Vega stooped to pick it up and looked up at Marmorel. "You know, if I were a few years older, I might say you're identical to a new friend of mine." She pulled back and began to tremble. "If I'm not mistaken, we met in your lands." Vega chuckled. Aran clenched his fist, ready to jump on him, but Camiel grabbed his arm before he could do anything.

"No," the warrior's gaze became menacing.

Vega left with his men, and the doors closed behind them, followed by a surreal silence.

"What does it mean?"Marmorel whispered.

"They took our parents,"Aran replied.

Marmorel sobbed. Elidana and Fez held her hand.

Aran looked at Camiel. "Are we done?" he asked angrily, but Camiel shook his head.

"Don't be intimidated. We have no certainty, and rash actions are exactly what Vega wants."

"Bring in the Hozman delegation," ordered the Duke. The valet poured him a glass of wine.

Five men and a woman crossed the threshold: six warriors whose eye shape and hair color resembled Camiel's.

In a rhythmic pace, they proceeded until they reached the duke. They bowed according to protocol, and only then did Aran notice. Since they had set foot in the room, they had not even acknowledged Camiel with a greeting or a glance.

Whatever their motivations were, the young Allet could only be captivated by their elegance, more in their manners than in their attire. They wore long tunics tied with a silver cord at the waist. Three had the sheath tight to their side, the Hozman sword hilt and the inset stone, tied with the Amanastrian threads that sealed their power. The skinniest of the group had a splendidly forged bow on his shoulders and a series of carvings at the end. Even on that weapon, right above the grip, there was a Seorite stone.

One of them wore a full metal glove with a different colored crystal on each finger.

"Do you know them?" whispered the young Allet, but Camiel didn't answer.

Hidden among the long dark hair that fell to cover her back, there was an embroidered design of a sunrise. Aran had already seen that symbol, it belonged to the city of Hozma with which his father maintained most of his trades, the same symbol that was engraved on the necklace that had led to all their misadventures.

The man in the middle took a step forward. "Your Majesty, we renew our gratitude for this meeting and for the time you have granted us. The name given to me by my father is Iak Zan Iasen, warrior of the Empire and from Meliro. My lord and vassal of the emperor is Firion Zan Tiros, Regent of the Dawn."

The Duke smiled at him and the Hozman spoke again: "We have received news that a fugitive has crossed the gates of Amanastre." Stiff as a column, he pointed at Camiel. "Your Majesty, there is an edict that obliges every subject of the Empire to provide for the capture of this man. He will not be recognized as a member of the Twilight House until he atones for his own sins."

"B-But..." murmured Fez.

Aran waited for Camiel to say something in his defense, for the elusive tracker to return at any moment, to disappear from their sight before the guards could approach. But he remained there. His expression, however, spoke clearly: he was undecided.

The Duke leaned forward. "Please... and what are the charges? I knew of the incredible story of one of the heirs of Hozma, but I have never known the details. Enlighten me, please."

"He fled from the eternal Empire of Hozma without fulfilling his duty as the successor to the throne of Farendal. He stole from his own House one of the eight sacred weapons, the Wind of light." Iak and the other Hozmans looked at the Duke. "Sovereign of Amanastre, I officially request, and on behalf of my lord, the custody of this man."

Duke Valiante alternated his gaze between them and Kallup. He stopped on Camiel, and gestured for him to get up from his chair. "Camae Til Elarin, these men only want you to return to your place." He massaged the back of his hands.

Camiel narrowed his eyes for a few moments. He turned to the boys and nodded in the direction of the Meliro men. "Under other circumstances, I would have refused this request or fled as far as possible, but I accept the charges against me." He put a hand on Aran's shoulder. He stood up.

"Are you leaving us here?" asked Marmorel, reaching out to him.

"Camiel, what are you doing?" Elidana blurted out.

He ignored her and looked at Iak. "However, I have a request to make before surrendering," the delegation from Hozma filled him with malicious looks, "I ask for the patience for a journey to the port of Ragoon, in Dremis. I also ask for the time necessary to accompany these young people to the city of Laeth, safe from the Kharzanians." Camiel's voice sounded calm and reassuring.

The man with the metal glove crossed his arms and frowned. "What assures us that you will surrender once the journey is over?"

Camiel looked at his young friends, then looked back at the Hozmans and stepped forward. Step by step, and with slow movements, he drew his sword; the blade shimmered with the light that filtered through the scattered windows beyond the colonnade. The warriors stared at the cordless hilt and kept their weapons at the ready. Camiel did not stop, but pointed the tip towards the floor. He raised the hilt and squinted his eyes. "I, Camae Til Elarin, Heir of Farendal and owner of Wind of Light, the one who will one day sit on the throne of Twilight and rule the valley of Talarna, bind my blood and the souls of my ancestors to this oath. That I may draw my sword again only when I tread the lands of the Empire of the Sun." The solemn tone surprised Aran and made the others startle.

A burst of energy emanated from the ring and hit the green stone on Wind of Light. The Seorite lit up in a play of emerald reflections that chased each other along the walls and marble columns. The myriad of luminous rays rejoined in a single flow that spun in spirals in the air before plunging into Camiel's chest. The Hozman widened his eyes and mouth, and energy escaped again in the form of sparkling arrows. The weapon fell to the ground amid the fear of the Amanastrians and the amazement of the warriors of Meliro.

"Camiel!" Eldiana and Marmorel screamed as they threw themselves at him.

Fez slapped his forehead and squeezed his eyes. "He killed himself!" he shouted. "Damn it! He killed himself!" he continued. Kallup gestured to him to calm down.

Aran ran to his aid. "You're a madman!" he yelled but then quickly calmed down. He was still breathing. He was still alive.

Camiel got up amid coughing and pointed to Wind of Light, with his dress still burning at heart level. There, a strange symbol instantly scarred. "To you, protectors of the House of Dawn, the task of guarding it until my return home. I only ask for some time to fulfill my mission."

The Hozman with the glove reached out to him, and Aran thought he wanted to attack him and stood in front of him. But the man from Meliro moved him gently and picked up Camiel's sword from the ground. Hemovedover in his hands, his gaze captivated. "My Lord, it will be done as requested," he said finally with a quick bow.

He had changed his attitude so quickly. While the other Hozmans were bent in deep reverence. Aran looked at Camiel. "What did you do? Why are they calling you 'Lord' now?"

Camiel spat a short spurt of blood. "Well," he whispered, "for them, it's as if I'm already in the Emperor's domain."

The Duke clapped his hands. His face looked as if he had just eaten a lemon. He must not have appreciated all the noise. "Calm down, show some decorum. You, warrior of Meliro, tell me what my eyes have seen!"

"Your Majesty, this is the highest of Imperial oaths, the Blood Oath. Camae Til Elarin has bound his life to his promise and to the request to reach Dremis. It is now our task to help the Heir of Twilight overcome the difficulties he is facing," explained Iak.

"I suppose you have untangled a cumbersome tangle," said the Duke.

Camiel, still exhausted, snorted. "More or less... Your Majesty... at least we are on the right track!"

"Heir of Twilight, we have a ship in the port ready to sail at any time. We will send a messenger to Meliro to communicate the details of your request to the Lord of the Dawn," said Iak, and Camiel nodded.

"Well, well. It seems that Amanastre has been the place for the resolution of the onerous problem that afflicted the Empire of Hozma today. Let an official note of such a meeting be recorded." Duke Valiant VI rose from his throne and puffed out his chest, a gesture that nearly made him stumble. "Now, my dear guests, I return to the affairs of my people, and I hope that your stay in the free city has been to your liking."

Those in the room bowed until the clumsy ruler left the scene.

Camiel looked at his trusted sword. Iak Zan Iasen approached him and removed his silver belt. "While waiting for the reunion with the Wind of Light, I lend you my blade. It is not as powerful and vigorous as one of the Hozman sacred weapons, but I believe it will be more useful to you than to me."

Camiel gripped the sword and drew it in front of him, feeling its weight and balance before returning it to Iak. "What is its name?" he asked.

He shook his head. "It has none, it has no noteworthy exploits. Pirates from Frama Ramones are not valid opponents."

"His time will come too," Camiel whispered. He sheathed his sword and thanked them with a nod. "I need your escort until we depart. Make sure the ship is ready to sail at any moment."

Iak nodded respectfully, and the other Hozmans followed behind the boys until they were outside the Ducal Palace. Kallup invited them to rest in the cloister and instructed the staff to provide rations and clothing for the young people.