Continent 1 was practically at peace. Ten years had passed since the wars, and a new nation was rising on a peninsula to the west. One of the 37 races had been reborn in that land, and the news had breathed energy and joy into almost the entire planet of Jetris. However, the problem was that a deep distrust toward the Witch King still lingered.
At that time, a group of adventurers known as the "Guardians of the Sacred Forest" was traveling from the human kingdom toward the elven realm. The group was led by a sixteen-year-old boy known as the Hero of the Sword. He was an illegitimate son of the Hero King. The boy aimed to become a hero just like his father, hoping to finally be recognized by him. However, he had been raised as a commoner alongside his mother, a former captain of the royal court. She had been forced to leave her post due to her affair with the King, as the Queen at that time had driven her away. This was a source of great pain for him.
The other two members of the group were a witch—a young lady from the Black Witch race—and a small demi-wolf from the Kingdom of the Fang, both also sixteen years old. The three were on their way to fulfill a request in one of the most ancient and secluded forests, far from any civilization. They were searching for a blue flower, similar to a lily but of a lilac-blue hue. They had to venture deep into the woods to find it.
The carriage dropped them off at the entrance of the forest, but the driver did not stay to wait for them; he immediately turned back toward the human kingdom. Left behind, the three adventurers set up camp for the night since it was already late. They talked among themselves about the gigantic trees; because the atmosphere of Jetris was so dense, the trees grew to an enormous height.
What they needed to find was a tiny flower, barely fifteen centimeters tall, resembling a lilac-blue lily. It was a medicinal plant used to treat poisons and internal hemorrhages—a healing flower. They had to bring back at least one living specimen to harvest its seeds and replant them. It was a perfect season for it.
At dawn, they broke camp and headed into the depths of the forest. They passed trees, rivers, streams, stones, and animals of all kinds. Since the Black Witch possessed spells to ward off beasts, the creatures kept their distance. There were no high-level dangerous beasts in that forest, so they had nothing to fear. There was a legend that fairies lived in these woods, but it had been centuries since anyone had seen one.
Suddenly, the demi-wolf caught a scent: the smell of a living being. Human, beast, demi-beast, or mage? No, it was none of the known races. The Hero of the Sword and his two companions headed toward the source.
There, they found a little girl no more than three or four years old. Her eyes were beautiful, a golden yellow; her face was pale, and her brown hair was dotted with freckles. Her clothes seemed to be made of tree leaves. She was crying because she had hurt her feet; she had tripped and sprained her ankle.
The Black Witch picked her up and asked what she was doing there.
—I live here —the girl said.
—And your mother or your father?
—I live alone. I have always lived alone here.
The demi-wolf suggested taking her to her home and leaving her there to continue the mission. But when they asked if she had a house, the girl replied:
—The whole forest is my home. This tree is my house, that tree over there…
In that moment, they realized she might be a spirit. It had been centuries since spirits had appeared in Jetris.
—Are you a spirit?
—No, I am a fairy —the girl said.
—A fairy? But you look like a three-year-old girl.
—I'm not three, I'm four —she replied—. It's just that I hurt my little foot and I can't move very well.
The Black Witch placed a leaf with a creamy potion on her leg to heal it. The wound closed, though the girl still felt a bit of pain when stepping. The girl thanked them and said she would go home on her own. As she walked away, they suspected she really was a fairy and decided to follow her. Noticing them, she asked:
—Why are you following me?
—We want to know your name.
—My name is Aliarda.
—Aliarda what? —the Hero asked.
—No, just Aliarda. And what are you doing here?
They explained that they were looking for a blue lily-like flower. The little girl touched the ground and caused a beautiful, majestic lily to grow right beside them. And not just one, but several. They were all left in shock.
—And whose daughter are you?
—I am the daughter of the Legionnaire. I am a fairy.
—And your mother?
—My mother isn't here right now. I am heading home.
The little fairy touched a tree and vanished inside it. The three stood perplexed, watching her disappear.
The Hero and his friends took the lilies and quickly left the forest. The carriage that had brought them was long gone. Nearby was a small elven village that was not welcoming to humans or other races. It was a hamlet called Braitz. There were no more than fifty elves living there. It had an inn for foreigners and barely a single bar. There was no guild or anything else.
They asked when the next carriages would return. They were told it would be in a week. Walking back was impossible; Jetris was an immense planet, a colossal giant. Without carriages, it would take them over a year to return to the human kingdom. With the lilies in their hands, they decided to stay at the inn for the upcoming week.
CHAPTER 2 — The Plan
In the kingdom of the Black Witches, within a forest petrified by a volcano—a dead forest—stood a small, abandoned mansion. Far from our protagonists, inside that same type of charred woods, lived a warlock belonging to the Order of the Cult of Beelzebub.
This cult was over a thousand years old. During the First and Second Wars, they had used human souls to open portals, allowing demons to cross from the underworld into the mortal plane. Very few of these cultists remained, as the kingdoms hunted them everywhere. However, this warlock had managed to hide, staying undetected even by the Black Witch King, the leader of the country.
The warlock possessed a red gem in the mansion's basement. Through it, he could communicate with a demon named Astaros, one of the archdemons. At that moment, Astaros contacted him, claiming they had felt the presence of the daughter of the Legionnaire—referring to the little fairy who had appeared before our heroes.
Astaros revealed that the girl was the daughter of the Jailer and the sister of the Black Knight.
—If you kidnap the Legionnaire's daughter, you will be able to control her brother —the demon said—. We can make him kneel before us. Once we have the Black Knight in our hands, the entire planet will be ours.
The Black Warlock decided to hunt for the fairy. Within the gem, he saw the image of the little three-year-old girl with golden eyes. But how to find her? He would do it by using the Adventurer Guilds. He would offer two chests full of gold for the "return" of his daughter, pretending the child was his own. In Jetris, two chests of gold were enough to make anyone a millionaire.
The bounty spread throughout Continent 1, announcing that the girl was in the Sacred Forest of the elves. The warlock sought the girl by using every possible adventurer and hero. The news even reached the guilds of Continent 2. Two chests full of gold were equivalent to a city's entire budget for a year.
That gold came from the demons themselves, delivered to this warlock. The girl was in grave danger. And the only thing echoing through the mansion was the warlock's wicked laughter:
—We will destroy you, Black Knight…
The Reward and the Escape
Back in the elven village, our heroes woke up on their last day of stay. The Black Witch slept alone in one room, while the other two boys occupied another. Suddenly, a scream from the witch alerted them. Both rushed to her room. The reason for the scream: she had found the little girl sleeping right beside her.
The girl woke up, hugged the witch, and said:
—Hello, friend.
They asked what she was doing there, warning her that she could be in danger in a village. She replied that she had asked her mother for permission to go see her brother; her mother had granted it but wouldn't take her there. So, since they were the only people she knew, she asked if they could take her to the Nation of Magic Lands, on the peninsula to the west of the continent.
The demi-wolf, with a grumpy attitude, replied:
—We can't take this child, and certainly not for free. We have a job to finish.
The girl insisted:
—We can go to the human kingdom if you want, and then you can take me to my brother's house.
—Yes, but we won't do it for free —the demi-wolf said—. And you don't have any money.
—I do. My mother gave me this to pay for the trip —she said, showing a gold medallion.
A gold medallion was equivalent to fifty gold coins from the human kingdom. They were used in ancient times to avoid carrying too much weight; it was the equivalent of fifty small coins melted into a single award bearing the face of the goddess Siris. Although most elves considered Siris a goddess, she actually wasn't: Siris was an angel. The one and only almighty God was Siris's father. The medallion bore the seal of Siris; melting it would destroy that seal, but the demi-wolf took it and hugged it with joy. They had never seen so much gold in their lives.
They decided to take her and set out for the human kingdom.
In Jetris, carriages had no supernatural speed or engines. Both by sea and by land, portals were used to travel from country to country. There were only three or four portals in the entire world. By crossing one, you could appear on another continent or in another country, but portals were only located at the borders. To reach them, one had to use carriages or walk long distances. Maritime portals were located 150 to 200 kilometers from the coast because their energy was demonic. That technology originated from hell, modified by Black Mages, White Mages, and Black Witches, and installed by the Red Mages.
Thus, our heroes began their journey with the little fairy who wanted to see her brother. Upon reaching the portal, they encountered the elven army checking to ensure no kidnapped persons were being moved. In that medieval era, slave trade was legal throughout Jetris, so slaves had to carry papers, and even free citizens needed documentation to cross borders.
There was a problem: little Aliarda had no papers. The hero discussed it with his friends and explained to the girl that they would have to get off a few kilometers early to try and cross without the elves seeing them. But the girl told them not to worry: she could turn invisible. At that moment, green magic erupted beneath her feet, kicking up dust and leaves. Her body began to slowly fade until she vanished completely. Thanks to that spell, they passed the army's checkpoint and reached the portal undetected.
They crossed the portal, and in a matter of seconds, a whirlwind of light enveloped them. When the light faded, they had appeared in the Human Kingdom, in a country far to the north of the continent. They continued on to a small town called Rose. There, they found an inn to rest. Their plan was to go to the capital to deliver the lilies to the guild, but they needed to recover their strength.
While they ate, a group of adventurers noticed the girl's golden eyes. The thought that she was the child from the massive bounty crossed their minds. They didn't act immediately, but they alerted the town's guild. Thus, the rumor spread quickly: the girl worth two chests of gold was staying at an inn on the outskirts. Our heroes knew nothing of this.
That night, after enjoying their meal, they went to sleep. Aliarda rested with the Black Witch while the boys occupied the other room. An assassin-type adventurer, using stealth, entered through the window to kidnap the girl. But the demi-wolf caught the strange scent. He got up immediately and positioned himself behind the girl's door, silently alerting the hero.
When the assassin tried to take the girl, believing himself invisible, the two heroes burst in and forced him back. Since the demi-wolf could detect him by scent, stealth was useless. The assassin threw two daggers, but the hero deflected them with his sword. The Black Witch woke up, hugged the girl, and, with a spell, summoned two black skeletons from the floor. Black Witches mastered necromancy, and the skeletons attacked the assassin with speed. The man escaped by jumping out the window.
It was then that our heroes realized they were coming for the girl. That night, they couldn't sleep peacefully. By five in the morning, they had already paid for the inn and were back on the road. When the hunters arrived looking for them, our heroes had already left the town.
The Capital of a Thousand Secrets
The goal was to reach the capital. Finally, after days of travel and pursuit, our heroes stepped onto its immense streets. This city was so vast that not even from the highest towers could one see its beginning or its end. In the northern district rose the mighty castle of the Hero King, father of the boy known as the Hero of the Sword. Remembering the attack at the previous inn, they decided not to stay in a common place. They looked for a hotel with security, located in the residential areas, where the stay and food were more expensive but guaranteed peace of mind. None of them yet understood why someone wanted to take the girl, or who was pursuing them. The only thing clear was that they needed to protect her.
The demi-wolf and the black witch would stay behind to guard Aliarda while she slept. The Hero of the Sword, for his part, would go to the guild to deliver the lilies and collect the reward. The guild was called "The Wolf's Raid," one of the largest in the capital. He knew the city like the back of his hand. He arrived quickly, but upon entering, he found a great commotion. Fifty adventurers crowded in front of the mission board, muttering among themselves. He handed over the lilies, and the receptionist paid him the agreed amount. Out of simple curiosity, he approached to see what was happening, and when he saw the poster, his heart stopped.
A massive announcement read: "Two chests full of gold for the rescue of this child." And right below were the portraits of the demi-wolf and the black witch.
—We'll be millionaires if we find her! —some said.
—We have to catch those kidnapping ruffians —others shouted.
—A powerful black warlock seeks to recover his daughter —an adventurer declared.
The hero felt a chill in his chest. His friends were in danger. The girl was worth two chests of gold, and the entire kingdom was beginning to hunt them. Without losing a second, he ran back to the hotel.
The Hotel, the Ambush, and the Flight
The two of them were watching over the little girl: the demi-wolf guarded the door while the black witch held the child as she played.
—Why do you always have such a sad face? —Aliarda asked.
—I'm not sad… my race is serious —the witch replied.
—Look, you have to smile! —the girl said, lifting the witch's cheeks with her fingers.
The scene was tender, but the peace was short-lived. Someone knocked loudly on the door.
—Open up! —ordered the hotel manager—. S-rank adventurers and knights of the court want to speak with you.
The demi-wolf, without opening the door, asked:
—What do they want?
His extraordinary sense of smell picked up the situation: seven men on each side, armed to the teeth; S-rank adventurers and soldiers of the kingdom. He could smell the dried blood on their weapons; he could perceive their figures through the wall like silhouettes made of smoke. It was an ambush. He signaled to the black witch. Without taking any belongings, they escaped through the fifth-floor window, climbed onto the roof, and began to run across the heights of the city.
—Let's play walking on the roofs! —the girl said enthusiastically.
The black witch covered her mouth. They needed absolute silence. As soon as their pursuers heard movement, they broke down the door. But it was too late: the adventurers were already racing across the rooftops.
The girl looked back.
—There's one coming who looks just like you!
It was a royal demi-wolf, much stronger and faster than her companion. He was running across the roofs with impressive ferocity. The black witch acted quickly. With great skill, she cast a spell, and a dark cloud covered two or three city blocks. The entire city descended into panic. The putrid smell neutralized the enemy demi-wolf's sense of smell. It was a perfect spell for an escape. Taking advantage of the chaos, they climbed down from the roofs and hid under a bridge, near the outskirts of the capital.
The hero saw the cloud from a distance. He knew his friends were in trouble. He did not approach the hotel, which was now surrounded by knights and high-ranking adventurers. He remembered that a spell is always cast against the wind, so he traced the smoke back to its source. The demi-wolf caught his scent and led him to where the black witch and the girl were hiding.
—We escaped —the witch said—. We couldn't take our weapons or anything else. The knights took everything.
—The entire kingdom is hunting you as kidnappers —the hero replied—. They've put up two chests of gold for the girl. That black warlock claims to be her father.
The black witch shook her head firmly:
—That man is not her father. We black witches do not have children with other races. This girl has none of our magic. Her scent, her energy, her eyes… nothing matches.
The notice was a lie, and the danger was real. The demi-wolf, tempted, asked:
—What if we turn her in and keep the two chests?
The witch glared at him.
—Do you have no word? This creature paid you a gold medallion to take her to her brother. We don't know who she is, but we must keep our promise. Or do you have no word as adventurers?
The hero lowered his head.
—Yes… we do.
—Of course we'll take her —the demi-wolf said, ashamed.
Aliarda was playing with some ants using a small twig.
—My brother… you don't know my brother —she said, as if it were an important secret.
But they were in a hurry and paid no attention. The black witch picked her up, and they set out on foot toward the border. It would be endless kilometers, but they had no other choice. Before starting the long trek, they arrived at a small, nameless village. It had few houses and some stalls for selling furs. With the money from the lilies, the hero bought a mule, a cart, and a farm horse.
The cart was precarious, but it would allow them to move forward without exhaustion. Even so, they needed money for the trip. They hunted some animals, sold the furs, and obtained silver and copper coins. With barely enough, they headed toward the border. Without knowing it, they were about to begin the greatest adventure of their lives.
The S-Rank Adventurer and the Shadow of the Past
While our heroes crossed the gigantic forests of the human kingdom, far from them, another fate was being set in motion. In a dark tavern on the outskirts of the capital, an S-rank adventurer—one of the most feared and powerful in the realm—heard the rumor of the two chests of gold. For a man like him, that reward was not just money: it was the perfect opportunity to regain his status, his life, and his pride. Years ago, he had been a knight in the service of the Hero King, but his arrogance, violence, and contempt for authority led to his expulsion. He had never forgotten that humiliation; much less the fact that it was the Paladin, his old rival, who had publicly defeated him to cast him out.
The Paladin… the greatest warrior in the kingdom. Two meters of muscle, dark skin, a commanding gaze, a living legend. The S-rank adventurer hated him with an intensity bordering on madness. He himself was nearly as large and strong, with black hair, pale skin, and a threatening aura. He always wore reinforced blue armor with a savage appearance. His presence instilled fear in any town he entered. And now… a missing girl was worth more gold than he had ever dreamed of. Without hesitation, he took his sword, mounted his horse, and set off toward the border, determined to get ahead of everyone else.
In the Hero King's castle, the news arrived faster than the wind. The messengers, pale with fear, reported that his illegitimate son had been accused of kidnapping a girl with golden eyes. The King, upon hearing this, struck the arm of the throne in a rage.
—Impossible! —he roared, a sound that made the hall's stained-glass windows vibrate.
He sent for the Paladin. The hero entered with a firm step, followed by his seven personal knights, the most loyal in the kingdom.
—This mission —the King said, his voice trembling between anger and fear— will be top secret. No one must know.
—What are your orders, Majesty? —the Paladin asked.
—You must find my son before the kingdom's captains do. Trust no one. Take only foreign or trusted soldiers. I want my son alive. If our army finds him first… they will kill him without hesitation.
The Paladin clenched his fist.
—I will bring him back safe and sound, my King.
The captain of his guard spoke to him in a low voice as they left the hall:
—Why must we risk so much for the illegitimate son?
The Paladin replied without stopping:
—The King is devastated. His daughter, the heir, married a foreign king… and now his son is accused of kidnapping children. If they find him before we do… he will be executed.
They mounted their horses and set off. The Paladin rode with a single thought in mind: to save the King's lost son.
The Portal Crossing and the Tale of the Black Knight
But the Paladin did not know that an enemy of his had already crossed the border: the S-rank adventurer. Our heroes, meanwhile, had reached the portal connecting to the border of the High Humans. But it was closed. Soldiers, captains, and mages were inspecting everyone; the rumor of the girl had arrived before they did. If they didn't cross the portal, it would take them years to travel by land.
—We need a plan —the hero said.
—We can blend in with the crowd —the black witch proposed.
—And I'll make myself invisible —Aliarda said with a smile.
They tried to obtain false papers. The hero stole documents using stealth, but they all showed different faces. They wouldn't work, but they decided to try anyway. They approached the checkpoint. The soldiers were distracted talking about the case, muttering that they had to capture the golden-eyed girl immediately if she appeared. Fortunately, they didn't check faces or ask for papers; they let them through. As they crossed, Aliarda walked invisible, holding the black witch's hand with a mischievous smile. They boarded the cart and crossed the portal. They appeared in a town of the High Humans, a small but strict fortress, too dangerous to enter with the girl, so they camped in the forest.
That night, Aliarda danced around the fire. She sang, twirled, and tried to make her protectors laugh.
—Do you know the story of the Black Knight? —she asked, her voice full of childhood wonder.
The hero replied, —We know the story of the Blue Lightning. He defeated hordes of demons in a single day.
The demi-wolf added, —They say his sword spat flames that leveled entire valleys.
The black witch added, —They say he traveled between continents as if the wind carried him. His shield bit through demon bones. They sing songs about him in every tavern.
The girl smiled sweetly.
—My mother told me… that the Black Knight was sent by our Lord.
—What lord? —the hero asked.
—Our Lord… —she whispered, half-asleep—. My grandpa sent my brother… He is a gift for everyone…
And she fell asleep in the black witch's arms. The three of them looked at each other, confused.
—Did she say… her brother? —the demi-wolf asked.
—She's dreaming —the black witch replied—. Don't pay her any mind.
But none of them could stop thinking about it.
The Village, the Guild, and the Hunt
They needed provisions. The village was too close, so the black witch decided to use her metamorphosis ability.
—Let me go alone. I will blend in among the red mages. No one will suspect a thing.
The next day, perfectly transformed—red hair, red robe, and a mystical aura—she entered the village riding the cart. She bought food, water, and blankets; but she also needed information. She entered the guild. Many adventurers looked at her; red mages were beautiful and common, so she drew no suspicion… until he saw her. The S-rank adventurer, sitting and eating, looked up. His skills allowed him to identify illusory magic. She was not a red mage; she was a black witch in disguise. He said nothing. He didn't move. He only watched her, patient, like a predator studying its prey.
The witch saw the bounty poster. Nearly fifteen adventurers in the village were also searching for the girl. She felt the atmosphere grow heavy. She immediately left the guild and took her cart, moving away from the village. But instead of returning to her friends, she took the road toward the next town. Her instinct screamed that she was being followed. In the forest, the hero watched from afar.
—They're following her! —he warned the demi-wolf.
The S-rank adventurer galloped behind the cart. The witch moved ahead, unaware. The hero and the demi-wolf, hidden among the trees, protected her. The girl hugged the hero, worried. The three of them mounted quickly. And so began the most dangerous pursuit they had ever experienced.
The rumor of the golden-eyed girl had traveled across the continent with the speed of fire devouring dry wood. At the border between the Human Kingdom and the High Humans, military tension grew by the minute. The battalion of 150 men from the Human Kingdom, composed of experienced soldiers and several S-rank adventurers, advanced toward the border determined to capture the girl. Their footsteps echoed on the ground like war drums.
Meanwhile, the Paladin and his seven knights had already crossed it. They had reached the first fortified village of the High Humans and discovered that the Hero King's illegitimate son was no longer there.
—We're late —the Paladin said, checking the ground, tracks, and movements.
—Too late —his captain replied.
Behind them, the human battalion reached the border. But the High Humans did not allow troops to cross without diplomatic authorization.