: Andrzej Pawlus with the help of ChatGPT & Grammarly

English proofreading: Melissa Stone

Prologue

The Dance of the Sorceress

The woman's feet moved across the stone slabs, leaving a luminescent trail behind. Step. Another. And another. The completed pattern shone brightly, and she jumped to another spot, twirling in place. There was no time left to ponder. If the future she had glimpsed was to come true, if... She had to hurry. The circle was not yet complete, and the slit in the magical veil, a small rift she intended to use, could close at any moment.

Step and step. Now to the left. Faster. Even faster.

The pattern was now forming almost by itself; she was a master of her craft, after all. But what good was being the master now... All her students had left or were no longer alive. Whom was she supposed to be a master for?

The next step wavered; painful memories had to wait. Focus.

But, technically speaking, students would have been very useful right now – her experience suggested. She hadn't calculated it precisely, but the cost of the spell she intended to cast...

"No time for that. There’s no turning back. The decision is made. Focus."

Another segment flashed – the last one. The woman stood still at the center of the circle and began to whisper:

Aharran. Ahaoeuin. Vooyuarran.

The words flowed. The light of the magical circle began to pulsate in rhythm with them as if something had awakened and started a conversation with the sorceress.

Gravis. Graiaris. Dravis.

She staggered, her face paling from the effort. Had she overestimated her strength so much? Could she at least...

No time for doubts. At this stage... There's no time. Time, precious time!

Vaesta. Vaola. Draesta.

The world blurred before her eyes, but her determination remained unshaken. This was the only way. Even if...

"I'm scared," – she finally admitted to herself.

The implacable balance of power left no illusions about the price she was about to pay for this spell.

"Even if I won't be able to see how it all ends."

A sad smile appeared on the woman's face.

"Friends, I'm sorry."

The final phrase.

Now.

Reahn. Regan. Veahn!

Chapter 1

The Spell of World's End

Piotr was waking up slowly. He felt a cold sensation on his right cheek, which was, in fact, quite strange. It was just as if he was lying on a stone floor. How could there be a stone floor here? He had just been on a tram – zero stones. Upon further consideration, it was also strange that he was lying down and sleeping – it was the middle of the day, after all. Probably time to open his eyes... Something was definitely not right; even after opening them, all he could see was darkness. Well, not entirely; after a moment, his sight adjusted, but the surroundings still refused to resemble the illuminated interior of a tram – stone floor, walls, and even a ceiling - all lit by a weak light coming from around the corner of the corridor. Where am I? And more importantly, where are my parents and brothers!!!

Piotr jumped to his feet, realizing that no one else was around except him.

"Mom! Dad!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Silence. "Michał! Radek! Stop joking around..." Still silence.

Great. I probably fell asleep on the tram, and this is just a dream. I'll try to go back to sleep. Maybe if I fall asleep here, I'll wake up there? He closed his eyes, but after a moment, he opened them again.

"No chance," he muttered under his breath. "This is probably some kidnapping. Someone drugged us or something..."

But why did they leave me lying here in the middle of the corridor? Piotr reached for his pocket.

"And they left me with my phone. What amateurs, don't they know that a kidnapped person can call the police?"

He took it out. Well, of course, it couldn't be that easy – there was no signal. Maybe I can still figure out where I am. No, the map doesn't work either – maybe these walls are too thick; I need to get outside or at least find a window.

Anger took over him.

“Fantastic, I was supposed to stay home; it was Radek who needed to see the doctor; I didn't have to go,” he muttered again. “And now I'm lost and stuck who knows where. Assuming I'm not asleep. And I wonder where the rest are; I hope they're okay...”

He slowly moved towards the light, rounded the corner, and stopped. Beyond the turn, the long stone corridor stretched further, and it wouldn't have been strange if not for the peculiar lamps lighting it. The lamps, mounted on the walls, looked like crystals with a blue fire trapped inside, flickering and sparkling. They resembled no lamps Piotr had ever seen, making the entire corridor look like a giant kaleidoscope of dancing lights and shadows.

“Wow!” he sighed genuinely and moved on.

Along the corridor walls, there was a row of wooden doors, but when he tried to open them, all were locked. He reached a fork, the corridors leading in two different directions, but at the end of the one to the right, stairs were going up.

“I'll go up; maybe I'll reach the roof; the signal should be better from there,” he said to himself, but it didn't sound very convincing.

Where am I? This question became increasingly pressing. A stone building and wooden doors? A castle or some dungeons? And this strange lighting? He had never seen anything like it in his life. Glowing stones? Who uses something like that in the age of electricity? At the top of the stairs, he stopped again – no, this was definitely not the roof. In front of him lay a vast hall. The ceiling, suspended very high, was supported by carved columns. Plants climbed the walls, reaching to the very top - they had huge leaves and looked very old. At the end of the hall...

“Guys!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, seeing figures lying on the ground, and he ran towards them.

Michał and Radek had their eyes closed and were sleeping. He shook both their shoulders, but they didn't open their eyes.

“They won't wake up,” a female voice stated behind Piotr. The boy jumped from the shock and turned around.

In the corner, at a large table, sat a woman dressed in white. She was so still and seemed so absent that, at first, he took her for one of the carved decorations. Even her eyes were closed.

“What have you done to them?!” Piotr yelled.

The woman slightly opened her eyelids.

“Everything and nothing. I have been waiting for you. It's good that you are here now,” she said.

The eyes of the stranger were very odd; on the one hand, the boy felt as if white flames were crawling in them, but on the other hand, they had a calming effect.

“What do you mean by everything and nothing?” he asked.

The woman was silent for a moment but finally answered:

“Do not fear, nothing, because I have done nothing to them. But still, I did something, so on the other hand, everything,” The flames under her half-closed eyelids changed their dance slightly. “It is because of me that you are now here, where you are.”

“What kind of riddles are these?! Why can't I wake them? And where are we? Why do you say you have been waiting for me?” Piotr burst out, approaching closer and clenching his fists.

The flames dimmed; moreover, it seemed as if the entire figure of the stranger darkened.

“I am so tired… So little time, yet so much to explain… Listen then. Your brothers sleep because veahn, the Gate Between Worlds, drained the missing energy from you. You also fell asleep, but you handled it slightly better, so you woke up first. They will wake up soon, too.”

“What-what-gate?” Piotr was completely lost. “What worlds?”

“I transported you from the Third World, known to you as Terra, to the Second World, the one we call Aerinn,” the woman said after a longer pause. “I sensed a chance... one in infinity... to change our end. Our world is dying a Cold Death. Not much is left. I had lost all hope, and then... a stroke of fate... I saw... Beings from another World, untied by destiny. I have no regrets. In return, I cured your brother of the Dark Plague, he will no longer be as he was.”

“How do you know...” Piotr's legs buckled.

Radek had been sick for years, and that's precisely why they kept going from doctor to doctor. However, the doctors could only shrug their shoulders. The new disease that he contracted was spreading all over the world, but its cause was still unknown, and no cure had been found. The sick grew weaker and stopped speaking until finally, they fell asleep and couldn't be awakened. That's why he was so scared when he couldn't wake his brothers.

“Thank you, ma'am, we all thank you, but please send us back,” he asked. “I don't know what you're talking about, but you surely weren't looking for us. Our parents will worry. I also want to go back to them.”

“I cannot,” the stranger replied. “Maybe someone else... Find Gax, he should be somewhere nearby...” The eyelids of the luminous eyes were dropping more and more. “Tell him that you must find the Blue Lord, he lives... He must know...”

The woman closed her eyes and dissolved into the air. Literally. And then the light went out.

Piotr stood still for a moment – what just happened? Should he believe what he just heard? Travel to another world? Irrelevant, he now had more important things on his mind. He ran back to his lying brothers and started shouting:

“Get up! Wake up!”

“Don't yell like that,” – came a muffled voice from the floor, and Michał slowly lifted his head. He looked around. “What is this place? Where are we?”

“I don't know, but I just talked to some woman who said she transported us to another world.”

Michał looked suspiciously at his older brother. “Are you sure you're okay? Does your head hurt, maybe?”

Piotr silently concluded that admitting he had also seen the woman dissolve into thin air wouldn't do his credibility any favors.

“Does this place look like a tram to you?”

Radek, who muttered something and sat up, saved them from further questions.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them.

The impression was stunning; the other brothers immediately forgot their argument and froze in shock. They hadn't heard him speak for years, and now it’s "Hey, guys”?

“Radek!” they yelled in unison and hugged him.

“What is it?” He defended himself from the attack. “Are you nuts?”

“You're talking? How is that possible?” Michał was amazed.

“What are you saying? Should I quack? What's with both of you? You act like you haven't seen me for a year,” Radek retorted.

It took a while for the brothers to realize that Radek didn't remember his illness, nor much of what had happened during it – and regarding how he got here, he had no clue at all. It took a long time to explain to him what had happened until finally, Piotr ended the story with the encounter with the unknown woman:

“She called it the Dark Plague and said she cured you in exchange for our help.”

“Help? But with what? Besides, we have to go back to our parents, they'll worry! “Michał and Radek agreed.

“And what's your plan for going back? Will you wave your hands and fly? Do you even know the way?” Piotr got frustrated.

The atmosphere immediately soured again.

“You're being stupid!” said Michał. “Let's get out of this castle, and we're sure to meet someone who will tell us where we are and how to get to the police. The police will call our parents, and the problem will be solved.”

Piotr didn't want to argue, so he simply stated:

“Fine, let's go. Down the stairs and to the right. I've already checked the left side; it's a dead end.”

I wonder if we'll meet this Gax, he thought.

The stairs turned out to be dark, and the strange lamps stopped shining here as well. Nevertheless, the boys descended slowly down the stone steps, holding hands and illuminating their way with Piotr's phone flashlight. At the bottom, they found that weak light was seeping from a corridor on the right.

“Let's go there,” commanded Piotr.

“Yes, I just hope there are no trapdoors along the way because, in this darkness, we won't even notice if we fall into some hole,” retorted a grumpy Michał.

“We won't stand here till the end of the world; let's go,” decided Radek. “But Piotr, as the guide, goes first.”

Fortunately, the scariest event while passing through the corridor was Piotr walking into a massive spiderweb.

“Yuck,” The disgusted victim summed up the event. His efforts to get rid of the sticky threads were not at all helped by his brothers' gleeful laughter.

After removing the web, they cautiously moved on and soon found that the light was coming from behind ajar doors. The boys went through them and found themselves on the battlements of a high wall from which a fantastic view unfolded. The castle was enormous, entirely built of light stone; the roofs were covered with red tiles, and a magnificent mosaic depicting a golden sun adorned the courtyard below. However, the most interesting was one of the highest towers - it looked as if it was made of matte glass with a faceted surface; it shimmered with light and cast millions of reflections on the surroundings. Unfortunately, even at first glance, it was also evident that the castle was not in the best condition: many parts of the walls were cracked and chipped, and some roofs looked worse for wear, with remains of tiles scattered in the courtyard.

“There's not a soul in sight,” Piotr noticed. “Nobody seems to live here...” He stopped, seeing both brothers staring at the sky.

Yes, that's definitely not our sky - three moons. Each in a different color. Fantastic. We're in trouble.

A heated discussion erupted on the battlements.

“This could be some tourist attraction,” Michał insisted.

“I've never heard of such a big screen or such a projector. Think for a moment. How would you display something like that? In the sky?” Piotr responded.

“Maybe it's some kind of optical illusion?” Michał stubbornly held his ground.

“Piotr, check your phone,” Radek suggested. “Maybe you can call our parents?”

“Right! I completely forgot why I went up here.”

Unfortunately, the phone still showed that making a call was impossible.

“See? This is also proof. There's no cellular network in this world, so we can't call anywhere,” Piotr said.

“Don't exaggerate; the castle is probably in some wilderness where there simply is no coverage,” Michał dismissed him.

“Yeah, right, and the satellite signal was cut off too. In that case, explain this to me.” Piotr pointed to another extraordinary thing they noticed shortly after stepping outside.

At first glance, the world around the castle looked relatively standard: a road began at the gate, with a few houses along it; behind the houses stretched green meadows, and here and there, trees grew.

However, beyond... there was nothing. Visibility was limited by a vertical white wall, swirling and rippling. It stretched as far as the eye could see, with no end visible either to the left or the right.

“It's slowly moving closer,” Radek stated in a grim voice. “Just saw one of the trees at its edge disappear. I don't like this at all. Not one bit.”

“So, Mr. Know-It-All, I’m all ears. What is it?” Piotr asked sarcastically.

“Hard to say,” Michał finally spoke. “Looks like a cloud or fog. But it behaves strangely, as if there's a transparent wall there holding it back. Or maybe that is also a screen.”

“Should we go check it out?” Piotr suggested. “If it's really a screen, we might be able to touch it and possibly turn it off. Perhaps it's this fog that is blocking the signals...”

“Oh, no, I'm not going there,” Radek immediately responded. “Just looking at that thing gives me the creeps. And you're not going either.”

“We can't just sit here and wait; besides, we need to find something to eat and drink; no telling how long we'll be here,” Michał added. “Let's go down; there are stairs there. Let's start by searching this castle, maybe there is someone here. If it's a tourist attraction, there should be some staff around.”

Michał's optimism was unwarranted; after half an hour of scouring the castle rooms, they didn't encounter anyone.

“Let's summarize what we've found. We have a bag, an empty bottle, something that looks like an old hardtack, and a knife that was in a room with a stove,” Piotr began.

“We could use something to drink,” Michał said. “There's a well; maybe we should check if it has water.”

The boys rushed to the mechanism, which looked old but intact. They peered inside, but the dark opening revealed nothing.

“Maybe it's not a well? What if some castle monster lives there?” Radek asked.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Michał replied. “Why would they install a winch here then? Besides, we can easily check it...”

Michał quickly picked up a pebble and threw it into the dark hole. The other two brothers froze, but instead of an expected monster, a promising splash was heard.

“You idiot!” - Radek shouted.

“What if there was a basilisk down there?!” Piotr added.

“Basilisks don't exist, and even if they did, books say they live in underground lairs, not wells. Wells might house nixies or drowners. But they also don't exist,” Michał explained. “Besides, now we know there's water down there; you’re welcome.”

“Hopeless case,” Piotr and Radek concluded in unison.

However, the fact remained that there was likely water at the bottom of the well, so the boys decided to try to draw some.

“Let's turn it, one, two, three!” Piotr commanded.

The winch creaked terribly.

“Well, that probably took care of alerting the castle guards,” he added. “If anyone's here, they'll surely come running now.”

Moments later, a bucket emerged from the opening.

“See? No magic or monsters,” Michał stated. “Just water.”

They were pouring it into the bottle when a large white cat emerged from a nearby door onto the courtyard. It stretched, yawned, displaying a row of sharp teeth, and headed towards the boys.

“See, we woke up the monster,” Michał commented, still mocking the fearful brothers.

“Kitty!” Radek exclaimed joyfully.

“I beg your pardon,” said the cat, loud and clear.

Piotr and Michał's jaws dropped while Radek ran towards the cat.

“A talking kitty!”

The cat backed away.

“Touch my fur, and you're dead,” it declared with a lofty tone. “Do you know how long it takes to arrange each hair? No manners, disturbing sleep, calling names... Now what, you want to pet me too?”

Radek stopped.

“But...” he began, but the animal didn't let him finish.

“What are you doing here anyway?” it continued. “Haven't seen a living soul in this castle for who knows how long, and suddenly, three human brats show up out of nowhere. Did you come to check if there's anything to steal? Wrong place. I, Ys the Third, am guarding this place. Get out of here, and don't come back!” The cat unsheathed its claws.

“But we're not here to steal anything,” Piotr regained his speech. “And sorry for the noise; we just wanted to get some water from the well. We're thirsty, but the mechanism is terribly rusted. Besides, we didn't come here; we just appeared. A woman in white said she transported us through some veah.”

“Lady Siala transported you here?” It was clear that now the cat was the one taken aback. “She was supposed to conserve her strength, and she opens gates? Where is she? Tell me immediately!”

“I don't know, we talked in the big hall, up there,” Piotr gestured. “But then she disappeared.”

Ys dashed up the stairs and vanished from sight. The boys ran after him, dragging along a slightly shocked Michał. They soon found themselves back in the place where Piotr found his brothers and saw the cat staring motionlessly at an empty chair.

“Oh no, Siala, what have you done...” it finally moaned. “You!” It turned to the boys. “What happened here? Tell me now!”

“They were asleep, and I, as I said, was talking to that woman. She seemed tired, and then she just dissolved into the air,” Piotr answered.

“What did she say?” The cat looked increasingly agitated, scratching the floor with its claws and its tail thrashing wildly.

“That she transported us here from the Third World because she sensed a chance that this world is dying, that we have to find someone named Gax and tell him something... what was it?” Piotr pondered. He never really paid attention to what others said. “Something about a blue lord?”

Ys retracted its claws and sat on the floor, its bristled fur settling.

“So it's true? She’s really gone and left us here? To bring you? Who are you? What do we need three human children for?” The cat's voice now sounded as if it was about to cry. “My lady, why?”

Michał, apparently finally accepting that he was going to speak with a talking cat, sat down on a chair and said:

“We don't know why we're here; we don't even know where we are. Could you explain something to us? What castle is this? Are there any adults here?”

“I see I must help you. I don't know what her purpose was, but she clearly had one. Well then - you are in the Crystal Tower, the citadel of the White Lady, Lady Siala. This is one of the last places in this world not yet consumed by the Cold. A few creatures who managed to escape it live here, but now it's probably the end. Since the lady is no longer here, her spells holding back the Cold will soon cease to work, and then death awaits us all.”

“If you're talking about that white wall, it's moving closer; I saw it from the walls,” Radek interjected.

“So, it has already begun,” Ys responded gloomily. “Lady used to keep the Cold far from here, but over time, she began to lose strength, and now only what you can see from the citadel walls remains. And now even that last bit will disappear. I understand she was desperate, but to use the rest of her energy for this? Why? I don’t understand!” The cat screamed so loudly that an echo reverberated through the great hall, and it lashed its tail again.

“And what is this Cold exactly?” Radek became interested. “It looks like white fog.”

“You really know nothing... You are now in Aerinn, the Second World. In your Third World, there isn't much magic, but here, it exists and works. The Cold is a magical spell; we don't know its true name, only that it drains all energy: warmth, magic, everything. If something living is within its range and isn't protected by strong magic, it freezes within minutes. If it is protected, the process takes a bit longer, but eventually, the magic, too, will be absorbed. My lady studied the spell, but her specialty was protective and healing magic; she couldn't find a way to break it. All she could do was create a barrier. Over time, however, it turned out that the Cold uses the energy it absorbs to expand and has been growing continuously. Eventually, lady Siala ran out of strength.”

“Who could cast such a dreadful spell? Surely it was known how it works and that it could end like this?” Michał asked.

“We don't know that either. It happened during the battle of Vellen, but of course, you haven't heard about that battle or the Lords of Power either. I wasn't there, but I will repeat what the lady told me: the battle was bloody, all living Lords met there, on our side, besides the White one, lady Siala, fought the Blue Lord, the elven lord Althanas, and the Red Lady, lady Raksha. These three and all other forces and armies gathered to stop the Black Lord, who was then marching on Vellen, a great city on the border of the Green Kingdom. He had already destroyed the Green Lord and his army, so the rest decided to stop him together before he stood at their own doors and defeated them one by one. The armies met close to Vellen, and the battle of magic and steel raged on; there were many casualties and wounded, so many the lady couldn't heal all of them in time. That's when the disaster struck. She said she saw only a bright flash that lit up the entire sky and realized she could no longer sense the other three Lords. Moments later, a mass of white fog rolled in, and everything around began to freeze. Lady Siala tried to protect everyone nearby, but she was already exhausted and soon had to flee. She opened a gate to the Crystal Tower, but the energy lasted only for a short while; only a handful of survivors managed to escape. She took it very hard; she was convinced she left everyone to die, and it took us a long time to explain to her that it wasn't her fault. But even later, when she somehow came to terms with it, she didn't want to talk about that battle, so that's pretty much all I know.”

“A magical battle,” Piotr whispered. “It must have been incredible.”

“A battle is not incredible,” Ys replied. “Especially one in which the Red Lady fights - she could just throw a fireball and turn you into a crisp in the blink of an eye. Raksha was incredibly powerful; to this day, I can't believe she could have been defeated... Just as I can't believe that a mage like the Blue Sovereign is dead, after all, he gifted our lady the Crystal Tower. I saw that with my own eyes: he closed his eyes, recited the words of the spell, raised his hand, and crystals began to grow from the ground, just like plants, only much faster...”

“Wait a minute,” Piotr interjected. “Something doesn't add up. The White Lady said the Blue Lord was alive. I just remembered that Gax is supposed to lead us to him. Before she disappeared, she whispered, 'He must know...'”

The cat was speechless.

“Typical Siala! Surprises and riddles to the very end,” it finally spat out. “We go to Gax, now!” it commanded. “He must hear about this. Quickly, there's no time! The Cold is getting closer.”

Chapter 2

Gax

"And you, young man, remember everything Lady Siala said. Gax is intelligent and doesn't like asking many questions. Besides, he doesn't like people at all. He totally doesn't like me either. Actually, I haven't seen anyone he really likes apart from Lady Raksha... Since she’s gone, he's really been in a foul mood. Well, whatever will be, will be; at worst, we'll all end up nicely roasted, and the problem will solve itself," Ys continued his monologue, effortlessly navigating the corridors.

"Does this Gax also know how to throw fireballs?" Piotr panted, barely keeping up.

"No, he breathes fire," the cat replied in a calm tone.

The boys stopped in their tracks.

"So Gax is a dragon?" Radek asked in a weak voice.

"What's wrong with you humans?" Ys snorted. "I say he breathes fire. Why do people always run screaming 'AAAA, A DRAGON!' whenever fire-breathing is mentioned? Please. I understand red dragons are a spectacular and memorable sight, but there are quite a few other creatures that manage quite well, too, like chimeras, for instance. And Gax is a lilim. You'll see him, then you'll understand."

"What's a lilim?" Michał became interested.

"It’s hard to describe; you have to see it," the cat replied. "A creature of darkness. Most served the Black Lord in ancient times and were wiped out. Gax is an exception because he befriended the Red Lady and was also one of the best generals of the Red Realm. Supposedly, he's a thousand years old, but I don't believe it. And it was he who pulled Lady Siala into the portal, there, at Vellen; otherwise, she would have stayed there. Now come on, he should be near; he usually wanders in the fields beyond that gate."

Indeed, on one of the fields, a black horse was staring at the nearby white wall of the Cold. Ys headed towards it, and the boys followed.

"Is that horse Gax?" Piotr whispered.

"Never say that to him," the cat shuddered. "Confusing him with a horse, this is one of the things he... very much..."

"...dislikes, got it," Michał finished. "But he looks just like a horse."

The black creature turned its head towards them, and the boys sighed. The head was entirely equine, the silver-grey mane as well, but the eyes... In the depths of the eyes, fire blazed.

"Now be quiet, let me do the talking, and don't say anything," Ys commanded.

"Why should they keep quiet, you lazy furball?" spoke a voice. It seemed to sound only in their heads.

He communicates through thoughts? What kind of creature is this? Can he also read them? The brothers had just these questions running through their heads when the lilim spoke again:

"I can read thoughts, but up close and when you think loudly, little humans. But there are also creatures whose minds can't be read. Now, since I've satisfied your curiosity, I believe you wanted to tell me something?"

"Great Gax, Lady Siala is gone," Ys said. "She used the rest of her strength to open the gate and bring these boys here."

"I knew that already, furball," Gax replied. "I felt the gate's magic and the disappearance of the foolish sorceress; besides, I see the barrier crumbling. And that's why you're bothering me?"

He started to move slowly towards them, and the brothers noticed the air around him shimmering as if there was a great furnace inside him. It seemed flames crawled over his mane and skin, forming strange patterns, and on the ground, where his hooves touched the grass, black, burnt marks remained.

"What a monster," Radek whispered.

"Quiet, or he'll hear. Remember the crispy bit," Michał whispered even quieter, and the cat hissed with irritation.

"The White Sorceress is gone, so the Great Alliance is finally dissolved, and my oath is no longer binding," Gax declared. "Leave now, or things will get unpleasant."

"It’s not true; the Blue Lord is still alive!" Piotr exclaimed.

The lilim was already close, so when his black head lowered to the level of the boy's face and the fiery eyes focused on him, Piotr could closely observe smoke trails flowing from the black nose. He felt the heat scorching his eyebrows but bravely met the fiery gaze.

"Before she left, the White Lady instructed us to convey this to you. And, a request to find him," he concluded.

"So that's how it is?" Gax drew back his head. "You say Lord Althanas is still alive. But even assuming that's true, how do you plan to find him? And why?"

"He might know how to stop the Cold; he's supposed to be a great mage. But we don't know anything else," Michał said.

"And we want to go back home to our parents, so maybe he can send us back. Unless you can?" Radek spoke up.

The lilim turned towards him, and the boy had the strange sensation that the great beast began to sniff him.

"We thought you might have some idea, O Wise One," Ys added.

"First, we need to check something," Gax said. "Follow me. I have a theory as to why the sorceress summoned you here."

He turned and walked towards the white mist, and the rest followed. From this side of the castle, the barrier was very close, so it wasn't long before it blocked their way. The lilim turned back to the boys.

"Step into the fog, the barrier allows travelers through," he said.

"But wait, won't the spell freeze us!" the brothers protested in chorus.

"Are you sure this is wise?" the cat asked and immediately covered his mouth with a paw.

"I've always dreamed of being advised by a know-it-all, flea-ridden mascot!" Flames on Gax's fur brightened, and the grass where he stood began to wither. "Are you going, or do we go back to the castle and wait for the barrier to disappear?"

"I am not flea-ridden..." Ys muttered, apparently more concerned with setting the record straight than with his own life.

The black horse snorted, sparks flying, whether more irritated by the cat or by the hesitant boys.

"I can't send you back; I don't have that power; no one here does anymore. If we do nothing and the barrier continues to crumble at this rate, the Cold will kill everyone here within a few days, maybe even faster. I will die a bit later because, as you see, I'm somewhat immune to the cold - but even my fire won't protect me forever. If you want to go back home, you need to find a powerful mage, and your options are definitely limited. The Blue Lord could certainly do it if he wanted."

"He's right," Radek admitted.

"You say our options are limited. So, do we have any choice at all?" Michał asked. "Are there other mages who could help us?"

"My lady is also gone, but we don't know what happened to the Black Lord," Gax replied. "It's well known he can travel between worlds. If you could convince him..."

"That doesn't sound too good," Piotr observed. "Isn't there anyone else?"

"We won't get anywhere like this," Radek became agitated.

Before the brothers could move, he leaped straight through the barrier.

“Radek!!!” the other two boys yelled. “Are you insane?! Get back here immediately!”

“I'm fine,” Radek replied calmly. “It's not even cold.”

“What?” The cat, silent for a moment, jumped in surprise. “It's not cold? How is that possible? Maybe the spell stopped working?!” he exclaimed and also prepared to jump.

He didn't fly too far. About halfway through, he met with Gax's leg, bounced off it like a ball, and ultimately ended his motion sprawled long on the grass.

“You singed my fur, you...” Ys started but stopped, remembering who he was speaking to.

“Don't be stupid,” the lilim stated. “The spell is still active. You'd end up as a popsicle. But it seems that the Cold doesn't affect these humans. Interesting...” He mused.

Radek walked back through the barrier and shrugged. "I knew it would be like this," he declared.

“You fool," Piotr commented, "What if you had turned into an ice sculpture? What was that for?"

“I just had a feeling," Radek replied.

“Idiot," Michał assessed bluntly. "But you were right, Piotr, we have to try too. I think I understand what this is about. We can go through, right?" he asked Gax.

“Yes..." the thoughtful beast replied. "But that's not the most important thing. I can go through, too; my fire will protect me, at least for a while... But I can't pass through the Seal, and you can. The Seal is a different spell," he added, seeing the boys' confusion. "It keeps out... creatures like me. The White Sorceress protected her realm from outsiders with it, but she didn't anticipate my case. I entered the Crystal Tower through a magical gate she opened herself. That way, I bypassed the Seal, but now I'm trapped here, unable to leave. I've asked Siala many times to destroy the Seal. Everything outside froze, so protection is no longer needed. I wanted to return to my realm and at least check if anything survived, but she kept saying she didn't have the strength anymore."

"Terrible," Piotr assessed. "She saved you, and then she trapped you? Weren't you allies?"

"I wonder how much of this she anticipated," the lilim answered. "She wasn't much of a warrior, but she was a true master at predicting the future. Maybe she lied on purpose to keep me here so that I can help you now? Maybe with her departure, the Seal also started to disintegrate? I need to check."

Piotr and Michał took a few steps and stood before the barrier.

“Well, no guts, no glory," Michał decided.

They didn't get to take another step. The barrier suddenly shrank, and its boundary moved closer to the castle, leaving everyone in the icy fog. From where the lilim stood, a distinct hissing sounded. It was caused by the battle of his flames against the cold air trying to extinguish them.

"I've saved your life twice today," he stated, looking at the curled-up figure beneath his hooves. "I must leave before it becomes a habit."

It seemed the sphere of Gax's flames extended a few meters in diameter, saving Ys from instant freezing.

" This is not my best day," the cat groaned - he had already said his goodbyes during the last second. "Thank you, Gax, I owe you one, I promise. I'll never again say you're a heartless beast... And don't listen to what I say; I'm a terrible loudmouth when I'm nervous; I just blab whatever comes to mind. And don't move too far away; the air is freezing my whiskers. But my tail is sizzling, oh no..."

"Yes, you're unusually right for once. We have a problem, little humans," Gax spoke again. "The barrier's spell is fading faster and faster, so we don't have a few days; in a few hours, it will completely disintegrate. There's no safe haven left; everything here, the fields, the houses, the castle, will freeze. My time has suddenly become limited, as has yours, furball - without my flames, you won't survive even a moment. We're going to the Seal, and we must hurry."

"What about the rest?" the cat protested. "Are we going to leave them here to certain death?"

"Is there anyone else here besides us?" Piotr asked.

"If we're going somewhere, we'll need some supplies. I don't know about you, but we need to eat and drink," Michał added.

"Ah, a mission and an expedition into the unknown!" Radek didn't seem troubled.

It looked almost as if the massive lilim sighed deeply.

"Fine, you go to the castle. Humans collect supplies. Ys, look for residents. You have little time, so hurry. I'll wait at the gate, but not for long," Gax looked at Ys.

"Yes, Gax, we'll hurry," the cat replied and wanted to dash towards the castle.

Mid-leap, he once again bounced off Gax's leg, which somehow found its way back into his path.

"Ouch! What's your problem now?" Ys began rubbing his nose but then realized he was about to jump straight into the icy fog. "All right, then, would you kindly escort me to the barrier? Seems I'm reliant on you."

"No alliance is worth this," Gax commented and moved towards the castle gate. "Maybe I should go alone after all..."

"That wasn't funny," Ys replied, obediently following him.

"Don't ignore us!" Piotr called out. "I asked if there was anyone else here. The castle seemed empty."

"And why does Gax get to lead?" Michał thought.

The lilim didn't even bother to turn around but answered:

"Your brother doubts and asks why I should lead, so let's clarify this right away. I will lead because I am the most experienced here, the strongest. I have some understanding of the situation we are in, and I've traveled through the lands we will likely be passing through - a long time ago, but still. Is that sufficient?"

"Yes, Gax, we agree," the cat quickly said. "They don't know you; that's why they doubt," he added, giving the boys a meaningful look.

"All right, it's true we don't know this land," Michał responded. "But we also don't know why you want to help us..."

"You don't trust me, wise," the lilim replied and suddenly changed the subject: "And as for your question... What's your name, tallest little human?"

"Piotr," the boy replied. "And these are my brothers, Michał and Radek."

"So, Piotr, the castle is empty because when the Cold drew near, all the residents fled to Levan through the Gate of Winds, hoping it would be safe there. Fools. It turned out the Cold reached Levan just as quickly, started to drain the gate spell, and collapsed it. Those who fled couldn't return. Ironically, the Crystal Tower they abandoned would have lasted much longer; if they had helped their Lady, maybe it would still endure... Fools a hundred times over!" Gax hissed. "And so, in the fortress, only we remained: me, prisoner of the Seal, this furry sorceress's mascot you see here, the salamander Ire, and a few stone gargoyles, castle guards. You," he turned to Ys, "you realize the gargoyles won't come with us, right?"

"I know they are magically bound to the castle," the cat replied, "but I will still ask them."

The group reached the castle gate. The Cold had stopped even with the walls; the interior was not yet fogged - Ys immediately dashed through the open doors and disappeared.

"Another reckless hero," Gax commented. "If the barrier disappears now, he'll turn into an icicle. On the other hand, that would save me a lot of nerves..."

"Don't say that," Piotr objected. "He may not have as much power as you, but he wants to help too."

"Power!" Gax snorted. "The pantry is on the right side, second door, and down the stairs. Take as much as you can carry; no telling how long we'll have to travel."

The boys headed to the indicated door and indeed found a well-stocked pantry shortly after. Radek suddenly stopped.

"Did you guys hear something?"

"No, why?" the brothers responded.

"I feel like I heard someone whispering," Radek explained.

"Stop scaring us," Piotr said. "Let's pack what we can and go."

"But I really heard something, like from here..." The youngest boy turned, exited to the corridor, and headed left.

The whispering grew slowly. "Come here," the boy heard more and more clearly. "I'm waiting for you." He moved towards the voice and soon stood before another door - a series of strange symbols ran above it. There was no doubt the call was coming from behind it, so he pushed them with all his might. Surprisingly, the doors weren't locked and opened easily, revealing a small room inside. On the floor, strange symbols formed circles, one enclosed within another, narrowing towards the center - in the very middle, in the air, hovered... an object. It looked like a long black staff, but one end had a simple blade similar to a spear's blade. The other end was much more interesting - irregular shapes growing from the staff arranged themselves into the shape of a large axe, surrounding a crystal ball embedded among them. Along the handle, golden symbols were visible, and in the center of the ball, a cold purple light glowed as if the staff had one constantly open eye. The voice changed and became clearer here.

"Welcome, boy!" Radek heard.

"What are you?" he asked the strange staff.

"Is that important? What's important is what I can give you. I can give you power, with which you'll defeat all enemies. You'll never be sick again. You only need to take me in hand, and your brothers will never mock you again, saying you're the youngest, the smallest, and the weakest. Just come and grab me."

Mesmerized, Radek took a step forward and entered the largest of the circles. Then another and another until he finally stood before the staff. He reached out, but before he could touch it, a furious furry ball knocked him off his feet.

"What do you think you're doing?! Do you have a death wish?!" Ys screamed angrily, for it was he who had knocked the boy to the ground and pinned him down to the floor.

The cat turned out to be surprisingly strong and heavy for its size, so after a moment of struggle, Radek had to give in.

"Why did you stop me?" he finally asked. "The staff called to me. It said it would give me power, and surely we could use something like that."

The cat looked surprised and a bit shocked.

"You heard the staff of Neverion? That's probably because you were touched by the magic of the Dark Lord, and the protective circle stopped working... And now, oh lady, what am I to do?" he exclaimed. "You've left and left us with so many unfinished matters."

"Who was this Neverion?" Radek became interested.

"The previous Dark Lord. An alliance similar to the present one defeated him long ago. Everything associated with him was destroyed, yet no one managed even to scratch this staff, and after a few unpleasant incidents, it was ultimately sealed in the Crystal Tower's dungeons. And now you say you hear its voice? Just what we needed, possessed by dark forces..."

"I'm not possessed!" the boy protested, casting a suspicious glance at the black-purple staff. "Besides, I hear nothing now."

"There you are!" The other two brothers entered the room, carrying supplies on their backs. "Cool! Can we take it?" they immediately asked upon seeing the staff still floating in the air as if nothing had happened.

"WE CANNOT!" The cat was beside himself. "I was just explaining to your only-slightly-possessed brother that it's an artifact of evil, ancient and powerful. There's no telling what would happen to you, but surely nothing good."

"An artifact of evil? Did you keep something like that here? Wasn't that dangerous?" Piotr asked, surprised.

"What do you mean, slightly possessed?" Michał worried.

"One thing at a time: it was dangerous. That's why the entire floor is covered in protective containment circles, but now they have stopped working," the cat replied. "And your brother, having been touched by dark forces, is sensitive to the staff's influence and just admitted he could hear it while you noticed nothing."

"What are you talking about? Touched by dark forces?" Piotr demanded explanations, and Michał nodded. "The sorceress mentioned the Dark Plague, but we don't understand any of it."

"The Dark Plague is caused by the current Dark Lord, who drains the life force from living beings to feed his magic. Those touched by him wither and eventually die, so he constantly needs new victims. Your brother was one of those touched, but Lady Siala broke the connection, and that's why he woke up. But it seems he didn't completely rid himself of the dark forces' trace, as he was able to hear the call of Neverion's staff, whereas you didn’t," Ys began explaining.

"But the illness Radek had is spreading in our world," Michał noted. "How can it be caused by a mage from yours?"

"Remember what Gax said, boy," the cat replied. "The Dark Lord can travel between worlds. It's actually not surprising he went to yours; probably, there weren't enough beings left here for him to feed on. Maybe he intended to destroy this world and move on to the next one from the start?"

"Does that mean our world is in danger?" Piotr asked.

"I don't know what the Dark Lord's plans are," Ys responded, "but he is certainly weak now; he doesn't have an army he could use for conquest there. His strength lies in dark emotions: lust for power, fear, anger, jealousy, so he'll likely use them to sow discord among the inhabitants of your world, provoke conflicts, incite wars. Add a few magical spells, perhaps a magical disease... No, you're not safe. But for now, we're here and need to deal with the staff's problem. Step back behind the door. If this doesn't work, there won't be anything left of me, so I'll say it was nice knowing you in advance," he concluded and gestured towards the exit.

The boys obediently left but peeked through the slightly ajar door. The cat approached the magical artifact, stared at it for a moment, and then started to walk along the nearest circle. One lap, two, three - he sped up and began to run. The brothers noticed that some symbols he ran over started to glow gently, but in response, the light of the purple eye began to pulsate stronger, too - it didn't seem eager to be imprisoned again. Ys kept accelerating, completed the seventh lap, and jumped to the next ring of symbols, a bit farther from the staff - one, two, three... seven. The next circle. The staff began to tremble, and the symbols on it blazed with bright light. The last circle was left, where instead of the cat, there was only a blurred streak visible, fourth lap, fifth, sixth. The boys, feeling the fight of the awakening containment spell against the power of the staff, instinctively stepped back further, and rightly so, because, at that moment, a line made of pure darkness materialized in front of the staff. However, instead of them, a black lightning bolt shot toward Ys, who was just completing his seventh lap. The cat, or rather the streak in the color of a cat, paid it no attention, completely focused on his task. Just a bit more... Yes! Wheezing, Ys tumbled onto the corridor just in time to see a dark lightning hit an invisible wall that had appeared in the doorway, scattering in all directions, looking for a gap in the protective circle.

"Ha! Am I good or am I good, tell me," the cat panted right in the brothers' faces - the boys, seeing the incoming magical missile, had thrown themselves to the floor. "A beautiful Magic Circle spell. Multiple layers even... I've never managed such a thing before. Now, let's get out of here. I don't know how long it will hold. That staff is powerful, malicious, and right now it’s terribly furious. Follow me!" he concluded and started running.

No one needed to be told twice; the black lightning was still thrashing around the room, looking for an exit, so everyone wanted to be as far away from it as possible.

"I spoke with the gargoyles," Ys said after a few hundred steps, "they're not moving anywhere. They say they'd rather stay in their castle; the cold won't do anything to them, and if the castle were ever to be unenchanted, they too would likely be revived. Makes sense. Now we're off to Ire; he's probably still sitting by his furnace," he added but was met with silence. "What's wrong?"

"You can cast spells!" Piotr finally stated.

"If you lived for a hundred years under the same roof as a sorceress, you'd learn a thing or two as well, even just out of boredom. I'm not some mighty magician, but she taught me a few tricks. Like how to create light. Siala often needed light..." He sat down, looking like he was about to cry.

Radek approached the cat, picked him up, and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Ys, you saved me, you're awesome. I know we can't replace your lady, but we're here; you're not alone. Maybe you want to be our friend?"

The cat jumped down to the floor and started licking his fur.

"What a humiliation... My entire fur needs grooming... I don't know if people who do such things to other creatures make good friends; I'll think about it. Let's go!" he huffed in a more Ys-like tone and walked on.