"But how is this possible?" inquired the queen, her voice blending disbelief with concern.
"It's because of the absence of our god Avocios," replied the king solemnly, holding the scepter between his hands. "There isn't much left of his magic now. This is all that remains as a testament to his power."
The queen looked at the scepter skeptically. "I see nothing," she murmured, her brow furrowing slightly. Patiently, the king turned the scepter in his hand, and it began to emit a faint light, casting a dim glow over the room.
"Quickly, fetch torches and illuminate the area," commanded the general, his voice firm yet controlled.
At that moment, the chamber door burst open. A guard rushed in, gasping for breath as he informed the general: "Sir, we're under attack!"
"Quickly, guards, protect the king and queen. It's an order!" exclaimed General Rex, gesturing urgently to the soldiers. The others in the room hurried out, seeking refuge alongside groups of other guards.
"Oh no!" cried the queen suddenly, raising a hand to her forehead.
"What is it, my love?" asked the king, turning toward her with concern.
"We forgot about lunch with Paltio. He'll surely be upset that we've left him alone again," confessed the queen, lowering her gaze.
The king sighed, trying to calm her. "This is no time to worry about trivialities. Our son will understand. For now, I need two of you to go and protect the prince," he said, addressing the guards. Two of them nodded, took lit torches, and set off toward the tower where the young prince's quarters and the royal chambers were located.
The general stepped out onto the balcony, from which he could survey the vast realm. With a swift gesture, he signaled to the guards stationed at the gate: "Sound the bells! We're under attack!"
The soldiers heard the order, but before they could move, something struck them without warning. In the blink of an eye, they were frozen in place, transformed into motionless statues.
The town, shrouded in an unsettling darkness, seemed devoid of life. The general pulled out his pocket watch and consulted it with bewilderment. "How can everything be so dark? It's barely four in the afternoon," he muttered to himself. Looking up, he noticed the silence was absolute—no sound broke the eerie stillness. It was as if the entire world had been swallowed by some invisible force.
"Escort their majesties to the bunker," ordered the general to the soldiers accompanying him. But before they could carry out the command, he felt an odd presence behind him. Moving swiftly, he unsheathed his sword to block any potential attack. However, when he turned, there was no one there.
Suddenly, an icy sensation coursed through him. He tried to move, to shout, but his body had grown rigid, as though being slowly turned to stone. His eyes widened in horror as he felt his flesh harden into unyielding rock.
"General!" shouted a soldier who came running at the sound of his superior's desperate cries. When he arrived, he raised his torch to illuminate the scene. What he saw froze him in place: before him stood a reddish-jade statue of the general, forever locked in an expression of eternal panic.
"What happened to you, General? Answer me!" pleaded the soldier, extending a trembling hand toward the figure. But before he could touch it, the same mysterious force struck him. His body hardened, and within seconds, he too was turned to stone.
Meanwhile, Paltio's parents ran alongside the guards escorting them. As they moved forward, they began to hear distant screams from those who had been with them in the war room. But those cries faded little by little, swallowed by the absolute silence that enveloped the realm.
"Faster, Your Majesties!" urged a young guard, his voice quivering slightly with urgency.
"Oh no!" exclaimed the queen, clutching her chest. "I hope they've found my Paltio. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him."
They hurried through the garden leading to the bunker. The torches illuminated their path, but what they found stopped them cold: several reddish-jade statues scattered among the bushes.
"And what is this?" asked the queen, confused. "We don't remember ordering statues for the garden."
"These aren't ordinary statues," replied one of the guards, pointing with his torch. Among the figures, they recognized one of the palace cooks, petrified in his work attire. Next to him, a young kitchen maid stood frozen, her expression locked in a silent scream.
"Why red jade?" wondered the king aloud, gazing at the figures with growing unease.
"Dear, you can extinguish your scepter now," instructed the queen. "It's the only remnant of Avocios' living magic left. The guards have their torches."
The king nodded and began to dim the scepter, but at that moment, he tripped over something. "Hey! Why are you standing there, soldier?" he snapped irritably. As he approached, his face fell. The soldier had also turned into red jade.
"Love, this one has also become red jade," said the queen, pointing at the soldier in horror. But before she could say anything more, she froze mid-sentence. Her body began to harden, and within seconds, she transformed into a reddish-jade statue.
"At last... The final piece and living magic of Avocios are mine," boomed a deep, sinister voice from the darkness.
The king spun around quickly, trying to locate the source of the voice, but no one was in sight. "This cannot fall into the wrong hands," he murmured resolutely. With a swift gesture, he recited arcane words, and the scepter shot into the sky, disintegrating into five fragments that scattered in opposite directions.
"NOOOOO!" roared the voice from the shadows. A pair of enormous, furious eyes emerged from the darkness, approaching the king. When the light of the scepter faded completely, everything was plunged into darkness. Moments later, however, several torches with blue flames illuminated the area, revealing a colossal figure. It was a humanoid badger, its fur brown and eyes glowing like burning embers, surrounded by hooded men in crimson robes.
"You wretched king! How dare you take the last piece from the great and sovereign Urugas, Lord of the Night!" roared Tejod, brandishing a sharp sword that gleamed under the blue light.
"Who are you?" asked the king, striving to keep his composure.
"I am Tejod, leader of the Red Shadows and loyal servant of the dark king Urugas," declared the badger proudly. "Return that scepter to me, or I will destroy your wife's statue." He raised his sword and pointed it menacingly at the petrified figure of the queen.
"What do you want with Avocios' magic?" asked the king, his eyes fixed on the blade.
"I need to corrupt it and shroud it in darkness to complete our lord's ritual," replied Tejod, closing in threateningly. He grabbed the king by his coat and lifted him off the ground. "Give it to me, or she dies."
Meanwhile, Paltio lay fast asleep in his room. Distant screams jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he found himself engulfed in total darkness. Still groggy, he rose from his bed, fumbling around for something to light up the room.
"What's going on?" he murmured, feeling his way cautiously. He stumbled over his nightstand and stubbed his toe. "Damn it!" he exclaimed, biting his tongue to avoid cursing aloud.
Carefully, he began groping along the table until he found the drawer. He opened it and pulled out a jar filled with fireflies, emitting a faint golden glow. The room came alive under their soft radiance.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the door and flung it open. "Father! Mother! Are you there?" he shouted, his voice echoing into the void.
Suddenly, hands seized him from behind. A firm hand clamped over his mouth, muffling his cry as the jar of fireflies slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor, plunging everything back into darkness.
The boy struggled against whatever held him, but a familiar voice stopped him short: "Stay quiet, Master Paltio!"
Paltio mumbled something unintelligible beneath the hand covering his mouth.
"Master, I can't understand what you're saying," whispered the voice. "I'm going to remove my hand, but don't make a sound. There's trouble in the castle."
Mok, the butler, slowly released the prince. Paltio spun around, still shaken.
"Why did you grab me like that? You nearly scared me to death, and now we're plunged into darkness again!" he protested, pointing at the broken remains of the firefly jar on the floor.
"Calm down, Master. I did it because I saw two strange figures lurking in the hallway," explained Mok, pulling a small flashlight from his pocket. "I brought this; it's better suited for this place."
"Oh!" exclaimed Paltio, visibly relieved to see the light. "Thank Avocios you're alright, Mok."
"And you as well, Master," replied the butler with a brief bow. "What has happened?" asked Paltio, glancing around worriedly.
"I don't know. All of a sudden, the lights went out—not just here, but across the entire realm. I heard screams, but then everything fell silent. I believe something—or someone—has attacked us," said Mok, gripping the flashlight firmly.
"But that's impossible, Mok said. Avocadalia is the safest kingdom, the heart of all realms. Who would dare attack us?" countered Paltio, incredulous.
"It seems we aren't as invulnerable as we thought," murmured Mok, his voice tinged with resignation and fear.
"We must find my parents and General Rex to face whatever is invading us," said Paltio with determination. At that moment, they heard a muffled cry coming from the garden.
"It's my father!" exclaimed Paltio, recognizing the voice. Holding the flashlight high, he ran toward the source of the sound. "Wait, Master Paltio!" shouted Mok, following close behind.
When they reached the garden, they saw the king being strangled by a colossal figure. It was Tejod, the massive badger with brown fur and eyes glowing like burning embers.
"Release my father, you cursed thing, whatever you are!" shouted Paltio, pointing the flashlight at Tejod.
"Who dares interrupt Tejod during an interrogation?" roared the badger, momentarily releasing the king. At that instant, several hooded figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding Paltio.
"Who are these people? And why are there so many red jade statues?" asked Paltio, looking around in astonishment. The torches of the hooded figures ignited with blue flames, illuminating the macabre landscape of petrified forms.
"Master Paltio, no!" cried Mok, lunging at a pair of hooded figures. But he was quickly subdued and forced to kneel beside the prince.
"Well, well... Two left alive," sneered Tejod, lifting the king off the ground and tossing him in front of Paltio. "You've got guts, kid, but you're awfully disrespectful to interrupt a conversation among adults."
With one of his enormous hands, Tejod struck Paltio in the stomach. The prince doubled over in pain, collapsing to the ground.
"Stop, Tejod! He's my son, the prince!" shouted the king, trying to rise.
"And why should I stop? The sooner I deal with someone you care about, the better it will be for me. That way, you'll understand that resistance is futile," replied Tejod coldly. He unsheathed his sword, its hilt resembling more of a magical staff, and pointed it at Paltio's head.
"Your son for the scepter," demanded Tejod, a cruel smile spreading across his beastly face.
"No, wait!" pleaded the king, extending a trembling hand.
"Again… Why don't you understand how this works? You've already exhausted my patience," growled Tejod, lowering the tip of his sword slowly toward the prince's neck.
"It's just that if you kill him, you won't be able to get the scepter," said the king, tears streaming down his cheeks. His voice trembled, but his gaze remained fixed on Tejod.
"You only say that because he's your son, and you want to save him," retorted the humanoid badger, narrowing his ember-red eyes.
"No, I'm telling the truth," replied the king, his tone a mix of firmness and anguish. "Before dispersing the pieces of the scepter, I placed a spell on them. Only Paltio can find and retrieve them. No one else."
"You lie!" roared Tejod, clenching his fists in contained fury. His fangs gleamed under the blue torchlight.
"I swear I speak the truth. Without him, you wouldn't be able to find the pieces of the scepter or achieve what your master desires," insisted the king, extending his hands in supplication.
Tejod fell silent for a moment, weighing the king's words. Finally, he lowered his sword and stroked his chin with a sharp claw. "Fine," he growled, a sinister smile curling his lips. "I'll let the boy live… for now. But he'll have to bring me the complete scepter. If he fails, his people will pay the price."
"Papa..." murmured Paltio, his eyes brimming with fear and confusion. He had been moments away from death, and now his father was asking something of him that he barely understood.
"I'm sorry, my son," said the king, approaching Paltio with slow, heavy steps. His voice was a whisper laden with guilt and sorrow. "I know we haven't been good parents, but I beg you to forgive me. What I'm placing before you may be your destiny... and our only hope. Find the pieces of the scepter and save our kingdom. Perhaps you can find Avocios."
The king looked directly into Paltio's eyes, conveying a mix of love and pain that made the prince's throat tighten with emotion.
"Enough of this family reunion," declared Tejod coldly. He pulled a strange amulet from his tunic and waved it toward the king. In an instant, the monarch's body began to harden, transforming into red jade. Before becoming fully petrified, the king managed to utter his final words: "Paltio... your mother and I love you so much."
The statue stood motionless, its face serene, as though it had found peace amidst the tragedy.
Tejod turned to Paltio, his crimson gaze glowing with an intensity that chilled the blood. "Now you have a responsibility to fulfill before me, boy," he said, leaning down until he was face-to-face with the prince. "If you fail, your people will die."
Paltio's eyes widened, and his breathing quickened. He felt the weight of those words like a stone pressing on his shoulders. Tejod's piercing stare filled him with visceral terror, but it also ignited something within him: determination.