"5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Ready!" Krasper shouted forcefully, his voice resonating with determination.
But just before they could act, Meliradal raised a hand, interrupting the moment.
"Wait! Hold on," she said quickly, her sharp eyes inspecting the container attentively. "I see it's covered by the four elements: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. Invisible to you, but not to me."
Krasper nodded, understanding the situation.
"Alright, then…"
Meliradal didn't wait any longer. From her hands surged powerful whirlwinds of energy that began displacing something invisible around the artifact. Gradually, the four elements manifested, surrounding the prison like living barriers. With a precise motion, Meliradal condensed the elements into a small box that glowed intensely. When she buried it in the ground, a great light erupted in the sky, illuminating the firmament for a brief moment and dispelling any trace of the oppressive forces.
"Done, it's gone. Now we can continue," Meliradal said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with evident satisfaction.
Kilibur smiled, impressed by his companion's skill.
"Wow, you're incredible, my friend."
Meliradal responded modestly, though her tone carried a hint of pride.
"Yeah, I know."
Golden quickly interjected, bringing the focus back to their main objective.
"Alright, now let's get back to what we were doing."
Krasper took charge once again, preparing to give the final signal.
"Get ready," he instructed, looking at each of his companions firmly.
He counted again, his clear and authoritative voice echoing in the air.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Ready!" he shouted forcefully.
The five warriors lunged with determination toward the designated points in Avocios's prison. With all their energies concentrated, they pushed their charged weapons into the tank where their creator was held.
"Push harder, everyone! We can do this!" Krasper encouraged, his voice filled with conviction.
Despite their efforts, the prison didn't yield easily. However, the guardians were not willing to give up. They knew they had come too far to fail now. With renewed determination, they decided to channel even more energy into their weapons, fueling them with everything they had.
Finally, their combined effort bore fruit. A loud crack resounded in the air, followed by a deafening roar. The supposedly "super-resistant" prison, made of the most powerful material, began to crack. A sudden explosion sent the five guardians flying backward, enveloping them in a cloud of dust and energy.
When the dust settled, they saw that the prison had finally shattered. From it emerged Avocios, initially in a gaseous form that slowly took the appearance of a golden avocado. However, it was clear that he was very weak, unable to speak or even open his eyes.
Golden was the first to approach, concerned about the state of their creator.
"My lord, respond! Are you alright? Answer me!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet after being thrown back by the explosion.
The other guardians quickly rose as well, gathering around Avocios with urgency.
"Lord, please respond!" they said in unison, their voices filled with anguish.
Finally, Avocios responded telepathically, his mental voice weak but reassuring.
"I have yet to regain my strength, my dear guardians. You did well and managed to save me."
Golden insisted, his tone filled with concern.
"My lord, will you be alright?"
Avocios responded calmly, though his weakness was evident.
"Perhaps in a few days, or maybe months, I will be. But for now, my body is far too weakened. I'm only a burden to you."
The guardians exchanged glances, feeling how worry mixed with frustration.
"But, my lord, we need you to end the shadow war," they said, almost as a collective plea.
Avocios sighed mentally, his tone filled with resignation but also confidence in his guardians.
"For now, I cannot be of use, my children. My body is far too weak. You must go to Paltio and the others to support them in their fight. Do not waste time on me."
Golden shook his head, his voice heavy with emotion.
"But, my lord, we need you here. We can't do this without you."
"Paltio must already be far away. He's likely close to reaching Avocadolia," Golden said, gazing at the sky with concern as he realized an entire day had passed since their last communication.
Meliradal nodded, her face reflecting frustration.
"Yes, but with Avocios in this condition, we can't do anything. Besides, Krasper can't transport him; he can only teleport the guardians themselves."
The others lowered their gaze, feeling the weight of helplessness settle over them.
"Yeah, what bad luck," they murmured, their voices tinged with disappointment as they realized how limited they were.
Kilibur, however, remembered something important.
"It's true what Chiro told me…"
Silver let out an ironic laugh, interrupting him.
"Now's not the time to talk about your boyfriend."
Kilibur frowned, annoyed.
"He's not my boyfriend. And besides, what he told me was important. We need to tell Paltio that Tertrol and Meloc are preparing a destructive weapon… One that could mean the end of everything we know. They're also orchestrating a plan against Tejod."
Golden growled, visibly furious.
"Damn it, those traitorous rodents!"
Golden refocused on the immediate problem.
"But now, what do we do? We can't leave our lord here."
Meliradal raised a hand, proposing a practical solution.
"I've got it. We can use my power to summon clouds. It'll take us a day or two to reach Avocadolia."
Kilibur quickly nodded.
"Alright. I can carry our lord on a mattress made of my illusions. That way, he'll be protected during the journey."
Silver, ever realistic, raised an objection.
"But it won't be easy to bring him into that state onto the battlefield."
Avocios, still weak, interjected mentally, his voice resonating firmly in the minds of his guardians.
"That doesn't matter, my children. I… I must be present there no matter what. It's a premonition I had. So I have to go."
Krasper nodded, taking charge of the moment.
"Then it's decided. Meliradal will take us there."
Golden smiled with determination, looking toward the horizon.
"Alright, then that's what we'll do. Wait for us, Paltio! We're coming to support you."
Meanwhile, before all of this happened…
Paltio and his friends decided to set off toward Avocadolia. Before embarking on the journey, Paltio said to Lukeandria:
"You must inform Tejod that we've found the last piece and are heading to Avocadolia."
Lukeandria nodded, sending a message via firebirds to the badger. Excited, Tejod responded almost instantly.
"The badger was thrilled and told them he would be waiting with open arms, with the last light object of Avocios that exists in the world."
Tejod, with a mix of pride and hope, added:
"The marine aura approaches soon. You've done well, Pax. You've done well."
Paltio, Lukeandria, Mok, Alita, Ron, Rykaru, and Lucca boarded the tank-carriage, ready to depart. They bid farewell to their new friends, who would remain in Reedalia to continue the fight from there.
Rodelos, who had been king in the past, decided to stay behind in what remained of Reedalia. He knew his experience would be crucial in uniting the various groups that had formed and coordinating a joint attack against the shadows.
With a warm smile, Rodelos addressed Paltio and Rykaru.
"Good luck, my grandson and great-grandson. I wish you the best."
Paltio responded with gratitude, though a shadow of concern crossed his face.
"We'll be waiting for you back home. I just hope our victory will be worth it."
Rodelos placed a hand on Paltio's shoulder, instilling confidence in him.
"Of course it will, my boy. You'll see that we'll succeed."
With that promise in mind, the group departed for Avocadolia, leaving their allies behind in Reedalia. The road ahead would be long, but hope propelled them forward.
Everyone bid farewell to Paltio and his friends with gratitude, their voices filled with hope mixed with concern. They knew the journey would be arduous, but they trusted that their mission would bring a better future.
Meanwhile, Toco-Toco, Nakia, Chiki, Lume, and Geki gathered together, ready to begin their training.
"It's time to train, everyone," they said in unison, their voices brimming with determination as they prepared to enter the mental training space. This place, where skills and strategies could be perfected without limits, would be crucial for strengthening themselves before the final battle.
Lucca would be the one to watch over their bodies while the others were on the training plane, all while staying alert on the road back to Avocadalia.
"I'll stay here to protect you in case of any mishaps along the way," he said, assuming his role as the group's protector. His voice conveyed confidence, though a hint of nostalgia gleamed in his eyes for not joining them.
Once the tank-carriage disappeared over the horizon, Rodelos took the floor. With the authority befitting a former king, he addressed Ban and Ariafilis.
"It's time to call a meeting with the other leaders of the resistance. We must unite to create a plan that allows us to defeat our common enemy: the shadows."
Ban nodded seriously, adjusting his armor as he responded:
"You're right. We can't allow divisions to keep weakening us. It's time to act as one."
Ariafilis, ever reflective, added:
"Unity will be our greatest strength. If we manage to coordinate our efforts, we'll have a real chance to defeat them."
Rodelos looked toward the horizon, where the tank-carriage was no longer visible, but his heart remained connected to Paltio and the others.
"Today we have begun weaving a network of alliances that will change the fate of us all. We cannot fail."
With that shared determination, the three headed to the meeting point, ready to summon the scattered leaders of the resistance across the devastated lands. They knew time was running out, but they also knew that hope still burned brightly in their hearts.