— Let's begin! —said that man loudly. Mina and he walked together to the lower valley. John was in charge of preparing the food, while Runny looked for fruits and nuts, helped by Ralo and Geno who searched for eggs in the corrals.

  —I see you have many animals —Mina said to the man.

  —Hahaha, goats for cheese and milk, that's important! I have a friend in the archipelago who says that's all you need. Chickens for eggs, I have a pond out back for fish, and I always buy red meat in town —smiling and chatting, they walked down a path where every so often a split tree trunk marked the way. On each trunk, a black-tinted metal bar held a lamp made from a small quartz floating inside a bronze ring, which at that moment were unlit.

  —Alright, young Mina, we've arrived at the town —that man told her.

  —What will you do now, Mina? —he continued.

  —Well, I think I'll look for the Judges of the Pillar of the Three Queens, I'll try the test again —Mina said with a bitter smile.

  —I see… although perhaps you should see if there are other Patrons who can serve you —Mina looked at that man a little and laughed softly.

  —Haha, you know, I can't go on without knowing what to call you —Mina said as they walked through the town.

  —That's right, that's right! The kids call me Colle, and that's partly true! Hahaha —Colle said, laughing.

  —Colle it is then —Mina carried her bag full of medicines on her shoulder.

  —Mina, do you know how many Divine Pillars there are in Vael-Dragon? —Colle asked, pointing his finger at a grocery store.

  —To tell you the truth, I'm not very sure. I just came to learn to fight and then I went to Thar-Abbys —Mina said, catching with her hand a green apple thrown by Colle.

  —Good, then I'll teach you. First, as you know, here in Vael-Dragon is the cavalry school. Many young warriors leave here in search of fortune after five years of training, just like you did! I must proudly say that in these years and with the teaching of the ten true laws, the young ones have solid foundations to find their way in the world. Hahahaha —Colle easily took four sacks of flour and a small barrel of vinegar and, with one hand, a large jar of pickled vegetables, and placed them on the counter.

  —Mister Colle, good morning. How are the young ones doing? —said the shopkeeper, a short but stout man with a loud laugh, just like Colle. The two seemed to be on good terms.

  —Very well! They're working as if the world were going to end tomorrow —the two laughed and continued exchanging gossip and news from the town and nearby areas. Mina just watched them thoughtfully.

  They were calmly leaving the shop when Colle suddenly and without warning said to Mina:

  —True Law One —to which Mina replied:

  —Awawawawa! A warrior's hands are their truth and their honor. If someone offers you their hands, you must honor the promise if one is made and speak the truth if questioned. If a warrior offers you both hands, one closed over the other, it is a sign of the most unquestionable truth, loyalty, or offering —Mina said, taken by surprise.

  —True Law Two —Colle walked with a firm stride next to Mina, who imitated him as they marched with large steps down the street.

  —The decision to fight, the strength to live, living is fighting, decisions with strength. The warrior does not fight to sacrifice themselves, the warrior fights to survive and help others to do the same —.

  —True Law Three —Colle greeted several elders who were laughing together. All of them were playing a board game on a barrel, which apparently was very popular in Vael-Dragon. All of them seemed to be retired soldiers.

  —Fight without Malice and firm vows! Never commit violence against someone while blinded by fury and never promise something intoxicated by joy —.

  —True Law Four —the pair headed to a community center that seemed to be an orphanage where Colle, with laughter, handed some gold ingots to the director of the place.

  —Sword and fist destroy barriers, word and effort erect communities. Violence only when necessary and never beyond —.

  —True Law Five —they took several products made by the young people of the orphanage in a cart and pulled them to the local bartering market.

  —The naked sword in the field cries for its own truth; respect your enemies, for their motivations are as valid as yours —.

  —True Law Six —leaving the cart behind, the pair went to deliver the products exchanged for three carts loaded with raw grain and vegetables that they took to the outskirts of the town and arranged in piles. Little by little, several wild animals came closer to eat.

  —We are wandering swords who choose our own constellations. We are free to choose our path, whatever it may be, but we are responsible for admitting our errors and correcting them —.

  —True Law Seven —Colle and Mina took a snack in the shade of a tree where Colle picked up some stones and arranged them like a dining table.

  —Let spirits clash, let body and soul become flames; face your opponents with your whole being, not doing so would be an insult to them —.

  —True Law Eight —they returned along the path. Mina, intrigued, wondered what Colle had in mind for her.

  —Death takes many who don't deserve it and leaves several who shouldn't. Never rush to pass judgment, for not even the most just could do it correctly —Mina hesitated a little when reciting this law.

  —True Law Nine —Colle stopped and looked at Mina face to face.

  —To know oneself is to understand the universe. If you know yourself, you will never enter a battle blindly, for you will already know half the way —Mina clenched her fists a little in evident anger with herself.

  —True Law Ten —Colle leaned in front of her and placed his enormous rough hand on Mina's sturdy shoulder, which, compared to that enormous arm, seemed fragile. For the first time in a long time, she perceived herself… feminine.

  —If in your learning you recognize an error in yourself, but do not correct it, you would be worse off than before —Mina looked closely at his face and stopped there, not knowing what else to say, astonished at the moment. Containing tears, Mina quickly recovered, rubbing her eyes.

  —Mina… I know you seek power; you already have much within you, you just don't recognize it. Today you will stay to eat and dine with us. Tomorrow, at dawn, you will head to the caves that are north of the town; use the map I gave you to get there… There you will find a forgotten patron —Mina lightly patted her cheeks, paused for a moment, and turned to look at him, intrigued.

  —What is its name? —she asked, still with her hands on her face.

  —Hahaha, if I knew, it wouldn't be forgotten. I think this one will suit you very well. Now come on, Runny will faint if she doesn't eat her 4 o'clock cake! —Colle said, laughing.

  The two returned home. Colle rubbed Mina's head as if she were a little girl. That had never happened in her adulthood, which made her slightly happy.

  A misty and cold path stretched out before Mina. Step by step, the road slowly and gently revealed itself. Vivid memories of that day in the mine returned to her from time to time, making every creak and movement an incessant sea of jumps. She was afraid: of the darkness, of failure, of error, but above all, of what she carried within herself.

  Her walk along the path at five in the morning brought back several memories.

  —Take the path behind the house, only take what you need; that patron is peculiar, anything extra will be a burden —she heard Colle in her mind, but above all, she remembered how his booming voice echoed with a strange tranquility.

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  —It's strange, his movements are decisive and I can see he's very strong; he's obviously a teacher at the school, he's surely training those children, he's definitely not their father! —Mina remembered with a smile the day before and the simple tasks she accompanied Colle on. With each memory and as she walked, she noticed how dawn began to break; the fear and anxiety of the memories disappeared without her realizing it, remembering passing by the shop and greeting someone she knew well, walking through the town and helping others just because, taking the effort of others and generating even more well-being, seeing that those small but decisive actions created something more.

  —Hehehe —she smiled more and more with each memory from the day before.

  —Not just his movements, his decisions are also sure and strong! —she stopped for a moment on a hill to watch the sunrise and lightly pat her cheeks.

  —I can't believe it! It's so cold my face is red! —Mina thought to herself and, with a huge smile on her face, continued on her way.

  The green and bright atmosphere of the moss on the humid cliffs of the place began to change. Mina entered the Templum Quietis, a forest of funerary monoliths where warriors and other inhabitants of Vael-Dragon rested. Banners worn by time and forgotten heraldic insignias adorned the place from time to time. Old oil lamps next to some more modern quartz ones, some from Stoneworks and some electric ones, which people called Arkeorelics, stood side by side on shelves, proof of people from various eras who continuously visited the place.

  After some time walking, Mina reached a huge set of Hematite monoliths that, in the form of an elongated prism, formed five pillars, each with six faces and eight meters tall. In front of these, a wide pit at the bottom of which lay hundreds of old weapons; above it, a bridge, supported by four statues, their fists raised, holding the bridge's chains.

  —The Cenotaph of Loyalties —Mina said aloud as she read the names of the thousands of warriors engraved on the monoliths.

  —For three days and two nights, more than one million eight hundred fifty thousand warriors met their end here, in an unnecessary conflict that marked the birth of what would become the union of Vael-Dragon clans. May these laws, created to avoid repeating the error, serve as a guide and support for our brothers of the future —Mina read softly from a bronze plaque in front of the monoliths; it contained in gold letters the ten true laws at the base of the monument.

  —Fallen in the most violent and cruel encounter of the modern era, thousands of soldiers and warriors dead in just three days, hatred and resentment, blind faith and fanaticism… which eventually… turned into just fury and moving red… —Mina adjusted her backpack on her shoulder, as she looked at the enormous number of engraved names; with each letter no larger than a lentil grain, the six-sided monoliths, at least eight meters high, bore the names of the fallen.

  —I must continue! —Mina withdrew the hand that for a moment tried to touch the hematite, turned once more and resumed her path, proceeding through the corridors. With each step, she looked at the weapons resting beside or on the gravestones of their former owners; many of them showed deterioration over the years due to time and weather.

  —The entrance to the crypt should be around here —Mina thought, looking at a mound filled with spears and swords. At its edge was an opening in which three large boulders served as an entrance to a tunnel that went deep under the mound, and next to the entrance, another shelf with lamps.

  The three boulders had garnet red engravings; on them, horses and bulls ran depicted on the walls of the gigantic blocks, as if awaiting visitors. These, illuminated by an oil lamp that Mina lit before entering, the drawings accompanied her through the tunnel as if the flame of the torch brought them to life. Some alongside her, others with a singular gallop advanced ahead of her and looked as if encouraging her to follow. Soon she reached a space where bronze mirrors embedded in the walls and some other drawings presented a scene of a lake where some animals stopped to drink and others lay down.

  —So this is as far as you go? —Mina asked them. Those animals turned their heads forward, as if in anticipation of what was coming, then collectively turned their gaze to a staircase carved into the stone that descended even further. Rough walls led her down a path which, after a minute, led her to a huge vaulted chamber. The tunnel became an open path, whose sides led into a deep abyss within the enormous vault. Mina looked at the infinite darkness that unfolded on the sides of the path.

  —To die is to meet oneself; leave behind your attachment to the warmth of the living, walk into the depths, leave everything behind, even your pains and sorrows, no more sadness, no more joy, only peace —Mina read aloud from a carved stone block on the side of the path. She stopped for a moment, and placed her lamp, bag, and staff on the pedestal in front of the block.

  —The decision to fight, the strength to live, to live is to fight, decisions with strength. The warrior does not fight to sacrifice themselves, the warrior fights to survive and help others do the same —Mina recited softly, sure of herself, and began the descent.

  After a few minutes, the cold intensified. Mina's travel clothes were soaked by the humidity of the place. An incessant dripping echoed all around, creating a monotonous sound effect around her. She continued like this for half an hour and, suddenly, she felt someone else walking beside her. First she heard boots she recognized, someone from her past, someone who shouldn't be with her, or perhaps she shouldn't be there? she thought. Immediately, the tapping seemed more like the sound of claws on stone, four paws with sharp claws walking behind, followed by several steps of slippers and the laughter of several young women. Mina got scared and tried to reach for her staff and bag, but they were not there.

  —Death takes many who do not deserve it and leaves many who should not; never rush to pass judgment, for not even the most just could do it correctly —Mina recited, scared but firm, and for an instant she seemed to hear those claws accompanied by smaller steps that together fluttered away. Likewise, the laughter and slippers moved ahead, to be followed by the boots that for a moment she felt stop to look at her once more, before moving ahead and disappearing.

  The drips stopped with each step. Soon Mina heard no one else beside her, and after a few minutes, a silence accompanied by nothing, she lost the beat of her heart and no longer felt her own warmth. Her hands and face disappeared and a reigning darkness took over everything. Seconds stretched and minutes disappeared; hours seemed unattainable and days ceased to make sense. Time ceased to exist, and she simply walked, not knowing how long or how she continued on an eternal journey for who knows how many years or how many lives. Mina felt stuck on the path, unable to move back or forward, and for a moment the idea of walking to one side and letting herself fall crossed her mind.

  —To know oneself is to understand the universe; if you know yourself, you will never enter a battle blindly, for you will already know half the path —Mina recited again and resumed her step forward, and at the very first step, she heard the beat of her heart again, accompanied by the stolen warmth that returned.

  Mina took a few more steps, back into the light, appearing before her with a decisive stride, a chamber with walls covered in signs of battles everywhere. In the center, a man was squatting; an enormous radiant and powerful presence emanated from him like smoke. His face hidden by shadows, the light only revealed his eyes looking at the floor as if waiting for the next enemy.

  — Forgotten Patron! I have come to pass your test! I will face you head-on and without hesitation! —Mina exclaimed loudly and threw herself into battle, shouting:

  —Let spirits clash, let body and soul turn into flames; face your opponents with your whole being, not doing so would be an insult to them —Mina took three steps, raising her fist and drawing an arc from behind, delivering a straight and powerful blow that sounded like a drum shaking the place. The guardian profiled himself, taking Mina's fist with his hand and patting her back, which propelled her aside, throwing her several meters forward.

  —We are wandering swords who choose our own constellations. We are free to choose our path, whatever it may be, but we are responsible for admitting our mistakes and correcting them —Mina stood up, reciting softly and striking the floor with her clenched fist. She took another stance and attacked with three quick, forceful blows. The guardian deflected the first two with his palm and, capturing Mina's attacking fist with his hand, passed behind her extending his arms, leveling his back with Mina's, passing the captured fist over both of them. With a movement from his waist, he propelled Mina in front of him. Without letting go of her hand, he extended his arm and Mina's. She pulled her free hand back to deliver a blow, but the guardian pulled the captive hand and brought her back to him, where he wrapped his opposite arm around her, immobilizing her and making three turns without releasing the captive hand, leaning over his back and looking up, the ambient light finally revealed the guardian in his entirety, revealing Colle who was just smiling very closely at her.

  — GRAAAAAAAA! —Mina screamed, enraged, furious, indignant, and embarrassed, almost on the verge of tears, trying to break free. Every attempt at a blow was countered by a skillful and gentle dance step.

  — HAAAAAAA! —Mina screamed again, trying to land at least one blow. Tears came twice as often as each attempt at a blow, tinged with powerlessness and anger; soon they turned into tears of something slightly joyful, for the first time in her life, Mina was dancing with someone.

  Mina and Colle left the Mound.

  — Hahahaha, my old master used to say that any skilled warrior should know how to dance! —it calms anxieties and gladdens the soul— Mina, for her part, punched Colle with a clenched fist in the back, looking down like a scolded child and red as a live coal.

  — Shut up! You told me there was a patron here, not a pervert looking for young girls in the dark! Who would think of staging such a farce to dance with a girl! If that's what you wanted, you should have gone to the tavern, I bet there are dozens of young women who want to dance there!… —Colle turned and interrupted her suddenly:

  —So you're finally a young lady? —Mina stopped, stunned and speechless. She took her arm with her right hand and they returned home in silence, where they had dinner with the other children. Mina said a warm goodbye to the children the next morning, promising Runny that she would return to eat fig cakes with her in the middle of the salamander's bimester and showing Geno how to make a stronger punch. She said goodbye to everyone, including Colle, who only saw her off with a hug and a smile. Halfway down the path, she stopped for a moment to look back at Colle's large house on the hill.

  — I didn't pass any test! YOU DIDN'T TEACH ME ANYTHING, COLLE, YOU'RE A CHEATER! —shouted Mina happily who, despite not having obtained any special power, felt that a huge weight had been lifted.