MAGICAL MISSIONS – THE NEW CHOSEN ONES

By Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Perez

In the mystical world of Multiria, an evil and powerful entity, known as Rogius, threatens the peace of the kingdoms, which is already fragile. For this task, a young warrior princess, called Tina of Sirigia, a kingdom inhabited by breeds of half-humans, half-demons, is tasked to defeat Rogius and his army of darkness, with an ancient weapon called the Sun Sword. On her travels, she will be with her childhood friend, Cezanne of Terrania, and a disgraced noble, Rodion Dragao, and together, they will travel all over Multiria, gathering friends and reuniting the next generation of warriors and protectors of Multiria – The New Chosen Ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Nov 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798369493939

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Copyright © 2023 by Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Perez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 04/10/2024

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CONTENTS

PART 1

Chapter 1:Prologue: A New Beginning

Chapter 2:The Beginning of a Girl’s Journey

Chapter 3:Nova and the Sirigian Forest

Chapter 4:The Limbo Girl

Chapter 5:Cézanne of Terrania

Chapter 6:Some beautiful Sirigian letters to inspire The One with the Amethyst Eyes

Chapter 7:Rodion Dragao and what remains of Skildvandieberge

Chapter 8:Tina’s Counterattack

Chapter 8.5:The Glimpse of the Scorpions

Chapter 9:Daphne and the Test of the God Taurus

Chapter 10:The Valley of the Golden Dragons, and the Subrace

Chapter 11:Sarah, Her Family, and the Kingdom of Tempanopolis

Chapter 12:Reunion

Chapter 13:Sarah XXV

Chapter 14:The Decisions of Persephone and the Arrival of Robyn

Chapter 15:Lady Elina of Coralia

Chapter 16:Tina vs. Lady Elina: Water Duel

Chapter 17:Water Duel 2: A New Pride

Chapter 18:Water Saves Fire

Chapter 19:Wallace V.

Chapter 20:The Dreadful Aura of the Generalissimo

Chapter 21:Araknos Attacks some Hopeless Warriors

Chapter 22:Recoveries and Revelations At the Kingdom of Repticus

Chapter 23:The Infinity Caves And The Invasion of Repticus

Chapter 24:The Return Home Moments of Knowledge and Decision

Chapter 25:Revelations Moments of Love, Intimacy and Confessions

PART 2

Chapter 26:The Battle of the Wallace

Chapter 27:Repticus… has Fallen

Chapter 28:Susana & Marina, two twins

Chapter 29:Happy reunion: The importance and revival of hope

Chapter 30:The difficult battle to reach The mountains of Sirva

Chapter 31:Karfkol Glumbearl, a.k.a. Cole, The Champion of the Sirigian Diaspora

Chapter 32:The Enhancement of the Bonds

Chapter 33:The Old Engraving, and The Battle against Samfro

Chapter 34:Skadu Spinnekop: The Relentless Queen of Araknos

Chapter 35:Welcome to the Kingdom of Ispes!!

Chapter 36:Blossom of Feelings in The Beach of Ispes

Chapter 37:A Night of Love Making and A Cauldron Festival

Chapter 38:Limbus’s Revenge

Chapter 39:An Exiled Princess And a Revelation

Chapter 40:The Bottomless Temple

Chapter 41:Nova and the Golem

Chapter 42:Winged Panthers

Chapter 43:The Flames of Evil

Chapter 44:The Manticore’s Challenge

Chapter 45:The New Chosen Ones

Epilogue

Inspired by The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien,

the national epics, and in general the cultural poems of greatness.

For my family

PART 1

CHAPTER 1

PROLOGUE: A NEW BEGINNING

I n the World… In every possible, imaginable world, there are many stories that deal with trips or epic and fantastic adventures, where each of its characters, protagonists, or secondary, play a different role or even has some relationship with another. Well, the following is both a travel and adventure story unlike any other, with several characters that have many personalities and profiles, and I’ll be the one to narrate it from now on.

In a beautiful world called Multiria, with so many kingdoms, so many legacies, so many races, and so many stories to share.

Lord Ellios of Sirigia was one of the most respectable warrior lords of this world parallel to ours called Multiria (I won’t tell you why), a world where magic and science were opposing forces, where families, whether rich or poor, were capable of forming strong and brave warriors regardless of their age. Ellios, who was a descendant of a very ancient lineage, possessed magical powers that served him both in his mandate and in his adventures. Ellios was also a member of a race of half-human, half-demon beings, called Sirigians.

From a very young age, he was trained in Sirigian magic more than in anything else, one special type of magic that combined dark magic with some living forbidden magic at the service of the wielder, one which includes telepathy, telekinesis, shadow manipulation and dark lightning. It was never easy for him to obtain his current position, just like it is never easy for any other of his peers to master it. But then he acquired great skill and prowess in both magic and combat. By the time he was sixteen, he had finished his training and was ready to do various jobs that would become the most difficult of his life. Now that I think about it, I could be a warrior too, but fate always wants everything to be its way.

The person designated to train Lord Ellios was an immortal wizard who had served his lineage for generations. That wizard’s name was Adriano, whose power was so colossal that he could conquer the universe with it. Adriano was a supreme magician, an exclusive position in Multiria that gave humans (here in Multiria, astral beings) immortality and spectacular powers that very few people possess, although I still don’t believe it; of course Adriano was not the only one. There were also other supreme magicians in all of Multiria who dominated magic and wisdom beyond any limit. There was at least one that passed through all the kingdoms, appointed by the Gods of Multiria, but Adriano became some sort of leader since he was the most powerful; due to his special abilities, the gods and the lord of Sirigia chose him to be the mentor of Ellios and the following generations of Sirigia, but do not confuse them with the gods of our earth. They are always the ones of Multiria, those who cooperated so that the kingdoms of Multiria were created, from the ancient nomadic tribes.

Of course, Ellios was never alone in his adventures. He had the help of many brave, relentless warriors, of all the kingdoms, Coralia, Terrania, Tempanopolis, Repticus, Supremia, Ispes, Hizendia and Freyjheim among others. However, one of them was a descendant of a lineage that had taken care of his family. The name of that lineage was Wallace (I like his name; I love him). The one who took care of Ellios at that time was the fourth generation: Wallace IV. Together they had gone through difficult trials and, above all, through moments of joy. They always fought together and always defeated any enemy. Their teamwork was what allowed them to overcome all obstacles, although there was an opponent powerful enough to defeat not only Adriano but also the gods. His name was Rogius. Remember that no matter how powerful someone is, there will always be someone better. Always someone superior! For better or worse A premium rule of Multiria!

This sorcerer was an expert in black magic, necromancy and other dark arts, what they call ‘a dark being’. He had his followers, all from a dark, disgraced race, pejoratively called the Subrace, violent, savage beasts, all sworn enemies of both the Sirigians and the multirians.

This is a sad reality of Multiria – fiend after fiend, after megalomaniac, after monster, each of them wanting to make multirians suffer for any reason whatsoever, power, vengeance, conquest, of just the mere pleasure of pain.

Nonetheless, just as there are perils in Multiria, constantly endangering its habitants, there are great heroes, willing to give their lives to protect it. And both Ellios and Wallace IV were two of them.

For no apparent reason, his followers made everyone who fought against their teacher suffer; Ellios and Wallace IV, along with many brave warriors, including Sarah, the ice queen, fought against Rogius many years ago, but their efforts were in vain. Rogius was a very strong foe, one with a strong conviction; in fact, in their penultimate battle, Ellios and Wallace IV fought with all their might, and despite this, they were defeated. Although they were very lucky because they were able to escape, the battle left them dying—sorry, exhausted! They had another plan: with the help of the supreme magician Adriano, they went to see the gods, who were the first to hear their plan and approved it, but on the condition that it be under Adriano’s responsibility because there was no way he was going to designate me.

The plan was to use a seal to imprison Rogius and thus end his regime once and for all. That seal will be empower by one of the most powerful weapons of Sirigia – the all-powerful Sun Sword. Despite being a dangerous plan, they had no way out; if they wanted to beat this sorcerer, they had to put it into practice, or else both time and space of Multiria would be destroyed, including this narrator.

Spooky! I couldn’t die! I still have a long story to share with you, my beloved reader.

When Ellios, Wallace IV, and Rogius met, they had a long battle that, as in the previous one, was about to kill both Ellios and Wallace. The plan was successful, but as time passed, the two friends separated and never met again. Nevertheless, they were considered heroes by the world, although Ellios confessed that this honour was too much for him (then I receive it with pleasure).

As the years passed, Ellios became the ruler of his kingdom: Sirigia. Over the years, Ellios had four daughters; and with the birth of the first, he swore never to use his powers to fight any enemy again, only for the good of humanity. Of course! Three of his daughters reached very high positions in Multiria, which allowed their father to his kingdom in a more wonderful way.

CHAPTER 2

THE BEGINNING OF A GIRL’S JOURNEY

I am many things.

I am majesty; I am simplicity. I like the beautiful; I like the ugly. I’m smart; I’m dumb. I am tall; I am short. I have a name; I don’t know my name. I am here; I am not present. Spoke; did not speak. I am curious; I am apathetic. I live here; I live there. I know everything; I know nothing. I think a lot; I think nothing. I feel; I don’t feel. I perceive; I do not perceive. I do things; I don’t do things. I’m pretty; I’m ugly (but I prefer pretty). I am talkative; I am quiet. I am noise; I am silence. I am thought; I am reality. I am one; I am all. I am the earth; I am the sky. I am fire; I am water. I am the head; I am the feet. I am everything; I am nothing.

But now, I am your narrator, nothing more and nothing less. And I am going to do what I should be doing – Tell a story.

It was the Multirian year 1 BT, that is, Before The Titans.

As I said, Multiria is a world in which many beings with special abilities and inimitable feelings live. There was everything—sea, earth, fire, air, fish, plants, ordinary people, like magicians and swordsmen. Almost all of this world was very worried about the threat of Rogius and his followers from the Subrace. He was willing to conquer Multiria, or so it says. But why? Vengeance? Power? Who knows? So the supreme magician Adriano went to talk to the gods to find a solution to all this.

Adriano met them in the sky. It was a space made up of the sky and the clouds. The man was standing in one of them. He was one of the few who had the power to do that. Anyone else who dared to enter the kingdom of the gods without having a special power could fall and collide with the earth. People like Adriano were excluded from that rule.

The group of gods was made up of approximately 500 gods. Each one had a different function or was in charge of training warriors, who would later become their guardians. Most of them were in heaven, and the rest were in the world; what none of them did was fight against an enemy without first finding out their strength.

Except, perhaps, Mantis, the Goddess of the Warriors of Multiria.

In heaven, they had a long talk.

‘We can’t do anything for Rogius to be defeated,’ said a woman, who had dark-grey hair, that reached the cloud.

‘The warriors we have sent,’ said another god, who looked like a monk, ‘have been defeated by that man.’

‘If this continues,’ added another, ‘the world would fall into an era of darkness that would be impossible for us to stop.’

‘Outrageous. No wonder everyone considers the Subrace a disgrace. ‘Calm down, everyone,’ exclaimed Adriano. ‘I think I have the right person to carry out this important and difficult mission.’ Along with Adriano, there was another god with a peculiar appearance – the head of a ram with big horns, long black wings, and the legs of a goat. Some call this deity the equilibrium of opposites; but in the mystical world of Multiria, he was something else.

He was Baphomet, God of Darkness and tutelary deity of all Sirigians.

‘That?’ asked one of the annoyed gods.

‘Are you sure of what you’re saying?’ continued the goddess with long hair.

‘Yes,’ Adriano answered. ‘She is the daughter of Lord Ellios, the youngest of all.’

‘What nonsense!’ replied another god, who looked like a Viking.

‘You know very well,’ the monk god intervened, ‘that she is only a girl, despite being Ellios’s legitimate daughter.’

The Viking god approached and said, ‘If it were Ágata and Ellios himself, we would understand, but Tina is a girl. She won’t be able to handle this mission. I’ll discard your idea, Adriano!

Immediately, Baphomet took a step forward.

‘Believe me, my fellow gods,’ he replied, ‘she is the best candidate for this, both her father and I believed it, and not just because of her strength, but because of her perseverance. What she lacks in experience, she has it in heart.’

Most of the gods disagreed with what Adriano said, but the blonde-haired goddess looked thoughtful. After much thought, she said the following, ‘Adriano, are you sure that girl will be able to accomplish this mission?’

‘Yes,’ Adriano agreed.

‘So do you. Yes, Lord Baphomet?’

‘Correct’

At that moment, another goddess appeared, purple-haired and covered in white blankets. Her appearance made her look like a goddess of great power and great wisdom.

‘Baphomet.’ she said, ‘You know we can’t let you make that decision like this. That’s why we’re telling you that this will be something against your will.’

‘Against my will?’

‘That’s right,’ replied the goddess. ‘The most recommended thing is that you go see that girl to find out what she thinks.’

‘Okay,’ Baphomet said. ‘I will gladly do what you order me to.’ Immediately, Baphomet started to walk away. ‘Let’s go. Master Adriano.’

‘Yes. Lord Baphomet.’

After that conversation, Master Adriano returned to Multiria to call the blue eagle, an animal that had the appearance of an eagle, but its entire body was blue while its eyes were yellow and its legs were brown. The blue eagle had the ability to find a person no matter how far away he was. Some exceptions were sorcerers capable of mastering all their power, and beasts beyond our comprehension. However, the blue eagle could only communicate telepathically, that is, only mentally.

The blue eagle was what was known in Multiria as a sacred animal, an animal that had certain human qualities, which made them the best friends of some of the inhabitants. In Multiria, there were many types of animals: three of them include normal animals, which were the usual animals, those that possessed the virtues and faculties that they received at birth and that did not have any type of magic (although in some towns they had an amazing veneration), the familiars, who were born from the powerful magic of many sorcerers and individuals with amazing magical power. And then we got the Sacred Animals, which possessed the magical qualities that the blue eagle had; there were dogs, cats, birds, mammals, marsupials, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and even chickens, cows, sheep, and goats! They were everywhere, and like normal animals, they could be adopted as pets; when they were raised as pets, they were very loyal to their owners and were very good friends with each other, but the sacred reptiles were the most aggressive. These were the most faithful to their masters and the best friends. Every time they felt threatened, the sacred reptiles protected them at all times, but they always asked for protection in exchange for their masters. But they all communicated by telepathy, and the majority, as well as the minority, liked to fight to make peace.

One of the blue eagle’s abilities was to change shape. So the blue eagle, which had neither a false nor a true identity, had two forms: one that was the one it used most of the time and the one that was that of a normal animal, but with certain physical changes; the other was a more powerful one, which the animal released along with all its power. These were called first and second forms. The second form of sacred animals used to be varied. In some animals, the form was the same as that of the first form, but larger and with better abilities; in others, it could be a mixture of both animal and human, a plant-animal being, a combination of other animals, or a mythological being; and in other cases, the second form was human with some magical qualities. Whoever found and bred an animal with this second form would receive a really powerful and reliable guardian, but the chance of finding a being with this second form was nil. In fact, there was a minority of that type in Multiria.

The second form of the blue eagle involved being a half bird, half man, with which his powers increased. In terms of his personality, the blue eagle was submissive and also very honoured with his masters, who were Lord Ellios and his family, although he works with Adriano from time to time.

Master Adriano returned to his fortress, where he was received by the blue eagle, which leaned on his shoulder and immediately spoke to him.

‘It’s good that you’re here, Master Adriano!’ the blue eagle exclaimed.

‘Eagle,’ Adriano said, fixing his gaze on the animal, ‘this is the moment. I need you to go to the warrior academy to call Lord Ellios’s youngest daughter.’

‘You mean Mistress Tina?’ asked the eagle.

‘Yes,’ Adriano added. ‘I’m sure you’ve noticed that the sorcerer Rogius is free.’

The eagle stopped and leaned on a table full of magic books and swords. Then it said, ‘Yes, sir, Lord Ellios told me.’

‘Perfect,’ added Adriano. ‘Maybe Tina will like the idea of travelling so she can face Rogius and his wicked followers. Only she can carry out this mission.’

‘And besides,’ the eagle intervened, ‘she likes adventures and travels.’

‘That? Who told you that?’

‘Tina, my lord. Sometimes we meet in the garden of the castle of Sirigia to talk about various things. Having adventures and being brave are her hobbies. She doesn’t stop talking about it. You may not know it, Master, but she considers me her friend.’

‘I see.’ Then Adriano approached a balcony and fixed his gaze on a fortification. ‘Tina is considered by her peers as one of the best fencers in all of Multiria. She still doesn’t have the ability to master the full power of her magic, but using the sword, she is almost an expert. I’m sure she will help us with this task. On the other hand, with this day, you will be able to improve the use of your powers.’

The eagle approached his master. ‘I know her very well,’ added the animal. ‘She admires her father and Wallace IV for their courage and cunning. If she remembers their exploits, she might want to follow in her father’s footsteps.’

‘Maybe you’re right,’ Adriano said. ‘Well . . . go, don’t waste time. Find Tina and ask her to come.’

‘Yes, sir.’ The blue eagle spread his wings and began to flap them; then he began to fly, left the place, and headed to the school where his mistress used to practice fencing and sword fighting.

On his way, the eagle flew and saw the people who worked for the kind Lord Ellios, who swore not to return to his powers to face an enemy again. That’s what the blue eagle thought and felt very disappointed because he was nobody to question the decisions of his teacher.

Sirigia was characterised as a magical kingdom. Some called it the cradle of magic. Most of the inhabitants were wielders of the powerful Sirigian magic, there were mostly two types of Sirigians, the normal Sirigians, and the Sirigians with albinism, who had their already powerful magic enhanced by the full moon; finally, some were farmers, and the rest were warriors, included the beloved monarchs. It had a very large piece of land where people built houses, farms, many castles, and bronze statues. The whole kingdom was surrounded by a great wall, which was an excellent barrier; apart from that, Sirigia was also surrounded by majestic places. Behind her, the sea could be seen because it was so close to the ocean, and in front was the immense Sirigian forest, one of the largest and most beautiful in Multiria.

At last, both arrived at the Sirigian capital – Miyadetaku.

After travelling a long distance, the eagle finally managed to see the place where Tina and the other students were. The Sirigian Academy was a castle full of rooms, gyms, dojos, and towers. The roof was blue and the walls green; the castle was divided into two sections: one where the men trained and the other where the women trained.

There were people from fourteen to twenty years old who trained not only in fencing, but also in magic, archery, unarmed self-defence, and also meditation, which was essential for self-improvement.

The academy was one of the most prestigious youth institutions in Sirigia, where students dedicated themselves to further strengthening their powers and talents; if something wanted to participate in a warmongering practice, it could do so as long as the conditions allowed it. It was a great fortress founded exclusively by Lord Ellios of Sirigia. The students wore uniforms; for girls, it was a black blouse, an indigo-blue skirt, a green vest, black stockings, loafers, and a purple bowtie. And the men wore brown shirts, shoes, pants, and indigo-blue coats. Usually, both students could acquire a ‘velvet coat’, something that helped to further strengthen their powers.

The eagle was stunned by such a building. It was surprised to know that it was such a wide place and so full of people; then the eagle went elsewhere, to a large room where a battle was taking place. The room belonged to the girls’ section.

When the eagle arrived, it stood on the roof and saw through the skylight; there were some stands for the students to watch the combat and a large circle where two girls were practising with their swords. One was tall and slender, about fifteen years old. She had short red hair that reached her shoulders, a dark complexion, yellow eyes, and a flat face. She carried in her two hands a long plastic sword, the blade grey and the handle red. Her attire was made up of a blue suit that covered her from neck to toe. It also had shoulder pads, wristbands, knee pads, and gloves; the young woman a showed tired expression and was panting.

The other girl had long straight brown hair with a pompadour, fair skin, and purple eyes. She was of medium height and slender despite the fact that the strength of this one did not compare with that of the other. Her outfit was the same as that of her opponent and the students; only this one was completely black. This was Tina, the girl that the blue eagle and the magician Adriano were looking for. One of the young woman’s greatest treasures was a hat that her parents gave her and that had remained in her family for generations.

Now, Tina’s story was much envied by many. She was born one morning, August 7th, exactly at six o’clock, according to the sundial, and her body defined perfection: shaped and full skin, brown hair, beautiful limbs, and exquisite eyes, purple; then she grew up and learned many things in her childhood, at the hands of the best teachers and governesses of Multiria. There was no subject or animal that she was unaware of, except perhaps chemistry or physics, and she handled the sword with great mastery, so much so that aroused the envy and respect of the legendary knights. She was an angel or a lamb in wolf’s clothing. She passed every subject or test that was imposed on her with perfection. However, in magic, she had worrying defects . . . for her.

As she grew up, she acquired the reputation of the most beautiful teenager in all of Sirigia: Her body was not devoid of curves. Her legs and hips were perfect in all aspects; her face earned her many suitors, and her hair was compared to the endlessly flowing pure lake. If her sisters surpassed every maiden in beauty and skill, she did it with all grace.

However, as beautiful and multifaceted as she was, Tina couldn’t do everything. Planting plants, riding a horse, solving math problems, composing music, and farming were some of those things. She had yet to learn them. I know! It combined the strength and wisdom of a general!

That is Tina of Sirigia for you, dear reader, skilled, yet humble, popular, but down-to-earth; proud of her potential, but prioritizing her fellow partners first, and also, proud of her talents, but even prouder of her principles of altruism, care and love.

In the sparring match, Tina launched an attack on her opponent, who successfully covered up.

‘You’re clever, Tina,’ her opponent said.

‘Certainly, Marian,’ she answered, ‘so I can beat you.’

‘I don’t believe it.’ At that moment, the young Marian made a movement with which she was able to outwit Tina; then she tripped her that Tina was unable to dodge, and so she fell. Fortunately, she did not desert and was on her guard again. At that moment, the young redhead launched herself at Tina and attacked her with her weapon, but Tina managed to dodge the attacks and continued to do so until her opponent got tired.

When this happened, Tina attacked her opponent using her sword to hit the one arm of her rival. She was successful, and then Tina tripped her opponent so that she fell to the ground. The idea of the match was that of taking the weapon from the opponent and then making her fall to the ground.

Then one of the students, with blue hair with black curls, a fair complexion, and red eyes (Korrin by name) stood up and said, ‘The match is over. Tina is the winner.’

The students clapped, and Tina curtsied, grateful for it. Finishing, she went to her opponent and helped her up.

‘Congratulations, Tina,’ her opponent said, getting up.

‘You were fine too,’ she replied.

The eagle opened the upper window and descended; suddenly another of the students, whose name was Penelope, saw the bird and pointed at it.

‘Look,’ she said, and they all looked at the bird. It was a bird.

‘How did he get in?’ asked another.

Tina also saw the blue eagle; none recognised the bird except Tina, who came over and greeted it, allowing it to perch on her arm.

One of the students approached and asked, ‘Do you know Tina?’ ‘He is one of my family’s guardians,’ the eagle replied. ‘Please leave us alone.’

‘Okay, Tina,’ said the black-haired student. ‘Come on, girls.’ They all nodded and then left the room, leaving Tina and the blue eagle alone.

‘What are you doing here, Eagle?’ asked the young woman.

‘I have come to tell you,’ he said telepathically, ‘that Master Adriano needs you.’

‘For what?’

‘It’s for a special mission.’

At that very moment, Tina’s expression remained blank, staring at Blue Eagle.

‘You are talking about that mission. Right Master Adriano?’

Immediately Master Adriano answered:

‘Very soon you will know.’

The eagle went into his second form, and Tina mounted him. Then he said, ‘Come on, maybe you came to like me.’

‘Okay,’ Tina said, smiling.

Then the being rose up, and they both left through the skylight and headed for Lord Ellios’s fortress. Tina, who missed flying, was able to enjoy the flight and also look at the beautiful scene below her.

Tina had always liked to travel and enter the forest, practice fencing along with other activities. That is why she decided to enter the school of warriors to which she belonged. Her father agreed with her because, according to him, it would help her and be useful for their development. Lord Ellios was a tall thin man. His age will not be divulged. He had a small head and purple eyes. He had a brown moustache and beard, as well as long hair. He always wore a black outfit and a grey cape. (Colours such as black, purple, brown, scarlet, and grey were what distinguished the members of Tina’s family.)

Apart from admiring him, Tina had always loved her father for his prowess, his wisdom, and his great love. These things were what prompted young Tina to train in various areas. She always did well in all of them but in the magic had always had problems; however, the teacher Adriano had a solution for that.

Another detail about Tina is that she had always been trained in magic by her sister Ágata II, who had the same name as her mother. She was the assistant of the teacher Adriano and had the ability to communicate with the gods but not to enter Heaven. She had the same magical powers that Tina had, but they were more powerful, which is why she took it upon herself to train her sister.

When Tina was twelve years old, she began training at the school; at first, it was very difficult for her, but later she began to master the sword with great skill. After several days of training, she was able to face stronger opponents and participate in different fencing tournaments, in which she almost always won.

Lord Ellios’s castle was a huge and exotic place. It was about 700 metres. The walls were dark blue, and the main gate was dark brown.

It had many special rooms: one that was the main one where Lord Ellios ruled; another for his wife, Lady Ágata de Minosis; and others for different functions—keeping magical secrets, potions, war joints, training centre, a mini museum with typical Sirigian things, even plants from the Sirigian forest.

There was also a garden full of flowers of all kinds (Tina loved that garden) and a stable for a kind of Pegasus named Vicky that belonged to the eldest of her sisters: Lady Nadia of Sirigia, who, by the way, was the successor of Lord Ellios in the overall leadership of Sirigia or the Siringel Chek (the term chek was only used when the heir was female, but if it was male, the expression term Siringel Mek was used; none of these expressions were part of Caetalean).

A few minutes after leaving the school, Tina and the blue eagle arrived at Lord Ellios’s fortress. He, Adriano, Tina’s sisters (Nadia, Ágata II, and Mina), and Lady Ágata, her mother, were gathered. They both walked towards the great hall, where Tina’s family and the magician Adriano were waiting for them.

Finally, a girl waited near Lady Tina; anyone present would hope that the light would let them see, but the young woman had a thick hood on her body unless she had paid attention to her shiny skin. She was a young lady about the same age as Tina; only she was wearing the academy uniform, along with a long amethyst velvet coat, and the hood at least revealed that she had blue eyes.

‘Hey, Persephone,’ Tina stated ‘Thanks for coming.’

‘No worries Tina. When I saw Blue Eagle in the sky, I knew that you will call me this moment.’

Persephone went with Tina, and stand at her side.’ Afterwards, Tina went toward Lord Ellios ‘Did you send for me, Dear Father?’ Tina asked.

‘Yes, my daughter,’ he replied. ‘As you can see, the world of Multiria, our beloved world, is in a serious crisis. A magician named Rogius was released from his prison. Surely you already heard about him.’

‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘It was the sorcerer you faced at Wallace IV’s side. One of the many enemies. Right, Father?’

‘Yes, Tina, someone released him, and is possibly making plans to attack everyone in Multiria. Believe me, I would go once more, but as the ruler of Sirigia. I have to stay to protect our people and our family. On the other hand, this is an excellent opportunity for you. The one that you have been waiting for.’

‘You mean…’

‘The chance of commencing your own story.

Persephone nodded, and then Tina smiled.

‘I understand you, Father,’ Tina concluded. ‘Don’t worry, you know you can always count on me whenever you want.’

‘Thanks, my daughter.’

‘Well,’ Adriano interrupted, ‘it’s time to start.’

Then Ágata approached her sister; the latter was quite a magician. She wore a brown tunic with black shoulder pads. She had purple eyes like her younger sister’s (these showed that she had magical powers; the same happened with Lord Ellios and Tina) and brown hair. She also had a serious expression on her face. Due to her magic surpassing Tina’s, she agreed to be her guardian. Even though it may not seem like it, she was a bright and cheerful person who adored her family, especially Tina.

Tina raised her head a bit because her sister was a little taller than her. ‘What’s wrong, Ágata?’ Tina asked nervously.

Then her sister Ágata raised her hand and showed her palm as if she was going to receive something. ‘Give it to me,’ he finally replied.

‘That?’ Tina asked, confused.

‘Give me your hat,’ Ágata II replied, smiling. ‘The one our father gave you on your birthday.’

Tina thought, but then she remembered a beret Lord Ellios had given her on her fifteenth birthday. Tina made it appear in her hands, and then she handed it to Ágata. Then Ágata took a gemstone as an ornament and detached it from the beret, closed her eyes, and began to say a sentence. ‘Great weapon that you hid in my sister’s hat. The time has come for you to appear before her eyes. She needs you to save the world together!’

After that, the gem changed its shape; little by little it was transformed into the sword that would be the one that Tina would use in her adventures. After a while, it appeared before her eyes; it had a black handle and edge floating, but on the handle, it had an image of the sun.

‘The Sun Sword.’ said Adriano.

‘Wow!’ exclaimed young Tina. ‘What a rare sword!’

‘It is the Sun Sword,’ Ágata answered, ‘a weapon that is made of a very special mineral and that belonged to our father, dear Tina.’

‘Incredible!’ she exclaimed. She was about to touch the sword, but the energy of the weapon prevented her from doing so.

Ágata laughed slightly. ‘The sword,’ she said, ‘rejected you because you have not sworn the oath. If you do it correctly, it will be all yours.’

‘Okay,’ Tina said, ‘thank goodness I know how to do it.’

Tina was about to start, but her father stopped her. ‘Wait, Tina,’ he said. ‘Do you know why we sent for you?’

‘Yes, Father,’ she responded enthusiastically. ‘You want me to face Rogius, right?’

Lord Ellios felt a little bad about that, but then Tina replied, ‘Don’t worry, Dad, I will gladly accept this mission. I will do it for you, for Mom, and for my sisters.’

At that moment, Tina went toward her family.

‘I only have a single favour to ask. Give me tonight.’ She requested, much to the surprise of Master Adriano and Persephone.

‘And why is that, Tina?’

Tina felt a bit embarrassed, and for a moment, she looked back toward her family ‘Well… if I am going away on my own journey, I want to first spend some time with all of you before I go’ she revealed. ‘After all, it is obvious that I will be out for a long time, so let me share with my family, with Persephone, with my sisters, and you… perhaps it is too much, but I hope you understand.’

After listening to Tina’s request, Lord Ellios looked at her with a very paternal expression, as a true father should do.

‘Yes. Tina. I understand’ the Sirigian king answered ‘We all do.

And yes. We will be spending tonight as a family.

‘Thanks a lot, Dad’

Immediately, Tina went to hug her mother. Master Adriano looked a bit unsure to Tina, yet… he definitely relented.

And so it happened. All of the Sirigian Royal Family had a wonderful dinner, sharing a lot of anecdotes and hips of jokes. Very soon, the warmth of the human touch, and the happiness blossomed by the words of anecdotes of bonding, the joy of enjoying the blissful present, and the excitement of being together took over the reunion. And Tina’s smile was so big you could say it was immortal, dear reader. Amazing as usual! How a simple, daily gathering brought many happy memories for everyone.

The time of sleep arrived soon. But, for some reason, Tina did not go to her bed; on the contrary, she went into Persephone’s bedroom.

‘What’s wrong Tina?’ Persephone asked.

‘Persephone… I want to share tonight with you.’ Tina responded. ‘Are you scared?’

‘No. It’s just… I can’t help but feel nostalgic.’ Persephone laughed.

‘As hopeless as ever. Come, get in.’

Tina went into Persephone’s bed. Immediately, that touching eye contact between sisters was enough to calm Tina’s mind.

‘Tina… it’s ok to feel a bit overwhelmed.’ Persephone clarified ‘Don’t worry. I will be here too, whenever you need me to go with you on your travels.

‘I know that Persephone. But… I am just a bit surprised that you refused to leave Sirigia to take the mission with you.’

Persephone turned her head and showed an expression of confusion. ‘Why are you surprised?’ she asked ‘Because you are the really powerful one.’ Tina pointed ‘I mean… Look at me Persephone, I barely can use Sirigian magic. My only talent is the sword. We need someone who can handle an enemy like Rogius. One that can truly face him. That’s where you should come in.’

Then, Persephone looked at Tina with compassion, but pride.

‘Tina, we are in this together.’ Persephone said ‘But we need something that is as compassionate as you. I am very methodical, very meticulous. Nonetheless, since we were kids, you have that sparkle that made everyone smile. Just with the shape of the eyes. I could never do that. I was the top student in the Academy, but you were the one who inspired our fellow students, and the guards.’

After listening to those words, Tina remained thoughtful for a brief, yet important instant.

‘Do you think that will be enough to convince the rest of Multiria to fight?’ she asked without hesitation.

Nonetheless, Persephone shook her head.

‘I don’t think so. I am convinced. Remember, just call me whenever you need me, and I will be there, fighting together. I promise my sister. Mom and Dad blissfully adopted me, they gave me everything. Now I will make sure I give them everything. Especially to you.’

Those simple, kind words were enough to ease Tina’s heart once more. And Tina, with a mischievous look, cuddled closer to Persephone.

‘Tina.’ Persephone pointed.

‘Thanks. Now I feel more prepared to go into adventure.’ ‘I am glad to hear that. Now let’s go to sleep.’

Sweet, charismatic Persephone Lovecraft!!!! That special day you were born, on October 31st, was the day in which Multiria and Sirigia received a wonderful blessing.

On the next day….

An expression of excitement was visible on Lord Ellios’s face. He indeed felt happy and excited for his daughter, who turned to look at the sword and began to say the oath she had to take. ‘Sword, come to my hand. I will be your love and companion from now on. We will be together, and we will face those who attempted to endanger Sirigia and Multiria for good. Join me!’

At that moment, the sword went straight into Tina’s hand. When they made contact, Tina felt a strange sensation course through her blood, a power she had never known before. After that, Tina’s outfit changed completely. She had a tight black sweater (sleeves were purple from shoulder to wrist), a short blue plaid skirt that skimmed her knees (plaid type), black shorts beneath her skirt, long black stockings that covered her from her legs to the tips of her knees, and purple shoes; the beret stood alone on her head.

Tina kept her eyes closed at that moment, but when she opened them, she was stunned. It seemed that she was dreaming, but she felt that she was ready to fulfil the long mission that she had been assigned.

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed. ‘This is great. I think I’m already a warrior with this outfit.’

‘The truth, Tina,’ added Ágata II, smiling, ‘is that this suit was made only and exclusively for you, with the official colours of the family; and it really makes you more youthful, not stronger.’

‘I understand, sister,’ Tina replied with the same expression.

The magician was satisfied with her young sister’s response. However, something did not stop disconcerting Tina. She went to Ágata and spoke to her. ‘Sister.’

‘Tell me, Tina.’

‘Do you think I can master this sword? Because I haven’t master my magical powers well.’

‘The sword will help you dominate them,’ she replied.

‘I see. Thanks, sister.’

‘Oh!’ Ágata exclaimed. ‘I almost forgot.’ She took out a light-blue stone and handed it over. Then she said, ‘This stone will allow you to change your outfit in the event of a change in the weather.’

‘Interesting!’ Tina said, and the stone was put in a small bag. Then Lord Ellios and his daughters approached Tina, who was ready to start her adventures and to meet Rogius.

Nadia, the eldest of her sisters, was a tall and thin person. Ten years older than Tina, she wore a long tunic the colour of her hair and boots. Her speciality was leadership and diplomacy. She could call a Pegasus in emergencies. She always helped her father when it came to talking with the other kingdoms and with Mers, the king of Supremia, with one of the greatest armies in Multiria, the Supremian Army, and two wonderful cities, Toublin and Goulpeck, the capital and the judicial centre respectively. It was the Sirigian clergy, a society of priests founded by the builders of Sirigia, who gave Ellios his current position.

Mina was one of the most respectable leaders at the military level and the third daughter of Lord Ellios. She was an intelligent and beautiful person, respected by her soldiers. She always wore a scarlet armour and a helmet. Her eyes were blue, and her hair was a Carmelite ponytail (something the family shared), and she was about six feet tall. Due to her great cunning, she was considered the best warrior Sirigia had ever had.

Nadia walked over to Tina and crouched down. ‘Listen, sister.’ she told her, ‘You must be very careful with the dangers you will find along the way. This mission is very dangerous, especially for someone your age.’

Then she smiled and said, ‘I wish you luck.’

‘Thank you, Nadia,’ Tina replied. ‘I will follow your advice so that I can do well.’

‘I hope so,’ Nadia concluded. She walked away, and then Mina came closer.

‘Tina,’ she said, ‘if you need help, you can go to Terrania, our trustworthy neighbour, and ask for assistance from Princess Maya and Cézanne. You should also do what I would do, but only in emergencies.’ ‘Okay, sister,’ Tina replied. ‘I’ll do what you tell me if I ever need help.’

Mina closed her eyes and exclaimed, smiling, ‘That’s how you talk, Tina. Remember that very well.’

Lord Ellios felt much better to see that his young daughter was willing to do this difficult mission; then Lady Ágata approached her daughter, crouched down, and said, ‘Daughter, please be very careful. You know that your family will always help you when you need it most.’

After that, Lady Ágata hugged her daughter, who closed her eyes and said, ‘Thanks, Mom.’

At last, Persephone went to Tina.

‘Now, Tina, remember what we discussed yesterday.’ She said. ‘I will Persephone. Thanks.’

Persephone stated:

‘Remain calm and remember, if you need something, anything, send Eagle or Wolf to you. I’ll do it with pleasure. I look forward to helping you.’

‘You will, Persephone. I’ll be fine because the spirit of our Sirigian brothers and sister is watching over me, as well as the spirit of our founder, the Great Sirigio.’

Tina walked away from there, leaving Persephone behind. ‘And please give my regards to Cézanne.’ ‘I will do that.’

After Tina said goodbye to her family and her school friends, she left Sirigia with the purpose of finding Rogius and defeating him once and for all.

Shortly, before getting into the gates…

‘Mistress Tina.’ a voice yelled from behind, stopping Tina at once.

‘Who is that?’

‘It’s me.’

‘Hinata.’

The girl who stopped Tina was her age, however, she looked almost exactly like Persephone, with long, beautiful white hair, and shiny green eyes. Furthermore, this Sirigian was slim and curvaceous, but it was that large, frilled black dress, her white apron and the maid headdress that humbly covered the best attributes of her body. That was Hinata Derleth for you, dear reader.

‘Hey Hinata’ Tina saluted. ‘I am sorry. I left in such a hurry. I didn’t take my time to say goodbye to you.’

Hinata shook her head.

‘Please, don’t worry about that Mistress Tina.’ Hinata insisted.’ I just wanted to send you off properly, and it’s hard for me to think of you suddenly not coming back.’

Tina giggled.

‘Don’t be so extreme. I will be back Hinata. I promise you.’ Without hesitation, and trying to control the tears, Hinata went to hug Tina.

‘Forgive me, Mistress Tina’ Hinata said ‘But I will miss you’

Tina also hugged Hinata.

‘I will miss you too. Until then, keep looking after my family’ Tina asked ‘Especially at Persephone, she needs you more than you think.’

Tina dried Hinata’s tears, who, in exchange, smiled.

‘I promise. I will keep looking at Persephone with my life. ‘And make sure you become a great warrior.’

‘Of course Mistress Tina. We will indeed wait for you.’

Once out of Sirigia, Tina took a path that would take her to the Sirigian forest. The Sirigian forest was very large, probably the largest of all, full of trees and magical insects; but it also had open fields and huge and small waterfalls, rocks, slopes, exotic plants (some well-known in Sirigia) and also fauna that for Tina was very charming and wonderful.

Before she got into it, Tina was out in the open, in an area full of grass, roads, dirt, and trees. The sky was completely blue, and the sun was throwing its rays across that landscape. The young woman stopped and checked a map she had packed just in case.

‘Let’s see,’ she said, looking at her map. The kingdoms she could go to were Coralia, Tempanopolis, and Terrania. ‘The last is the closest. Coralia is more than 5,000 kilometres away while Tempanopolis is only 1,000 kilometres. That means that Terrania is the most suitable for me as it is the home of Cézanne.’

At that moment, she put the map away and stared at the forest. ‘I think that I should cross the forest first. I know the way, but it is very long, and if I am late, it will take me hours to cross the forest, or maybe days.’

Then she saw a downward slope, slid down it (pulled up some grass), and then jumped and fell to the ground.

‘It’s time,’ she finally said, ‘for me to go into the woods.’

In an instant, she ran and entered the Sirigian forest, but she did not know that she would meet someone very special who would influence her adventure and her life.

As she watched Tina leave, these thoughts crossed Persephone’s head: Again matter in tree! Again matter in tree! It is impossible if you even search for words for other things. Just matter in tree! Not even the questions help me, the sign of the trade or suddenly a piece of bread. I only know that I have walked as if my feet were a giant wheel, but that is comparable with the traps that are hidden inside my skin and in my eyes. Go out? Would leaving have been an option in the past? Could have been trying to reach Tina to tell her that suddenly it would be nice if we both went somewhere while I moved my hands from hers. My I only sleeps, and the wind does not help it. It abounds with great fervour. As such, like a channel, with great footsteps whose pressure, from a person who cannot even say if I know, can dampen it or do something else. Different. Now words hurt me, as well as the secret of the winds and also of nature!

In the end, Tina left there.

CHAPTER 3

NOVA AND THE SIRIGIAN FOREST

T ina, the one with the purple eyes, was inside the Sirigian forest, one of the largest and most beautiful in Multiria. When she was a child, they taught her more or less how to find her way around this forest.

While inside it, young Tina managed to navigate it very efficiently, climbing the trees, seeing the view, jumping from branch to branch (although she nearly fell off at times), and then running on the ground as if there were no more trees, much to Persephone’s frustration She was enjoying going through the vast forest.

Meanwhile, in a place far away from Sirigia, there was an area full of darkness and terror, made up of a black castle full of towers and dungeons, watched over by gigantic beasts and masked soldiers. In it, there were huge monsters, witches, and black magic sorcerers.

The place that perhaps would be called the Subrace.

The leader of these sorcerers was Rogius himself, who had been released a few days ago by the strongest of his followers. Rogius was a subject with the appearance of an old man, with white hair and a moustache; his hair reached the ground. His eyes were black, his forehead was wrinkled, but his cheeks were almost not. On his face, there was always an expression of evil capable of terrifying anyone. The power he had was very high and extraordinary although years ago it wasn’t so. Just like now, the great magician managed to form an army of beasts and soldiers shortly after ‘the girl from limbo’ freed him from the seal that had held him captive for several decades.

The ‘limbo girl’ was the way people called Limbus, who was not from Multiria. She came from limbo. Her power was enormous thanks to the fact that Rogius gave her the strength she required and because one of her qualities was that she couldn’t die a natural death. The cause of this latest power was unknown to everyone and Rogius.

For several years, she and Rogius worked together. On some occasions, Limbus easily defeated Ellios and Wallace IV, until there was one occasion in which Adriano fought against her and defeated her very easily. Shortly after that defeat, she returned to limbo and said that she would return another time. That moment came when she found Rogius’s prison, destroyed it, and thus freed him.

Back in the current story, Rogius was observing Multiria from a crystal ball. He was dressed in a long black tunic with a cloak of the same colour. One of his soldiers approached him and spoke to him.

‘Master,’ he said. ‘I need to tell you something.’

‘Go ahead,’ Rogius answered without turning to look. ‘I’m all ears.’ The warrior knelt and spoke to him. ‘Apparently, the forces of Sirigia have sent a warrior to fight with you.’ ‘Who?’ Roger asked.

‘I don’t know exactly, sir, but I do know that she is one of Lord Ellios’s daughters.’

Hearing this, Rogius turned to look and asked, ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered. ‘She is inexperienced in magic, but in fencing, she is an expert.’

‘I see. They are crazy for having done that.’ ‘Really, my lord?’

‘Yes,’ Rogius agreed. ‘I think it will be interesting to go there and meet that warrior to see if she is strong.’

Then he made a spell to observe Multiria.

‘I will go there personally, but I will also send a small group of my men so they can deal with that girl if necessary.’

‘Okay, my lord,’ the soldier replied.

‘Perhaps,’ said Rogius, ‘she will defeat me. That will depend on her.’ The soldier disappeared, and Rogius telepathically told his cloak to wrap him completely. It obeyed its master, and then Rogius vanished.

He was ready to meet Tina.

Meanwhile, this one, who was in the forest, was completely exhausted because she had come a long way since she entered the forest. She sat down, leaned her body on a stone, and stared at a huge waterfall.

Tina remained pensive for a few minutes, thinking about the roads she would have to travel to get to Terrania, which was where her best friend Cézanne was. She knew that this was a good opportunity to check the map she had with her, which allowed her to see a good topographic image of Multiria and, above all, the distance from one kingdom to another.

‘Good,’ she said. ‘The effort helped me to go through a large part of the forest. If I continue like this, I will be able to leave the forest very soon, and thus, I will continue on my way to Terrania. I have decided that I will go first to see Princess Maya. She will help me in my mission.’

She put the map away and stayed looking at the waterfalls to relax a bit, especially after all she had run. Unfortunately, she had not realised that Rogius’s men were listening to everything she said. Some hid in the waterfalls, and others were hidden in other parts of the forest.

There was also another person watching her, although it was not known if this was part of Rogius’s army or not. This was a girl with long orange hair, a medium head covered by a blue bandana, as well as blue eyes. Her hair was long, but there were two long tails on the sides, with a blue bow on each one, while the braids were very separated from the rest of the hair; the young woman was tall, slim, and beautiful. She always wore a kind of yellow crop top that covered her back and chest, allowing her midriff to be exposed, black torn pants, with a single pantsleg, a brown belt with a wooden buckle, brown boots, and a fuchsia scarf around her neck. She had green wristbands on each arm, similar to those from a warrior outfit from the legions of Mavorus (light-green short sleeves, with blue trim at the end; a brown skirt; a neckline of the same colour; and the same belt that the girl had with her).

On her belt, the young woman had a brown bag on her right and a whip on her left. The funny thing about this long thick whip is that it was pink!

The young woman was leaning on the branch of a tree eating an apple, looking at Tina resting from her long journey through the forest. Her gaze was fixed on her and nothing else. It seemed that she was interested in Tina.

But Tina had already noticed the young woman’s presence in the tree, then she stopped and said without turning to look at her, ‘Who are you?’

The girl was surprised by this. She thought that Tina had not discovered that she was watching her, but she was wrong. After that, she climbed down from the tree and approached her as Tina got to her feet.

‘You are very clever,’ said the girl. ‘You were able to notice my presence. I congratulate you, Tina from Sirigia.’

‘Thank you,’ Tina replied. ‘Tell me please . . . who are you?’

‘Do you want me to tell you my name?’ asked the young woman.

Tina nodded.

‘Well . . . my name is Nova.’

‘And what are you doing here?’ Tina asked, puzzled.

‘That’s a secret.’

‘Pity.’

Then Nova bit into her apple while Tina kept looking at her with extreme curiosity. When the mystery girl was done with her apple, she turned to Tina.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked.

‘I’m thinking of heading to Terrania,’ Tina replied. ‘I need to see Princess Maya’s daughter, who is one of my best friends.’

‘Can I accompany you?’ Nova asked. ‘Maybe you need my help for something.’

‘Okay,’ Tina replied, smiling, ‘but I hope you don’t mind knowing that we may have to part ways.’

‘Absolutely.’

At that moment, the two of them headed for the exit of the Sirigian forest. However, it took them a long time to get there. At that moment, Rogius’s men followed the two of them without losing them. The young woman with orange hair did not seem to have a place to go, but she still followed Tina through the woods. The two of them talked the whole time they were together, but Nova didn’t say anything to Tina about her. She didn’t care, and they kept walking.

‘You already knew about Rogius, right?’ Tina asked Nova.

‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘But that doesn’t worry me because I live in the forest, where I will be for the rest of my days.’

‘Are you sure?’ Tina asked.

‘Yes, why do you ask?’

‘Not at all,’ Tina said. ‘I was just curious.’

Then the two continued walking until sunset arrived, and they considered that they should take a break. After all, Tina told her that they were almost out of the Sirigian forest. Tina sat down while Nova leaned against a tree.

Nova turned to Tina and asked her, ‘Tell me, Tina, are you going to fight with Rogius?’

‘Yes, Nova,’ Tina replied. ‘It’s a promise I made to my sisters and my parents. But also… to all Sirigia.’

‘I see,’ Nova stated. ‘Lord Ellios is a highly respected man not only in Sirigia, but also in all the kingdoms of Multiria. A hero for every single person in Multiria, humans, dragons, demons, and even fairies. I heard that King Mers, ruler of Supremia, esteems him highly for being