As the battle raged on, Emeralok's expression shifted. Its eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light, and its wooden body began to glow with intense emerald energy.
Mole, sensing the change in Emeralok's demeanor, felt a surge of trepidation. He realized too late that Emeralok had been holding back all this time. With the creature's full fury unleashed, Mole knew he had to give it his all. He gritted his teeth, focused his energy, and unleashed a devastating combination of punches and kicks.
Emeralok stumbled back, its wooden body cracking and splintering under the force of Mole's attack. Its emerald energy faltered, and for a moment, it seemed Mole had gained the upper hand. If I stop now, I won't make a comeback, Mole thought, steeling himself.
But Emeralok was far from defeated. "Now I shall release all my power against you!" it roared, summoning its remaining energy and unleashing a colossal blast of power.
Mole, anticipating the attack, raised his hands and focused his energy. The blast struck with incredible force. "I will not give up; I will win!" Mole declared. His body radiated a green aura, and a shield appeared, absorbing the blast. "Total concentration, Rebound!" he shouted, sending the blast back at Emeralok.
"I underestimated you, Mole!" Emeralok exclaimed as the returning blast sent it flying across the Greenlands, causing it to collapse.
As the dust settled, Mole stood atop Emeralok's chest, absorbing its energy to prevent regeneration. His fists glowed with power. Emeralok's wooden body, cracked and splintered, went limp, its emerald energy fading.
"It's over," Mole said, his voice firm yet respectful. "You've lost."
Emeralok raised its head, eyes gleaming with a mix of anger and admiration. "You... are strong," it whispered.
Mole nodded, chest heaving with exhaustion. "I've trained hard," he replied. "But you're not a pushover either."
Emeralok's gaze lingered before it nodded. "I acknowledge your strength," it said. "You've proven yourself worthy."
Mole smiled, pride washing over him. "Thanks, but I'm not here to hurt you. You're not a bad guy."
Emeralok's expression softened as it sat up, its wooden body creaking. "I've protected this land for centuries, but I've been isolated. I didn't realize others would protect it alongside me."
"I'm here to help," Mole said. "And I'm not going anywhere."
"I accept your help," Emeralok replied. "Together, we'll protect this land."
With that, Mole and Emeralok formed an unlikely alliance, one that would change their lives forever.
Mole retrieved Terri. "I'm sorry, Terri. Can you carry me home? I can't walk or feel my body." Terri carefully lifted Mole onto her back. "Thanks," Mole said, grateful for her help. "Pyaaa!" Terri agreed with a sound.
Dawn in Zowe
Thorn and Burnham strolled through the village. "Have you heard anything about her?" Burnham asked out of the blue.
"Who? Oh, Aria?" Thorn replied.
Burnham nodded. "Yes, Aria."
"I heard she joined a cult called the Luminari," Thorn said.
"Luminari? Never heard of them. What are they?" Burnham asked.
"I don't know much. Just that they've been capturing children for experimentation or something," Thorn explained.
"That sounds boring," Burnham laughed. "There's gotta be more to why Aria joined them."
They continued toward the Zowe village gate. There, three men stood, each with a different emblem on their uniform, representing their kingdoms.
"Here they are," Burnham said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Thorn asked.
"Meet Josh from Terraverde, Scotch from Electria, and Darwin from Aquaria," Burnham introduced. "There was one from Ignisia, but he returned for the king's summit."
"Why are you telling me this?" Thorn asked.
"They'll fight with you," Burnham said.
"I don't need people fighting for me. This is my fight. I'll defeat him on my own!" Thorn declared.
"His name's Baltimore," Burnham said. "He can create an army of echoflayers and tire you out before you reach him. You need help."
Thorn thought it over. "Fine, I'll fight alongside them. Tell me what you know."
"Baltimore is Theodoros's right-hand man, a thousand years old. Free him, Thorn," Burnham urged.
Thorn sighed. "If this battle is my end, deliver a message to King Arin."
Burnham looked confused. "Huh?"
18:55 in Ignisia
In the castle hall, preparations for the king's summit were underway. Gambit, the king's 60-year-old right-hand man—short, bald, gown-wearing, with a big face and brown eyes—oversaw the work. Orion, leader of Ignisia's elite guard, approached.
"You've arrived, Orion," Gambit said.
"I have news that might interest you," Orion replied.
Gambit rubbed his chin. "If you came straight to me, it's serious. Speak."
"Have you heard of the Luminari?" Orion asked.
"Yes, that cult kidnapping kids," Gambit replied.
"My sources reported a concerning matter," Orion said. "Let's find a private place to talk."
They moved to a corner of the hall. "My spies tracked the Luminari since the Blackwood village attack," Orion continued. "Yesterday, three high-ranking members discovered the tomb of Aerthys's former king."
Gambit's expression turned grave. "They've initiated war. If they found what they're looking for, Ignisia must prepare."
Mole's victory over Emeralok was complete, but Aerthys was in chaos. Four days remained until the king's summit.
In Thorn village, the sun rose over a clear sky. Villagers worked—fixing houses, gardening—until a scream near the river interrupted them. They rushed over, finding Granny Sesi with empty water cans.
"What's the problem, Granny Sesi?" Brinks asked.
"The river's dried up!" she exclaimed.
At Thorn's house, Mole awoke. "That vision again," he muttered, getting out of bed. "I feel light—my training vest! I left it in the Greenlands. Zephyr's gonna kill me!"
In the kitchen, Shawn served food to Lloyd and Zephyr, giving Terri four carrots. "I wonder how Mole's doing," Shawn said. Mole entered, and Lloyd jumped at him, tears in his eyes. "You're okay!"
"What's going on? How long was I asleep?" Mole asked.
"Three days," Zephyr said, biting a fruit. "You were in bad shape when Terri brought you back. Emeralok did a number on you."
"How do you know I fought Emeralok?" Mole asked.
"Terri's from the Greenlands, family to its protector," Zephyr explained. "You won her, but Emeralok wouldn't let you keep her without a fight. His approval means you earned it."
"For a giant tree, he's not that strong," Mole said.
Zephyr laughed. "Emeralok tests limits, doesn't kill. If he wanted you dead, you'd be gone in two seconds."
"What?!" Mole exclaimed.
A knock came at the door. Shawn opened it to find Samantha. "We need to talk," she said. "The river's dried up; no water's flowing."
"What?" Shawn said.
"Let me go to Ignisia," Zephyr said. "The summit's tomorrow. I'll arrive early."
"See you soon, old man," Mole said.
Zephyr handed Mole a vest. "This replaces the one you lost."
"Thanks," Mole smiled.
"The river's dry?" Lloyd said, reacting to Shawn.
Mole stepped outside with Zephyr and Lloyd, joining Shawn and Samantha. "What's wrong, Shawn?" Mole asked.
"The river dried out overnight," Shawn replied.
"If it's dry, something's blocking it, or something's wrong in Aquaria," Lloyd said.
"Let's check the river," Shawn said.
They arrived at an empty riverbed. Mole sighed. "I know what to do. I'll investigate. If it's blocked, it's easy, but…"
"If it involves Aquaria, it's trouble," Lloyd said simultaneously. They smiled at each other.
"We'll go together," Shawn said. "Wait, where's Mole?"
"He took off," Lloyd said.
Shawn sighed. "That boy doesn't listen. Let's catch up."
In Ignisia Castle
Gambit and Orion met privately. "We let our guard down, and now it's worse," Gambit said, rubbing his chin. "The Luminari found the tomb, and yesterday, a Blackwood clan child, Zick, was kidnapped."
A message bird landed on Orion. He read the letter and looked at Gambit. "All rivers, including Eldrid, have dried up."
Gambit sighed. "The summit's tomorrow. We can't let it be disrupted. Aerthys is upside down, and this meeting will change everything."
"The Luminari's base is in the letter," Orion said. "I'll handle it first thing tomorrow."
Prince Zane overheard their conversation.
"I'm lost," Mole said in a walled room. A deep voice replied, "Have you come to visit me, son of Thorn?"
"Who are you?" Mole asked, looking around.
A giant sat behind him. "Hohohuhuhua! I'm Oarkborn Verdani," he laughed, reaching for a beer.
"Verdani? I've heard that before," Mole said, scratching his head. "Do you know Emeralok Verdani?"
"Yes, a legendary creature created by the strongest Verdani giant," Oarkborn said. "So, Mole, how'd you get here?"
"I was by the river, took a break, changed directions, and ended up here," Mole said.
Oarkborn laughed. "You're lost! Let's spend the day together. I'll show you the castle path."
"Castle path?" Mole asked.
"We're deep underground in Ignisia Castle," Oarkborn said.
"Huh?!" Mole exclaimed.
Noon in the Village
Thorn Hosi meditated near the village gate, preparing for battle. "Thorn, the villagers are evacuated," someone reported.
"Good," Thorn said, opening his eyes. "Keep your guard up. I sense a change in the sky."
The clear sky turned cloudy, the breeze grew rough, and Thorn recalled Burnham's words: His name is Baltimore. He's Theodoros's right-hand man. Free him, Thorn. The sky's colors gathered, and a flash of light exploded before Thorn. In the mist and smoke, Baltimore appeared, shouting, "Iyaaaaaahahahahahhh!!!!"
15 hours until the king's summit.
To be continued...