Title

 

"If the gods turn against you, you will fall into the world of shadows."

 

 

One world, two gods, twelve territories, twelve alliances comprised of diverse warriors: Warriors, summoners, and blood masters united in communities, the alliances, where they must prove themselves in ever-present wars, in the Battle of the Gods, the Alliance Wars, to receive the blessing of the gods and be allowed to remain in the world. But soon, the tide will turn for the alliances, and an ancient enemy of time will shroud the world in terror and darkness, unveiling the veil over the truth of the wars.

 

 

Chapter.1.

 

Shineri's head was pounding. For days, the white-haired woman had been tormented by nightmares. It was the dead of night; here and there, an owl could be heard hooting, and the gentle evening breeze rustled the leaves. The young white-haired woman sat up and rubbed her temples. She looked next to her in bed, where her partner, Ghost, was sleeping soundly. His white, shoulder-length hair was tied back in a small braid, a few strands falling over the young man's face, but this didn't seem to bother him, for the man continued to sleep soundly. Shineri looked at her sleeping husband for a while and sighed. Should she really wake him now because of a nightmare she'd been having for days? A dream she couldn't even properly interpret? She looked away from her partner and out the window. Her body clearly yearned for sleep, and the young woman found it difficult to keep her eyes open. Her fear that the dream would repeat itself was great. She hadn't told anyone about it, not even Ghost, who was always there for her no matter what. Something told Shineri that under no circumstances could she tell anyone about it, not her husband or her friends. But she wouldn't be able to keep this a secret for much longer. Even her older brother Sin and her little sister Vayna were worried and realized something was going on with their sister.

 

"Shineri? Are you okay?" a soft, deep voice tore the young woman from her thoughts. She jumped and looked next to her. Her partner had woken up, his white hair disheveled, showing that he had been sleeping on his side. Shineri sighed as she looked into her husband's ice-blue eyes and immediately felt comfort and security. "Yes, everything is fine," she said, leaning against Ghost. She breathed a sigh of relief when he put his strong arms around his wife and gently stroked her white hair. "Was it that nightmare again?" he asked gently, kissing her roots. She just nodded and swallowed hard. How she would have loved to tell him everything, but their lips were sealed. There was silence for a while, and she repeatedly felt Ghost's hand gently stroking her hair. "Thank you," whispered the young woman, breathing deeply. Her partner had long since understood that she didn't really want or couldn't talk about it, and Shineri was grateful that he simply held her and didn't pry. The two gently lay back down in bed, Shineri snuggled up to Ghost, who put his arms around her again and gently stroked her back. It wasn't long before Shineri managed to fall asleep in Ghost's arms, and her husband finally drifted off to sleep as well.

 

"Man, you won again," Vidar grumbled, sitting down on the large blue-green sofa. Vidar was a summoner, a mage whose weapon was magical spells that he could conjure with the help of his staff. The other lord, a strong warrior, smiled, adjusted his red and gold robe, sheathed his sword, and sat down next to Vidar. "We'd better not train in the common room, otherwise Ghost and Shineri will just start yelling at us again," he said, taking some of the sweet pastry that was on the small glass table in front of the sofa. Vidar laughed, looked at the black-haired man, and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me the strongest warrior is afraid of a woman?" The lord grumbled when he saw Vidar laughing softly, popped some of the pastry into his mouth, and grumbled, "Of course not, you nutcase." Vidar laughed even harder and leaned back before speaking amusedly: "Really, Xiao, you can defeat anyone who stands in our way and yet you're afraid of Shineri and Ghost?" Xiao's expression was monotonous, almost annoyed, as he looked at Vidar and stood up. "You're talking nonsense. I'll go outside and see if Soul wants to be relieved. After all, the poor guy was allowed to keep night watch today," said the warrior and sheathed his sword. Vidar nodded and waved to Xiao, who turned away and just grinned. Xiao was their strongest man in the alliance. No one could mess with him, or at least almost no one. But the man had such a soft heart when it came to protecting others. That even surprised Vidar.

 

A little later, a white-haired woman with pink highlights entered. Her pink and white dress was elegantly cut, and her golden staff bore a red ruby that shone slightly. "Morning, Vidar. Morning, Xiao," she said, stepping aside so the warrior could pass. The warrior kindly wished the woman good morning and walked past her. "Morning, Moisha!" Vidar called out, smiling and waving to her. The young woman tucked back a strand of hair and walked over to Vidar, who poured himself and Moisha a cup of tea. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked, looking at Moisha, who sat down next to Vidar where Xiao had been sitting. "Yes, please. Black tea would be best," she replied, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. Vidar smiled, grabbed two tea bags from the small drawer of the dresser next to the sofa, and filled them with fragrant black tea before tying the bags and pouring each into a cup. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, taking some of the hot spring water from the large pot on the dresser. "Yes, and you?" Moisha answered happily and watched Vidar pour the hot water into the cups. "Me too, only..." the man said, but paused. He picked up the two cups, sat down next to Moisha, and handed the woman the cup of tea before whispering, "I heard Shineri couldn't sleep again." The summoner looked at Vidar in surprise and blinked. Shineri was her best friend, and she had already suspected that something was wrong with Shineri. "Again?" Moisha asked worriedly, sipping carefully from the cup of tea. Vidar nodded, brushed back his brown hair, and said, "Yeah, this has been going on for over a month. I wonder what's going on. Has Shineri told you anything?" Moisha thought for a moment, lowered the white porcelain cup of tea, and shook her head before answering, "No, nothing." She sighed and looked at Vidar. "Maybe Ghost knows something."

 

Soul yawned as he entered the building hidden among trees and moss. It was built among many trees, which offered them protection from enemies, rain, and more. A building they had built with hard work. After all, as a group, as an alliance, they weren't actually allowed to have a camp, so they were forced to stay in that area. Soul sighed; every day he thought about what would happen if one of the other alliances discovered them, stormed their camp, and destroyed them, in the name of the gods. The consequences were unimaginable; they would all be executed by the court of the supreme gods. As the young summoner walked down the corridor that led deep into the camp, he shuddered at the thought of losing his life, but what other choice did they have? They couldn't join other alliances, at least not together as a group. No alliance would have capacity for 24 more members. Suddenly, his worries stopped and he had to smile when he saw Xiao walking towards him. "Good morning, my friend," said the warrior kindly, looking down at the summoner, who was rubbing his tired eyes. "Morning, Xiao," said Soul happily. He knew why the warrior was here; he had come to relieve him of his guard duties. "How was the night?" asked Xiao, looking sympathetically at the young lord, who smiled and glanced briefly at his silver staff, its blue crystal glowing faintly. "Actually, it was quite quiet. I saw an owl here and there, but nothing else," reported Soul, smiling as Xiao nodded and sent him inside. "Good, go and rest, I'll take over the guard now." Soul nodded gratefully to the warrior and walked past him to go to his room.

 

Soul's bedroom was right next to Karonte's and Sin's, Shineri's brother. Karonte often stayed with Sin, discussing new strategies with the warrior on how they would gain recognition from the gods, and Soul always had to chuckle, as Karonte had a vivid imagination. Once, the warrior believed that Sin, Shineri, or Ghost would be chosen to lead them as an alliance, and the magical being would crash through one of the round windows and give them hope. Another version of Karonte imagined was a battle where they would try to take over territory belonging to the other alliances. Sin then laughed out loud and said, amused, that this would never happen, whereupon Karonte searched for further counterarguments to support his theory. The thought of it was somehow amusing. Everyone in the alliance had given up hope of being recognized. Everyone here has resigned themselves to being a simple group of people. Nothing special, neither receiving visions from the gods nor being allowed to take part in the great Alliance Wars. The Alliance Wars were an event of the gods. They always took place in places chosen by the highest gods. It was said that the day before the event, the moon would glow purple and purple fire would illuminate the battlefield. The alliances had until then to prepare and measure their strengths. The Alliance Wars served as a spectacle, a battle to entertain and even impress the gods, and after a certain time, the highest gods, Solaris, the sun god, and Monaris, the moon goddess, would determine the victor. Soul didn't know what the reward would be, but it was surely something breathtaking, something worth fighting for.

 

"I swear to you, Monaris will send us the sign, Sin!" Soul heard Karonte's voice as he unlocked his own room door. The summoner chuckled when he heard Sin next door snort loudly and say amusedly, "Yes, of course, and I'll be made a god, what do you think?" There was silence for a while, and Karonte shouted, "I swear to you, this time it will happen!" Sin laughed, and Karonte continued to tell how the moon goddess would send a sign this time. Soul would have liked to listen further, because listening to the two of them was like a play that would make anyone laugh, but unfortunately, he felt his exhaustion increasingly apparent. He entered his room, yawned, put down his staff and ice-blue cloak, then strode to the bed and simply threw himself into it. He didn't even have the energy to cover himself up; he just wanted to sleep and think about nothing else. The voices of Sin and Karonte, as they argued madly, slowly faded. Soul closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and felt his body finally relax and surrender to sleep.

Chapter 2

 

Ghost sighed as he looked at Shineri, who was finally fast asleep in bed. The nightmares the young woman spoke of gave the Blood Master no peace. He put on a pair of neat black trousers and his white knee-length robe, took his two golden bracers, each containing three silver blades, and fastened them on his forearms. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and the three razor-sharp blades of one bracer sprang out with a jerk. Satisfied, he retracted the blades by opening his hand and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was disheveled and sticking out in all directions. The Blood Master couldn't possibly go to his comrades like that. They would only laugh at him. He quickly took a brush and combed his hair. He tied his white hair into a braid and left the room. He was very worried about Shineri, what if her nightmare was a sign from the gods. What if their time had come to stand together as an alliance, and if so, what would they call themselves? So many questions raced through Ghost's mind, but the feeling that their time had come wouldn't leave him. He couldn't really explain Shineri's condition; perhaps she couldn't bear the thought of being an outsider anymore, and that's why she was having these dreams. The Blood Master grumbled as he strode down the maroon hallway decorated with red and white carpets.

 

"Morning, Ghost!" a cheerful voice called, and the Blood Master stopped. He turned around and saw a black-haired young woman, her hair tied back in a high braid. She wore black pants, a black T-shirt, and held her staff in her right hand, which bore a black-gray crystal. He smiled and looked at the woman, who was Shineri's little sister, Vayna. "Good morning, dear Vayna," Ghost greeted her and waited until the young woman joined him so they could go to the common room together. "Did you sleep well?" the summoner asked, smiling. Shineri's husband nodded and told Vayna about Shineri, how she had another nightmare and couldn't really sleep all night. "By the gods, again?" Vayna asked, shocked, scratching her upper arm. Ghost sighed and nodded before answering, "Yes, unfortunately. She just won't tell me what it's about." The Blood Master fell asleep in thought, and Vayna, who was walking beside him, swallowed. "Maybe you or Sin could talk to her," said Ghost, biting his lower lip. He was clearly worried about Shineri. The summoner nodded, jumped in front of Ghost, and smiled before speaking. "Don't worry, I'll get it out of her. If I can't, then Sin will have to talk to her. He'll definitely manage if I fail." The Blood Master smiled. Vayna was always in such a positive mood; she believed firmly in her family, but the Blood Master could clearly see that the young woman was worried. "Come on, let's go to the common room, otherwise everyone will just take it easy," said Ghost, walking past Vayna, who giggled at the idea and quickly followed Shineri's husband.

 

Vidar grumbled as he played cards with Moisha. "Do you think the others will wake up yet?" Moisha asked amusedly, sorting her cards. Vidar thought for a moment, looked from Moisha to his cards, and considered before speaking: "Shinoa is probably still awake, Vayna too, Sin and Karonte too. Pise and Babayaga, I have no idea, they need their beauty sleep." Moisha laughed, brushed back her white-pink hair, and looked at Vidar, who grinned as he looked at his cards. "Don't grin like that, you haven't won yet," Moisha said annoyed, looking through her cards. Vidar ran his hand through his hair, grinned, and leaned back against the arm of the sofa. "I'll bet you another one. Bet half the group won't wake up until noon? 100 gold that they don't wake up," Vidar grinned, looking at Moisha. The young woman thought about it, looked at Vidar for a while, looked at her cards, and nodded: "Okay, 100 gold." Moisha grinned and looked at Vidar, who leaned forward and looked Moisha in the eyes over the cards. "Are you sure?" Vidar asked amusedly, raising both his eyebrows up and down. Moisha grumbled, looked at her cards again, and thought about it for a while. She laid down her cards: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3 of hearts. Shocked, Vidar looked at the playing cards. Moisha had completed her set. All of them in hearts. "Man..." Vidar said, annoyed, and put his cards in the deck. "100 gold. I'm going broke with you," Vidar said, mock-crying, and handed Moisha the 100 gold coins.

 

"What are you playing at!" a man's voice shouted. Vidar flinched and fell off the sofa. The gold coins fell from his hand and he held his right ear before the summoner shouted, "Ow, do you have to shout like that so early in the morning, Shinoa?!" Moisha looked up. Next to her stood Shinoa, the strongest Blood Master in their group. Shinoa grinned, sat down in Vidar's seat, and looked at Moisha. "Oh, so you lost a bet," Shinoa said amusedly, pouring himself a cup of tea. Vidar grumbled, picked up the gold coins, and was about to protest when Ghost and Vayna entered the room. "Good morning," said Ghost, walking over to the small table where the teapot was. "Morning," Vidar greeted back and handed Moisha the gold. The young woman smiled, pocketed the gold coins contentedly, and teasingly stuck her tongue out at Vidar. Shinoa also greeted him with a "Good morning" and looked at Vidar before speaking amusedly, "That's embarrassing for you, Vidar. Next time, don't bet against a top card player." Vidar grumbled and was about to object, but Ghost interrupted him: "Shouldn't you be on patrol?" Vidar flinched, and so did Moisha. That's right, the two of them were supposed to be patrolling their territory today with Cherub. "Uh, yeah. Um, we'll leave right away," Moisha said, grabbing Vidar by the arm and pulling him along. They walked past Vayna, who was taking a sandwich from the dining table, and closed the door behind them. Shinoa's expression immediately turned serious. He looked at Ghost and asked, "How is Shineri? Is she still having those dreams?" Shineri's husband sighed, looked at Shinoa and Vayna, who sat down worriedly next to Shinoa and looked at Ghost, who then replied curtly a little later: "Yes, unfortunately." Concerned, Shinoa looked at Vayna, who shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she also knew nothing about the dreams. The Blood Master rubbed his eyes, looked from Ghost to Vayna and then back to Shineri's husband before speaking: "This isn't good. Maybe we should all talk to her together. We need our leader to be sane. You, Sin, and I can't stand in for her forever, Ghost." Shineri's husband nodded, sat down on the sofa, and fell into thought. Shinoa was right in what he said. Their entire group saw Shineri as leader. Even if the gods hadn't chosen her, or maybe they had? Ghost's eyes widened as it dawned on him. These constant nightmares that came daily , that tormented them all night long. "I think I know what she's dreaming about," said Ghost, looking up from the cup of tea he had poured himself earlier. Shinoa looked at Ghost, as did Vayna, who looked at Ghost in surprise. "Call the others together. Bring Moisha and Vidar back. We should discuss this as a group..." Ghost said, looking at Shinoa, who immediately stood up and ran out of the common room to retrieve Moisha and Vidar. Vayna also stood up, looked at Ghost, and nodded. "I'll let the others know."

Chapter.3.

 

"You're doing it wrong again, Shineri," spoke a gentle female voice from behind the young, white-haired Shineri. Surprised, the young summoner turned around and looked at a young woman with long, loose, gently wavy white hair. She had a narrow face, ice-blue eyes, and wore two silver-and-dark-blue earrings. The woman wore a long, dark blue robe with silver-and-gold decorations. The long sleeves of the robe draped elegantly around the young woman's arms, which were adorned with several golden bracelets. The dark blue trousers were sewn together with the top, and the decorations of the entire robe gathered around a silver jewel resembling a full moon in the center of the young woman's chest. "What am I doing wrong again?" Shineri asked, crossing her arms stubbornly. Her white-and-gold dress danced in the gentle spring breeze, and the sun softly shone on her long, snow-white hair. "You forgot the princess again," the woman admonished Shineri and sighed. She had been Shineri's mentor for about four months. Often during their training, Shineri gave her all, and on some days she didn't, and today was one of those days when her student was in absolutely no mood. Despite the beautiful weather and the vast, lush green meadow, which somewhat surprised Shineri's mentor, Soraya. "Maybe we should take a break, hmm?" Soraya said gently, looking at Shineri, who slowly nodded and collapsed into the grass. "I'll always forget..." the student murmured, putting her arm around her eyes to shade them from the sunlight. Soraya raised an eyebrow and revealed her silver staff, which bore a snow-white, round crystal in its center. "He who gives up loses, you know that, right?" Soraya asked, looking at Shineri and sighing loudly at the words. "I know, but it's so hard," she said, straightening up. Soraya's student suddenly jumped as if frozen and looked past her mentor with wide-open eyes, who blinked and tilted her head. "What's wrong?" Soraya asked in surprise, and Shineri raised her hand and pointed past Soraya. The summoner followed her student's gaze and had to smile. Some distance away was a young Blood Master training with an older Blood Master. Both blades were extended and Soraya knew immediately who the student was. White shoulder-length hair, a black and green robe, it was none other than Ghost. Shineri blushed and Soraya smiled as she looked at her student before speaking amusedly, "Oh, that's why you're so frozen." Here and there, Ghost's mentor Lucius could be heard praising his student and calling for him to keep it up. "Should we go to him?" Soraya asked and had to laugh as Shineri jumped and let out a high-pitched, panicked "No." "Should we go back to camp?" Soraya asked amusedly and looked at Shineri, who came closer to Soraya to hide. The young student nodded quickly and tried to hide her red cheeks. "Do you think you can get past Ghost?" Soraya asked amusedly and looked at Lucius and Ghost, who continued training without breaks. "I... I think so," Shineri answered shyly, because all she could think about was Ghost and she was taking a deep breath. Soraya nodded and walked ahead, and Shineri dutifully followed her mentor without hesitation and looked curiously at Ghost, who was spinning in the air to strike Lucius with his blades. Soraya grinned and called out loudly: "That looks great, Ghost!" Shineri flinched and looked up at her mentor with a bright red face, who was grinning and briefly glanced at the young woman.

 

"Don't give the young man false hope, Soraya," Lucius called out amusedly, patting Ghost on the shoulder, who smiled and scratched his head. "Oh, come on, he's doing quite well, Lucius," said Soraya, walking over to the black-haired man wearing a black and gold robe. Shineri followed Soraya and swallowed hard as she saw Ghost, who was looking at Shineri and smiling. "H... Hey," the young summoner stammered hesitantly, looking at Ghost, who greeted Shineri back. The two students immediately fell into conversation, and Shineri's cheeks turned redder and redder as Ghost told her about his successful attacks. "T... That's great," Shineri replied shyly, looking to her mentor for help. The mentor deliberately averted her gaze from Shineri and started a conversation with Lucius. The student swallowed, nervously scratched her arm, and looked at Ghost, who was looking around the meadow and picking a small flower. He smiled, handed it to Shineri, and said kindly, "For you, ma Chérie." Shineri immediately blushed and looked wide-eyed at the small white flower, which she carefully took in her hands. It took a while for her to thank her. Soraya flinched when she saw Shineri's red cheeks, and the young student couldn't get another word out. She quickly took Shineri's hand and said, laughing slightly, "I'll see you later. Shineri and I have some unfinished business. I think Hiccup needs something from me." Lucius nodded and looked at his student, who was also slightly blushing and waved to Shineri as she and Soraya turned away. "You too?" Lucius asked his student, who looked up in surprise and stared at his mentor in bewilderment. "I what?" he asked, feigning confusion, and Lucius laughed. Ghost liked Shineri and Shineri liked Ghost, but neither of them dared to say it openly. "My dear boy, if you carry on like this, you'll never get Shineri." Lucius said fatherly and looked at the young Blood Master, who flinched and uttered a shocked "Why?" "Come on, we should get back to camp too," Lucius said, sheathing his blades. Ghost nodded, did the same, and together the two of them walked along the gravel path in the meadow that led back to their alliance's camp.

 

"W... What's going on here?" Shineri said, shocked, looking fearfully at her alliance's camp. The houses were burning, blood covered the ground, corpses could be seen here and there, and her alliance's banner had been trampled to the ground, torn, and burned. Soraya swallowed hard as she and her student approached the fallen banner of her alliance. She knelt down, lifted the small, torn flag, and stared at it in shock for a while. "Soraya, look!" Shineri cried in fear, pointing to her leader's house. It was completely destroyed, fire engulfed the house, and drops of blood covered the ground. "Hiccup," Soraya whispered, running toward the house. Shineri immediately ran after her, but the two summoners couldn't advance because a thick cloud of smoke blocked them. Soraya coughed and raised her arm to cover her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes from the smoke. "Soraya!" the summoners heard Lucius call and turned around. The Blood Master quickly ran to the two. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, holding Soraya by the arm as if afraid Soraya would run into the burning house. "That was Dark Moon!" she screamed angrily, trying to break free. Lucius flinched when he heard the name of the alliance. Dark Moon was their greatest archenemy. An alliance that had tried for years to overthrow all alliances that subordinated themselves to the gods. They were also called the Alliance of Shadows. "Even if it was Dark Moon. You can't run into the burning house," Lucius said seriously, nodding to the two students, who looked fearfully back and forth between Lucius and Soraya. Soraya hissed, looked away from Lucius and the students, and swallowed hard. Hiccup was definitely still in there. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. "The students need to get to safety first, Soraya," Lucius said seriously, looking around cautiously. Suddenly, out of nowhere, flaming meteorites began to rain down. Soraya flinched, summoned her staff, and immediately created a magical protective shield. Lucius leaped out of the shield, extended his Blood Master blades, and cut the flaming meteorites into a thousand pieces, which gently bounced off Soraya's shield.

 

Fearfully, Shineri and Ghost hid behind Soraya. The summoner hissed and searched the camp for a loophole for the students. She couldn't fight like this without endangering the students. "The House of Sarell!" Lucius shouted, once again cutting through the meteorites that bounced off Soraya's protective shield. It wouldn't be long before the spell would wear off. Soraya looked at Ghost and Shineri and spoke seriously but gently: "Listen to me carefully. Run to Sarell's House and hide." Shocked, Shineri looked at her mentor and spoke fearfully: "But Soraya, what about you?" Soraya hissed and felt the spell slowly weakening. "Do as I tell you!" she commanded and looked at Ghost, who nodded and grabbed Shineri by the hand. As the blue protective circle slowly dissolved, Ghost started running. He pulled Shineri along by the arm, who looked fearfully back at her mentor, who raised her staff and hurled the falling meteorites back. "Lucius!" she called, covering the Blood Master, who nodded and looked around. "They're coming," he spoke softly, making his blades appear. Soraya followed his gaze, and in front of their alliance entrance, they could see black figures shrouded in shadow in the distance, moving at an enormous speed towards the fallen camp. "Shall we have a competition, sweetheart? Who can kill the most?" Lucius asked calmly, tilting his head to look at Soraya. Soraya grinned and looked at Lucius. "You're welcome," she said, raising her staff.

 

"There are too many..." Lucius said wearily, holding one arm. Another of the shadows lunged at the injured Blood Master, but Soraya immediately unleashed a blue meteor shower that chased most of the black figures away. They screamed shrilly, their skull-like faces retreating, their bony bodies, surrounded by smoke, revealing sharp black claws. Glowing red eyes fixed on the two members of the fallen alliance, and Soraya felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "We can't give up, Lucius," Soraya said, fending off one of the figures that tried to pounce on Soraya from above. Lucius hissed, looked at Soraya, and whispered, "What can I say if you're right?" With these words, the Blood Master lunged at the figures opposite him. Soraya did the same, taking care of the figures on her side. Even if they were the last two of their alliance, they would avenge their fallen comrades. Soraya hissed, closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, they suddenly glowed white. A small white moon appeared on her forehead, and Soraya felt such a strong power that the summoner almost believed she couldn't control it. Lucius flinched and looked in shock at Soraya, who was surrounded by a white starlight that gently lifted her slightly and danced around her, so that the summoner was floating. "By the gods..." Lucius said in shock, looking up at Soraya. But then he hissed as a black figure lunged at his blade while Lucius was distracted. "Hey, they're worth a fortune, you ugly scum!" he shouted, stabbing his blades into the figure's bony, scrawny body. This time he covered Soraya, who obviously possessed a very special power all of a sudden. Namely, that of the goddess Monaris.

 

White-grey, moon-shaped meteorites formed from the starlight and hovered around Soraya. Powerful magical waves spread out again and again, betraying the power the summoner possessed. She looked to Lucius, who was trying his best to distract the figures and noticed nothing of this. The summoner raised her hand and immediately the moon-shaped meteorites shot towards the shadow creatures. Lucius flinched as the meteorites shot past him and hit the creatures. Immediately, the shadow creatures screamed and fell to the side, writhing as their bodies burned agonizingly in white fires. Shocked, Lucius turned around and flinched when he saw Soraya. Her hair danced in the white starlight, her eyes fixed on the figures running towards her. They leapt towards the summoner and immediately the moon-shaped meteorites shot out again, easily hurling the creatures away, who once again cried out in agony and slowly died in white flames. Meanwhile, the white starlight gathered in front of the summoner, who clasped her hands together and when she opened them again, a large white phoenix emerged, which, with a loud cry, lunged at the shadowy creatures. It beat its grey-white wings and a strong magical wind of starlight, which formed into crystal-white arrows, rained down on the figures. Together with Soraya's meteor shower, the number of creatures dwindled. Lucius flinched as he watched the scene. He fell to his knees and exhaled in shock. "By the gods, Hiccup was never chosen," he whispered and watched as the white phoenix pounced on the figures. Its glowing white beak pierced the bodies of the figures, its wings flapped again, and once again a shower of crystal-white arrows rained down. Lucius chuckled, looked down at the ground, and then back at Soraya, before speaking amusedly, "I clearly lost that bet." The phoenix cried out in response to Lucius' comment, flew around Soraya, and thus formed a violent vortex that combined with Soraya's moon meteorite and rained down one last time on the remaining few figures.

 

Exhausted, Soraya fell against Lucius as she slowly floated to the ground, the magic fading. The phoenix closed its eyes and dissolved into a white starlight that floated toward Soraya, illuminating the small moon symbol on her forehead. The Blood Master quickly held the summoner tightly in his arms and looked at her with concern. She breathed wearily and slowly opened her eyes. "The children," she whispered, looking around for Shineri and Ghost, who cautiously emerged from Sarell's house in shock. "They're fine," Lucius said gently, glancing briefly at Shineri and Ghost, who were smiling and running toward Lucius and Soraya. Soraya smiled, looked at Lucius apologetically, and spoke wearily, "There's something I haven't told you..." Lucius smiled as he looked at Soraya, stroked her hair gently, and spoke in a gentle voice, "Shh, that can wait until tomorrow." Soraya smiled and looked at Shineri, who was calling her name loudly and throwing herself at Soraya to cuddle her. The summoner flinched and hugged her student, who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" asked Shineri, looking from Soraya to Lucius, who nodded and looked at Ghost, who was also cuddling him as best he could. Lucius laughed, hugged his student with one hand, and said, "Of course we're okay. We've fought all beings. No one can defeat us." Ghost laughed, as did Shineri, and Soraya smiled and shook her head at Lucius's words. "Come on, let's clean up here slowly," said Lucius, supporting Soraya in Syell's house. Shineri and Ghost looked at each other in surprise as they watched Lucius support Soraya into the house.

 

Suddenly, the image of Soraya and Lucius faded. Shineri flinched, screamed for her mentor, and looked at Ghost, who was no longer standing beside her. "W...What's going on?" she asked quietly, carefully looking around at the white mist that had almost wrapped itself around her until all she could see was white smoke. Fearfully, Shineri waved her hands to clear the thick white mist, but nothing seemed to help. The mist grew thicker and thicker, settling heavily around the young summoner. Frightened, the girl held her throat and gasped for air in panic. Tears ran down her cheeks as she noticed the mist wrapping around her throat, like a rope being slowly tightened. Panicked, the young summoner gasped and took a step forward, but this was a mistake. Suddenly, she fell through the white mist into the depths of darkness. She wanted to scream, but couldn't. She was falling faster and faster into the depths of darkness, and Shineri felt an eerie coldness wrapping itself around her body like claws pulling at her. Suddenly, a small red flame formed a little way in front of her, and Shineri felt warmth surrounding her. She opened her eyes and looked in shock at the small red flame. The mist-like shackle around her neck dissolved, and Shineri took a deep, startled breath as she felt the pressure around her throat ease. She rubbed her neck and stared, mesmerized, at the red flame she was falling towards. But this feeling of security changed immediately as the pleasant, warm flame grew larger. The flames danced wildly around them until they formed into a red, flaming phoenix. The bird cried out loudly and flew towards little Shineri, who cried out in fear and immediately raised her hands to protect herself from the phoenix.

 

Shineri's eyes widened in shock, she screamed at the scenario in her dream and sat up in shock. She was breathing rapidly and resting her forehead on her hand, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead, and the summoner stared down at her duvet, mesmerized. "Not again..." whispered Shineri weakly, trying to calm her rapid breathing. She looked around and only now noticed that her partner was no longer in the bedroom. Apparently, she had been sleeping all day. "Great, that makes me look good," grumbled Shineri, shaking her head and swallowing hard. Carefully, she put the duvet aside and cautiously got out of bed. She couldn't show any weakness, not now, not in the future, but this dream meant something. Why did she dream this together with the battle of the shadow creatures? Why did she see Soraya and Lucius if they had both died in battle? Too many questions were swirling through Shineri's head, so she held her head again and looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the chestnut-brown wardrobe. Her reflection looked terrible; she was drenched in sweat, her snow-long white hair was disheveled in all directions, and her white-blue eyes had black circles under them. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Shineri jumped in alarm and stared spellbound at the closed door. "Shin, are you awake?" a soft, deep male voice called out. Great, it was Sin, Shineri's older brother; she couldn't appear like a zombie in front of him. "Yes, I'm awake. Give me a few minutes!" she called and quickly went to the bathroom to get ready. Dream or not, she couldn't let it affect her now. After all, she had to be there for her alliance. Her own well-being came last.

 

A few minutes later, Shineri opened the door. Sin stood before her, brushing his short black hair back into a braid and looking worriedly at his little sister as he spoke: "Are you okay?" The woman simply nodded and brushed back a strand of hair. She wore a tight, elegant black jumpsuit with long sleeves, embroidered with golden flame patterns. A long cape was attached to the robe and wrapped elegantly around the summoner's arms. Inside the cape, one could see the embroidered wings of a golden bird. "I'm fine," Shineri said seriously, walking past her brother, but he held her arm and raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me. Tell me what's wrong. It's not just me, Vayna and Ghost, who's worried about you, but the entire alliance is worried about you, sis," Sin said gently, and the summoner looked away. Was she really that easy to see through. She took a deep breath and looked at Sin for a moment, who was obviously waiting for an answer. She gently freed herself from her brother's grip and spoke in a calm voice: "Come on, if I do, I won't just tell you, but everyone else too." The warrior nodded at Shineri's words and followed his sister, who was walking with her brother towards the common room. Sin looked thoughtfully at Shineri and noticed her nervously rubbing her hands. She didn't look at him, but looked down at the ground, as if deep in thought about what she might say. Whatever it was, it certainly concerned not just Shineri, but the entire alliance.

 

"What are you talking about, Ghost? You don't seriously believe Shineri is having a dream about the gods. If that's true, we don't have to hide anymore," a high-pitched female voice called across the common room. Ghost sighed. He stood up with Shinoa at the end of the room. All their alliance members were gathered in front of them. The news that Shineri was likely having a dream, which would obviously mean confirmation of their alliance, had raised many questions. He looked at the alliance members. Shinoa stood next to him, raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. The vice leader looked at the alliance members, who began to talk wildly at the statement. He took a deep breath and spoke in a strong, loud voice: "Quiet! Do you seriously think we're imagining this? What Ghost says could be true. It's happened before that the gods sent the same dream over and over again. But until we're 100 percent sure, we still have to be cautious. We can't take any risks, understand, Nana?" The Blood Master looked seriously at the young summoner named Nana, who had been speaking loudly. She looked down and muttered something to Titania, a young Blood Master, who slowly nodded thoughtfully. "We're not sure if this is really the case. When Shineri has recovered, she can tell us more, but until then, you all have to stay calm," Ghost said seriously and looked around. The alliance members slowly nodded. Soul sat next to Xiao and bit his lip; he didn't understand the meeting if he wasn't even sure if it was true. Why was Ghost giving them false hope, or did the Blood Master think he knew what Shineri was dreaming about? He was about to take a breath to ask his companion, but he didn't get the chance because the door to the common room opened. All the alliance members turned and looked at Shineri, who came in with Sin and walked over to Ghost and Shinoa. "What's going on here?" Shineri asked seriously, looking at her husband and Shinoa, who was lightly scratching his neck. Immediately, a woman's voice called from behind Shineri: "Shineri! Is it true that we've finally been recognized as an alliance?"

 

Shineri looked away from the two Blood Masters to the female voice belonging to a Blood Master named Babayaga. She was holding the hand of Karonte, a warrior, and looked uncertainly and slightly fearfully at Shineri. Babayaga had long, wavy blond hair, wore a long white dress, and looked at Karonte, who, like Sin, wore a simple, plain black robe. Shineri sighed audibly. All eyes were intently fixed on the summoner. The summoner could also feel the gazes of her deputy leaders on her neck. "Yes, it's true. The gods sent me the dreams. If that's true, a magical being will also appear in our camp in a few days, which will further confirm our alliance," Shineri said in a calm voice. Murmuring immediately began again. Vidar looked to Vayna and Moisha, who were sitting next to him and looking worriedly at Shineri. The summoner was clearly exhausted. You could see that she didn't really have much strength. Moisha stood up. Vidar flinched and tried to hold Moisha's arm so she wouldn't ask any more questions, but the white-and-pink-haired woman wouldn't let her comrade stop her. If she didn't ask the burning question, no one else would. "What about the other alliances? What if they attack and destroy us before the magical being even gets here?" she asked. Immediately, all eyes turned to Moisha, who gulped as she felt everyone's gaze on her, especially that of her leader, who seemed to consider for a while how best to answer the question. But Sin stepped up to Shineri and answered in her place: "Then we'll fight back. We train every day, prepare ourselves, and stick together. Even if the other alliances attack us, it would be a mistake to simply admit defeat." The alliance members looked at each other, some talking quietly and occasionally glancing at Shineri with concern. Others seemed unconvinced by Sin's answer and looked worriedly at the summoner next to Sin, but she didn't speak. Ghost looked at Shinoa, who nodded at Ghost, and Shineri's husband stepped forward before speaking: "We could turn to Soraya and Lucius and their alliance. They would definitely help us."

 

Immediately, silence fell in the room. Shineri turned to her husband. Had she just heard correctly? Soraya and her alliance? She shook her head slowly and discreetly, thinking Ghost had lost his mind. She walked over to her husband and whispered, "Soraya and Lucius died when NoPenta fell." Ghost chuckled, looking at his wife, who was obviously somewhat disturbed by her dreams. He whispered, "If that were the case, we would be dead too, Shin." Shineri's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. The Blood Master was right. Back when NoPenta was attacked by DarkMoon, only Soraya and Lucius survived. After all, the two of them had saved her and Ghost's lives. How could she have forgotten that, but where was Soraya now? Shineri and Soraya hadn't had contact in years. The white-haired woman still remembered how she and her former mentor were separated when Soraya and Lucius set out to find a new camp. Ever since she and Lucius never returned, Shineri and Ghost had been on their own until, over time, she met people, her alliance, who welcomed her warmly and now saw her as the leader, since no one wanted to take over the position at the beginning. "You're right. Soraya and Lucius' bodies were never found," whispered Shineri, lost in thought. The Blood Master nodded and smiled. "For that reason alone, I believe the two of them are still out there somewhere, alive. Something must have happened, something we don't know about, why we were separated," Ghost explained gently, looking at his alliance members, who were chattering wildly. Everyone had their own theory about Soraya and Lucius. No one in their alliance knew them except Ghost and Shineri. All that was known was that Soraya and Lucius had won the battle alone against DarkMoon. But no one in their alliance knew how. Shineri looked at Ghost, who nodded and said, "We should try to contact them somehow." Shinoa and Sin looked at Ghost and Shineri, who were whispering to each other. Shineri nodded to Sin, and the Vice leader stepped forward, ending the alliance's frantic conversations and loudly urging everyone to be cautious in the coming days and not to venture out on patrol alone. With these words, the members left the common room and went back to their work, until only Shineri, Ghost, Sin, and Shinoa remained alone in the common room.

 

"Soraya and Lucius?" Shinoa said, crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Shineri, who sat down on the sofa, slowly losing the strength to stand. The summoner nodded and looked at Shinoa. "Yes, my and Ghost's former mentors. But I'm at a loss as to how we're supposed to ask them for help when none of us knows where they are," Shineri explained, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. Ghost had given her alliance false hope without having any proof that Soraya and Lucius were still alive. "Great, giving the alliance false hope with a battle that happened years ago and no one knows if they're still alive," Shinoa said, slightly annoyed, voicing Shineri's concerns. He looked at Ghost, who sighed and sat down next to Shineri. The Companion looked up at the Blood Master and gently stroked Shineri's back. "Those weren't false hopes. I know Lucius and Soraya are still alive. May the gods punish me if I'm wrong," Ghost said, annoyed, narrowing his eyes. Shinoa grumbled and rubbed his eyes. Sin, who had been observing everything until now, sighed, took a deep breath, and said, "Perhaps someone else knows where those two are." Shineri looked up in surprise, as did Ghost. Shinoa bit his lip and looked at the warrior, who seemed to think for a moment. "You don't mean..., do you?" Ghost spoke a little more quietly and swallowed. Sin nodded, looked at Shineri, Ghost, and Shinoa, and replied, "But I mean Sarell, my former mentor."

Chapter.4.

 

 

Sarell grumbled as he watered the magnificent flowers that moved across the golden-white starry sky of the gods' realm. He looked up at the beautiful blue-violet sky, adorned with many stars. The moon shone brightly down on the magnificent golden-white castle, the pointed towers, in which a wildly blazing blue light shone, illuminating the landscape raised in the sky. Sarell looked around; the garden, which stretched across the magical starry sky, was wonderfully green and decorated with many different kinds of flowers. The daughter of the moon goddess loved flowers more than anything and since moving into the castle, had decorated the empty paths with many magnificent specimens: roses, tulips, and much more. The waterfall, surrounded by a light haze of stars, gently trickled in the background and filled the large pond with ice-blue, crystal-clear water that extended around the entire castle. Here and there, a few fish could be seen, star koi, dancing their way through the pond, stirring up gentle ripples. Sarell was lost in thought as he watched the fish dance through the pond and didn't notice a man with blond hair, dressed in a gold and black robe, slowly approaching the star-decorated path. He chuckled when he saw Sarell and spoke in a gentle voice, "My friend, I didn't know you loved fish so much." The gardener jumped, whirled around, and dropped the watering can in shock. It rolled slightly, and Sarell bit his lip in embarrassment. He looked up and his eyes widened as he saw the gentleman in front of him, who was smiling amusedly and adjusting his cloak, decorated with suns and gold ornaments, which had become slightly tangled in the grass. "S...Solaris," Sarell stammered, bowing his head respectfully to the god, who strode over to the warrior and gently lifted his chin. "Please, you shouldn't bow down to me," the sun god said gently, letting go of Sarell, who smiled and said, "Soraya will be pleased to see you, sir."

 

Solaris smiled as he looked around at the palace and the magnificent gardens. Here and there, one could make out sandstone paths that then wound gently upwards to reveal another garden. Soraya probably missed Canossa, which was why she was trying to create her own little Canossa here. "Sir?" Sarell spoke softly, tearing the god from his thoughts. Solaris looked at Sarell, who smiled and pointed to the star-dusted sandstone path that led towards the castle. The god smiled too and followed Sarell, who went ahead to take the god to his daughter. "Is Monaris here too, sir?" asked the black-haired warrior, looking at the sun god, who shook his head and replied, "Unfortunately not, she had something to do in her part of the world." Sarell nodded, but he could clearly see concern in the sun god's eyes. However, the warrior didn't say another word and strode over to the golden pillar. He placed his hand on it, and immediately blue symbols formed on the pillar, slowly glowing brightly. A short time later, the castle's large, golden-white gates opened inward, revealing the castle's wonderful, gold-and-white corridors. He smiled at the sight of the white-and-gold marble corridors. The golden walls were decorated with white, ornate ornaments, and through the room's crystal-clear windows, one could clearly see the large pond and the magnificent gardens. "Father?" spoke an astonished female voice, and the sun god looked up at the white-and-gold spiral staircase that danced its way up before him. At the very top stood Soraya, wearing a magnificent white silk dress. The sleeves had slight slits, and golden leaves adorned the silk dress. Soraya's hair was loose, and one could see small golden earrings bearing two prism-shaped white crystals. Her arms were adorned with several golden bracelets, and her icy blue eyes radiated joy as she quickly ran down the stairs to her father. He stretched out his arms and smiled as his daughter ran into his arms and hugged him. The sun god chuckled, gently let go of her, briefly stroked her arms, and spoke softly, "It's good to see you again, my child."

 

Soraya smiled as she let go of her father and looked up at him slightly. "What are you doing here, Father? You could have said you were coming," Soraya said, closing her eyes briefly as her father gently stroked her cheek. Solaris smiled and spoke softly when Soraya opened her eyes again, "Do I need a reason to see my daughter?" The white-haired woman smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at Sarell, who looked from Soraya to Solaris. "Sarell, could you please tell the servants in the kitchen to make some tea?" Soraya said, looking at her father, who was also looking at Sarell. The warrior nodded and bowed. "Of course, Princess," he said before turning away. Solaris sighed as he watched Sarell leave. Now he could speak to Soraya in peace. "Father? Is everything okay? You seem worried," Soraya said uncertainly, tearing the sun god from his thoughts. "No, no. It's nothing, little one. There's just something I need to discuss with you," the god explained gently, walking with his daughter down the magnificent hallway toward the living room. Soraya followed her father into the magnificent golden-white room. A large white sofa with a glass table adorned the room. The ceiling of the room had a moving starry sky of golden stars, illuminating the room with a soft golden light. The magnificent white and gold low cabinets held flower vases and picture frames of Soraya and her family. The lord sat down on the sofa and looked at his daughter, who sat down next to him. Her gaze was full of concern, and she spoke softly: "Father, what is it?" The lord sighed, gently took Soraya's hand in his, and took a deep breath before speaking: "There is something I have kept from you since your birth, Soraya." The woman's eyes widened at the man's words. Normally, the two of them told each other everything, and now it came out that he had been hiding something since her birth? A thousand thoughts swirled through her head as to what it could be. Did it have something to do with Monaris? With Canossa?

 

The god stroked his daughter's hand soothingly when he saw her worried expression and spoke gently: "Don't worry, it's not really anything serious. Do you know why I sent you Xeylem when you were 12?" Soraya swallowed when her father mentioned Xeylem. Xeylem had been her bodyguard. Her best friend, he had been like a brother to her. Xeylem was a member of the Divine Army, part of her family. He was the same age as Soraya, and when the two were introduced, Soraya had immediately hit it off. He was her first best friend and confidant. It even went so far that the young summoner had fallen in love with him back then, but she hadn't seen the young warrior since she went to Canossa at the age of 17. She hadn't even inquired about him or asked how he was. So many wars and tasks she had in Canossa had almost made her forget about him. All of this had been almost eight years ago. "No, Father," Soraya said, slightly sad, looking down. Only now, for the first time, did she wonder how Xeylem was doing. She missed him and wished he were here so she could apologize for leaving him behind. "Why?" Soraya asked, looking up. She swallowed hard and tried to forget the loss of her childhood friend. But her father read through her like a book, gently stroked Soraya's hand, and spoke softly. "He's alive, Soraya. He'll come back to you."

 

"How is that possible... Sarell said... that when the gods..." Soraya paused and closed her eyes to clear her head, but images of Xeylem flashed through her mind. His cheekbone-long black hair, with a few white streaks, his silver-white eyes, his friendly smile that he had just for her. His black dragon tattoos on his neck, which were supposed to help cover his battle scar. How could it be that he survived the Battle of the Gods? "Sarell had to tell you so you wouldn't find out Xeylem's real purpose," Solaris said gently, looking worriedly at his daughter, who was completely distraught. "That doesn't make sense. What could be so important that it's necessary to lie to me, your only child!" Soraya cried, standing up. She glared angrily at her father, who remained unfazed. He looked calmly at his daughter and explained, "I had to do this to protect you. Remember when you fought DarkMoon, when your mother's power suddenly awoke within you?" Soraya nodded and slowly sat back down. She looked at her father, who, however, paused as the servants entered the room with tea and pastries. Soraya looked at the sweets on the white and gold plates and the tea in the curved white porcelain pot. The servants poured the wonderfully fragrant black tea into the two crystal-shaped cups, placed the pot on the glass table, bowed, and then walked out of the room. Soraya watched her servants leave, biting her lower lip. Only when the door was properly closed did she look up at her father again. "Where is he?" she asked directly, looking at her father, who picked up one of the cups and drank some of the tea. "I can take you to him if you'd like," Solaris said calmly, looking at his daughter, who simply nodded and also raised her cup to her lips. "Xeylem is responsible for your awakened power, Soraya. He sent you your phoenix back then," Soraya's father explained, and the summoner froze at his words. All these years she thought that her father sent her phoenix, but that had never been the case; Solaris had told her that time and again. Now it all made sense. She looked up, not knowing how to respond. She just nodded, her thoughts turning to Xeylem. What exactly was his job?

 

"Come, I'll take you to him," Solaris said gently, rising from the sofa. Soraya just nodded and stood up too. She would see Xeylem again. Her childhood friend, her bodyguard, her best friend. She wondered how he was, how he felt, if he had missed her, and if he even wanted to be friends with her anymore. After all, Soraya hadn't been in touch for years. She rubbed her hands nervously as she followed her father out of the room and toward the castle door. Soraya took a deep breath; she was curious but also somehow afraid of seeing Xeylem again. Above all, she couldn't imagine how he would react. The Xeylem she knew from back then was certainly no longer there. At least, Soraya thought that her childhood friend had probably changed a lot. Her father, who was walking out of the castle, paused on the sandstone path, turned to Soraya, and spoke gently: "Don't worry too much, child. I can tell you one thing, he still loves you very much." Solaris smiled gently as his daughter looked up from her hands. She swallowed her worries and nodded before speaking, trying with all her might to hide the concern in her voice: "I know, Father. Only..." She paused and walked along the sandy path beside her father. He looked at her, folded his arms behind his back, and waited for his daughter to continue speaking, but she fell back into thought and turned her gaze away from Solaris. The two walked for a while along the sandy path, where magnificent trees and various plants of all kinds grew on both sides. A climbing plant wrapped itself around the sandy stone structure, decorating the path, which was illuminated by the starry sky and various planets. Her father's golden robe shone softly in the light of the stars. "You're worrying way too much. Trust me when I tell you, Xeylem won't be angry with you at all," Soraya's father said, and the summoner just nodded in agreement.

 

It wasn't long before the god and his daughter walked down another path, lined with columns on either side. In the center, a round, raised plaza could be seen, supporting two statues on either side: one of Solaris and one of Moonaris. Three staircases led up to this stone plaza, and in the center, between the two statues of Soraya's parents, was an armillary sphere made of gold and copper. The round base rotated gently around the round sphere, which was meant to symbolize the sun. The rings were arranged to represent the celestial coordinates and the movements of celestial objects such as the stars and planets, centered on the sun. Soraya approached and was amazed as she examined the armillary sphere more closely. She looked at her father and then back at the sphere at the center of the armillary sphere. Her eyes widened as she looked more closely. Inside the sphere, Soraya could see the image of a magnificent library. She looked at her father in shock and then back into the sphere. "Is Xeylem in there?" Soraya asked, shocked, and examined the structure curiously. She had always thought that it could create a portal to Canossa, but what she saw in the sphere amazed her even more. "Yes. This is the Library of Time. The core of our god world. Xeylem is its guardian," the god explained, stepping closer. He held out his hand and a golden star breath danced gently from Solaris's hand to the armillary sphere. The rotating rings slowed until they finally stopped. The god lowered his hand, looked at his daughter and held out his hand to her. Soraya immediately took his hand and a golden star breath enveloped them both. Soraya closed her eyes and the next moment, when the young woman opened them again, her breath caught in her throat. She was now in the middle of the magnificent Library of Time.

Chapter.5.

 

Shineri sighed as she thought of the last conversation with Shinoa, Sin, and Ghost. She strode out of the camp. The deep green blades of grass in the meadow danced gently in the wind. Here and there, birds could be heard chirping and the gentle trickle of the stream that flowed a little way from the many trees that sheltered their camp. The plan was clear: they had to find Sarell and hope he could lead them to Soraya and Lucius. The white-haired woman rubbed her eyes and sighed. What if they couldn't find Sarell at all? What if it was already too late? Shineri was also very afraid of leaving her alliance to find Soraya and Lucius. If she, Sin, Shinoa, and Ghost set out to find Sin's former mentor, their alliance wouldn't have its best men here to defend the camp. Xiao would be here alone. If an alliance found their camp, or in the worst case, DarkMoon, not even Xiao would be able to fend off this attack. Especially not alone. The hope that the problems would diminish, that they could live in safety, without problems, without fear, seemed like a distant dream. Just as she was about to open her eyes, a strong gust of wind hit the summoner. She flinched and raised her arm to shield her eyes. Suddenly, a shout, a loud, distant shout. Almost like a familiar scream. The call of a bird. "This can't be..." said Shineri, stunned and not daring to lower her hands. Her long hair danced in the wind, and the summoner could hear Xiao's voice calling her name. The summoner lowered her hands and opened her eyes. They immediately widened as she took a step back; the summoner almost thought she would fall to her knees. Xiao ran to his leader, drew his sword, and stood protectively in front of her. He called for Sin and the others, but Shineri could hear nothing but murmuring. Her eyes and thoughts were too focused on what was happening in front of her.

 

Magnificent red-gold wings stirred up the dust from the ground. The creature's feathers shimmered in the sunlight. Soft, fiery golden eyes stared directly at the young woman. The bird had elegant red head plumage and large, orange-red wings, rather larger than average for its body size. They beat here and the fallen leaves of the trees, setting them alight. The creature looked directly at the white-haired woman with its flaming golden-orange eyes. The golden, slightly curved beak looked like a dangerous weapon, so sharp it could even pierce stone. Soft flaming particles danced around the creature and the summoner, which only caused the woman to approach the bird even closer. Sin, Shinoa, and Ghost ran to Shineri, but stopped and stepped back in shock. "By the gods," Sin said, stunned, looking past his sister, who couldn't look away. Before them stood an orange-red phoenix of incredible size. Flames swirled around the bird and the bird fixed its gaze on the young woman who was walking past Xiao and Sin. Sin flinched and tried to grab his sister by the upper arm, but Ghost and Shinoa held him back. Shocked, the warrior looked at the two Blood Masters who were looking at Shineri. Shinoa grinned as he looked at the magnificent phoenix and spoke softly: "It looks as if the gods are on our side." Sin swallowed at Shinoa's words and looked uncertainly and worriedly at his sister, who was slowly approaching the magnificent bird. Xiao stepped aside and let Shineri pass, but he kept his sword ready to attack if necessary. The bird fixed its flaming orange gaze on the summoner, towering dangerously, flapping its wings and calling shrilly and loudly, but this did not deter Shineri and she slowly approached the bird. The wind from the wings made the leader's hair dance, and she stood close to the bird. For a while, she and the magical creature simply stared at each other until Shineri slowly reached out her hand to the phoenix.

 

A flaming ring formed around Shineri and the phoenix. The flames blazed wildly, and Sin hissed at the sight. He tore himself away from Shinoa and Ghost and watched his sister through the wildly whipping circle of flames. The woman continued to hold her hand outstretched, looking up at the phoenix. The hairs on the back of Shineri's neck stood on end, and the summoner swallowed before speaking in a soft, low voice, "You are the bird of my dreams." The phoenix slowly closed its eyes at Shineri's words, then opened them again, and as if on command, the creature slowly tilted its head and gently pressed the flat of its golden beak against Shineri's palm. The summoner flinched, her eyes widening as she felt the gentle, flaming warmth of the beak on her palm, but she didn't dare move. She gently stroked the bird's beak until it closed its flaming eyes again. The circle of flames slowly died down, and her alliance members watched, mesmerized, as the scene unfolded between Shineri and the great phoenix. Gentle, serpentine flames danced up Shineri's arm and gently caressed Shineri's cheek. Immediately, the summoner felt a pleasant warmth; she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. The woman smiled when she opened them again a few minutes later and saw the bird's beautiful orange-gold eyes before her, giving her a sense of comfort and security. She tilted her hand, turned to Sin and the others, and her brother smiled as he looked at his sister. A golden crescent moon with delicate decorations had formed on Shineri's forehead. Shinoa laughed happily and hugged Ghost, who flinched and also laughed and cheered. Xiao tilted his sword and returned it to its scabbard. He shook his head and smiled, saying, "Who would have thought that the gods would finally accept us so soon?" The Phoenix stood up and screamed loudly at Xiao's words, so loudly that the entire alliance could hear it and learned that the time for hiding was finally over.

 

Shocked, Vidar and Vayna approached Ghost and the others. They gulped when they saw Shineri and the large phoenix. More and more alliance members joined Sin, Ghost, Shinoa, and Xiao. Uncertainty and, at times, fear were evident in their eyes. They didn't know how to react. Moisha swallowed and grabbed Vidar's arm. The young summoner pursed her lips tightly and looked at Shineri, who was looking around and waiting until her entire alliance had gathered at the campsite. "Vidar, do you see that phoenix too?" Moisha whispered, looking at her best friend, who slowly nodded and whispered, "Yes, for a moment I thought I was hallucinating too," Vidar whispered back, looking cautiously at Moisha, who was looking around for her partner Cherub. She hadn't seen the young warrior all day. She was worried about him. Suddenly, the pink-haired woman heard Karonte behind her, speaking softly and in amazement: "By the gods. That beast is big." The phoenix screamed loudly and stared at Karonte as if she had heard the warrior. It flinched and looked at the bird with wide-open eyes. Karonte immediately got goosebumps and his hand immediately went to his sword. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, buddy," said Sin amusedly, who had turned to his roommate. The latter flinched again and looked shocked at his vice leader, who was simply smirking and obviously enjoying Karonte's fear. Shinoa also turned to Karonte and smiled. Ghost did the same with Shinoa and said gently: "You'd best listen to Sin." Karonte swallowed and slowly sheathed his sword. Around him, the other alliance members did the same. Apparently, Karonte wasn't the only one ready to fight. Titania slowly retracted her Blood Master Blades as Shinoa nodded in agreement. Nana, who had summoned her staff, tilted it and kept her eyes on the large bird beside her leader. It was almost twice Shineri's size. If the bird wanted to, it would have devoured their leader long ago.

 

"Listen!" Shineri spoke in a loud, powerful voice, stepping in front of her phoenix. The phoenix looked curiously at the white-haired leader, who gazed at her alliance and loudly announced: "This is the phoenix from my dreams. Our magical being, sent from Solaris." The alliance members immediately murmured among themselves. Apparently, they couldn't quite believe it. Soul spoke loudly and happily, silencing some of the uncertainties: "So what are we waiting for! Let's find a territory!" The alliance members immediately agreed. Soul looked around and raised his hands; more and more members agreed with the follower. Vayna, who was standing next to Soul, brushed back her long black hair, cupped her palms, and called out loudly: "Exactly! We've waited and hidden long enough!" The leader looked at her little sister in surprise, who grinned as everyone agreed. Some clapped their hands loudly, others shouted that Vayna and Soul were right and that they should leave now. Sin stepped forward and wanted to support Shineri by calming the alliance, but he didn't even get a chance to catch his breath because the phoenix cried out loudly again, looked around, and beat its wings violently. Wind and dust swirled up, and Shineri grinned. She looked at her magical being that silenced the entire alliance and almost took her older brother's breath away as he slowly backed away. The leader then spoke loudly once her bird had calmed down so everyone could hear: "Get ready! Tomorrow we set out and leave our safe forest. After all, the capital of Canossa is waiting for us, people of Eclipse!" Shineri looked around as her alliance loudly agreed. She turned to her phoenix and looked up at it. She cautiously reached out to her bird again, which tilted its head and pressed its beak against the leader's hand. "Should we perhaps spend some time alone?" she asked softly, gently stroking the neck of her bird. The bird cooed in agreement and blinked slowly, as if the flaming bird enjoyed the way the woman gently scratched the magical creature's head feathers.

 

The phoenix carefully stretched its right wing to the ground so that Shineri could climb onto the large bird's back. It looked at the leader challengingly. At first, Shineri hesitated and pulled her hand back. One of the bird's feathers alone was as large as the woman's palm. She looked at her bird, which slowly nodded and looked at the Alliance, who looked at Shineri in amazement. Some whispered quietly to each other. Sin tilted his head and looked curiously at his little sister, who spoke quietly to the bird and then suddenly climbed onto the large bird's back. "Not Shineri!" Ghost shouted, trying to run to his wife, but he didn't even get a step. Immediately, the bird spread its wings, screamed loudly at the Alliance members who tried to approach, thrust its wings down hard, and shot into the air. Shineri screamed, clutching the feathers and smiling. Her long robe fluttered in the wind, and as she looked down, she noticed her alliance members immediately running to the center and calling out to Shineri, but the leader couldn't hear the members of Eclipse. The wind whipped too loudly around her ears, and the summoner tilted her upper body slightly, snuggling up to her phoenix, which now flapped its wings gently, and they flew relaxed through the cloud barrier up into the blue sky. "Where are you taking me?" Shineri asked curiously, gently stroking the bird's feathers while carefully holding on with her other hand. The wind gently caressed Shineri's cheeks and made her long white hair dance. The woman looked around, but could see nothing but the thick cloud cover and the blue sky. The bird stubbornly flew on, ignoring Shineri. She sighed and gently stroked the bird's warm feathers again, which felt like silk. She had no choice but to trust her magical being. She felt such incredible warmth and comfort, such security, that the rider had no choice but to simply trust her magical companion.

 

"Do you actually have a name?" Shineri asked gently, looking sideways into her phoenix's golden-red eyes. The bird called in response, tilting its head slightly toward Shineri, who blinked in surprise. "You don't have a name?" she asked, and the bird nodded briefly. The summoner thought for a moment, scratched her neck lightly, and looked thoughtfully up at the blue sky. The clouds danced gently across the sky, and Shineri could hear the soft, powerful beats of her phoenix's wings. "What do you think of the name Phyrea?" Shineri asked, smiling. The phoenix cried out loudly in agreement and flew lower. The summoner smiled and gently stroked Phyrea's neck. Slowly, the clouds parted in two as the bird flew through them to descend, and the woman's eyes widened as she beheld a magnificent landscape. In the middle was a large garden with many different flowers of all kinds. A large gold and silver temple building with many glass windows adorned it, and around this large, central temple landscape, Shineri could see various houses of all kinds. Small paths wound past the many houses. Stone walls stretched some distance away and formed a kind of protection around the large, central, magnificent golden city. Shineri stretched a little and looked ahead of her. In the middle of the large, round garden that grew magnificently around the central city, 12 different long paths formed. She looked below her and Phyrea and could see various small-looking castles with various small-looking landscapes. 11 different castles adorned the 12 different landscapes. "This is the core of Canossa," said Shineri, who saw the capital of the Alliances, the temple city of the gods, for the first time. Shineri took the opportunity and looked at her Phoenix. "Phyrea, fly a little lower. A territory seems to still be free. I want to take a closer look," said Shineri, pointing to the distant landscape, which was adorned by a long river. Mountainous landscapes adorned the central, open mainland constructed of lava rock. Here and there, small forest landscapes could be seen, along with small paths that crisscrossed the landscape, eventually joining together to form a sandstone path leading toward the central city. "We could build our castle here. A small city with houses for all our alliance members. Everyone could have their own house," said Shineri thoughtfully, unable to take her gaze off the open landscape. Phyrea flew lower and lower, and only now did Shineri realize how vast and magnificent this open landscape truly was. She gently stroked Phyrea's neck and spoke softly and happily: "Come on, let's fly back." Phyrea was about to turn around, but suddenly a loud, deep roar could be heard. Startled, Shineri looked around and suddenly a thin, silvery white dragon shot up from below through the blanket of clouds that gently wrapped around the mountainous landscape. The dragon's ice-blue eyes fixed on Phyrea, and the dragon's head jabbed Phyrea in the side so hard that Phyrea screamed angrily and fell to the side. A blue-white haze of stars swirled up and clouded Shineri's vision. The phoenix spread its wings slightly to catch itself, but the powerful blow to Phyrea had thrown Shineri to the side. Phyrea screamed loudly and fixed her gaze on the silver dragon, which tried to fly towards her again, ready to fight, as if the dragon were protecting something. The phoenix looked at Shineri, who was trying with all her might to hold on to her bird's feathers, but the summoner kept slipping off it. The dragon swung again, flying at tremendous speed toward Phyrea, who quickly turned belly-to-face and presented her sharp golden claws to attack the dragon. Shineri flinched as Phyrea turned. She hissed and tried with her last bit of strength to hold on, but the force of the renewed collision between the two magical beings caused Shineri to slip and lose her footing. "Phyrea, watch out!" Shineri shouted and began to fall as her strength completely drained, while her Phoenix tried to gouge out the dragon's eyes with her claws.

 

Chapter.6.

 

"Hicks, do you see that? A person is falling!" Leyla cried in shock, pointing upwards. Leyla, HicksSela, and Axwell had been out patrolling their alliance borders, but the wild yelling and screaming had caught their attention and drawn them to the edge of the open space, which was not yet occupied by any alliance. "By the gods," Hiccup cried, mounting his Kirin as fast as he could. The Kirin immediately ran toward the unoccupied land. He looked up and saw the flaming phoenix diving downwards. The bird's shrill cry could be clearly heard as it tried to reach its rider, who was falling toward the stone floor. "Hiccup! You can catch her!" cried the blond-haired summoner named Leyla, raising her staff. The Blood Master nodded and called to his golden Kirin: "Fast, Nika! We can do it!" The Kirin ran as fast as he could, getting further and further away from Leyla and her partner Axwell, who were trying to follow their leader as fast as they could. All three looked up at the young woman falling. "Now!" Hiccup shouted loudly. Leyla raised her staff and summoned a blue-silver meteor shower. The Kirin climbed onto the falling meteors as fast as he could, getting closer and closer to the young woman falling. Hiccup stood up when he was level with the falling rider. He jumped away from his Kirin and stretched his arms out towards Shineri. Phyrea screamed loudly when she saw Hiccup, spread her wings, and pounced on the dragon again, as if the bird knew that HiccupSela had no ill intentions and would catch its rider. The Blood Master caught Shineri in his arms, quickly turned onto her back, and fell to the stone floor from the force of the fall. He wrapped his arms protectively around Shineri and hissed, sending dirt and dust flying. The small stones scratched Hiccup-Sela's upper arms. He was just lucky that his copper-colored robe, with its wing-like plates made of real copper, provided some protection for the Blood Master. His eyes widened as he looked at the young woman in his arms, who had fainted. He flinched when he recognized the young woman who had been part of his first alliance, the one attacked and wiped out by DarkMoon. The woman had been Soraya's student when Soraya was still alive. He almost didn't recognize the young summoner, having last seen her six years ago. The burning pain in his upper arms was forgotten, and he spoke in shock: "Shineri?!"

 

"Hicks!" called a familiar, loud, deep male voice. The Blood Master turned carefully. He tilted his head slightly and bit his lip when he saw the leader of RisingStar, named Madness. The leader of RisingStar was a strong warrior, just as strong as Axwell. He wore white and silver armor with black decorations and drew his magnificent gold and black sword. "Step aside," the warrior said seriously, readying his sword to obviously kill the young summoner. HiccupSela shook his head and hugged Shineri. The dragon landed next to Madness and growled threateningly. The creature's eyes glowed threateningly, and blue starlight danced around the dragon and the warrior. "She wanted to spy on our territory!" Madness said seriously, glaring angrily at the leader of NoPe. The Blood Master was about to reply, but Leyla and Axwell got there first. They positioned themselves protectively in front of Hiccup. Axwell drew his sword and spoke seriously: "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Because this isn't true, Madness." The leader of RisingStar hissed, took a deep breath, and was about to list his reasons for the attack, but Phyrea landed next to Hiccup and roared loudly and threateningly. The leader hissed and looked up at Phyrea. Leyla raised her hand to calm Phyrea, but the Phoenix ignored Leyla and only looked worriedly at Shineri in Hiccup. "Don't do it. Enough blood was shed back then. We both lost friends and family. Don't let it happen again, Madness," the Blood Master spoke soothingly and obviously seemed to have an effect on the leader of RisingStar. A result of their long friendship. He closed his eyes, sheathed his sword, and sighed before speaking: "Forgive me, you're right. When I saw the phoenix, I was afraid for my alliance. If I may be so honest." The warrior looked to Phyrea and indicated to the phoenix that it no longer posed a threat. He bowed his head to the magical being, which had obviously accepted his apology, because the bird coldly ignored Madness as if he didn't exist and only stared down at Shineri. Axwell glanced briefly at Phyrea and then at Madness before sheathing his sword and speaking: "Thank you, Madness."

 

"Who is that? I've never seen her in Canossa," Madness said, kneeling down next to Hiccup, who gently brushed a strand of hair from Shineri's face. The leader of NoPe sighed as he thought of that time and swallowed hard at the memories. "That's Shineri, she was a member of Hiccup's first alliance before it was destroyed and a student of Soraya," Axwell answered instead of his leader, who was obviously struggling with the bad memories. The warrior looked at Madness, who nodded and looked at his dragon, who bowed its head and let him scratch it under its neck. "I'm sorry. If I'd known, I never would have attacked her," Madness said apologetically, looking worriedly at the unconscious Shineri. Hiccup rose with the summoner in his arms. He looked at Madness and smiled gently, as if he had shaken off the bad memories. He knew the warrior only wanted to protect his own alliance, nothing more. Who could have guessed that Shineri would become a leader one day and have such a powerful phoenix with her? "It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes," said Hiccup and looked at Madness, who was climbing onto the back of his dragon. "See you around," said the leader of RisingStar gently, and the dragon jumped into the air after these words. Blue Star Breath followed the dragon as it flew back with Madness on its back. "What do we do now?" asked Axwell, approaching Hiccup, who glanced briefly at Shineri and then looked at his two alliance members. "We're going back to camp. When Shineri wakes up, we can find out more," he said gently, looking at Phyrea, who never took his eyes off Hiccup. The Blood Master whistled for his golden-white Kirin, which appeared after a few minutes. Phyrea fluttered her wings when she saw Nika, surrounded by soft lightning. She tilted her powerful upper body so her leader could ascend, growling at Phyrea's wild wing beats. "Do you want to carry Shineri, or should I?" Hiccup asked Sela, looking at Phyrea, who leaped into the air without hesitation. The Blood Master sighed, and Leyla spoke as she watched Phyrea fly high into the sky. "Apparently, Shineri's Phoenix hasn't been with her for long. Otherwise, he would never have given Shineri to you," Leyla said amusedly, looking at the Blood Master, who nodded and held on tightly to Nika with one hand. "Probably," he said with a smile and looked at Axwell and Leyla, who both nodded to indicate that they were ready, and the small group returned to their territory.

 

Delia sighed as she looked at her alliance members. She was a summoner, the vice-leader of NoPe, with long blond-white hair and wore a long black, long-sleeved dress with gold trim. "Careful, the beam is falling!" Delia called, quickly rushing over to her friends, who were busy repairing one of the many white towers of their alliance castle. Looking to the right and left, one could see a vast, lush green landscape around the alliance castle, adorned with a long, wide river that gently rippled in the background. "The beam is far too heavy to lift all the way up onto the tower. I have no idea how we're going to do that," said a young warrior with short brown hair. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and adjusted his white shirt. He looked at Delia, who was thoughtfully looking from the tower to the beam. A Blood Master with short black hair and a red robe, who had recently been carrying the heavy beam on his shoulders, stepped forward and sighed: "Marden is right, Asterix and I can't do it with just the three of us," he said wearily and looked at Asterix, a warrior who bit his lip and looked annoyed at the beam before speaking: "We do need more people to do it." Asterix emphasized the word "that" and waved his hands around the beam to show exactly what he meant. Delia smiled as she looked at the young warrior. She crossed her arms and thought for a moment before speaking: "You also have to use the lever system. Tie it securely to the large rope, stretch it around the tower pillar and pull hard," Delia explained, pointing up to the tower. Marden sighed, took the large, thick rope and strode to the tower entrance. "All right. Hey, Asterix, I'll throw the rope down when it's taut," he called, striding into the tower without waiting for the warrior's reply, who stared at his friend in bewilderment. "You know I'm terrible at catching!" he shouted loudly, crossing his arms. Delia grinned and turned away from the three men. They'd manage, she was sure of it. The summoner fell into thought. Their leader, Leyla, and Axwell, had been gone since this morning. She was worried about the three of them. Not that anything had happened to HicksSela, Leyla, and Axwell.

 

"Delia?" A man's voice interrupted the vice-leader. She turned around and saw Ajeje, a summoner with short brown hair. He wore a long beige robe with bracers, and in his right hand he held a long silver staff that resembled a trident. In the middle of the three trident blades that curved together, this one bore a glowing yellow gemstone, which the blades protectively encased. "Has Hiccup come back yet?" he asked, looking worriedly at the large white gate that was located some distance from their camp, surrounded by strong white walls. However, the gate was still closed, and he looked hopefully at Delia, who shook her head before answering, "No, unfortunately. I'm worried about the three of them too." Ajeje sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked past Delia and fixed his gaze on the large, closed white gate. If Hiccup and the others didn't come through the gate in a few minutes, the summoner would go and find the three of them. "Delia, if Hiccup and the others don't come in five minutes, please let me go and find the three of them," he begged, looking pleadingly at Delia, who glanced briefly at the gate and then back at Ajeje, whose gaze was full of concern. She nodded, and Ajeje thanked her, quickly walking down the large stairs to the green meadow, which was adorned with a white marble path leading to the gate. The Vice leader watched the summoner leave and sighed. She really hoped HicksSela would come soon. She didn't feel comfortable sending her alliance members out into the open, where they were virtually unprotected. But she knew that if she hadn't allowed Ajeje, the summoner would have left too. Therefore, she really hoped her leader would return soon with Leyla and Axwell.

 

Impressum

Cover: Athene
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.05.2018

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Widmung:
For my Friends in my alliance. Thx u all that u are always here for me.