Endiáthetos, the new king, wasted no time in using his royal contacts to track down Kyneos, the flame tamer. Unfortunately, no one seemed to have heard of her for several years, and Endiá didn't know where to begin. If he had to search for her, should he look among his troops, or should he conduct village searches?

Days passed. The days were endless and monotonous. As king, Endiáthetos wasn't even allowed to participate in battles and training, so he contented himself with observing the apprentices from the window of his chamber, envious.

He signed papers, waited, greeted the people, entertained himself as best he could, but his mind was troubled, and Kyneos wouldn't leave his head. Then, a week and a half later, while he was still mentally searching for her, someone appeared at the foot of his throne.

The sun was setting, and the doors of the almost empty throne room creaked open. A figure clad in a long cloak of dark green entered. The person emitted a clinking of metal with each step. Armor? With the hood pulled over their head, the king, taken aback, didn't know who he was dealing with. The person knelt to the ground and bowed their head as a sign of respect.

"My king," a woman's voice spoke.

"Rise, and remove your hood so I can see you," he replied.

She complied. Her cape fell to the ground with a rustle of fabric. A woman in her twenties stood before the young man. She was blonde, wore a long sword at her waist, and — as he had predicted — she wore armor. Her piercing blue eyes stared intensely at the young sovereign.

"Who are you, and what can I do for you, young warrior?" Endiáthetos asked.

"To tell you the truth, I come to offer you my services. My name is Kyneos, but you may know me as Phlóx Oléthrios."

Endiá dropped his wine glass in shock.

"Phlóx, the flame tamer?"

"That's correct," she confirmed, conjuring a burst of fire in the palm of her hand. "It's me."

The guards at the entrance of the room drew their swords.

"Miss, you can't do—" one of them began.

"It's okay, don't worry," Endiá cut him off. "Leave us now."

"Your highness, are you sure that—"

"I said out!" he snapped.

"Very well, your majesty."

Silence fell in the room, Endiá didn't take his eyes off Kyneos, who remained silent.

"You're not saying anything?" the king asked.

"I thought you might want to speak first, your majesty."

"Well, no, why do you think I would need your help for anything?"

"As you well know, since the attack of the Dnophos the other night, the people are afraid, and I don't think you're reassured either."

"Go on, Kyneos."

"You may not be aware, but I have a way to kill the Dnophos. You probably want to save your siblings and seek revenge; I want to help you and eliminate all those filthy Dnophos," she declared.

Endiáthetos raised his head.

"What do you gain from this? Nobody does anything out of kindness. I want to know your motive."

"Firstly, I simply want revenge, it's a long story that I'll tell you if you accept my services."

"And then?"

"I want to reclaim the position of Court Magician," the young woman declared.

"Is that all?" Endiá asked.

"That's all."

"Fine," the king acquiesced. "But don't bother telling me your story and everything else: I know you."

"Pardon? Yet it doesn't seem to me that we've ever met."

"I learned from my father that you harbored an inexplicable resentment towards the Dnophos. I know that you tracked them down and killed them one by one. I also know that you failed to eliminate them all. That despite your flawless plan, a powerful Dnophos managed to escape, and that same creature decimated half of the court, my family, and kidnapped my brother and sister."

"Indeed. You are completely correct, your highness," Kyneos confirmed. "That's also why I want to help you; I want to finish the job and redeem myself in the process."

"Hmm," the king murmured thoughtfully. "When do you want to start?"

"The sooner, the better, but I'll adapt to you."

"Very well, we'll start training, demonstrations, and research tomorrow." (He raised his voice.) "Guards!"

Two men entered the room hastily.

"Yes, my king?" they intoned.

"Take this lady to the royal apartments, those that belonged to my stepmother."

The men tapped their feet simultaneously.

"Yes, sire!"

"Ah, I almost forgot," the king continued. "I have bestowed upon Lady Kyneos here the title of Court Magician; treat her as your superior, she is just below me in the chain. Remember that. Obey without question unless I contradict her orders."

"Understood."

"You may leave!"

"Lady Kyneos, please follow us."

The woman picked up her cape and left without a word, following the soldiers. Endiáthetos watched her with his soft brown eyes, worried.

His father had not minced words about Phlóx's personality. And despite her efforts to hide her true nature, to appear kind, friendly, and likable, at the mention of the Dnophos, Endiá had seen the murderous flame dancing in his interlocutor's eyes. From then on, he had to be wary of her and protect himself. He was already struggling to manage his emotions and resentment, so if he were influenced by Kyneos's negative aura, Endiáthetos would have a hard time keeping control.

The night was restless for the king, nightmares of the kidnapping resurfacing, troubling thoughts and concerns about Kyneos invading the young man's mind, nothing was going right. He hoped that by training, his doubts would vanish and give way to assurance about rescuing the rest of his family.

The next morning, two hours before noon, Endiáthetos summoned the magician. He was waiting in one of the palace's secret underground chambers, where he had arranged weapons, dummies, and everything they needed to thrive. He had also gathered a bunch of books and notes about the Dnophos, to study the various places where they could be found.

The king sat at the back of the cavernous room. A few minutes later, a loud noise was heard, followed by a creaking door. Kyneos stuck her head into the doorway, and then her body followed.

She slightly bent her arm and lit a small fire in the palm of her hand.

"So, where do we start?"

***

"Yes, that's fine," declared Korè.

Indeed, the group was gathered around the wooden table in the host's dining room.

"Is this serious?" asked Maximus eagerly. "Are you really going to help us?"

"Well, yes," she said, nervously laughing. "At first, I was a bit hesitant. I didn't know if I could trust you all, but you managed to convince me."

Astós looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"But you don't even know her, she's not really part of your family. Are you aware of what your agreement implies?" asked Palaïós.

"Yes, I know the risks, you've explained everything to me. I know it's going to be mentally and physically challenging, but I can see how much it means to all of you, so I'll help."

"Thank you so much, Korè. It's true that this is really important to us," confessed Astós. "And..." (He hesitated, turning to the husband who had an impassive expression.) "We also thank you for entrusting her to us, I promise to bring her back in one piece."

The husband sighed.

"Anyway, when she sets her mind to something, there's no point even trying to dissuade her," he declared. "And regarding your little promise, you better keep it, or I'll come and pull your teeth out one by one and flay you alive, and..."

"Easy, dear," Korè hurried to cut him off. "Don't worry, we'll be careful."

He grumbled, showing that he truly loved her.

"Or you can come with us if you want," said Sklerótes softly.

Everyone looked up at her, and she continued.

"I know what it's like to worry about the ones we love, so if you want, come with us."

He sighed again.

"No, I'm sorry, but I'd just be a hindrance on your quest, and besides, someone needs to stay here to protect the house and the village. I'll trust you on this one."

No one said anything for a long minute. Palaïós cleared his throat and decided to speak up.

"In that case, pack your things, we leave at sunset." (He glanced at the sky through the window.) "You have about an hour, take it easy."

This period passed relatively quickly. Korè took a large travel bag with her. The Heirs set off, with Nethe holding back her tears.

Sklerótes, tired of her human form, returned to her monstrous form. She hadn't even waited to leave the village. Unfortunately for him, a very aggressive septuagenarian approached her with a club. He pushed his way through the group and struck Sklerótes. She dodged it with such ease that even Palaïós was surprised. The man fell flat on the ground. Sklerótes immediately pounced on him and devoured him in front of her comrades.

Korè stifled a small cry, Maximus took a step back, and Astós's throat tightened. Palaïós didn't move an inch, contemplating the carnage. That sorcerer can be scary sometimes.

Sklerótes wiped her mouth dripping with blood with her forearm before licking her lips.

"Sorry, I was starving, and he had annoyed me."

"Um, don't worry," said Astós, fighting back the urge to vomit.

"We should still bury him," declared Palaïós, impassive.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Once the job was done, they set off again without a word. They walked for a very long time, searching for one last Heir to join their cause. Unfortunately, several times in a row, they were met with refusals, or news of deaths. They eventually gave up.

Sklerótes unfolded the map of the country again, and Palaïós pointed to the Basileus Palace.

"The palace?" asked Astós tensely.

"Yes, I would have preferred to avoid it if possible, but since there are only four of you with powers, we'll need extra energy. I plan to help you, of course, but perhaps your brother could help us in some way now that he's king."

"You mean four Heirs and a sorcerer aren't enough?" exclaimed Korè.

"No."

"And do you really think my brother will agree to help us?" Astós exclaimed. "After what you've put him through, what you've put us through? You've taken everything from him, his entire family. He's alone now."

"I hope so, even though I know it won't be easy. Moreover, I'm convinced he'll listen to you," declared Sklerótes.

"He could have us arrested if that's not the case, and then you'd be left alone with Mom's ashes. You couldn't save her anymore."

"Unless he believes us," Max intervened. "We have to consider that things might go well."

"But we also need to plan for a backup," said Astós, looking serious.

They all looked at each other, tense. Palaïós clapped his hands forcefully. Everyone was surprised and turned to the sorcerer.

"That's enough of that, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll arrive," he said loudly.

"You're right," Max chuckled. "Come on, friends, off to the palace!"

Everyone looked at each other, eyes sparkling. The gravity of their situation had made them forget the bonds that united them. More than a family, they were friends. Astós, realizing this, smiled broadly. He sympathetically wrapped his arm around Korè's elbow. Both burst into laughter at Max's sudden imbalance. Their lives were regaining a semblance of normality.

On the road, they found wild horses that Korè managed to tame. They greatly helped them by carrying them to their destination. A few days later, they finally saw the end of their journey.

Astós recognized all sorts of things: the smells, the places, some voices rising from the village's bar. He was very melancholic. His mood had only worsened since the beginning of the journey. He was now dressed in a dark black cloak that covered his armor, so he wouldn't be recognized. And to his great contentment, he saw that the world hadn't stopped turning since the massacre. It was a good thing that people moved on.

Sklerótes drew them into a poorly lit corner of the street. She made them all sit down (except for Palaïós, who was suffering from his hips).

"Let me recap the plan. First, Astós alone will enter and explain the situation to his brother. Depending on whether he accepts or not, Astós will come to get us outside. Don't forget to omit my existence, he might be frightened at first."

Everyone nodded, and she continued.

"Then, we will present ourselves to him. If he accepts us, we will explain our plan in more detail to him, and we will go to resurrect Anastasis, in the castle's dungeons."

The prince's eyes filled with tears. Korè gently rubbed his back with her hand. He stood up and swallowed his tears. Sklerótes, in her monstrous form, manipulated the shadows and fashioned a blade of ebony black, handing it to Astós, who was sidetracked by the talents of his interlocutor.

"Take this, you may need it, you never know."

"I hope not," Astós whispered.

"Me neither," sympathized Sklerótes, "but one can never be too careful."

Everyone took the path to the castle. Astós cast a final glance at his friends and pushed the heavy palace doors, which led directly into the throne room. His eyes widened with tears when he saw his brother talking with a lady standing by his side.

"Endiá!" he shouted, euphoric.