"Urugas!" the name echoed throughout the place, spoken by Paltio's two friends who had mentioned the mysterious being.
"Who is Urugas?" Alita and Ron asked in unison, glancing at each other with curiosity.
Pax responded with his usual seriousness: "Urugas is our god, our god of darkness."
"That's right," Paltio added, crossing his arms with a mix of irritation and frustration. "The same one who sent all those shadow armies to attack the realms."
Alita turned to Jorl, the Pinkerton merchant, and asked: "Do you know him, Mr. Jorl?"
Jorl shook his head, adjusting the feather earrings in his ears. "Know Urugas? What kind of question is that, girl? No one sees him. This permit was granted by one of his many secretaries. We don't even know exactly who it was."
"I see..." Alita murmured, processing the information.
Paltio then interjected with a more direct question: "So, do you know where this Urugas lives?"
The merchant shook his head again, extending his hands as if to push the question away. "No, boy. No one knows where the realm of Urugas is located. I don't even think he has a physical realm."
Pax, always ready to correct, interrupted with his firm voice: "Fools. Urugas doesn't have a physical realm or anything like that. I don't even know where he is. I only know that he commands the shadow army and puts Tejod in charge."
Ron frowned, confused. "So how did you get that permit if Urugas didn't show himself? Is Tejod the only one who's seen him?"
The merchant lowered his gaze, uncomfortable. "Various things... Including the bonded."
"The bonded?" the four exclaimed in unison, shocked and dismayed.
"Yes, bonded folk," Jorl confirmed bluntly. "From these realms and other places. We also bring strong people contained in some of our carriages. It's part of the deal."
"Interesting..." Pax commented, analyzing the situation with his usual coldness.
Paltio, however, couldn't contain his irritation. "So you're flesh peddlers."
Jorl quickly raised his hands, trying to calm the boy. "Calm down, lad."
Mok then intervened, cleaning his monocle. "Calm yourself, Master Paltio. A prince must maintain composure in any situation."
"You're a prince, boy?" Jorl interrupted, surprised. "Well, I didn't think so, covered in that amber liquid."
Ron then interjected proudly: "Yes, he's the prince of Avocadalia."
Jorl hurriedly bowed, visibly nervous. "My, a prince... I apologize if I offended you, sir. I'm no flesh peddler; I just do my job. I trade in goods, people, magical products... Whatever's necessary. But tell me, what's a prince doing so far from his realm?"
Pax answered before Paltio could speak: "He's on a quest: the pieces of the magical scepter of Avocios. A mission entrusted by my master, Tejod."
Jorl nodded slowly, showing respect. "I see... Well, I wish you luck with that. And, as a gesture of goodwill, I can offer you this at half price for your journey." He pulled something wrapped in cloth from his hands and presented it to the group.
"What's that?" Paltio asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
Jorl carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing a large egg that fit perfectly in his hands. It glowed intensely, as if the entire rainbow was contained within it.
"This, sir, is a mysterious egg," Jorl said solemnly.
Ron leaned forward, intrigued. "And what's inside?"
"Ah, this is a mysterious egg," Jorl explained, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "As I said, any creature could hatch from it... even a dragon. That's what I was told."
"What determines which creature hatches?" Alita asked, leaning closer to the egg with curiosity.
The merchant smiled mysteriously. "It depends on what's in the heart of the person who carries it."
Paltio frowned, looking at the egg skeptically. "And how is that supposed to help me? A dragon or something? Besides, I don't have money right now to pay you."
Jorl scratched his chin thoughtfully before speaking: "Well, prince. Since you saved us, I'll give it to you. But when we meet again, you'll pay me five hundred gold coins."
Ron approached Paltio and whispered in his ear: "That could help you defeat the shadows."
After pondering for a moment, Paltio nodded. "Alright, I accept. But I also need supplies to reach the next town."
The merchant smiled, extending a hand toward the prince. "Well, I can give you that as a reward for helping us. So, do we have a deal?"
"It's a deal," Paltio responded, shaking Jorl's hand firmly.
"Thank you once again, prince," Jorl said, bowing. Then, he and his group began to withdraw gradually, clearing the route once more.
Alita broke the uncomfortable silence that followed the merchant's departure. "Well, what do you say we head to those hot springs he mentioned? We could change these dirty clothes."
"Good suggestion, Miss Alita," Mok approved with a slight nod.
"Yes, it's a good idea," Ron added, adjusting his belt.
"I think you're right," Paltio said, snapping out of his trance while gazing at the glowing egg in his hands.
Everyone climbed into the carriage and headed toward the hot springs, following Jorl's directions. Finally, they arrived at a place that seemed almost abandoned: a small house with a nearby waterfall cascading gently like a natural ornament.
Mok approached the sliding door and knocked twice. Then three times. No one responded initially, but a faint, raspy voice echoed from inside: "I'm coming..."
The scratchy sound of the voice made everyone tense up. The door slowly slid to one side, revealing a tiny elderly woman with thick glasses and a cane. She appeared to be the owner of the place.
"Oh, customers..." the elderly woman said with a kind smile. "I haven't seen many around here lately. Please, come in."
"My name is Lula," she introduced herself, inviting them in. "These are my hot springs, which also function as a spa. How may I assist you? I see you're all dirty... I imagine you've come for a bath and to have your clothes cleaned. Am I right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Mok responded courteously.
"Good," Lula said, clapping her hands twice. Immediately, six young women dressed in kimonos appeared, ready to attend to the travelers.
"Ladies, show these travelers where they can clean up and collect their clothes for washing," Lula instructed in a soft but authoritative voice.
Ron, however, raised a hand, interrupting the moment. "Excuse me, ma'am, but you haven't told us how much all this will cost."
Lula let out a soft chuckle and approached Ron, covering his mouth with a wrinkled hand. "Shh, young man. We'll discuss that later. For now, it's enough that you get clean and comfortable while we prepare something for you to eat. We'll talk about the price afterward."
"How much is all this going to cost?" Paltio whispered to Mok as they walked into the spa.
"I don't know, Master," Mok replied, adjusting his collar with concern. "I hope I have some coins among my things and the ones I gave you to keep."
Pax then interjected with his usual coldness: "We won't be staying, Miss Lula. We have work to do."
The elderly woman smiled warmly, tilting her head toward Pax. "No problem, but I see you need to relax. And please, call me Lula, not 'Miss.' I see you're a Red Shadow. The service will be free."
Ron let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, that's great. Sometimes having Pax on our side helps."
Pax responded without looking at him, his voice as firm as ever: "I'm not on your side."
One of the attendants approached the group with a bow. "Please follow me this way, boys." Then, turning to Alita, she added, "And you, follow us this way, miss."
The group split up, as the baths were divided by gender. However, Pax didn't follow anyone. One of the attendants noticed and asked curiously: "What's wrong, sir? Why aren't you going with the others?"
Pax crossed his arms, his expression unchanging. "I want something more private."
The attendant nodded respectfully and pointed to a different path. "Very well, you may come this way with me." She briefly glanced at her boss, Lula, who smiled and nodded before returning to her tasks.
Meanwhile, Alita entered the women's bath. She slowly submerged herself in the hot springs, feeling her body relax and her mind release the accumulated tension. For a moment, she stopped thinking about all the terrible things that had been happening.
On the men's side, Paltio, Ron, and Mok also decided to enter the waters. However, Paltio remained lost in thought, recalling the strange connection he had felt with the Curchacos queen during the battle. But when his body touched the water, he experienced a similar sensation.
"Are you alright, boy?" Golden asked through their mental link, sensing the prince's confusion.
"Yes, it's just that I felt the same thing as when we fought the Curchacos queen... I wonder what it could be," Paltio responded, frowning.
"I don't know. I can't feel it, but I can see in your mind. Do you want me to look deeper?"
"No, maybe not," Paltio said, avoiding delving into the matter for now.
At that moment, Ron suddenly stood up and pointed toward the large wooden wall that divided the baths.
"Hey, guys, how's Alita doing? I think this is the fence that separates the baths..."
Paltio looked at him suspiciously. "Ron, don't be a pervert."
"No, it's not like that! Well, not entirely... I'm just worried she might be alone," Ron stammered, visibly blushing.
Mok looked at him with a mix of amusement and reproach. "Sure, Master Ron, sure..."
Embarrassed, Ron completely submerged himself in the water, leaving only his hair visible while his face turned as red as a strawberry.
Ignoring the scene, Paltio turned to Mok seriously. "Mok, do you think we can accomplish everything in time and save my family and the realms?"
Mok adjusted his ponytail thoughtfully. "Well, Master, I hope so. We've made quite a bit of progress: it's been five days, and we already have one piece of the scepter in our possession. With all the help we can get along the way, I hope you'll be able to complete it. I know you will."
"Yes, you're right, Mok. But I also hope to find Avocios soon so he can fix all this mess," Paltio added, his voice filled with determination.
"I hope so too, Master. I hope so."
After finishing their baths, they came out wearing robes: Alita wore a pink one, and the boys wore blue ones.
"Well, while they wash our clothes, we'll change into the ones the merchants gave us," Ron indicated, though he wrinkled his nose as he inspected them. "Though these clothes are a bit worn..."
Mrs. Lula appeared suddenly, shaking her head. "Are you really going to wear that, children? No, you shouldn't. You must dress well. We've already laid out new clothes in your rooms while yours finish drying."
Everyone bowed their heads in gratitude. "Thank you very much," they responded in unison.
"Good, go get changed," Lula instructed with a maternal smile.
Each of them entered a room. In Paltio's room, he found clean clothes but decided to take out a suit from his dimensional bag's wardrobe. He also checked the box Mok had given him to store. As he changed, he couldn't help but wonder what creature might be inside the mysterious egg he kept in his bag.
Paltio emerged from his room wearing an impeccable emerald-green suit, paired with a white shirt and the boots Golden had given him. Mok appeared in his classic butler's attire, though now he wore a renewed black jacket that enhanced his elegant demeanor. Ron, on the other hand, donned a dark blue suit with a waistcoat that revealed the black sleeves of his shirt.
However, everyone was left astonished when they saw Alita. Especially Ron, whose jaw nearly dropped to the floor and who seemed on the verge of drooling.
The girl wore a knee-length pink dress, with subtle shoulder pads that gave her a modern yet elegant look. She completed the ensemble with spotless white sneakers and her hair tied back in a small ponytail that highlighted her fresh, youthful face.
"You look good," Paltio and Mok said almost in unison, smiling courteously.
Ron, however, couldn't utter a word. He was completely paralyzed by Alita's beauty. "Earth to Ron! Hey, wake up!" Paltio shouted, waving a hand in front of the boy's face.
Finally emerging from his trance, Ron murmured: "She... she looks great."
Everyone looked at him with expressions mixing amusement and reproach. "What? I mean, she looks good," he quickly responded, turning around to hide how red he was.
At that moment, one of the maids appeared in the hallway. "Guys, come to the dining room," she instructed with a kind smile.
The group followed her and arrived at a spacious hall where a long table awaited them. It was large enough for twelve people, but only they occupied the main seats.
"And Pax?" Paltio asked as they took their places.
One of the maids replied calmly: "Well, he hasn't returned yet. He's not answering the door."
"Typical of that guy," Alita commented, crossing her arms with an annoyed grimace.
The food was served shortly after, and everyone began to eat. However, after a few minutes, they started feeling dizzy. One by one, they collapsed onto the table, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.
"Perfect," Lula said, entering the dining room with a sinister smile. Her appearance changed drastically: from a fragile old woman to a giant snake, similar to an anaconda, with a rattle on her tail that resonated ominously. The other maids also revealed their true forms, transforming into long serpents.
"The food has arrived, girls," Lula hissed, flicking her forked tongue as she observed the helpless travelers.
"Lula, what about the shadow guy?" one of the snakes asked.
"That fool would be food for Susan, who went to fetch him," Lula replied with a tone of superiority. "That guy didn't eat or drink anything, nor did he take the baths," one of the others noted.
"I know, dear, but Susan will inject her venom directly to paralyze him. Meanwhile, we'll feast on these," Lula hissed, making snake-like sounds as she revealed her true form.
Meanwhile, Susan, the maid turned snake, was insistently knocking on the door of Pax's private room. No one answered. Finally, she decided to unlock the door with the key she carried.
Upon entering, she noticed the room was empty. The window was open, and a light breeze indicated someone had escaped through it.
"This guy escaped," Susan hissed furiously, her tongue darting rapidly as she emitted snake-like sounds. "This damn guy got away."
Just as she tried to head back toward the door, something heavy fell onto her tail. It was a cabinet, pinning her to the floor.
"Well, snake... What did you do with the fools?" Pax asked, emerging from behind her with his sword unsheathed and placing it directly at Susan's throat.
"They'll soon be food for my sisters," Susan spat contemptuously, attempting to bite him.
But Pax was faster and more skilled. With a precise motion, he struck the serpent before she could react.
"I knew something was wrong here," Pax murmured, calmly wiping his blade clean. He knew there was no time to lose: he had to find and save the others.