The next day, an immense crowd had gathered around the judgment arena.
Kael had never seen such a place: an open amphitheater, surrounded by colossal statues representing the ancient kings of Tebai. The sky seemed to weigh heavier here. The air was electricity.
Thalos, shirtless, an empty bottle in hand, heated quietly as if he was going to take a walk.
- "Are you sure of that?" Asked Kael, clenched his fists.
- " No. But I like to do things I'm not sure. And then ... it may wake up my memories. »»
Zethar, sitting on a throne floating above the arena, observed.
- "Here are my two guests. An old devotee who betrayed me, and a stranger looking for his way. That the judgment begins. »»
The two fighters were transported to the center of the arena by a circle of light. The runes began to shine. The ground trembled. The event started.
Thalos was the first to attack. He gave birth to waves of wine purple with his hands, which turned into liquid chains whisking the air.
Kael is just ducating. He didn't want to use his shadows. Not immediately. He was waiting for the right time.
- "Your power ... Is that alcohol?! He said, incredulous.
- "Wine is the blood of memory, my brother! And I am the priest of lost memories! »»
Thalos burst out laughing by launching a new, faster, more precise attack.
But when Kael was going to fall, a shadow silhouette briefly formed around him. An instinctive defense. A supernatural dodge.
Zethar straightened up, intrigued.
-"The shadow ... Will she be? Nyra? »»
The fight was stopped by a striking flash between the two men.
- " Enough ! », Tonna Zethar. "You are neither ready nor worthy. But I will keep you to the eye. Very close. »»
-
In the night that followed, Elia treated Kael in the Taverne back room. He had received a blow of Thalos so hard that he still saw double.
- " Are you doing well ? »»
- "I knew better ... he is stronger than I thought. »»
- "He is. And in the past, it was even more formidable. Before Zethar… "
She stopped, hesitating.
- " What ? »»
- "Zethar was the protector of our church. The one where Thalos grew up. But he changed. Something corrupted him. He stopped our priests, burned our books ... and he is looking for something that only an ancient text mentioned: the heart of shadow. »»
Kael straightened up.
This name ... He had already heard it in his father's stories. Prohibited legends that spoke of a dead god, and his partner, a shadow reborn named Nyra. Together, they had traveled the kingdoms in search of lost knowledge.
- "What if it was not a legend? Kael whispered. "What if this Nyra ... was real?" »»
- "Some say that his mind still sleeps, in the ruins under the tebai. But no one has ever dared to go down. »»
Kael got up slowly.
He knew what he had to do. Find these ruins. And find Nyra.
---