The Hidden realms of Belisaver - The dance of the virtues - PART 1

By Fisher Frank

An ancient myth known as the 'legend of the ancient kingdom' tells the story of the fall of a celestial body, an asteroid, from the cosmos, which split into seven fragments before it hit the earth. According to the ancestral legend handed down in the kingdom of Belisaver, the place where the crash took place, as many kingdoms were born from each of those parts of the mysterious fiery space object. Subsequently, magicians belonging to two opposing orders remained the sole custodians of the ancient knowledge of the hidden realms, until the magician Esperil, dean of the magical order of Goraz, was summoned by the old Belisaver ruler King Zorev III to his castle in Enselit, the capital of the kingdom. The king, supported by his trusted advisor, is greatly alarmed by some strange events that have recently occurred in Belisaver. Thanks to Esperil's precious help, they will discover that an invasion is imminent by troops from the kingdom of darkness of Riondord, the most dangerous of all those hidden realms that until then had seemed to belong only to a myth that was beginning to fade a little. Suddenly war seems to be looming over Belisaver in an unexpectedly sudden way, forcing the wise Esperil to go in search of his favourite disciple Kabel. The two of them, together with the funny but loyal Almoluk, will be forced to undertake a long and dangerous journey through all the legendary hidden kingdoms in an attempt to reunite the seven sceptres, guarded by the rulers of each of them, before the enemy forces succeed. Their departure for the hidden kingdom of light of Riolais, the first stage of their journey, must however be preceded by a hard test, called the "dance of virtues", which the young and valiant Kabel must undergo. This ritual will prove potentially fatal but at the same time indispensable to open his mind to new knowledge and prepare him for the mission and above all for his own destiny, perhaps already written in the stars.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GPM EDIZIONI
• Release date: Sep 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9791220849661

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Frank Fisher

The hidden realms of

Belisaver

Part 1

The Dance of the Virtues

GDS EDITOR

Frank Fisher The Hidden Realms of Belisaver - The Dance of the Virtues - part 1 ©GDS Publisher

GDS EDITOR

by Iolanda Massa

Via Pozzo, 34

20069 Vaprio d'Adda (MI)

This novel is the result of the author's imagination. Any reference to facts, people, things and/or places really existing and/or existed is purely coincidental.

Interior illustrations by ©Nina Goloenko

Cover image by©Nina Goloenko

Cover design by ©iolanda Massa

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Act I

Adventure in the Realm of Light

Prologue

The legend of the ancient kingdom

Hello, let me introduce myself, my name is Esperil and I am what you would commonly­ call a magician. For some I'm just an old­ charlatan, for others a poor lunatic, while others consider me the bearer of great virtues­, first of all the gift of healing ­and they even attribute me the ­ability to foresee ­the future. So who or what am I, you will say, perhaps ­you will ask yourself, if you don't know me yet­, why people have such disparate opinions about me.

Well, I tell you that such a thing is not of the slightest importance­, each of us possesses within himself be­ nignificant forces and ­ligneous forces. What makes the difference is the different weight that good and evil have­ on the scales; these subtle balances are within each of us, they apply to those who judge and those who are judged. The ­most important thing is that I am ­here now, not as a magician (or whatever I am) but as a humble narrator­, and the story I am about ­to ­tell you is about this, my friends, about the subtle difference ­that exists between good and evil within the human soul­, and about the much less subtle difference ­that makes a man choose ­one path instead of the other, light instead of darkness, and go in the ­direction of his own destiny: This is the story ­of Kabel and the seven hidden kingdoms of Belisaver. But every self-respecting story has its own spark ­that triggers it ­by setting off a ­firestorm of events destined to upset ­the lives of many.

In our case, this­ spark is to be found within a legend, the most ancestral among those­ handed down in our land; the ­so-called legend­ of the ancient kingdom. And in narrating the myth, I shall now begin my work as bearer of memories ­until time can erase the results that ­were, the deeds that are and the consequences that will be.

"There are things lost in the oblivion of the cosmos, absolutely out of reach­ of the human imagination. There are ­things whose arcane powers can subjugate­ ­the human mind at lightning speed­ and enslave it. There are things so profoundly evil­­ and so intimately good that they can ­shake the very will of creation. There are ­things that when they come, they never leave you. On a­ ­seemingly placid ­night ­during the sixth and last era of the people of the ­cursors, something appeared in the firmament­, ripped open the sky and nothing has been the same since. The myth murmurs that the ancient inhabitants of the kingdom of Belisa­ ver that night heard a thunderous roar­, not even remotely­ comparable­ to what they had heard up to that point in their lives. The firmamen­ t not ­turn illuminated to day, a bright sphere but of inde ­finibi­ le color appeared from east and of spell seemed to­ detach in seven fragments. One of them fell into the sea near the coast, another one ­on the ground formed a volcano, the other five fragments­ sank into the bowels of the earth. But ­in spite of the three-month impacts­ there was no ­earthquake, no earthquake­, no hurricane, no­ tidal wave, no nothing. Whispers the myth that half of the inhabitants of the kingdom closed themselves in their homes in terror, the other half instead seemed to be prey­a sort of collective delirium and as if driven by an invisible, ­as ­mysterious and inexorable ­will, ­went towards the places where the fragments of the celestial body had landed, but of all those ­who that night left ­their villages, no one returned ­home. The myth whispers that each of them ­was captured by that arcane will and remained in some mysterious place­, formed near the impacts­, to build new villages­. The myth howls in the wind that from that night a ­new era dawned: the era of the hidden kingdoms ­of Belisaver; Riolais the kingdom of ­light, Re ­gnet the kingdom of fire, Rioghir the kingdom of ice, Aontu ­sce the kingdom of water, Rioncre the kingdom of earth, Riodenna the kingdom of dust and finally Riondord the kingdom of darkness.

This was the epic legend of the ancient kingdom, the essential­ requirement­ to enter more intimately into our history­. Something was changing in the bowels of the earth, in the depths of the sea and even up there in the air, above the clouds. At that time there could have been only one person capable of understanding, even if only in a small way, the importance of the event that had just taken­place and the gravity of the changes it would have led to, but this person, as we will see later on, still lacked ­something, a tangible sign that would push him to dive into the depths of ­the mystery and explore its deepest anxieties. ­

That person was the magician Monde­ lar, the founder of my ­order, the one of the magicians of Goraz, and that sign ­would manifest itself ­very ­soon.

Chapter 1

The invasion of the troops of Riondord

And after the necessary preamble we can begin once and­ for ­all our journey through the story, which takes place during the third era of the Second Dynasty and more specifically­ during the reign of King Zorev ­III, undisputed ruler of the entire Belisaver kingdom. King Zorev was old­ and wise, but with his age, besides the white hairs in his beard, something else was ­growing in him. It was something indefinable and strange­, as if ancient fears hidden for years in the folds of time were overbearingly­ coming back to the surface. Zorev III lived in the city of Enselit, capital of the kingdom of Belisaver and his home was the great castle that overlooked the city itself. From the high tower his sight could­ go as far as­ the horizon and even now that fatigue oppressed his body, pressed his mind and darkened his heart, not a day went by when he didn't go up there to observe the splendor of his kingdom.

Over the last few days­, as he ­laboriously turned his gaze toward the horizon that had long been a harbinger of hope­, his ancient and now battered warrior's heart suggested that threatening shadows were­ gathering over his kingdom. ­Confused news arrived at court, they spoke of­ potential hotbeds of revolt among the peasants who had always loved him and had sworn eternal loyalty to him, but it was above all another aspect that ­alarmed him and made ­him restless in those days, that is the ­news that many of his soldiers were deserting in all corners of the kingdom. Disturbed by this, he had sent his trusted advisor ­King Defesius to verify the truth of these rumors. It had already been ­a month since Defesius' departure ­when finally­, ­­one spring morning, the old sovereign climbed to the top of the tower and ­saw­ a man in the distance riding at ­­full speed towards the ­city. ­A great frenzy took hold of him, and forgetting all his cares, ­he rushed down the steep steps of ­the tower in no time at all, with the clear ­intention of meeting him.

Upon reaching the doorway he exclaimed... "Pre ­sto open the doors Defe ­sius is back! ». Ordered the king.

Yes Your Majesty, at once! , the guards replied in unison.

The por­ tion was ­launched and Defesius appeared ­as if he was standing ­on the edge of his ­seat.

My faithful Defesius at last, what news do you bring­? the king asked anxiously. ­

Unfortunately, my lord, I cannot ­lift your heart as I would wish. ­During my wanderings through the lands of Be ­lisaver I have seen small­ men­ running­ wild­ as waves, waves ready to break upon us soon, my king, but I would prefer to confer without­certain matters, replied the councilor laconically.

Agreed De­ fesius follow me to the consi­glio room, my heart yearns and te ­me to rece ­pire the meaning of your rac ­account.

So they went to the great hall of the ­council and Defesius, not without some hesitation, began to speak­ in front of the king's more and more worried look­: Your Majesty, what I have to ­report­ has been poisoning my heart and my mind for days, but it is my specific­duty as a counselor to be frank even if it pains me.

Come on, don't hesitate any longer and don't let the anxiety creep up­on me again, tell me what's going on ­in my kingdom ­then! the ­ruler urged him, showing the first ­signs of impatience.

"I will, Your Majesty! I have wandered far­ and wide, and I must say from the outset­ that I have not yet been able to determine with certainty what is going to happen, but I can say beyond all reasonable doubt that ­evil is troubling ­the hearts ­of ­your ­people. For the first time since you have been on the throne, ­the people are feeling ­­unhappy and hatching resolutions of rebellion, something indefinably ­­­evil ­is in the air and seems to ­be happening not far from here, to the northwest.

Why do you say it lurks in the northwest? You have to tell me everything De ­fe ­sius!.

  De­ Fesius, who notoriously never lost his temper, turned on his heel­­ and looked out the window of the council chamber, staring­ into the void. Notwithstanding ­his young age, not entirely certain but in any case between thirty and forty, his wisdom combined with his shrewdness were qualities known to all. Even his appearance­unusual for a councilor, he was tall and mu cular ­with long straight hair, ­his expression was severe and ­his aquiline nose and his ­sharp gaze often put his interlocutors in awe. ­

But that day he didn't seem to be­­ his usual Defesius self, his proverbial­­ confidence seemed to be ­lacking, it wasn't fear, not at all, but for the first time in his life he gave the idea of being afraid of what was going to­happen ­soon. Finally ­he looked away from the void, took a deep breath and started ­talking again­. ­­

Many soldiers are leaving­, many of the kingdom's subjects ­from all ­walks of life and from the most ­varied ­occupations are leaving­ their homes and lands, merchants­ are arriving in droves from the lands beyond­ the sea and are landing en masse on the west coast near Vindamor. There is great excitement and the only common factor is that everyone is ­apparently heading in the same ­direction.

What direction­ Defesius? Don't keep me on my toes! the monar­ca urged.

To the forbidden lands my king.

The old sovereign paled and seemed­more tired than alone­, so he sat down in a chair with indefinable feelings­­.

"Like the forbidden lands? No ­one has dared set foot there for an im ­memorable long time ­and now you are telling me­ that they are not only going­ to slaughter­ each other but that ­they are even defying the sacred laws of Be­ lisaver by going to­ the forbidden lands. What infamous plot of destruction­ is­ behind the ministry of­ these days? Into what tragic whirlpool is destiny dragging­ my kingdom? What remains of what was my dynasty? Only ­shame and disgrace, but I refuse to accept ­such a fate! This was ­Zorev's inevitably bitter and sorrowful ­comment.

And indeed it is not to be accepted my king, ­we must ­react on ­bito!.

The king made to jump up­ but the sole of his right shoe ­came off­causing ­him to fall ­on Defesius who turned to him with evident ­apprehension. ­

Your Majesty is­you okay?!

­See, this is another pre­ sage of doom­, replied the elderly king with a lace­of resignation.

And then I think ­I know who we have to turn to­!. The raven-haired advisor said impetuously­.

Who are you alluding to? His king asked him with a mixture of curiosity­and hope.

To the mightiest magician in the kingdom, he whose services have already been­offered many times.­

Esperil, it's true! How could I not have thought of this before? Send someone to look for him at once, get ­him here as soon as possible! urged Zo ­rev third at that point with renewed vigor.

I will give of ­immediate disposition on this matter.

And so it was that Defesius sent messages­search of me, my time to ­get ­involved had come, fate was calling ­and I had a sense of it.

So while the pawns began to ­move­­, I, in my home, deep in the caves of Otomn, was consulting the ­sacred stones, it was clear to me that evil ­was taking over ­and ­I waited for the call of­­ King Zorev. Defesius knew where my refuge was, the caves would be ­the first place they would come to look for me and so it was. A couple of ­messengers in tights, all dressed up with the palace insignia, summoned me to the court and after a half-day journey on horseback I arrived at King Zorev's castle with a soul full of bad omens.

Hope was fading fast in the west, like the sun behind the mountains on a cold winter's day, and with it the human heart­, supplanted by fear as light gives way to darkness, but there was still­ something that could not be stopped, the heartbeat of the righteous in their chests, and as long as it was there could ­still be a dawn of hope. ­I finally arrived at the presence of the elderly ­ruler.

Greetings wise Zorev, an old friend has come here before you to ­pay his respects and to try to find a ray of hope in this time that seems to plunge straight into the heart of darkness.

Greetings to you my friend, faithful companion of many ancient battles­, it's been a long time since we've seen each other and the Zorev that ­you once knew seems to be fading away day after day. I feel my strength ­failing me and I fear the moment when I will have to leave my place on the throne, my dynasty is broken and in times of such gloomy omens we would need a leader full of vigor­.

 But there is your nephew Boras, son of your sister, he is young and strong and is a guide ­cares for Beli­saver troops, said I in an attempt to co­ray him.

Gio ­vane and strong he certainly is, but Boras lacks a fundamental quality­to be king, especially in such dark times.

What are you referring to, my old­friend?, I ­­­asked him.

"To wisdom. My dear son­ Boras does not have ­enough to succeed to my throne, and as­ for being a safe leader for my army­, I doubt that too. I imagine that you are aware of the large number of desertions that my deployments are undergoing­; he is also to blame for that.

­ But my lord, what is happening­­ seems to be ­governed by an invisible­­ hand of darkness ­that guides the men­­ like puppets­. Boras is not to blame, on the contrary, thanks to his charisma, many soldiers are ­still loyal to ­him and to you as well was the comment of the shrewd ­advisor.

­"Once again the wise ­Defesius has not spoken out of ­turn­, we must trust Boras. ­However, ­we must ­not delay­­ any longer, ­we must immediately go to the dungeons of ­the castle and more precisely to the well of the lost souls, I must ­perform a dangerous ritual but that is ­indispensable to try to peer beyond the curtain of smoke created by the last strange accidents­".

As you wish Esperil, let us go to the well immediately if you really feel it is necessary.

So the undersigned, King Zorev and De­ fesius went towards the dungeon. The castle of Belisaver was known not only for its great and very high central tower, but also for its particular shape. It was in fact made in a star shape and to go to the dungeons the entrance was situated at the top, the one facing north.  We passed from the west wing through a corridor with large windows and bare walls, then down three flights of stairs that bordered on emptiness, then­we took the deep spiral staircase. In the middle of this staircase was the access to the dungeon of the castle, at the end of which we reached a large dark cave and at the bottom of it we could see a small glow in the dark. Getting closer to ­it here is that you could ­finally see the well, it was a small circular cavity of about one meter in diameter, it was impossible to determine the exact depth because of the ­intense­ light ­that came from inside. It had been discovered by chance because of a collapse during the construction of the dungeon and the magicians of the order of Goraz, my predecessors, had immediately understood its extraordinary qualities. Immersing oneself ­in the light inside the well, one could open one's mind and get answers to questions of extreme ­importance as well as difficult to understand. However, this attempt could cost ­a very high price. Those who plunged into the well ­risked madness and only a magician with deep knowledge of the occult could try ­the risky enterprise having some chance of not losing his ­mind.

For the undersigned­ it would have been the first and perhaps the last time that I would have tried my hand at abseiling into the well of lost souls, but I felt within myself that even though it was a very high ­I had to take­­it. It was said that inside the well lay the souls of those who, on the ­fateful night of the creation of the hidden realms, had taken their own lives in a fit of madness because of what their eyes ­had seen, and that their souls, without peace, had begun to ­wander the realm of ­Belisaver. According ­to the tradition that has been handed down for centuries among the members ­of my magical order, it was the ­very tempting magician Mon ­delar, a direct disciple of Goraz, who discovered the cavern with the shaft of light after the aforementioned collapse ­and who captured the lost souls and then confined them in the deep cavity, and it was for this reason alone that ­the magicians of my order could ­dare to attempt his potentially ­fatal descent. Subsequently, ­above that cave ­would rise the castle of the kings of Belisaver­.

And so I prepared myself to confront ­an unknown force, knowing in­ part thanks to the stories of my deans, what I was going to ­encounter. I took off my clothes, my ­pointed hair and also my tunic, ­both red, which is considered a sacred color by the order of Goraz, and with them I had to deliver to De­ fesius also Levantir, my magic staff, since no foreign body could be kept during the immersion in the well.

Here Defesius, I hand you my hat, the sacred tunic, and my ba ­stone Levantir; nothing beyond my per ­sona am I ­allowed to take with me.

But as Esperil, do you want to descend into the well of lost souls without even­your ­Levantir staff? That would be madness!

No foolishness my good Defesius, my destiny awaits me at the bottom of that well and the strength to face it head-on lies only within me and nes­sun magical object will serve the ­purpose ... indeed one does.

 And what master Esperil?

At the question of De­ fesius I took my bag of magic arts­ and extracted from it an object of great value in ­trinseco.

"This Defesius object is­ Calebar's cliché­, turn it around when I get­ into the well­ and only after the last grain­ of sand has fallen do you pull the Levantir over the­top of the well, making sure it doesn'­t fall in, it must just ­­rest on it, ­weighing between one end and the other.

It shall be done my friend! The elderly ruler then exclaimed, and so­ I descended into the pit of lost souls while King Zorev turned the sacred hourglass of Ca ­le ­bar.

I was totally immersed in the light of the well, the first sensation­ was that­ of losing track of time and space, I could only see a ­very intense light but at the same time it was ­not acute­ and, despite the fame of the ­place, I felt a sense of wellbeing that left me stunned. Gradually, ­however, something seemed to­ change within my perceptual sphere, anguish took over, which is a well-known harbinger of misfortune, and then immediately ­after a ­strange sensation that I had never felt before that I would not know how else to ­define except with the expression disharmony of my sacred vital space, I felt in every place and in no one and every ­feeling was at the same time evident and indefinable within me.

Suddenly­, in the monotony of the breathless beam of light, ­some bluish flashes appeared; those flashes were the souls of the lost. One of those souls came towards me, I found myself immersed in it and as if by magic ­a horrible ­vision came to me. It was then that I understood everything, the time had come and the prophecy of Mon ­delar, the ­ancient master of the ancient ma ­ghi, was about to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, outside the hourglass ­had­ finished its flow, Zorev ­caught ­it and Defesius pulled the Levantir over the well being very ­careful to execute my instructions and ­so it was.

I woke up a couple of hours later in one of the rooms of the castle­, my body ­was numb but my mind was finally ­clear, the test of the well of lost souls had been ­passed.

Your Majesty, the wizard has awakened­, said a guard, arousing the king's attention.

Esperil! Esperil my friend, can you hear me? called Zorev III.

Yes my king, I hear you and see you as well as now my heart and mind feel and see the light of truth and it is a light alas imbued with darkness. But now we have with us the strength of understanding and that will help pull­us out of the ­everlasting darkness ­that dwarfs ­me ­all of us.

Tell us everything, Esperil, don't keep ­us in suspense, make us ­aware of your vision! was Defesius' request with understandable apprehension­­.

What did you see Esperil? What is the true nature of the threat hanging over us? King Zorev echoed him ­further in anxiety.

My soul began to stare at the light­ that filtered ­through the window and illuminated the­ room, then I stared at Defesius and the king who were trembling at the foot of the bed, after which I took a deep breath and ­began to ­tell them what I had learned ­during my descent into the abyss ­called the pit of lost souls.

At first I found myself only ine ­briated by the light, ­very intense but at the same time not ­blinding, I could look into it and it explored into my depths. Then after a time that seemed ­endless, the souls of the lost appeared in the form of blue flashes. One of them came towards­ ­me, I could hear­ ­his voice in my mind, he ­said that during his earthly life­ ­he had been a farmer named Numar and he showed me with clarity­ ­the events ­of that night.

What night? asked the king's trusted advisor promptly.

The one in which the sky seemed to ­spill over the earth, the night nar ­rata ­in the legend of the ancient kingdom.

But it's just a legend precisely my friend, there is nothing real about it, pure fantasy and that's it, retorted the king.

 You don't know my sire how much you are drooling­, what happened that night and what has been handed down to us from ­gene ration to gene­ ration­ ever since is not the result of any sick fantasy, it is the purest and simplest of truths.

What are you trying to imply? That set­ te hidden realms really exist?. That was then the crucial question posed to me by Defesius.

Sure and I'll tell you more, something no inhabitant of the Belisa ­ver or superficial realm is ­aware of.­

  What is the superficialrealm? And what are you talking about? the advisor pressed me again. ­

"Shallow Kingdom is the name by which the inhabitants of the nasco­ sti kingdoms call Belisaver and the thing you ignore is that I when I was still a young man just coming to the end of my ap ­prendistato, I was led by my master Cronosor through all the set ­te kingdoms as per the tradition of our order of Goraz."

"What, you've been to the seven ­hidden realms­? We've known each other for so many years, why didn't you ever ­mention it to me­?" wondered Zorev III loudly­. ­­

Because some things must remain­secret until the moment when it ­becomes impossible to keep them hidden, and that moment is now!

Go on, what else did you see in your vision? urged Defesius anew. ­

Numar showed me the arrival of the celestial body­, I saw it ­break into seven parts­ and from each of them I could see the formation of a microcosm of its ­own. I saw those who were called by the will of the fragments stay dreamed­ and create new kingdoms, new races­ and I also saw that the final part of Mondelar's prophecy is now going to be realized­in our days.

Mondelar? Who was ­he? was the question invariably posed to me by the chief advisor.

The ­founder of my order, the one of the mages of Goraz. I answered him.

And what is the prophecy that is about to come true? ­came the king. ­

The one where it talks about the fall of your kingdom, a fall that will be caused by the invasion of troops from the kingdom of Riondord, the kingdom of darkness.

Frost and a chilling sense of impotence descended on the heart of Zorev III, son of Trampir II and ­direct ­descendant of a noble lineage he feared to bring to ruin. He did not want ­his name to be engraved in ­history as the ­one who had allowed his people to be led down ­the dark path. He sighed­, looked at Defesius and me, and then it was ­silence.

My king how are you, are you feeling ma­le? an alarmed ­­Defesius asked him.

­ But the king didn't answer, he seemed to be ­drained of his lifeblood, almost as if he were bewitched. I got up suddenly from the bed at that ­time and pointed my Levantir magic stick towards ­Zorev's forehead after which I pronounced a formula learned from my master­ ­­Cronosor.

"Look at me Zorev, don't let the darkness envelop your heart, I invoke­ the light for you to ­give birth to hope in it. Light advance­ in the darkness and free the heart of this poor soul "lait pregnant naf eleit, ilbat indaut, venomen liberat, lair quer. When the sacred words were pronounced, a beam of light came out of my Levantir and Zorev was revived.

I had saved the light ­in his heart in time, but it ­would have taken more than that to defeat Riondord's troops. "This time I'm the­ one who ­calls your senses to attention, your people­ still need your wisdom to not lose any chance­victory­.

 " Thank you, my friend, for once ­again saving my life, but I'­m afraid my time has just been shortened­. He replied with gratitude but also with a little anxiety.

 You must not yield, you are the king! the underwriter then prodded him­.

­You must set ­an example for our people as you have always done, now more than ever! Grand Councillor Defesius echoed.

But how can we oppose certain co­ se my good Defe ­sius? Esperil has just revealed to us the real nature of ­the ­ancient ­­legends about the hidden realms and if the myth handed down by ere was telling the truth we have no hope against the power of the kingdom of darkness, I just wonder why they waited so long­to come out.

­Good question my friend, since­­ their birth, the national kingdoms­­ have always­­ lived in perfect balance, respecting ­common rules­­, each one aware of the existence of the others but without interfering with each other and even less with the ­superficial­ kingdom of ­Belisaver. Something now must have broken this balance and the seven scepters are no longer in harmony with each other.

The seven scepters? What's all this about the seven scepters now? wondered­ an increasingly astonished Defesius.

When the celestial body that ripped the sky was divided into seven parts, from each of them, as said, sprung one of the hidden kingdoms, of the origi­ nal fragments soon nothing remained except the seven scepters, exactly one for each of them. It was the power of the scepters that allowed those who were chosen by fate to reign over the seven ­hidden kingdoms to create a lineage. The seven scepters used individually have limited power, but used together they ­become ­devastating. Whoever tried to ­use the power of his own scepter against the other kingdoms would have lost all the powers of the scepter because the balance between the various kingdoms cannot be disturbed­.

So if Riondord is going to attack­ us, does that mean they've re ­nunced the power of their scepter?! perti­nently asked Belisaver's so ­vrano.

 "Or more ­likely that they have found a way to use­ their power together­. Since a new king has ascended the throne, the kingdom of darkness has become even more aggressive, and now it must have decided it was time to act. At ­this point, all we have to do is organize a strong ­defense­. This was my ­immediate response­.

What do you recommend we do? ­Enselit's ­grand ­­conseiller­ inevitably asked, ­turning to ­yours truly.

"When you leave the kingdom of ­Tenebra the shortest way to get here is through the mountains and to be ­precise through the Pavadula pass­. We ­dream to call Boras and tell him to ­immediately round up all available troops and bring them to the pass­, to the walls of Cestar, trying to ­defend them as long as possible".

But the defenses of Cestar's walls ­will not ­be able to hold up forever!. exclaimed the ­Beli-Saverian­ monarch with perplexed concern.

The important thing is that they hold up enough ­room for me to take action.

Act in what way? Do you have a plan yet?, Defesius pressed.

Yes the only possible plan, go to all the hidden realms and gather the seven scepters, only then can we save our­world!.

What? But it's going to be a ­hopeful venture and we're going to have to divide­re the troops to accompany you and....

I don't want any troops with me my ­king, I don't need any soldiers for this kind of mission, send them all with Boras to the walls of Cestar. It will be enough for me to identify my apprentice­­to succeed me.

And who would such a chosen one be? A curious Defe­sius asked himself.

"A valiant young man still unaware of­ the fate that awaits him­! But now, hurry, time is short, let the army leave on­ its own. For my part, I will immediately begin­ my mission by going to my favorite pupil Kabel".

Is the help of an inexperienced boy really so indispensable­to you in a mission that promises to be so desperate­? said the king, expressing in this way his p

erplexity.

His role in this sto ­ria will be critical, only he can give us any hope of victory, so it is written in Mon­delar's prophecy and so it must be.

So be it then! I trust you Esperil as much as I trust myself, maybe ­even more, and if you are convinced of that, I will strive to be as well, the old monarch replied and then added... "Defesius go and call Boras, give orders to the troops to ­prepare for war!

So, King Zorev the third ruled, at which point I took care to cast a powerful spell ­to ­protect the ancient walls of Enselit, after which I had no choice but to take my leave of my two interlocutors ­and leave.

So, while I was leaving the castle of Zorev in search of my disciple, Boras, the king's nephew, was leaving with the bulk of Belisaver's army stationed in the capital to the walls of Cestar. This fortification ­was situated near the ­pass of Pavadula in the middle of the mountain range ­to the west of the city of Enselit, capital of the Belisaver kingdom and exactly halfway between the king's castle and the access point to the hidden kingdom of darkness of Riondord. However, not trusting King Zorev to his nephew Boras, he put his trusty Defe ­sius at his side with the task of ­explaining to him what was happening and ­also ­to ­make sure that the young ­commander in chief of the army did not lose his ­head in front of the difficult ­situation that was ­developing. And the wise Defesius knew well how to ­instill confidence in others.

Tell me Defesius, did my uncle send you to con ­troll ­me because he doesn't trust me ve ­ro? the king's nephew asked immediately ­after the departure of the ­column of soldiers of ­which the two were the ­leaders.

"You mustn't think badly of your uncle Bo­ ras, he is old and tired and the last thing he expected was to­ face­ such a danger. Esperil told us to send you off­ with our army and to avoid wasting precious time, Zo ­rev sent me with you to inform you of everything we know and that's exactly­what I did just now.

Yes of course, but it is precisely because you have just explained everything to me and you are still here riding ­by my side that I am more and more convinced that the king does not trust me.

Don't confuse the reality Boras, King Zorev's is not low confidence in you but perhaps more simpl ly ­­too much confidence in me.

 I don't know what the king sees in you, De­ Fesius, but I warn you of one thing: when­ we are at the walls of Cestar, if ­­there should be an attack, don't interfere with me. Remember that I am the leader and I have the command of the army of Be ­lisaver but above all remember that I am the designated heir to the throne, not you!.

I know well Boras, I know be­ne, I am ­only here to offer you wise ­counsel.

So I'll tell you what, I don't have any need for your sag ­gi consi les.­

The tension between Boras and Defesius was getting higher and higher and this was certainly not helping the troops.

In the meantime, I spurred my mount southwest, heading for the village of Bereville and while I still­ had many hours of travel ahead of me, the army led by Boras and Defesius arrived in the early afternoon at the valley of­ Pavadula and took up position on the walls of Cestar. At the approach of sunset Boras began to show the first signs of impatience.

So De­ fesius how long­ are we all going to stand here on the walls scanning the horizon? Based only on rumors you've heard around ­!

It's not hearsay, I've gathered a lot of­ evidence that a huge army was gathering ­west of here, in the valley beyond the mountains, and Esperil, consulting his magic stones, confirmed it, replied the Belisaver's trusted advisor, a bit indignant. ­

­I don't believe in magic and even ­­if it is true, which I highly doubt­­, who is to ­say that the attack is really imminent?  It could take days, months or ­even years without counting­ ­the possibility­ ­that they might­ ­take another route.

­"If Esperil took the risk of ­descending into the pit of lost ­souls­­, it wasn't for nothing­; the knowledge he gained ­from that experience ­allowed him ­to understand that the attack would happen within hours.

I marvel at your gullibility Defesius and you sa ­remain the king's pre ­wounded con ­sigliere? Po ­vera Belisaver!

Alert, there's movement­ at the edge of the woods! suddenly shouted one of the ­sentries.

  And at that very moment, as­ the sun was setting, a ­column of soldiers emerged from the ­path coming from the pass, and not only from the path­, but from both ­sides of the wood, an infinite number of warriors ­came out into the ­hard ­wood, all ­dressed in black armor that made them­ look even more threatening. Bo­ ras turned pale and all of a sudden his haughtiness ­seemed to disappear.

"Boras what are you doing standing there? Say something to your ­men, give orders for ­defense!!! ».

Defesius shouted at him, trying not to lose control, but Boras seemed to ­be paralyzed by terror and was no longer able to respond, ­literally in a state of panic. Defesius looked at the banners of the army that was ­gathering in the clearing below­ and said ­what I had told him when we met­ at the castle­, that he would recognize the army of Riondord by the black flags with the effigy of a white scythe. Seeing ­those banners, he no longer had any doubts about the identity of the enemy­, and seeing ­Boras' hesitation, he decided to ­take ­charge of ­the situation as Zorev had asked him to do in case of need.

Soldiers prepare for the clash, archers in position! the chief advisor of Enselit said at the­ time, giving ­dispositions to the soldiers, and then turned his attention back to the grandson of Zorev III.

Boras, by the ancient realm try to shake yourself and make your where ­king! she then shouted to him, at the same time beginning to ­fear that she had perhaps overestimated ­him.

Yes... I, yes Defesius­, no, no I can't, I don't feel able, I can't­ ­­do it. Babbled a­ ­hesitant Boras­. ­­

Of course you can do it, what a discor­ si they are, get a move on and command your army! said Defesius then in an attempt to shake him.

  But it was at that very moment that three men on horseback broke away from the rest of the dark army­and went ­under the walls as if to ­complain, at which point the one in the middle exclaimed... "Hey you up there, who's at the ­command?

Tell me, my name is Defe­ sius and I am the advisor to King Zorev III, absolute ruler of the reign of Beli ­­saver and who are you­?.

My name is Jorkain and I am the ruler­ of the kingdom of darkness of Rion­ dord, the most powerful of the so-called hidden kingdoms. The one on my right is my lieutenant­Grisor and the one on my left ­is the wizard Zostar, my trusted co-worker.­­

What drove you out of your­ centuries-old isolation to lead an army into the heart of our territo ry! ­

Simply because the time has come to reclaim the throne of Beli ­saver, my people have finished ­living in indifference and deprivation, destiny will reserve us only glory and honor from now on never again suffering replied ­at that point the disturbing riondardian ­mo ­narca.

If you lived in isolation, it was your own choice and­no one would prevent you from living among us,­ Defesius replied.

"You know nothing about us, you know nothing of our history, nor do you know the arcane powers and balances that ­determine the existence of the ­hidden ­kingdoms since the night of their creation­. It was ­instead the rejoinder of an arrogant Jorkain.

No, you say right Jorkain, I don't ­know them and I don't even care to ­know them but one thing is certain, we will defend our people to the last drop of blood!.

So be it Defesius, if this is what you want­ this is what you will get­, this night your blood will bathe these walls and be one with the tips of our swords and spears, this­night you will be wiped out...word of King Jorkain.

Having spoken these words, the ruler of­ Riondord and his feudal­ allies turned their ­mounts and returned to­ the head of their army ready for battle.

The last light of day illuminating­ Jorkain's face made him­ look­ even more sinister, a face that seemed­ ­like many if it hadn't been for a ­conspicuous scar on his left cheek ­placed right under his eye. His hair ­was black, short and a bit shaggy, but what literally made ­the blood run ­cold ­in his veins was his ­gaze, with those dark and ­deep yet almost expressionless ­eyes­ that could only convey infinite ferocity and evil. The shadows of the night were falling, the attack was imminent, the ­thousands of torches lit in the clearing seemed like a single­ great flame ready to set fire to the walls of Cestar and its defenders, and nervousness was beginning to show­in the ranks of the men commanded by Boras.

I was still a long way from Bereville but my heart was restless­and told me ­that something was about to happen, I feared that Bo ­ras would not be ­up to the task and I trusted in the virtues of De ­fesius who was actually ­doing ­everything possible to orga ­­nize the di ­fesa as best he could.

Get up Boras, your po­ sto is standing here. You must make your soldiers see you, set an example show co ­ray to the troops and restore strength to their hearts.

You are deluded Defesius, how can I give them strength if I don't believe in victory, have you seen how many are our­enemies? ­They must be at least ten ­thousand and we are little more than six hundred!.

I know Boras but our job is to hold out as long­ as we can to give our people hope, Esperil will take care of the rest.

"Again­ this story of Esperil! If that old­ charlatan had wanted to give us a hand, he should have come with us to do­ some magic against the enemy army, but instead he got on his deerstalker and took off. ­

Esperil has not escaped, I have already explained to you that his mission is fundamental­, his search is our only foothold, having him here would have ­been useless while it is ­our duty to ­give him as much time as possible to give him precious ­time­, he who was at the head of the supreme council of ­En ­selit again pointed out.