Thus, the children managed to recover and took it upon themselves to eliminate the wild horses. Evimolaos cast the spell Avlothopia, and with this spell he trapped three horses in flames and burned them. The remaining two steeds were handled by the other children, who easily dealt with them and eliminated them.
Evimolaos together with Etydameas approached the wild horses and observed, agreeing that these particular horses belonged to the mythical monsters known as Akia. These horses do not feed on grass, but are carnivorous, and so everyone realized that once again they had lowered their defenses, and it had nearly cost them dearly.
The young mages left and moved forward again, showing clear signs of exhaustion from the walking and the continuous battles. They crossed the valley, and as they walked, they saw a lake on the horizon. After a few minutes they reached the lake and came upon a group of Othratai. The Othratai were demons with a female appearance, whom most people know as Fairies. These female beings lure unfortunate passersby with their beauty, and after enchanting them, they transform into their true monstrous form and kill them in order to devour them.
One child cursed the enchanted medallion and said, how many more times would it lead them directly into bloodthirsty beasts? The Othratai noticed them, and so they all rushed together to kill them.
However, Irene had read about these Fairies, and thus she knew that if someone managed to steal a personal item from them, such as a handkerchief or a belt for example, then they would submit and be forced to obey. So she informed the other children, so they would know and be prepared to use this information when the crowd of female demons chased them.
Nevertheless, they noticed that the Othratai were very numerous, and thus it was impossible to steal something from all of them in time. As they ran toward them, Etydameus noticed that one of the Fairies was ahead of all the others and was leading them. So he replied to his friends that it was not necessary to steal something from all of them, but only from their leader, who was in front of the rest.
Hoping that the young mage was right, the group waited for the dangerous Othratai to approach, and when they came within close range, Evimolaos used the spell Axio to take the handkerchief from the hair of the Fairy leader. The Othratai queen immediately stopped and obeyed Evimolaos, who ordered her not to attack them. Thus, together with the leader Fairy, the rest of the Othratai also stopped, obeying their queen.
The children were relieved that their trick had worked and that they were saved from these dreadful water spirits. The group passed the lake and continued their journey undisturbed, seeking the exit from this second sector with so many obstacles and beasts.
Many began to grow tired and worried that they would not manage to leave this dreadful place alive. They asked Etydameas to tell them if they were nearing the exit, but he explained that the dragon medallion simply showed the position of the exits, not the distance. Finally, he told them that the previous time, when he was with his father, the traps and beasts they encountered had been fewer. Therefore, he told them that the Black-Robes must logically have increased the measures inside the labyrinth, so he could not be sure whether they were close to the exit or not.
Hearing this from Etydameas, the children began to realize that things were truly very difficult, and they all understood that their escape attempt might ultimately have been quite reckless and rushed. Thus, they clenched their teeth and continued their journey with clear signs of fatigue and lowered morale.
As they moved forward and crossed a grove, suddenly a humanoid creature slightly taller than them appeared before them. It blocked the children's path and shouted, "My name is Ragionir and I am an elf! You have trespassed on my territory," he told them, and immediately attacked them with the spells Convyrgo and Movarnta.
The children quickly defended themselves with the spells Protecto and Savitha. One child even summoned a water spirit, Kasemil, to protect them from the elf Ragionir. The young mages knew they were in a difficult position, as elves are famous for their advanced magical powers.
Thus, they moved closer side by side so they would remain united and cover one another from the elf's attacks. Ragionir skillfully dealt simultaneously with the demon Kasemil and the children using the powerful spell Protelika. And as if that were not enough, he summoned a creature, the beast Thoror.
So the group split into two, with some taking on the task of eliminating the beast Thoror and the others facing Ragionir. The young mages who dealt with Thoror struggled to push it back, while at the same time the remaining children fought an epic battle with the powerful Ragionir.
After a few minutes, just as the young escapees were about to destroy Thoror, Ragionir sacrificed it and summoned an even larger beast. He summoned the legendary three-bodied giant Siniogir. This monster was enormous, and the young mages were terrified at the sight of this creature.
Now the children, who had barely managed to face Thoror, had to confront this massive, deformed giant. The giant Siniogir hurled a piece of a large rock at the children, and they barely managed to avoid it.
Etydameus, who was facing the elf Ragionir, saw how the terrible giant had nearly killed his friends, and so he shouted to all the children to immediately turn against the elf. Etydameus hoped that with their combined attack against Ragionir, they would strike him and weaken him, and at the same time cause confusion so that he would lose control over the powerful monster Siniogir.
All the children ran toward the elf and did exactly as Etydameus had shouted. They struck Ragionir with spells all at once, and after a short while the elf lost his concentration, and the enormous three-bodied giant became uncontrollable.
The giant, who was closer to Ragionir, turned against him, and now the elf, unprepared, tried to save himself from his own monster. The children slowly retreated and watched as the demon Siniogir cornered the now weakened elf and was about to kill him at any moment.
Etydameas saw Ragionir struggling and fighting for his life against his own monster, and he felt pity for him. He turned to his friends and told them to help the elf quickly before the giant Siniogir killed him.
Most of the children did not show the same compassion as the nine-year-old mage, so he, along with a few friends, began striking the giant from behind. Seeing their friends' efforts, the others eventually joined the battle, and together they seriously wounded the giant with curses.
Finally, Ragionir struck the giant with the all-powerful spell Telaunor, and a lightning bolt struck down the enormous Siniogir dead.
The elf realized that thanks to the help of the young mages, he had been saved from the jaws of death. Breathing heavily, he approached the children and thanked them for saving him.
Then the elf whispered the spell Riase and healed Etydameas' friends from their wounds, and finally healed himself as well. In the end, Ragionir wished them success in achieving their goal and allowed them to pass through the forest undisturbed so they could continue on their way.
Etydameas together with his friends looked at the magical medallion and headed happily and rejuvenated toward the direction indicated by the necklace. Eventually, they crossed the grove and found themselves before a path that Etydameus had the impression he recognized. Yes, the farther they advanced along the path, the more certain the young mage became. He informed them that they were nearing the end of the route, but warned them not to relax until they reached the silver double axe that could be seen in the distance along the road.
After a few minutes, they were finally at the end of the great labyrinth and stood before the silver double axe. Etydameus thought to himself that fortunately they had not encountered the terrible Minotaur, otherwise that dreadful monster might have sealed their fate.
Etydameas warned the children to gather close to him and keep their wands ready. "As soon as we pass into the dark third sector, the Alnafropeis will attack us, so prepare yourselves—especially you two," he said to Evimolaos and Eusepiros.
Evimolaos told the children not to be afraid and to rely on him. Then Etydameus touched the gate with his wand, and it magically opened. The whole group, with slow and hesitant steps, entered the third level of Akmpazan, and the magical insects were already there, transmitting the progress of the young mages within the sector of the Alnafropes.
The Odyvioi in the palace of Sazideas were astonished by the incredible achievement of the young escapees. They had managed to overcome all the obstacles, traps, and dangerous monsters of the intricate labyrinth and had successfully reached the third and final ring of Akmpazan. Nevertheless, the Black-Robes were now certain that this sector would be the end of their journey.
Thus, they notified a group of agent mages to remain on standby, and as soon as they received the order, they would quickly enter the sector of the Alnafropeis and rescue the spoiled children from certain death.
Evimolaos pronounced the guardian spell, but to everyone's disappointment, all he managed to create was a luminous shield. However, Evimolaos shouted again the spell Onymbator, and then the spirit of his guardian finally appeared, taking the form of a hare.
The young mages, relieved, approached close to it for protection and congratulated him. The entire group moved with quick steps, knowing that summoned creatures drain mental energy from the mage. Therefore, they hurried to reach the end of the sector before all of Evimolaos' spiritual strength was exhausted and the luminous guardian protecting them from the demonic Alnafropeis disappeared.
The Black-Robes, astonished, had not expected that one of the children would possess the ability to wield such powerful magic and summon a full-bodied guardian with the spell Onymbator.
Of course, the Odyvioi, though surprised, remained calm, since outside the cave of Akmpazan there were teams of agents who had set an ambush for the young mages in case they actually managed to complete their epic escape.
Thus, the committee of the Black-Robes watched through the magical insects the group of escapees and wondered how long Evimolaos would manage to repel all the spirits of the Alnafropeis.
Indeed, Evimolaos had begun to grow exhausted, and a mental pressure was draining him as he maintained the magic of the guardian protector. Evimolaos anxiously asked Etydameas whether they were nearing the exit of the third level, and the young mage replied that he assumed they had covered approximately half the distance so far.
Almost immediately afterward, Evimolaos' luminous hare disappeared, and everyone was plunged into darkness. The Alnafropes rushed at the children, and they all felt themselves overwhelmed by negative emotions, while at the same time a chill passed through their hearts and bodies.
Eusepiros exchanged his wand with Evimolaos' and shouted the protective spell Onymbator himself to drive the dark demons away. Rays of light appeared, and everyone gathered behind Eusepiros' brilliant shield.
The children, terrified after experiencing the attack of the dreadful beasts, moved forward with slow and steady steps toward the direction indicated by the dragon necklace. Some children launched attacks against the Alnafropeis, but they were futile and powerless against these terrifying monsters.
Seeing that no other spell had any effect against these demons, some tried to invoke the guardian spell. However, they called upon it in vain, since the guardian magic belongs to the element of ether, so it was logical that they would fail—especially with those oak wands.
The Odyvioi ordered the agents waiting outside the prison to quickly enter and save the young mages from the Alnafropeis before they were destroyed.
Eusepiros' light weakened and eventually faded, so he immediately exchanged his wand again with Evimolaos, who had regained a little energy. Evimolaos summoned his guardian, the luminous hare, once more and told the children to quicken their pace, as he had not sufficiently restored his strength and did not know how long he could maintain the spell.
A few minutes passed, and suddenly they saw the wall with the gate that led to the end of the third ring. Etydameus joyfully shouted to them, "Run! This is the exit!"
They ran quickly, reached the gate, and Etydameus hastily touched it with his wand to open it. All the children passed through with relief, and the gate magically closed again behind them.
They heard a savage growl, and the young mages, surprised, saw a three-headed beast standing before a staircase, blocking the corridor. Etydameus explained that it was the guardian of the cave and that it was called Cerberus, but told them not to worry.
Etydameus asked for Evimolaos' wand, and then with the spell Armanio, he activated the magical melody of the harp and put Cerberus to sleep, just as his father had once done.
The group, delighted, carefully passed in front of the sleeping beast, and just as they were about to begin climbing the steps toward the exit of Akmpazan, they were suddenly struck by continuous disarming and other spells that paralyzed them.
The agent mages had caught them exactly as they passed Cerberus and took them by surprise. Thus, they captured them without much resistance, and one agent approached the petrified Etydameas and removed the magical dragon medallion from his neck.
Etydameas, unable to react, watched it being taken and wondered how it was possible that they knew about his enchanted necklace. Now, discouraged, he reflected that he would have no hope of escaping again from that dreadful underground prison without the help of the magical necklace.
The group of agents, after climbing the stairs, stood before the stone gate and pronounced the spell Ainexo Assoumi. The stone gate slid aside, and they emerged into the sunlight along with the unconscious captured escapees.
They placed them inside magical flying vehicles and transported them to the palace of Sazideas, located on Mount Koryvos.
The Odyvioi temporarily imprisoned them in cells within the palace and convened a council to decide what punishments to impose upon the young escapees.
Apheni and Somena were visibly relieved that Etydameas had emerged safe and unharmed after all those trials and demons he had faced.
The other Black-Robes were astonished by the achievement of the young mages, and some were quite enraged, as they had lost many chelima in illegal wagers in which they had hoped the children would fail.
Sazideas, on the other hand, had mixed feelings, as he felt proud of his grandson and his abilities, but at the same time saddened that he would have to send him back again to that dreadful place of Akmpazan.
Meanwhile, Apheni informed her husband, Torpineas, about the events; he was no longer part of the Odyvioi committee. Thus, once the young escapees had been captured, Apheni took the initiative and recounted to the unsuspecting Torpineas everything that had happened.
At that time, Torpineas and the blue-eyed Apheni had been living through a two-month period of happiness. Apheni was pregnant again, though they had not yet told the rest of their relatives. The couple had been extremely happy until this event occurred, and new clouds came to trouble their thoughts.
At first, they thought that now that the dragon medallion was known, everything would be revealed, and Apheni's guilt would also be exposed. However, Torpineas told Apheni to remain calm and, to begin with, to reveal to the others that she was pregnant. Thus, even if her guilt were discovered, they might at least show leniency and not punish her severely.
Then Torpineas told Apheni that he had an idea and that she should not worry. He found his brother Enithipeas and revealed all the events concerning the dragon necklace that he had given years earlier to his nephew Etydameas as a holiday gift.
Torpineas explained the situation to his brother and asked him to take responsibility for everything concerning the enchanted medallion, so that they would not suspect the involvement of his wife Apheni, who was now carrying their second child.
Without hesitation, Enithipeas assured Torpineas that if the Odyvioi began questioning and seeking explanations, he would take full responsibility for the magical dragon necklace. After all, Enithipeas had neither wife nor children yet, and besides, how many years could they possibly punish him for enchanting a medallion?
Thus, Enithipeas offered to help his brother, whose family was now about to grow, as he had been informed that he was expecting a second son.
Indeed, the Odyvioi did not delay long and soon discovered that the enchanted dragon medallion indicated the position of a rock located outside the cave of Akmpazan, aligned with the external stone gate of the prison.
Then they discovered that it had been a gift from Enithipeas to his nephew Etydameas, and when they interrogated him, he falsely confessed that he himself had enchanted both the necklace and the rock outside Akmpazan.
Thus, the Black-Robes, convinced by Enithipeas' testimony, arrested him and led him to the holding cells until he would be tried and they decided what punishment to impose upon him.
After Enithipeas' brave act, Apheni and Torpineas began to worry about the fate of their son Etydameas. They both knew that their nine-year-old son was now in a very unfavorable position, since he had attempted to escape again and had even led all the children of his chamber along with him.
Indeed, the fear of Torpineas and Apheni proved justified, and at the trial of the young mages, the Odyvioi sentenced them to twenty years in Akmpazan, and specifically in the adult prisons, not in the reform institution of Movinto.
Furthermore, they would be sent to different regions across Ephilia, each separated from the others, so that they would not attempt anything reckless together again.
Thus, the young convicts would now be sent to the prison of Akmpazan among adult criminals and real lawbreakers. Afini, upon hearing the sentence imposed in court for her son, clenched her hands and tried to restrain her anger. She quietly left the courtroom without saying anything. Wise Afini had foreseen such a terrible event and had long been prepared for it. Afini had conducted her research and had discovered the secret of Damani's guards, who escorted prisoners in and out of Akmpazan.
What Afini learned was that Damani's guards used two types of compasses to guide themselves inside the prison of Akmpazan. One compass had its needle soaked in the liquid from the vessel that stood beside the silver axe of the second ring, and thus it guided them toward the interior of Akmpazan. The second compass had its needle dipped in the liquid from the vessel that stood beside the exit of Akmpazan, and thus it guided them out of the prison. Thus, the guards used the compass with the liquid of Stygos when they wanted to enter the prison, and the compass with the liquid of Sevnadasi when they wanted to exit.
The liquid Sevnadasi was the one located outside next to the stone gate and was kept inside a stone vessel. This liquid had rare magical properties, such as the strange fact that it ignited while at the same time remaining in liquid form. Thus, Afini had secretly taken some of this magical liquid from the stone vessel some time ago, just in case—and indeed, it would now prove useful to her.
Afini knew that if she soaked some object in the liquid Sevnadasi to make it a compass and gave it to her son, then the wizard agents would immediately inspect it and discover their plan. Therefore, there was only one solution, and she would put it into action starting that very day.
Meanwhile, the Odyvii took the children to their cells in the palace of Sazideas, where they would remain for the next seven days and afterward be sent to Akmpazan. That same day, Afini and Torpineas visited their son and offered him a glass of juice to drink. The guard took the glass of juice from Afini's hands, inspected it, and then handed it himself to young Etydameas to drink.
They sat for a while and spoke with him, and the nine-year-old wizard explained to them the reason why he and his friends had attempted to escape from the Movinto reformatory. In the end, they said goodbye and left. Afini and Torpineas visited Etydameas daily for as long as he remained in his cell in the palace of Sazideas. And each day, Afini offered him a glass of juice to drink.
Thus, on the seventh day, Afini visited her son for the last time and handed the glass of juice to the guard to give to Etydameas. However, this time Afini had added a small amount of the magical liquid Sevnadasi into the glass of juice. The liquid Sevnadasi, although it burns, does not cause burns to the body when touched, and so Afini had thought of something crazy, yet quite clever.
The unsuspecting Etydameas took the glass of juice from the guard, and as he was about to drink it, he saw his mother behind the guard signaling to him to wet his hands and face with the juice. The young wizard had no idea and wondered why, but he was not foolish, so he obeyed his mother. He waited for the guard to leave, and when he was not watching, he washed his hands and forehead with the juice.
Afterward, when he was alone with his parents, Afini told him to drink all the juice, and the boy obeyed her. Afini and Torpineas watched him silently for a while and then asked him how he felt. Etydamon replied that he felt a strange sensation, as if something were pushing him toward a direction, but he had no idea to what place or why.
Afini winked at her son and happily told him that from now on he should always look upward and never let anything discourage his spirit. At last, the time of farewell arrived, and all the relatives of the young children parted from them in tears.
At the same time, the sentence of Enithipeas had also been decided, and as he himself had expected, the punishment was within reasonable limits. He was sentenced to five years in Akmpazan with the option to pay a large sum in chelimata and buy his freedom if he wished. Of course, Enithipeas bought his release with the far greater amount of money secretly provided by Afini and his brother.
The young wizards were brought out in chains from their cells, and a group of magic agents received them to lead them back to Akmpazan. However, this time they would not go to the Kezan reformatory. Instead, the Odyvii would not underestimate them this time, and so they sent each of them separately to different prisons across Ephilia.
The group of agents with the young escapees arrived at the luxurious palace of Damani. Damani awaited them and welcomed them with his guard. He ordered two of his guards to lead the Chrysouchoi and the delinquent youths into the depths of Akmpazan.
As they began to depart, Damani said to Etydameas that his trick with the magical pendant had been clever, but in the end he had failed again. What a pity, he said mockingly, informing him that no one could deceive Lord Damani and escape from his famous prison.
Thus, Damani's guards guided the agents and the young convicts toward the great hill that led to the cave of Akmpazan prison. One guard shouted, pointing with his wand toward the stone gate, "Enaixo Assoumi," and the stone door slid aside. Damani was so confident in the security of his prison that he deliberately had his guards speak the password aloud and never changed it, wishing to display confidence and boast about the legendary Akmpazan they controlled.
Thus, they all entered the cave and descended the steps until they encountered the famed guardian, the three-headed dog Cerberus. One guard pointed his wand at the magical harp, and it played the melody that calmed the beast. They passed it and entered the third ring of the prison.
The guards and the wizard agents drew their wands and summoned their guardian protectors to drive the demonic Alnafropes away from their path. Eventually, the two guards reached the magical gate and touched it with their wands to open it. Thus, they all now entered the labyrinthine and dangerous Labyrinth of the Minotaur.
The guards approached the double silver axe and asked the agents to come near and touch them on the shoulder so that they could teleport to the other end of the second ring, where the bronze axe was located. Thus, the guard mentally spoke the password spell, and as soon as he touched the silver axe, they all teleported together.
Now, the guards opened the magical gate that was the entrance to the ring of Ephilia. They entered the vast inner ring, and then the guards took out a cube and raised it into the air with their wands. The cube opened magically and displayed within a luminous background all the information about each child.
The agents approached and, with the spell "Ilips," each received the information needed for the corresponding young convict assigned to them. Thus, the group of wizard agents separated, and at the same time the group of young friends was also divided.
The children said farewell to each other, and some, overcome with sorrow, could not hold back their tears. The reason they cried was not only because they were separated, but mainly because they knew they would now be sent to adult prisons for a much longer period than before, when they had been at Movinto.
The guards told the agents that they would wait there at exactly the same spot in one hour, and so the agents teleported to deliver the young wizards to the corresponding prisons of Ephilia.
The agent assigned to Etydameas teleported him to the region of Areino. The area was very cold, as it lay at high altitude, and everywhere there were snow-covered mountain peaks. Etydameas saw high up on the slope of a mountain the prison to which the Chrysouchos, the wizard agent would send him.
The agent and Etydameas climbed an uphill, half-snow-covered path, and at the end of the road they saw three wizards sitting in front of a fire, roasting food. The Chrysouchos approached them and told them to lead him to the prison of Ravmos Sogo to deliver the young wizard. One of the three wizards set down his glass of drink and gestured to the agent to follow him.
Thus, the agent pushed Etydameas forward, and they followed the wizard to take them to the prison. They walked for a few minutes and then arrived before a steep cliff. The wizard touched the rocks of the cliff with his wand, and magically a secret uphill passage appeared.
They entered the secret rocky path and climbed upward to reach the prison of Ravmos Sogo. After they arrived at the prison, the wizard agent delivered nine-year-old Etydameas and informed them about the case of the young wizard. The guards at Ravmos Sogo had already been informed about the boy, as everyone in the magical world knew about his case.
The wizard who had led them inside the prison told the Chrysouchos to follow him so that he could lead him back the way they had come. Two guards of Ravmos Sogo took Etydameas and showed him the facilities and the building of the prison administration, where they presented him to the chief warden.
The chief warden asked the young wizard a few questions, and after introducing themselves, the two guards took him to his cell.