"No, no!" Ermand screamed at the top of his voice.

Think proper. Some kind of spell should help me.

"Giant expulseon!" He cried, producing heavy force from his hands that pushed apart everything close to him. The Ficklefolks were all thrown apart with the force while Ermand chanted vertella vertaine to cut the vines that had bound him to the ground.

"Mesmerize him!" The leader ordered the Ficklefolks nearest to Ermand.

Ermand stood up on the ground despite the pain stinging in his leg and staggered toward the woods far to him. He heard the Ficklefolks shouting and roaring behind him but kept on running toward the thicket. When he finally reached the woods, he hid himself behind a group of wild bushes and slowed down his breathing.

I'm safe.

He heard the Ficklefolks hunting for him. He made sure that no sound escaped from his mouth or from his actions while thinking of a proper solution.

Just as he was sunk in deep thoughts, an idea shot across his mind.

The Preparer!

He pulled the piece of bread from his pocket and remembered what Charlie had instructed him. It gives him a new self while both of his body functions normally but he'll have more control of the new body that will be invisible to the others.

Ermand ate the piece of bread that tasted a little bitter to his tongue. In a short while, he felt himself deviating from his own body, he felt as if he had no weight holding him down.

This is the moment!

After his new body was formed from his existing one, Ermand shot up from the bushes without making the slightest sound and around the woods in search of a water body, because the last time he saw his crystal, it was near a stream.

He gradually felt his energy was drained by each stride he took. Although he was feeling weaker and weaker, he couldn't give up running when his eyes were on a bird bathing enthusiastically in the lake.

I've made it.

He flumped on the dry grass, panting heavily. He sighed of exhaustion when he saw something glinted on the flat and fleshy leaf stuck between the claws of a drowsing Griffin. He was more dispirited when he saw the silhouette of the river serpent gliding under the water.

But then he thought. If he was transparent, neither the serpent nor the Griffin could see him only when he made sure that he made no sound or recognizable actions that'd disturb the creatures or raise suspicion in them.

Without wasting any moment, Ermand prepared himself to dive quietly into the lake and swam across, holding his breath. He had heard that Griffins have extreme sensing capability, so he didn't want to risk his only option.

After climbing on to the ground from the lake, Ermand set each of his steps on the grassy ground as gentle as possible and picked the crystal from the leaf. He didn't bother to sigh of relief until he made sure that he reached back to his other body safe and sound.

Ermand dipped his legs into the water and quietly swam toward the other end. He noticed that the serpent had his eyes on the water movements caused by him, however he was close to the river bank.

"He must be there!" The sounds of one of the Ficklemen interrupted the sleep of the Griffin who abruptly stood on its feet. It screeched out of fury and extended its wings, preparing for a flight. Ermand wasn't bothered about the Griffin or the serpent but about the Ficklefolks hunting in the woods for him. What if they found his body before he reached there? They would take his body for lunch and he'll be stuck in the forest with the new form until his para-individual dive back to his other body despite the crystal in his hands. His new form should merge with his body, only then will he accomplish in completing his DCT.

He dashed toward the direction he had come from but fell hard on the ground. All of his energy was lost. It was then he remembered that Jack was always cautious about taking too many movements in fear of his new self getting drained of energy.

His other body was in front of him but he couldn't reach it. And his fear came real, the Ficklefolks found his body.

"He's here," one of the Ficklefolks shouted to the group elsewhere.

Ermand watched his body being dragged by the Fickle Folks. He couldn't control either of his body. He's weak and feeble and couldn't even utter a single word. He shut his eyes and his face hit the ground.

Although he was weak, he felt something lifting him to a furry surface that was much softer than the gravel ground. Later, he felt the wind hitting gently against his face.

Am I flying?

Ermand opened his eyes slowly and found two wings flapping against the air. He tried using all of his energy to look around himself to see what was holding him. It was the Griffin.

Now I'm going to be the lunch for the Griffin'?

Fortunately for Ermand, the Griffin seemed quite friendly. But then the terror rose again when he noticed that the Griffin was taking him to the village of the Ficklefolks a few feet down to them. He couldn't even move an inch more or else he would've jumped off its body.

However, something unexpected happened to him. The Griffin threw Ermand into his original body which was tied to the ground like before, causing Ermand's new body to merge with his original one.

Life arose in Ermand's body as both of his souls were united into one. He felt as if he had acquired ten times the energy he usually had. So he immediately casted the expelling spell like before and freed himself from the ties.

A portal opened near to the simmering pot. He has completed his DCT. He did it.

Ermand got up to dash toward the portal but a voice echoed from behind.

"Ermand, come back to us. Don't go."

He turned behind to find some men and women calling back at him.

"Why? I should be going back," he replied in a gentle tone, unaware that it was Ficklefolks calling him to them. They had started invading his mind again.

"Don't leave us, Ermand. Free us too. We're stuck," one of the women cried.

"What should I do?"

"We will tell you, come," one of them gestured his hand as an indication for Ermand to walk toward them.

Under the charm of the Ficklefolks, Ermand changed his direction from the portal and walked toward the Ficklefolks. Just as he was a hand's distance from them, the Ficklefolks surrounded him with a devilish grin.

"What are you doing?"

"Lie down, Ermand."

Ermand raised a brow but obeyed their humble order. Just then, a voice erupted from his head and called to him.

It's the trick of the Ficklefolks, Ermand.

The voice was familiar to him. It was the same voice that helped him a couple times before. But he couldn't stop falling into the trap of the Ficklefolks. Then the song Jack had written came to his mind.

"You fostered them bitterly and they learned to grow others betterly, the consequences it has caused would never affect you dearly. The Ficklefolks did lose the battle, the Ficklefolks have lost their glory. Their vicious plans, perilous enchantments can't rattle, for as long as the Protectors of Fire lie in them, it's sorry," although Ermand was no good singer and didn't properly remember the lines, he sang in the possible sweet tone he could.

He watched the Ficklefolks freeze and then clap their hands to their ears. They cried unbearably without being able to cast their charm on Ermand.

Ermand rose up from the ground and jumped into the portal with the crystal tightly held in his hands.