The scientist observed Igor and the first thing she saw was the green glow that surrounded him entirely.

"What a scare, Igor," she began. "Did they give up so quickly? What is this light that emanates from you?"

"Mia, I am very disappointed with you," replied the wizard, undoing the protection barrier. "What had you done to me? Why have I been detained and what actions justified this decision when I've committed no offense to warrant such treatment?"

"They forced me." She lowered her head, distressed. "Forgive me, Igor, but I was forced."

"What did they force you to do, Mia?" Igor acted gently because she had always been very kind. "They must have guessed that I'm here and I don't doubt that they will send a combat force to catch me. So, please hurry up and explain."

"You were put in the indoctrinator to teach you our original language, but also to obtain basic information about you," she explained, nervous. "The idea was to find out if you would be dangerous to our civilization because it is very strange to receive a visitor from another plane without a spaceship. No one had ever stayed in the indoctrinator for so long, but they got nothing but complete data on your organism. The natural barrier of your brain made them very nervous and they refused to accept that you would be in the A or B classification. Then, they discovered what your species did in such a short time and that scared them even more, because you are warlike."

"Mia, how long have I been in this world?" he asked, emphatic and more and more nervous. "Please, be honest. I swear I won't hurt you and I don't intend to harm you. I came here for help, that's all. If I'm not welcome, I'll leave and look for help elsewhere, but this attitude of imprisoning and neutralizing me is not fair at all. How long?"

"You have been here for twelve days of your count, Igor," she answered worried, but trusting him. "Your last meal contained a drug to make you sleep. They wanted to do more analysis and try to read your unconscious brain, but it was not possible either. I received instructions to keep you sedated, but when they gave the order it was too late and you woke up again."

"My Goddess, twelve days!" he exclaimed, leaning against the wall, worried. "Poor Ailin must think I'm dead! Do you have any idea of the cruelty that your government intended to do to me, Mia?" Igor was bitter and disappointed. "Is this how a civilization so developed and evolved treats strangers, without even giving them the right to defend themselves? I came as a friend and I don't want to become a prisoner. You have no idea of the power that I possess, by the love of the Goddess. I could destroy this whole city in a matter of hours, if I were indeed a threat and warlike as you say!"

"And why don't you do it?" she asked, feeling that it was true what Igor said. "It is a right that you have to defend yourself and I would not blame you."

"Because I never take innocent lives, Mia. I am a wizard and we love life above all!" he replied. "Unlike your government, I am not selfish at all."

"I'm sorry." The scientist lowered her head. "I was always against it, but I have to obey orders. I stated several times that you were not dangerous, but only Mog listened."

"But that's where you're wrong. I am very dangerous, but only when threatened because I am peaceful. All right, Mia." Igor used a soft voice. "I'm leaving, because I don't want conflicts and you still need to evolve a lot for us to interact. You might bring war to my world and I don't want that. Goodbye."

"I—" Mia was going to speak, but Igor turned to open the portal and leave. He concentrated hard, but nothing happened. He tried three times, unsuccessfully until he turned to the girl.

"They told the truth," he said, apprehensive. "They created a field that prevents me from opening a portal. Mia, what else did they do to me?"

"They have your complete record of your cellular vibrations, that's all."

"What can be done with this data, besides preventing me from leaving here?"

"Imprison you, neutralize some of your gifts and maybe reduce you to impotence, besides causing pain with harmonic waves."

"Such a thing is not 'just that'" commented Igor. "Listen, Mia, I don't want conflicts and I just want to go back to my time."

"I know, forgive me." She sobbed in a very human and very feminine way. "I should have helped and warned. Now I feel bad; what will become of you?"

"I don't know. I can't kill innocent people, but I also don't want to spend my life imprisoned because of a stupid whim of dictators and that leaves me in a dilemma. I only have to fight or die. With my personal barrier, they won't be able to do anything against my integrity, but I can't keep it up forever. Even a wizard needs rest and, at that time, I will be forced to act."

"Try to escape," she said, exasperated. "Get out that they will arrive soon with a reinforced armed group. I just received a warning."

"And where will I go, Mia?" He shrugged and his eyes were very sad. "I have nothing left but to stay on the defensive until the time when the need to attack will be inevitable. At that moment, I hope you know that the real culprit is your government, because my power is enough to sterilize a planet."

"Go, run away that I will try to talk to Mog," Mia insisted, pushing the wizard. "I know he will try to help you."

Igor turned and walked towards the exit. He knew he could neutralize some of the weapons used against him by altering some of his metabolism, but the barrier that prevented him from leaving, he would hardly overcome. Without haste, he reached the street and was soon surrounded by a hundred robots, although different from the first ones because they were larger and much more robust. Igor soon imagined that they were combat machines. He was forced to laugh when he realized the respect that he aroused in the rulers of that world. He, a ridiculous, primitive and despicable being in their eyes, left them dead with fear to the point of sending a combat force that would kill hundreds of men at once.

He reactivated the personal barrier and stopped in the square, near a huge tree that resembled an oak from Europe. One of the robots fired and Igor felt that this machine was much more powerful than the robots in the administrative building. Another thing he noticed was that they had energy fields around them. By the quantity and strength, Igor concluded that he could withstand their concentrated fire, but not for long. He prepared a plasma ball, however, he gave up and only bombarded the closest one with rays that came out of his hand. The machine could not withstand the overload and exploded. With the sword in his hand, he decided to destroy some robots to show them his superiority. The blade reinforced by the golden energy hit the machine and Igor felt a strong pain in his wrist, noticing that their protection was efficient against the sword.

His first reaction was panic until he remembered what Ezequiel had said on the trip to the world of dragons: "protection barriers can be neutralized if it is possible to identify their nature and create an inverse magic," the voice echoed in his mind. He smiled and concentrated to identify the nature of the barrier of the machines. In a short time he found the solution, but chose not to let them know that.

Determined to avoid mass destruction and still try a peaceful solution, he concentrated to transport himself away from there. At that moment, the machines joined hands and a dome of energy formed around him, having him plus the tree in the center and about twenty meters in diameter. Igor tried the jump, but nothing happened. He could no longer get out of there and began to realize that he might have underestimated the power of those people. He picked up a stone and threw it at one of the robots, noticing that it crossed the barrier and concluding that it only served for his brain vibrations. Then, he realized that the machines were within reach of the sword, which is why he did not despair. Besides, if the stone passed, a plasma ball would also pass, but he preferred that they did not discover all the tricks at once. He reinforced his protection and leaned against the tree, waiting because they sooner or later would have to take some initiative and thought that, in that impasse, inactivity could be the best weapon.

The machines took the opportunity to try to narrow the force field, but Igor also created a magnetic barrier that prevented them from advancing. The robots maintained the containment field that prevented him from leaving, but, apart from that, they also remained passive waiting for new orders.

Not long after, one of the men from the government, the kind-looking one, appeared. He crossed the barrier without any opposition and approached, calmly. Igor raised his eyes and smiled, saying:

"I presume that your excellency is Mog, the governor that Mia mentioned," he pointed to the ground, shrugging. "Sorry for not offering you an armchair, but all I have is the ground of this park, which doesn't even belongs to me."

Although the gesture meant nothing to those people, the governor not only understood but smiled again.

"I see no inconvenience, Magnificent." He sat down next to him, crossing his legs. He sighed and turned his face to the earthling. Igor noticed how the beings of that world had modes very similar to humans, since the only thing that differentiated them, at least dressed, was the third eye.

"You can call me Igor," he said, smiling. "I confess that the title is not very my type and I only said that to try to demand some respect, but your brethren are rather obtuse and did not catch on to that."

"I have an idea because I believe that you are too young to be a supreme leader. How old are you?"

"Twenty-one," he replied, shrugging again. "I am, indeed, the leader of my world."

"In our species, at twenty-one years old you are too young. I, for example, am six thousand years old and still considered very young, being the youngest member of the conclave, often misunderstood.

"What is your life expectancy?"

"Eighteen to twenty millennia."

"Indeed your metric is very different from ours, but maturity should not be considered proportional to age. After all, just look at the dizzying speed with which my race evolves. Most of my brothers live only eighty years and a few chosen ones two millennia, maybe something more."

"I agree, Igor." He turned his face and fixed him straight in the eyes. "But I think we should talk about our common problem."

"Yes," said Igor, laughing. "I am scary, dangerous and primitive, in the opinion of your people. They must think that you risk your life by coming here, don't they?"

Mog looked at the visitor for a few seconds. After that, he tried to imitate the gesture of shrugging and laughed.

"I do not believe that you will harm me, Igor," he said, categorical. "So much so that I offered to come here to talk to you, although everyone said that I would sacrifice my life."

"And what gives you so much certainty, Mog?"

"I have always been against the treatment they gave you, because I blindly trust Mia who is our most prominent scientist, but I am the minority, the only vote in your favor. Even after all these millennia, the fear of the past is impregnated in our being and we no longer make exploratory space travel out of pure fear, although no one wants to acknowledge that."

"They then proceed to treat every arriving foreigner as a potential or actual enemy." Igor shook his head, without realizing that this gesture had no meaning for them. "My species is really young and has faced many setbacks, but still believes in friendship. I would never treat a visitor like that, although I admit that some governments of my world of origin could even do worse, once again motivated by fear."

"It is sad to receive such a scolding from a stranger, but you are right." Mog raised his right hand over his shoulder, a probable gesture of resignation. "Tell me something, Igor. How can a simple cutting object without any internal device become a weapon that fires rays?"

Upon hearing this, Igor laughed a little. Then, he turned to Mog and said, taking the sword out of the scabbard and offering it:

"I see that you investigated more than you said, much more. This is a weapon from the past times of my people, at the moment their future, but it is also a symbol. The weapon is me and not it. Come on, take it, but know that, if you are not worthy of touching this sword, you will suffer a little."

He extended the sword again and wondered what Mog would think. If he had doubts, the most likely thing was that he would not be worthy of touching the weapon. Igor smiled, when he saw that he, without fear, stretched out his hand and took it, observing the handle.

"How will I die?" he asked, smiling.

"You would never die, excellency. As I said, we do not usually kill except to defend our lives." Igor tilted his head in a polite greeting. "You would take a strong discharge of static electricity and feel a lot of discomfort, but you would not die."

"But this is a reproduction of a weapon that my people used almost nine hundred thousand years ago!"

"And mine started to use it a few hundred years ago, but in my time, they already dominate the atom." Igor put his hands in an arc and a globe formed, showing a three-dimensional image of an atomic explosion. "Fifty years after the first nuclear weapon, they realized that there would be no winners and we took new directions. How long did your people take between this type of weapon and the mastery of the atom?"

"About fifty thousand years!" answered Mog, impressed.

"We took three hundred years, friend. And if you take into account those who are like me, Mog, you would be amazed, because we are far above you, although our technology is inferior."

"What did your people do?"

"Nothing special. We were so divergent that we chose to move to another world and create a new civilization, which today is quite different, but maintains close ties with Earth. Besides, we feel a bit like protectors of our world of origin."

"That is very interesting, Igor."

"After all, Mog, what did you really come here to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He laughed in his way. "They are dead scared of a retaliation and want you to give up."

"Do you think I intend to stay imprisoned for the next millennia as they did to the creature?" Igor shook his head again. "You think I will give up fighting against the demon that invaded my world?"

"And what do you intend to do?"

"You know, I would love to invite you to visit the Citadel, the capital of the most beautiful and peaceful world in the Universe," he said, without answering his question. "Maybe you would understand us."

"What do you intend to do, Igor?" he asked again. "And what can you do to free yourself? They surrounded you with a force field that prevents you from leaving this region. You are surrounded and defenseless."

"Are your colleagues willing to have a dialogue between the government of this world and me, who represent the government of another?"

"They are, as long as you allow yourself to be reduced to impotence—"

"Mog, Mog, don't make me laugh."

"Then, I ask again: what do you intend to do to free yourself if you are surrounded and powerless?"

Igor looked him right in the eyes, trying to imagine what was going on in the head of that being who, although he was so different from him, seemed like a friend, a good friend. After a long sigh, he said:

"I can exterminate the life of this city and then destroy the machinery that holds me, but I don't intend to do that."

"Can I know the reason?"

"I'm not a killer, excellency. Where are those six idiots?" he answered, determined. "I presume they see and hear us."

"They are in the same room where you left them," he replied. "Yes, they see and hear us perfectly."

"Then, for the sake of two peoples, I will abandon the passive position," Igor said.

"Can you explain?"

"Sure," the young man replied, getting up and pulling the governor with him. He raised his voice. "Your excellencies, know that I am not a criminal or cold-blooded killer, but you force me to take action before you undermine my strength through wear and tear. Therefore, I will make a demonstration of my power and, afterwards, maybe I will use it on you, since everything has its limit."

He started to walk back to the pyramidal building while taking back the sword, still pulling Mog with the other hand.

"The barrier will stop you!" exclaimed the native.

"Will it?" Igor stopped at the limits of the barrier and extended the sword violently, bursting one of the robots. Even before it fell, five more followed its fate, interrupting the energy field. Igor walked to Mia's building, while saying:

"Let this and my next act serve as an example and warning. I will use only one hand and a fraction of my power, but part of this square will cease to exist. After that, you have half an hour to lift the barriers and let me out to my world or I will destroy your administrative building."

Igor looked at the square that was empty when the robots appeared and felt a knot in his throat knowing that he would destroy a good part of it, but it was that or his life. In front of the incredulous look of Mia and Mog, he raised a hand and threw an orange ball of plasma that exploded in the middle of the robots. In a radius of twenty meters everything ceased to exist, including the tree and the machines.

"As you can see, there is no defense against me," Igor continued, smiling calmly. "Now, your life depends on you and what you choose in the next half hour. I want peace and not war, but the decision will be yours. It is a pity that a civilization like yours has this attitude because I would love for us to be good friends. Make your choice, but be wise."

― ☼ ―

When the time was almost up, a robot appeared and said that he was free to leave the city and that the departure from that world within the urban limits was forbidden.

"You will accompany me to the exit point." Igor ordered the pair. "Don't be afraid that I will never harm you, but I think this might prevent possible surprises."

The fact that he had taken the two hostages was because he did not believe that they would risk hurting them. They walked and nothing prevented the group from leaving, although Igor smelled a betrayal. Mog stopped in front of the crater that formed and looked with a sad air. Seeing this, Igor asked:

"It's a shame to destroy such beautiful things, don't you agree, Mog?"

"Yes, I agree, but lives were spared and that matters more."

"Did you like the square?"

"I used to walk around it with my Maalik," he said and Igor imagined that they were the beings he saw before. "I like the square, yes."

"Very well," said the young man, raising his hands. "I'll give you a goodwill gift, look."

Igor made a quick gesture and, from his hands, rays of light came out so intense that they dazzled them and did not allow them to see anything. When the light faded, the square was rebuilt just as it was before, except for the robots.

"How did you do that?" Mia asked, amazed.

"It's much better to build than to destroy, don't you agree with me?" Igor winked and smiled. "I hope you understand me, now. Shall we go?"

They started to walk in silence with a very thoughtful Mog when Igor asked:

"So, Mia, do you remember what I told you about the seven billion of your fellow citizens who died?" asked the wizard, touching on the subject again. "I wanted to know if you thought about it."

She remained silent for a while, thinking about everything he had said.

"It happens that we have changed a lot throughout this time, even genetically," said the scientist at last, "and I fear that they are no longer able to adapt to our society, or even to reproduce. If you can free them, get them a new world because it is the best option."

"Can you really resurrect the dead from that horrible war, Igor!?" Mog was incredulous. "How?"

"It's just a guess," the wizard replied. "Mia will explain. I will do that, Mia, I will get a world for them, since your original planet has few resources."

"Take it," she handed him a small crystal. "This is a key that allows you to control the general systems. It has not changed in all these millennia, so it will release the control of everything. At the time we were not telepaths, so the control there is all vocal. Place it on the central panel of the room you found, the one you told me. There, you will see a slot where the key fits precisely."

"Thank you, I will do that, if I can. We arrived at the point where I opened the portal," said Igor. "I will return to plane XIII and then to III. I don't know if I will ever be able to go back to my time, but I thank you both very much. If I solve my problems, I will come to show you my world, the most beautiful in the Universe."

"Good luck, Igor."

The pair remained still, curious to know how he passed through the planes. They saw Igor concentrate, looking ahead, but nothing happened. Intrigued, he turned to the two, but Mia was the first to speak:

"I presume something went wrong," she said.

"They tricked me. At this time there must be a barrier that will prevent me from entering the city and maintain the blockade against my cellular vibrations. I could even bomb everything, but I'm not capable of doing that." Igor sighed. "It's better for you to go, because I won't let myself be imprisoned. In the city you will be safe."

"I'm sorry," said Mog. "I didn't expect it to be like this."

"Don't feel sorry," said Igor. "Overthrow the government and change things. You can't live with eternal fear. With that, your conclave condemns my world to the same sad end as your original planet, but it doesn't even have the technology necessary to defend itself if not for me, since this creature has powers much greater than the monster that you imprisoned. This demon has gifts similar to mine. Go, I'll try to force my way back— Watch out—"

Igor reacted more by instinct than anything else because, when he felt the interplanar vibrations increase drastically and just by his side, he grabbed the two interlocutors in a hug and threw himself to the ground, dragging them while he shouted his warning. Mia screamed in fright, but shut up soon when the gap opened and a huge dragon appeared flying with a woman mounted on it.

Igor got up and helped the pair to get up at the same time that Gwydion made an elegant curve and landed next to them. In a desperate frenzy, Ailin jumped to the ground and ran, throwing herself at his neck and kissing him. Only then did she see the two strangers and moved away, embarrassed.

"My God," commented Mia, "I thought the dragons were extinct because they never appeared again!"

"They are alive and are our greatest friends and allies," he explained. Then, he greeted the winged giant, smiling. "Hi, Gwydion, I missed you. Didn't you get tired of opening the portal?"

"We are not capable of entering this plane. Who opened the portal was Ailin."

"Wow, Ailin. You have evolved so much and besides you are of first degree!" he smiled, hugging her. "But you ran an unnecessary risk."

"If you and he had gone back to your time, I would accept without doing anything, but I could never lose you to anything else," the girl said, solemn and smiling, making a caress on his face. "She and I are one, but the others are not."

"Well, anyway you are very welcome because I was being chased and they blocked my ability to open a portal." He thought a little and said. "Gwydion, do you think you can carry the four of us?

"Easily" the giant replied. The wizard turned to his friends and said:

"Come on, get on the dragon. He will take you back."

"And the barrier, Igor?" Mia asked. "How will you get through?"

"Gwydion will help to mask my cellular vibrations with his gifts."

The winged giant rose to the skies and flew to the city. Igor pointed to the central part, more precisely the circular building, and the dragon dove, landing in front of the door. The wizard looked at him and, with his help, the giant turned into the bird of prey, climbing onto his shoulder. The five entered the building and found the six rulers sitting in the chairs, full of fear.

"Greetings, excellencies," he said with a small bow. "Here I am again. I hope you are sensible and do not call other robots because my patience has its limits."

"What do you want, Magnificent?" asked the most unpleasant one, using the appropriate title.

"I want peace, gentlemen. You have lived in fear for countless millennia and this cannot continue like this. Because of your fear, you almost triggered a war that would be your extermination. You treated me badly, but still I do not want your people as enemies. I hope you learn a lesson and do not repeat the feat with eventual visitors. You cannot continue to live with eternal fear of the unknown, like simple babies who are learning to walk. If everything goes well, I will return to my time and come back to invite you to know the Citadel and the Crystal World, but as friends and even allies. Please, think about it and suspend any attack or embargo on the wizards of Earth because we are a very peaceful people."

Igor turned his back and left. By his side, Ailin and Mia walked slowly. At the door, Mog called:

"Magnificent." Igor turned around. "Good luck and I hope you can destroy the creature. I will wait for your visit, since eighteen centuries pass quickly."

The wizard waved and turned again, walking hand in hand with Ailin. On the street, Igor stopped.

"We are going now, Mia, thank you for everything."

"Best wishes, Igor."

The human couple disappeared into nothing accompanied by the bird that was on Igor's shoulder. At the place where they opened the original gap, Igor tried to open the portal, succeeding without any difficulty. In the Crystal World, he took the opportunity for a good bath in one of the lakes, accompanied by Ailin who did not want to miss the chance.

After being clean and dry, he opened a direct portal to Earth.

― ☼ ―