Sword of the Sky smiled gently and said, "Don't worry — he'll come back as soon as we become the terror of the demons."
"Did you forget what I told you?"
Zain replied, "I haven't forgotten, but resolve fades each time we witness the brutality of those creatures."
Sword of the Sky nodded and said, "I agree with you on that. It happened to me as well. But the resolve hasn't vanished completely; sometimes it disappears and sometimes it renews — it depends on the person's state of mind."
"To be honest, when you were outside I remembered what happened with Yolan and Colten, and I was extremely discouraged; in that moment I completely lost my resolve. But when someone dear to me challenged me, my mindset changed — my resolve grew stronger and stronger. A voice inside me says: you must protect this person no matter the hardships and circumstances. Do you understand now? Try to remember someone you love even if they are no longer alive — they remain alive in the heart. Remember those words well."
Zain fell silent for a moment and sank into deep thought. Yes — he remembered someone in his life.
Suddenly an image leapt into his mind: a girl standing on the ice of a frozen lake, pine trees coated with bright white snow turning around it, and towering mountains behind her whose peaks were still dusted with falling snow in that memory.
The girl was very fair and pure; her hair was silvery and silky, framing her waist. Her lashes and eyebrows were silver, and her bright eyes shone with a silver glint. Her features suggested coldness, yet she smiled broadly, revealing teeth as white as pure snow.
Sword of the Sky revived a memory that had been lost in the depths of Zain's recollections from when he was in the Frost Mountains.
Zain remained silent and astonished while Sword of the Sky was about to speak. A faint smile appeared on Zain's face, which made Sword of the Sky step back and smile as well.
Zain raised his head, took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you for reminding me of that person. I had completely forgotten them. Now that you've reminded me, I've regained my resolve and strength to continue until I make what I want."
Sword of the Sky looked at him and answered, "That is how we must always be. From now on we must keep in mind that this mission is full of dangers and challenges and requires many sacrifices — who knows, I may die, and many others may die as well."
Zain kept nodding constantly, then said, "Even so, we must endure and move past it if more of our comrades die. We will certainly grieve, but we must not let sorrow take control of us. We have to rise and start again. We now understand that our comrades will certainly die, and we cannot prevent that at all. Do you understand what I mean?"
Zain nodded in reply: "Yes. Everything you said is true, but the matter remains difficult when it comes to loss. This is what we cannot control, because we are still human. What I know about human nature is that it slowly fades with repetition. The shock of Yolan and Colten was extremely powerful. Do you think it will ease when we see other comrades meet the same fate?"
Sword of the Sky's response was immediate: "Most likely that's what will happen. Also try to avoid forming any friendships; that will come back to hurt you if you lose them. It happened to me before — when I noticed the loss I withdrew from others; I no longer enter into conversations either."
Zain answered him: "Yes, that's better. I'll make sure to follow what you said."
Before they sank into a spiral of conversation, a girl in a maid's outfit stood before them and interrupted their talk. She was carrying a long rectangular wooden board with various plates of food on it. The girl greeted them, then began serving the dishes and asked permission to leave.
Neither Sword of the Sky nor Zain said a single word; their senses were fixed on the scattered dishes on the table — they began eating immediately. Even if there was no appetite, an instinct forces them to eat: the survival instinct and hunger.
A few minutes passed and the table was cleared of any leftovers or scraps; only the wooden plates and dishes remained. Over time everyone had filled themselves to the brim. This time everyone hastened to finish their various dishes from sheer hunger.
As time passed, some rose from their seats and headed to their rooms for rest and sleep. The main hall became somewhat empty. This repeated with the others until only Zain and Sword of the Sky remained.
They were engaged in a long conversation about Zain's past. Sword of the Sky continued to listen intently to every word Zain said.
Zain continued his story: "When I was in the Frost Mountains I found a cave in the middle of the Glimmering Ice Mountain. That cave was far from ordinary. I walked in terrified; as soon as my foot stepped inside the entrance collapsed immediately in a snowfall. The echo of my footsteps kept bothering and frightening me; I felt as if I were the only person in the world at that moment. But what surprised me most were the bodies — some standing, some lying on the ground. Their heads were severed and frozen like statues. The positions of the bodies were as if they were trying to flee from something chasing them; I realized at once that they had been desperate to escape. But that wasn't all: their heads were floating and fixed in the air as if time had stopped for them in that instant."
"I continued walking through an icy passage until ice spikes began to fall from above. I was running with no destination at all. I was injured in my left leg — fortunately it was a minor wound — and I continued onward. Suddenly I entered a vast chamber, and there came the shock: the place was full of metallic and crystalline stones. The stones were growing on the walls and their sides, including the ceiling. The place was like soil, and the stones were the plants and trees that that soil produced."
Sword of the Sky asked, "Do you remember the metal that is part of the composition we'll be working with?"
Sword of the Sky began murmuring guesses until a flash of inspiration struck him; he smacked his hand and said, "Oh — you remembered fluoranium, didn't you?"
Zain answered him: "Exactly."
But before Zain could finish his words, Sword of the Sky interrupted: "Why do you ask?"
Zain resumed his story where he had left off: "Because the metal extracted in the composition is the same metal I picked up from that cave."
Before Sword of the Sky could respond, Raven stepped in and interrupted them. He sat down without prior announcement; they had not noticed him at all. He placed both hands on the table, resting his chin on
them, smiled, and said: "What are you talking about?"