Once she was a light guiding me through the darkness. Now she is a scorching bonfire guiding me for eternity.

LoG, 409

Nalina could see The Prince made a deliberate pause in his speech.

He is waiting for the words to sink into my consciousness. The Black Triangle. The symbol of The Kingdom of The Mountain.

Her father's stories of The Mountain passed through her head. The Mountaineers were people who lived in hanging houses, who didn't believe in The Mind and The Fount and who buried their dead by throwing them off of the cliffs. They had a vast Forge where they made various tools and weapons. The Kingdom of The Mountain was also famous for their fleet of airships.

That's about all I know about them. But ... What are they doing so close to Begi? And how many airships are here? Nalina wondered.

The Prince of The Mountain continued to speak. "As to why are you here ... Well ... Let me summarise that for you: You were weak and fainted after the enraged horde of your Vigils nearly tore you to pieces. It seems that you turned into a man and tore them all to pieces instead. Good for you. Also, your water snake choked them to death. And I'm not the guy who will leave the lady in trouble. I brought you to my room/cabin, call it as you wish. I bathed you, placed calendula on your bruises and gave you a change of clothes. Then, for a long time, I was trying to calm Fox down, who was angry when she saw another woman in my bed. Locked you both in, hoping Fox would come to her senses and lie next to you. I spent the night in front of the cabin in a very uncomfortable chair."

He got quieter and yawned, and it was only then when Nalina became aware the dark circles under his eyes. "You ... You bathed me and changed my clothes?" she murmured.

"Is that all that matters to you from everything I told you? You only got that sentence out of the entire context?" his irises twinkled. "Rest assured, sweetheart, you have nothing I haven't seen before. Also, I never do anything to a girl unless she begs me or explicitly asks for it. I'm primarily a gentleman. So, there's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about."

"My ... My clothes and my ... Things ..." Nalina changed the subject feeling embarrassed. She was trying not to think of a moment during which an unknown man was looking at her naked.

"Me and a couple of my men brought suitcases with some of your things. Still, I am under the impression we didn't unearth everything. At the scene of the massacre, there are a lot of scattered garbs and weapons. The crew found ten, no, eleven dead people and ten dead War Dogs. They're still combing the area, and they will bring me whatever they may find. Besides, the garments of The Mountain looks good on you. You don't have to be in such a rush to change," The Prince sized Nalina up, and she looked down timidly.

"Are your clothes always so ... uniform and grey?" Nalina dared to ask.

"Yep. It is our colour, after all, and I think it agrees with us. Girls don't share my opinion, so you can see them adding different fashion details just to differentiate one from the other. Women!" The Prince smiled, crossing his legs.

"That's why Fox has ..."

"Yes, multi-coloured hair. But it kind of goes well with her personality. Anything that strikes your fancy?" The Prince caught Nalina's glance that darted towards the books.

"Oh, you have this tome about the rare plants! I could only read at The Curatory." She bit her tongue.

I am giving away too much information as it is.

"Your poor books, they are all scattered around," Nalina remarked in a rebuking tone, trying to change the subject, and hoping he didn't notice her Curatory mention.

"I don't have time to worry about arranging objects in my room. After all, I think best in creative chaos. Up there," The Prince said and pointed to the ladder, bed and table, "I draw the map of the world, as I see it from above. After each flight, I add a new detail," he said enthusiastically.

Nalina could sense how much he liked his call.

"Wait, I'll bring you ...." The Prince easily jumped on the top of the ladder and got back down quickly carrying a small oval globe.

"This is our World? The Squareworld? You did this by yourself?" Nalina's voice reflected her admiration.

The Prince smiled and nodded.

"It's incredible. I have the feeling I am holding the entire Squareworld in the palm of my hand," Nalina stared at Lagad, Begi, The Mountain, The River Tebesum, The Barrens and The Forest of Lug.

"I think there is something ... outside our world," The Prince disclosed, curling on the floor like a big predator cat while Nalina was still getting comfy on the armchair.

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

"I did experiments during which I would fly upwards constantly with my ship," he delivered in a cold, analytical voice.

Nalina assumed he used that tone when giving out information.

"So, neither forward nor backward, left or right, but, up, steadily up."

"And? What have you discovered?" she followed his flow of thought feverishly.

"A Barrier," The Prince said grimly.

"What kind of a barrier?" Nalina was curious.

"I don't know, and I already told you too much," he muttered tiredly as though trying to change the subject. "It must be your voice and attitude. You seem like a goody two shoes. Like someone who knows how to listen," the Prince remarked, now deep in thoughts.

"A physical Barrier?" Nalina continued, not caring about what he had just said.

He finally gave up and proceeded with the story."Have you ever wondered what is there outside The Vault? Outside the space where we are restricted to live on?"

"I ... I must admit that I haven't," she replied. Why do I feel so stupid in his company?

"Huh. I'd always been asking myself that, ever since I was a child. I couldn't wait when the day would come for me to claim my airship. I killed my first big animal, a huge cave bat, when I was only Fourteen Big Ones old. Around his skeleton in which his Essence was beating, I built this airship. The construction lasted during the three Lights and three Darks. The ship finally became mine. My soul and The Essence of the Bat are one, it replies to me and flies to my call. It goes wherever I want it to go," The Prince explained.

Nalina felt honoured that he was telling her all this. She knew from some Omnibus books that The Mountaineers had a specific way of making an airship, but she read nothing so detailed about it. What he has just described sounds ... Magical.

"It's as if there's someone out there ... Who won't let us out. Who keeps us closed and controlled in this World. The Barrier is tangible; I felt it many times," he said, frustrated. "Whenever I thought I would break through its border, I would get instantly teleported to where I originated but in the opposite direction. And ..." The Prince inclined towards Nalina, whispering. "I think The Fount appears from The Barrier. Or rather, from behind it."

"No," Nalina rebelled instinctively. "The Fount always comes out of the ground, I ..." she bit her lip again.

I can't give away what happened in The Arena with grey birds with red eyes.

"Are you sure of the direction which it comes from? Believe nothing you didn't see. I saw with my own eyes The Fount came out of The Barrier and then slowly descended to the ground," the Prince was now explaining in frenzy. His glasses slid onto his nose, and his hair fell all over his eyes, thus becoming even messier. He impatiently removed it from his forehead.

That movement seemed unusually attractive to Nalina.

The questions he posed, the words he uttered were so strange and unknown to her, who took her World for granted. The Prince made her think, wonder about the nature of everything, the reason for the existence of anything around her. Nalina's thoughts were moving in many intricate directions. She realised, frightened, that she didn't even recognise herself.

His voice made Nalina come back to reality, and the sentence he pronounced left her stupefied. "And yes, I heard about the incident at The Arena of The City of Lagad, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," Nalina unconsciously snapped at him.

This is not like me at all. Why am I reacting so much to that stupid nickname? He is just joking!

"All right then, Princess," he used a calmer, more formal tone.

Nalina took a deep breath. He knows.

"Yes, I know who you are, Your Majesty," The Prince's voice became mocking now.

He knew all this time.

"News travels fast. I also heard Prince Borna is marching to conquer Begi. Perhaps because the dirty criminals of that city, undoubtedly sent by Fedum, attacked and killed his sister. You see, I hear stories she was travelling to Begi accompanied by Lagad's finest Vigils, exclusively to offer peace, and blah blah blah. The poor grieved brother, who wants to avenge the death of his beloved sister. Ah, how touching, don't you agree with me, Your Highness?" The Prince inquired sarcastically.

He fell silent when he saw her position change.

Nalina slumped on the armchair, holding her head with both hands, looking at the floor.

"Hey ..." he gently caressed her shoulder with his hand at what she stiffened. "I'm sorry."

"My ..." Nalina looked up, and there were tears in her eyes. She thought it made him uncomfortable since he turned his head. "My reason for travelling was to prevent this war. And ... I didn't succeed in it."

"The Second Water War has already begun," he informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Why did Borna do this? Why did he ... He wanted this!" Nalina seemed to be just beginning to understand everything.

"The conflict is inevitable. It's in human nature, Princess. Personal interest leads to conflict with those who don't have the same personal interest as you do. Ask yourself how your brother could benefit from this, and you will get your answer."

Nalina was deaf to his remarks. The plan had already formed in her head. She jumped towards the door of the cabin. "It's all my fault. Let me go; I have to, I have to go, I need to show them I'm alive. Just so, that's the way it will all be solved!"

The Prince stopped her in two steps before she could reach the lock and pulled her to himself. "Hey, hey, hey ... Calm down. You're too impulsive. There's nothing you can do," his voice deepened and became cooler, more rational. "Do you always think first with your heart, then with your head? Don't you realise that your "death" is only one possible cause for the war he wanted so desperately, perhaps to get the throne in Begi, for example? It's like, just my humble speculation," The Prince said, sardonic, still firmly holding her in his arms.

"I have to; I have to reach Begi. Can you take me there, Prince?" Nalina raised her teary, supplicant honey-coloured eyes to him.

"Sweeth ... Princess," he corrected himself and sighed. "Don't be naïve," his voice became rough. "It's the worst place you can be in right now. There are a million ways in which they can use you: as a hostage, as a pawn in a political game, as a ..."

"I don't care," Nalina repeated stubbornly, covering his coat in tears and clutching its lapels.

"Come here," The Prince said and led her to the armchair. "You didn't think this through. Sit down for a moment."

Nalina resisted neither his mild pressure on her muscles nor the handkerchief he produced out of his pocket.

"I admire your courage, but what you're planning is foolish. You can't ..."

The door of the cabin opened with a shudder, and Fox walked inside, rocking her hips. "Here. Her stuff." the colourful girl dropped everything on the floor carelessly. "This wooden flask, a tiny notebook and a paper figurine," she recited. "Oh, have I interrupted something? Can you end your intimate chat, so we can go to Begi to deliver those damn arms? I want to get paid for once!"

"You ..." Nalina sobered up and fisted away her tears. "You are selling weapons to Begi?"

"Oh ... how sweet! She doesn't even know who we are or what we are dealing with! The poor girl thought you were just playing researcher and drawing maps. Well, kitty cat, all that water must come from somewhere," Fox leered, and then practically ran out of the cabin by slamming the door.

A shadow of guilt slid across his face like a furtive mouse. Then again, just like that, it regained the mask of impassivity. "I sell weapons to all who give me water for it. Our Forge produces them. Like every product in the Squareworld, they go to the highest bidder. Lagad, Begi, even The Forest of Lug ... It's irrelevant. The Mountain Forge will supply everyone who offers something good in return."

Nalina wasn't listening to him. She was flicking her fingers rapidly through her notebook instead.

"It's all there?" The Prince asked quietly. Nalina merely nodded.

"And this figurine someone has drawn on?" he gently took the paper replica of The Geyser in his hand, trying to make Nalina feel better.

"That ... that's my brother's paper statuette. It represents ... The Geyser that appeared in Lagad and ... Wait, what do you mean by 'someone has drawn on it?'"

"My deepest apologies. I think I dismantled it inadvertently and ... these coordinates were on the inside. I'm not sure what this is, maybe some kind of map?"

"A map?" Nalina stared at the disassembled paper figure, now so close to The Prince that their cheeks almost touched.

"If someone understands maps, it's me," he said, putting his chest out in pride.

"You're so modest," Nalina laughed.

"False modesty is not a virtue, Princess. Give me some time, and I'll figure out what it's all about," he focused above the crumpled paper.

Nalina sadly opened the flask and sighed.

"Already thirsty?" The Prince noticed, not turning around. "We've drunk a lot of tea just now."

"Grogmog entered here. It's in," she whispered sadly.

"Those ... words can be interpreted in a variety of ways, Princess. I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more precise." His voice reflected mischief.

Nalina's lips twisted in a small, sad smile. "My water snake ... Grogmog. He was wounded and ... He lived in the barrel, you know ... He showed me with his head he wanted to get into the flask. Grogmog started to settle in, but he just couldn't fit ... There was not enough space and..."

"You think he didn't finish the transfer? That's impossible. The Transfer of The Essence is done instantaneously." The Prince raised his head, interested, leaving the map where he had already marked something.

"What do you mean by ... The Transfer of The Essence?"

"Water snakes carry their Essence into objects. The bigger the object, the larger their body. Given that this flask is miniature ... All the chance that your water snake has already taken on its size."

Nalina squealed loudly with joy causing The Prince to frown for a moment.

"Girls and screaming voices," he murmured critically.

"You ... You think he's in there?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Call him."

Nalina quietly repeated Grogmog's name a few times. Sure enough, a snake-like shape crawled out of the small wooden bottle moments later.

There was still this aquatic transparency and grace to him, but now Grogmog was barely fifteen centimetres long. The mini-serpent confidently placed himself on the sleeve of The Prince's coat and then slithered upwards to his neck. There Grogmog remained to rest, like some expensive collar, occasionally hissing pleasantly.

"He likes you," Nalina said gently.

"Animals usually love me," The Prince said with a smile. "I see he's comfortable being around my neck, not unlike many female legs I've encountered along the way."

"He's so small," Nalina said, placing Grogmog on her palm. She deliberately ignored Prince's remark as the miniature transparent reptile climbed into her sleeve.

"Well, look at it like this. This is a bonus. Instead of an adult ... Grogmog, was it? Now you can raise it from the very beginning. He won't be useful in battle, but judging by what I saw," The Prince announced in an admiring tone of voice, "you won't even need it."

Her eyes looked at him pleadingly.

"Princess," he said firmly. "Who do you take me for? I couldn't care less if you are male or female, alive or dead, as long as I get my percentage. I don't trade information, Princess. I trade weapons. Your secret is safe with me. Which reminds me. Here you go. This is the place you have to travel to, or so it seems." The Prince gave Nalina back her brother's figurine and attached a small map to it.

"It is in the Downleft of The Squareworld. I think it's a cave. I can supply you with some necessities, but that is all. You have the advantage that everyone thinks you're dead. Although ... If I were you, I would travel in that destructive form as often as possible, just in case."

"I want to go right now," Nalina said adamantly, tying her hair in a braid.

"You have gone where your first brother told you to go to and look where it got you," The Prince tried to diffuse tension with the joke. "But who am I to meddle in your affairs? If you trust this ... second brother of yours and hope he won't turn out to be a bastard like the other one ... If you believe he sent you a message because he knew what would happen ... You should go there and ... Just a moment. We've got ourselves a listener."

"Come in, Fox," The Prince called afterwards, laughing. "You don't have to crouch for so long in that uncomfortable position, with your ear firmly pressed on the door."

Fox entered the cabin, her facial expression sour.

"Well, I believe you heard what you wanted. Our guest is leaving," The Prince snickered. Then he turned to Nalina. "Do you want us to drop you off somewhere?"

"Uf, do we have to?" Fox complained. "She is so boooring ... She'll be able to figure it out herself."

"I, I ... I don't like flying and at any rate," Nalina raised her chin, "I would never fly with you."

"Never say never, sweetheart," The Prince deliberately emphasised the last word in the sentence as their eyes met. "Come on; I'll walk you out," he said. "If you are already determined to go now, that is.

On the way to the exit from the airship, they passed the pantry, and he filled her grey backpack with water and dried meat.

As they descended the stairs and walked out, Nalina turned to look at the airship in which she was up till then. Her eyes widened with admiration. The body carved out of the tree trunk had the shape of a humongous bat. The wings were stylized, made of rough canvas and supported by the bone structure.

The airship that the Prince constructed seemed like the work of art to her.

It's almost as if it were alive.

"I see you like my airship. One day you'll probably want to ride in it, for sure." The Prince winked at Nalina.

"No, thank you," she laughed, feeling so close to him, as they quietly walked around and joked.

I spent one Light with this man, and it's as if I've known him for a long time, passed through Nalina's head.

For some reason, Nalina's thoughts came back to a moment in which The Prince talked about his passion for drawing maps and The Barrier. She recalled the fire gleaming in his eyes back then. "And anyway," she said, driving those thoughts away, "I don't think we'll ever meet again."

He thought a bit about what she said. "The paths of The Mind are strange," The Prince made a final, sarcastic statement. "I hope to see you at least one more time because I expect you to give me back my coat," he took off his long cloak and wrapped Nalina in it.

"Wearing this, you will pass as a member of The Kingdom of The Mountain and hide from the curious enemy eyes," he stated mildly, aligning the overcoat on her body before whispering: "I feel guilty of sending you all by yourself to this faraway and unknown world, but ... You're tough, Princess. There is more to you than meets the eye. I wish you safe travels," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

Nalina swallowed and stared at the map The Prince of the Mountain had given her. She was already moving in the indicated direction. She thought she heard him add, "Don't you die out there."

It must be the fruit of my imagination.

Just before Nalina entered the pine forest, she turned back to look at his airship once more.

The Prince was still there, now only in his light grey shirt, whose sleeves were eerily moving up and down in the wind. They reminded her of bat's wings.

They both simultaneously raised their hands as a sign of goodbye.

Nalina disappeared among the trees, hugging the flask that contained her tiny water snake.

Just then, it occurred to her she didn't even ask The Prince for his name.