Chapter 10

Cheyenne was enclosed in a cube of glass. Her feet were chained to a metal bracket anchored to the ground. In front of her stood her mother, whom she only knew from stories and descriptions. Behind the girl, Falconheart pranced, snorting and scratching furiously. On either side of her were her grandparents. All of them had white eyes, each carrying a black crystal and were outside the cube. The stallion neighed deafeningly loudly and stepped with his hoof on the crystal lying on the ground in front of him, whereupon it shattered into thousands of splinters. Cheyenne’s feet got wet and she looked down at the floor. Red blood emerged from an opening in it and rose slowly. When the liquid had almost reached the girl’s knees, her grandfather broke the black crystal with his hands and shortly afterwards her grandmother did the same. The blood in the glass cube rose tremendously quickly and had reached her waist in no time at all. Finally, her mother also broke the crystal and a chorus of voices rang out as the blood rose to Cheyenne’s neck. “Die, die, die…” The girl wanted to scream, but she couldn’t make a sound, the red juice of life rose faster and higher and she was held to the ground by the chain.  Soon she would drown in her guilt, the suffering of others and her sins. Wild, nasty laughter broke out. Suddenly Cheyenne felt freezing cold, but inside she felt warmth and security. The blood had frozen into a block of ice and her loved ones standing around the glass cube had become ice sculptures. Then the ice shattered.

“Good morning, little angel. Is everything okay? You’ve slept so restlessly again, I thought I’d rather allow myself the cheek and bring you back from your dreams to reality. We wanted to wake you up right away anyway, for the onward journey.” Cheyenne lay on the grass, blinking the nightmare away from her. Had she only imagined it, or had Glaczio’s awakening in her dream been salvation from death? She shook off her thoughts, because she didn’t want to deal with this horrible nightmare anymore.

The girl straightened up. Her body felt normal again, her lungs no longer hurt and she was back to her old self. Cheyenne looked down at the lake and saw Sasha and Adocaz there. She turned to Glaczio again. “Um, yes… Good morning. Thank you so much for freeing me from this damn nightmare… Hm, you were right yesterday, by the way. I’m doing really well again, I don’t feel any pain anymore and I feel strong enough to keep going. How is Adocaz’s paw?” The healer seemed pleased with Cheyenne’s good condition and also that she took his advice into account and didn’t take her dream too much to heart. He grabbed his protégé’s forearm, which was connected with leaves, and removed the green. “It’s nice that you’re feeling better. Adocaz’s paw is as good as new. Thanks to a healing spell cast by me, the incredibly gifted and handsome healer, hehe. Sasha only washes off the herbal paste and then we wanted to be on our way, if you agree. Your wound here on your forearm should have healed as well, so as soon as you’re ready, we’ll go to the other two and you’ll wash the stuff off here too. If you’re thirsty, this lake is your friend, because the water there is as pure as if it came straight from a spring. Perhaps herb grows on the ground, this is very rare, but it exists, according to researchers and botany books. It purifies the water and adds a little extra Umbraurore that gives you strength. Unfortunately, the invigorating effect only lasts for a few hours, then the Umbraurore leaves you again. But still, it helps your body and soul to regenerate a bit if necessary. It harmonizes with us and supports the lumenium and Umbraurore functions of our bodies. Hm… Your wound here is no longer visible, which is very gratifying. Well, I’d suggest we go to the others.” Cheyenne nodded and the healer stood up. He took his protégé’s hand and helped her to her feet with a light tightening. The girl stood a little shaky at first, but she quickly found her balance and went with Glaczio to Sasha and Adocaz by the lake.

The young woman had just finished washing Adocaz’s wound and stood up. She turned around and saw her best friend. “Cheyenne! Good morning, hey, you seem to be doing better than yesterday. Nice! Adocaz is also in top shape again.”  The fairy wolf crouched down on the ground playfully when he saw his owner coming towards him. Then he barked and jumped up to her. He circled the girl once and then sat down at her side. Pressed tightly to her legs, he had stretched his muzzle in the air and panted happily. Oh, how nice that Adocaz is so happy. Cheyenne stroked her four-legged friend and thanked Sasha. “I’m really happy that he’s doing so well again, thank you, Sasha. But not only in Adocaz’s name, but also in mine. The wound on my forearm has healed really well, thanks to your… um, herb mash. Hihi.” The young woman laughed with her friend and was visibly pleased that everyone was fine again.

Cheyenne trudged to the lake and knelt down on the shore. She hadn’t drunk anything since yesterday and was almost dying of thirst. Adocaz sat next to her, he probably wouldn’t leave her side for quite a while, but it didn’t bother her. The girl dipped her hands into the cool, refreshing, green-blue water and scooped out some of it with them. She drank the liquid and after a few sips her thirst was quenched. This water is really… unique. It tastes better than the one in the Klissave Mountains. And the color is also very beautiful. Cheyenne got up again and went back to Sasha and Glaczio together with Adocaz. Then they all set off, along the outside of the large tidal lake.

In the afternoon they arrived at the foot of Mount Nightblade, where rocks that would provide a good privacy were anchored in the grassy ground, which turned into earth and black stone closer to the mountain. While they had wandered around the lake, not a single knight passed by on the other side. They hadn’t seen other people either. Everything remained calm. This part of Halonia seemed to be uninhabited, even though there was so much land here. Cheyenne thought it was nice that nature was so untouched here.

Up close, the black mountain looked even more powerful than it did in the distance. However, the girl could not see a house, only a fir forest surrounded Mount Nightblade up to a third. The summit was covered by colorful clouds. Hm, maybe the house of the elders is so high up, or so small, that you can’t see it from here. Or it is hidden by a few trees or rocks. Then maybe I just don’t see it from this point of view. 

Glaczio also looked at the mountain and then turned to Sasha. “Hey, Sasha mouse. Where exactly is this house of the elders supposed to be located? I doubt it will be in the middle of the path.” The young woman blushed, crossed her arms and looked to the side a little embarrassed. “Um… well… so… I don’t know exactly…” What? Seriously?  Cheyenne sighed in amazement and the healer grinned. He exchanged a glance with his protégé and then looked at the mountain again. “Hehe. This is once again typical Sasha. First act, then think. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything else from you, sweetie. How do you think we should proceed now? This mountain is huge, without a clue we would be wandering around up there for quite a long time. Possibly without success. Waste of time. We should consider whether we should not continue on a direct path. Where is the Superator actually staying? We should bring my little angel to this one.” Sasha had turned around in the meantime and had become meek. “Um… Well, the thing is… Only Imperators and their deputies know where the Superator and his Shadow Clan are… Unfortunately, I don’t know where the shadow nests are here in Halonia, so we can’t ask… Ah, Cheyenne, I think I forgot to explain that. Shadow nests, or shadow camps, are the respective locations of the shadow servants. Most of them are a kind of underground bunker, with a grass-covered dome that even has windows. These places are huge, really beautiful and sometimes really cozy because they are mostly built of wood. They are well hidden so that only those who know the exact location can find their way. And Shadow Clans, which include all Shadow Servants who are under the command of the respective Imperator. Well, I think that’s all about the shadow servants… Oh yes, icicle. I don’t know exactly where the elders are, but at least I know how to get there. Now you’re amazed, aren’t you? The path should be marked with a lettering of the Yin-Yang language, which is carved into a boulder.” The healer laughed softly and shook his head slowly. Then he shrugged his shoulders and sighed before turning around, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. “Well, if you think that this fact will help us now, then let’s follow your plan and go up there tomorrow. What else can we do but try our luck? I assume that we will have to plan a lot of time, so we will spend the night here. Because I doubt that it will help anyone if we hike around on a dangerous mountain at night.” Sasha and Cheyenne nodded, Glaczio turned to his protégé and continued. “What joy, everyone agrees. To kill time and use it wisely at the same time, I would offer you a little training session if you agree, little angel?” Cheyenne nodded again and was curious to see what she was about to learn. Sasha didn’t seem to have any objections and sat down on the grass at a distance before lying on her back and bending her legs. She tilted her head to the side to watch her friend. Adocaz trotted to the young woman and lay down as well.

Glaczio passed Cheyenne and stood almost exactly in the middle between the rocks and the lake. He looked over his shoulder at the girl before turning around and calling her over.

His protégé groped towards him and stopped in front of him. The healer looked Cheyenne up and down, seeming to think. “Hm… Oh, I’m rude. So, I plan to teach you elemental magic as far as I can. But it would be much easier for both of us if we figured out your element first… However, this is very difficult for me, to be honest… Your character is quite unique, you are sometimes as temperamental as someone of the element lightning. Then, however, you are pretty calm and reasonable from time to time, so water would also be an option. If there is a reason for it, you like to be happy and laugh, so we should not exclude earth. Your intelligence is often quite amazing and you don’t mind the cold, so ice would also be an option. And when it comes down to it, you can also fight pretty well and persistently to achieve a set goal, just like someone from the element of wind… But one element would harmonize best with you in my opinion, even if they all fit you in one way… Your willpower is truly remarkable, you always refuse to give up hope, you are very committed to those you have grown fond of, and you would give your life just to protect them. These character traits are a bit more pronounced in you than all the ones mentioned so far… These characteristics correspond to the element of fire, which would also correspond to your name. You should know that the name ‘Cheyenne’ in the Yin-Yang language means ‘fire’, or ‘the fiery one’. This name used to be very rare, and only the bravest warriors were given it as an epithet when they earned it. Courage, the quality of the element of darkness, is just as strong in you as your hope and will. That you can also control the element of darkness should seem logical. Oh and just in case you’re interested, hehe… A small appendix to the meaning of the name, because you like the Yin-Yang language so much. ‘Glaczio’ means ‘ice’ or ‘the icy one’. And my last name, which I’ve never told you because… well, when we met for the first time, it would have been too risky to tell you, after all, you shouldn’t know who I am and usually people know me immediately when I introduce myself by my full name… Atropax has always spread my family name and only relatives and acquaintances were allowed to call me by my first name… My last name is Capriszeé and translates as ‘Lake of the Cold’, hehe… Meaning and character go very well together in our names. Fascinating, isn’t it? So I think that your element is fire, but one thing concerns me. You have traits of each element, which is very rare and strange, but you’re also the chosen one, so… I would be interested to know if you can’t even summon all the elements and work as magic for this very reason… It’s worth a try. Accordingly, I now call fire your ‘main element’ and the others your ‘secondary elements’ until I am convinced otherwise. I’m really pretty sure that I’m right with my guess. Since the element of darkness is another type of element, which probably only you, of all the beings in this world, can summon, I count it as your second main element. Hm… If I think correctly now, you are exactly the opposite of me in most respects… Your element is fire, mine ice. You are female, I am male. You are guaranteed to be able to cast elemental magic, I can’t, my magic is Lumenium-based. You can summon all the elements, as it looks, I don’t actually have any, just ice, on a fake basis. And then… there is also our body structure. While I have quite a lot of lumenium in my body, you have a lot of Umbraurore, which is, I’m pretty sure, also the reason why you always recover so quickly and injuries heal in the blink of an eye. You have so much of the black life force in you that it affects your existing lumenium in such a way that it produces the missing one very quickly. This works by simply multiplying the lumenium in your body, it doesn’t need one from the outside, like I do when healing. Then you can control the darkness, the element of courage, and I… can conjure up light, if I will, the element of destruction and damnation. Both are ancient, can no longer be summoned by normal people, but unlike light, darkness still exists in our world.”

 Hm… So my main elements are supposed to be fire and darkness, while for Glaczio it is ice and light. These are really opposites. His last name means Lake of Cold. So Glaczio Capriszeé means ice, or the icy one, from the lake of cold? Oh, this Yin-Yang language is fantastically beautiful… Even the translation into our language still sounds so wonderful… My name even means fire and is considered a sign of courage? Wow… Never in my life would I have thought that it would have such a strong meaning, I like that. Accordingly, I would be… hm… the fire of the blessed, blessed fire, the fiery blessed, or the blessed fiery. That all sounds nice… But Glaczio somehow totally misjudges me… I’m not brave… I just don’t want anything to happen to anyone because of me… And give up… Well, actually I’m just too stubborn to back down, even if the situation is pretty hopeless… But I would rather call that irrationality than perseverance and hope… But if he thinks… Somehow I don’t want to doubt his conclusions, he is actually always right about something like that. But that will soon become clear when I try to use magic. It would really be… unbelievable if I could summon all the elements… Me…

Glaczio finished his analysis and winked at Cheyenne. “Well then, little angel. Let’s get started. We’ll start with fire, one of your main elements. It doesn’t matter what magic we start with, what I can teach you remains the same, because I don’t use Umbraurore. But the technique to be used is basically the same, as far as I know. At least that’s what Atropax claimed. So, listen carefully. To cast a spell, the highest concentration is required. At some point you are automatically concentrated, but you are still at the beginning, so you really have to make an effort, yes? At first, it will be easier for you if you block out all your surroundings and all sounds, but later in real fights, you will have to be focused on everything again. Remember what I taught you in Saraley. If you fight with magic and weapon, you will have an advantage, but you will have to pay twice as much attention and be even more careful. You are obliged to perceive your surroundings completely and in the smallest detail, but at the same time to concentrate on fighting. Why? If an enemy attacks you from behind and you’re too fixated on a spell, you won’t notice it because your instincts are distracted by the magic. But now we are still in the training phase, so for now concentrate only on the spell you want to cast. One day you will be able to master magic and martial arts perfectly and still be aware of your surroundings, I’m not worried about that. For the chosen one, this will be child’s play. It’s in your blood…” Cheyenne listened carefully, but she wasn’t sure if she would ever become as good a warrior as Glaczio believed. However, he seemed very convinced and she nodded only timidly, then he continued. “In addition to concentration, you also need controlled willpower. I guess this will be the hardest point to start with. You have to imagine fire, let it ignite and blaze in you, you have to feel it, its heat, its hope, its strength. You have to become one with fire so that you can control it properly. You should be able to summon it just by thinking about it, but you have to connect with it so that it obeys you and does exactly what you ask it to do. This is the point you need to work on yourself and which one is most important. When you can merge and control willpower and imagination, you master the magic. But even if you are the chosen one and all this is no longer a problem for you at some point, I suspect that there is still a long way to go until you have mastered the spell completely. Don’t rely on it in battles just yet. Oh yes, while we’re on the subject… If you are not calm personified, just like when fighting with weapons, you will not be able to perform magic, remember that well. Well, the final point to cast a spell would be to focus your Umbraurore on one point. Once you’ve developed a sense of it, you can increase or decrease it as needed. For starters, I recommend selecting the point in one of your palms, I guess that’s the easiest method. Later, you can also select any point in your immediate vicinity and on your whole body. With fire, however, only the hands seem to me to be a sensible starting point, but you can experiment with them. You may find a technique that is truly beneficial and effective when the fire starts from a different place. That would be the basics so far. Oh, before you wonder. Elemental magic does not require magic circles. These only appear when Lumenium Structure is converted. Think of my healing and ice spells as an example. With elemental magic, you are only surrounded by a slight glow that is almost invisible during the day, or rather a faint glow that is reminiscent of the respective element, in your case fire. Your eyes will start to glow in your eye color, but once the spell is forfeited, they will return to normal. Don’t worry, during the day this condition is difficult to see and your vision is not impaired at all. Well, then give it a try. But please stand in the direction of the lake, if anything… should go not as planned, hehe. But to be honest, I don’t think you can start a fire the first time. Well, we’ll see.” If I have understood correctly, I am supposed to change the Umbraurore frequency to Fire Elemental Magic within myself through willpower and imagination. I have to be focused and calm and focus my strength on one point…. Hm… That’s quite a lot at once… Hopefully I can do it… Well, somehow it will work, I just have to believe enough in it and keep trying until I succeed. So… start a fire with a spark of my own Umbraurore and keep it alive with Ambient Umbraurore and control its strength… Well then, let’s go…

Glaczio stood next to Cheyenne, keeping a little distance. Hey, is the coward afraid that he is about to be burned? My own spell shouldn’t harm me, I conjure it. It is therefore a part of me, so to speak. But wait a minute… Glaczio’s element is ice… Maybe that’s why he prefers to keep his distance because he may not like fire very much and it might hurt him more than other elements. Fortunately, this is only a limitation in combat and not in everything else. Because then he couldn’t even be near me, let alone hug me and pat me on the shoulder. He wouldn’t be able to cure me either. But sometimes it wouldn’t be so bad if he couldn’t get too close to me… Well, at least I’d have an advantage in the fight against him, hehe. All right, then I’ll try to conjure up a fire now… Or… maybe I should imagine a little flame first… For starters… After all, I have no idea what’s about to happen.

Cheyenne took a deep breath and then raised a hand. She stretched it forward and tried to keep it parallel to the ground, just as the girl had observed with Glaczio. But then she lowered her arm again and thought. If I stretch out my hand like that, then I do magic down, or away from me, but… actually I want to see the flame already… In addition… I don’t want to set fire to the ground here… Cheyenne bent her arm so that she could see the palm. Nevertheless, the girl was still unsure. The healer seemed to notice this and stepped closer to his protégé. “Hey, little angel, don’t worry, the ground won’t go up in flames, the probability of that is very low. Hm, you want to try your hand at a little spark to start with, am I right? I didn’t expect anything else, hehe. You take it slow, that’s good, but at the same time you have to really want what you want to do and not hesitate.” Glaczio took the girl’s hand and pointed it a few centimeters away from her, her arm now at about a right angle and almost parallel to the floor again. The healer crept past like a cat close behind his protégé and grabbed her second hand as well. He led them to the other and now stood in front of Cheyenne. Glaczio now formed her palms into a bowl-like curvature. This is how she always held her hands when she drew water to drink it. The healer seemed satisfied with his work and stood again at the girl’s side.

Cheyenne now tried to concentrate and imagine fire, she collected some of her body’s own Umbraurore on the point in her palms, but nothing happened. She tried harder, with the same result. After a few minutes, she sighed and the healer gave her a break. “Hey, always stay calm, little angel. Don’t overdo it. You’d better tell me what fire you’re thinking of. The one you saw last night before going to sleep? If so, then the magic won’t work, doll. This is the point that is difficult and not easy to understand. You must not think of any fire, no. You have to ignite your own fire within yourself through your willpower. Don’t take this literally, but just imagining it is not enough. You have to let your will flow in, you have to want the fire to harmonize with you and let itself be controlled by you, because it doesn’t do it by itself. Only when you connect the willpower with the flame within you that you imagine does your own fire arise. This must then exceed your imagination and if that is successful, you can work magic. I know it’s complicated, but you can do it.”

Cheyenne tried again. This time she closed her eyes and followed exactly what the healer had advised her. She kindled the fire in her and felt it blaze up in infinite hope. The willpower kept it alive, it was an indescribably beautiful feeling of warmth, confidence and wild determination. The feeling of fire.

The girl concentrated on the point in her palms and opened her eyes again, the flames blazing in her soul. Suddenly, she felt her heartbeat as if it were a blast wave emanating from her heart. But only for one blow. The heat of the fire flowed through her whole body, but it didn’t hurt. Cheyenne’s vision was framed by the glow of her red eyes, but it didn’t affect her vision in any way. When the heartbeat had died down, a small accumulation of Umbraurore appeared in her hands for a split second, from which a flame was immediately ignited. It floated in Cheyenne’s hands and felt enormously hot. But the girl didn’t seem to be hurt by the enormous heat, nor was she uncomfortable and after a short time she got used to the feeling. Usually, the heat of a fire stabbed and burned one, but not Cheyenne’s own flame. The stinging and pain was non-existent, but the lively heat remained.