The magic circle radiated a light of changing colors that oscillated between cold tones close to blue and warm to fiery red. Having left everyone surprised, without another word, that peculiar character called Pantaleon, promptly approached the circle, the others did the same.
- Well, what now? - Mathew asked impatiently.
- Now we have to say the key word, unfortunately it's been so long since I've been down this path that I don't remember it. - Pantaleon answered.
Mila felt a little bad that she hadn't first had the idea to use the spell to find magic in the surroundings, it was so basic, she didn't think about it. So she set about trying to read the characters in the magic circle. It wasn't like the arcane script from his spell book, this language was different, but it looked somewhat familiar.
- I am not familiar with this writing. - Pantaleon said... - It is not elvish, nor are they dwarven runes.
Each of them took a look, though more out of curiosity than to actually be able to do anything, in their character sheets apparently did not find the strange language to which those characters belonged. They resembled an alphabet, but just knowing that wasn't enough. Mila spent a long time scrutinizing the symbols, they seemed familiar to her, but at the same time unfamiliar, it was so strange.
- Ahh! my face is full of dirt from the trip.... - said Faye looking at herself in the mirror.
- Will you shut up Faye? I'm trying to concentrate! - Said Mila losing her patience, which was rare for her.
- I'm sorry... Faye replied, lowering her ears.
- Wait... - Said Mila getting up. - Can I borrow your mirror for a moment?
- Sure, but please don't break it... I know you're mad, but I'm sorry. - Said Faye.
- No, I'm not going to do that. - Replied the young witch, placing the mirror above the magic circle. - AHA! I knew it, the symbols are upside down, that's why I didn't recognize them at first glance. Now I can read them, the language is ancient draconic. Fortunately for you, I was an outstanding student at Jogwarts, the most prestigious school of magic and wizardry. - She continued strutting while adjusting her glasses with an air of superiority.
- Yeah, that's cool, but what the hell does the inscription say? - Mathew asked as impolite as ever.
- Hmmm... - Snorted Mila, wondering if she should turn him into a toad. - The inscription says: "Bigger than a red dragon, i am lighter than an empty flagon".
They looked at each other puzzled, deciphering the words in the circle, didn't get them any closer to the answer. Maybe it was part of a song from that world and they didn't know the next verse which was the password.
- What the hell does that mean? I hate this world for those kinds of things, can't they just put up a door like normal people? - grumbled Mathew.
- Well, it's a citadel in the sky, what do you expect? - Runkdar said.
- Guys, look at the circle, it seems to me that the light is shrinking. - Said Kunoichi
- It must have a time limit... - Said Ashram, watching the light oscillate, getting dimmer at the outer edges, as if it were a clock. - And what will happen if we don't respond in time?
- Many things can happen, the usual is that it is closed until the next day or until the lords of the wall decide to let us try again. - Pantaleon said. - But in times of war, it is common for the whole place to explode in case of a wrong answer, thus wiping out possible intruders.
- Think, everyone, what could it be? - Ashram said.
- It sounds like a riddle, the kind from our world, remember? - Said Zafiro remembering the past. -When we were kids we used to play riddles....
- I was never very good at it. - Said Faye.
- I think I have the answer, but I don't know if I'm right, what if I'm wrong and the circle closes? - Mila said unsure.
- Well, it will be worse if the light goes out, we could end up blown up too. - Said Ashram.
- We trust you Mila, say the answer. - They said crossing their fingers and hoping the worst would not happen.
- The shadow of the red dragon! That's the answer, it's bigger than the dragon and weighs nothing at all! - Mila said hoping she was right.
The light of the circle intensified greatly, blinding the whole group for a second, after which the brightness faded and they found themselves in a place that seemed to be a garden, it was a circular enclosure, surrounded by white high walls, very smooth, without any commissure, as if they had created them in one piece and not stacking stones one on top of the other as it is customary in castles. The floors were of stone of the same color, made with great care by master hands, on both sides there were fruit trees and bushes with flowers of various colors. In front of them was a passageway that led to a huge gate that looked like marble.
- What a beautiful place. - Faye exclaimed in awe. - I want to have a house like this when I get married.
- Take a note brother... - Kunoichi added mockingly.
- Even working sixteen hours a day wouldn't be enough to pay for something like this... - Runkdar said.
- Yes, very nice and all, but where is the fountain of crystalline waters? where are the songbirds from all over the kingdom? where are the lackeys ready to receive us? - Mathew said, pretending to be demanding. - One star, lousy service.
- I wouldn't complain, we've only seen the entrance. - Mila said, more optimistic.
- I hope the food is good, in fancy places they usually serve small portions? - Said Zafiro a little worried.
- Well since no one is coming out to greet us maybe we should go in on our own and see if anyone is home. - Said Ashram.
- Sure, sure let's go, go ahead. - Said Pantaleon
- Back off commoners... let someone with a true gentleman's bearing lead the way. - Said Mathew pulling Pantaleon aside and crossing the white-walled passageway.
No sooner had he crossed the threshold when silver spears were pointed at his chest from all directions.
- Halt there intruders, who are you and why have you come to the kingdom of Pajar Akon?
The first impulse of all was to take their hands to their weapons, but Ashram made a sign to them, and then raised his hands in surrender, the others followed his example.
Those who stood before them were fifteen winged creatures the size of a person or perhaps slightly taller, they were covered entirely in feathers, except for their legs, which were actually bird feet, with eagle talons. their faces were birdlike as well, as far as the helmet that covered them showed, but they spoke the common tongue fluently, they were also clad in armor of blue steel scales that resembled metal feathers.
- Little birds... - Zafiro exclaimed in delight.
- Shhhh. - Kunoichi replied trying to cover her mouth, a very difficult task since Zafiro was much taller.
- Greetings, we are just a group of travelers and we are passing through on the way to the port city of Merufest. - Ashram said.
- That's a long way from here, but you look more like raggedy beggars than travelers. - Said the one who seemed to be the highest ranking, pointing to the tattered clothes they were wearing and the armor damaged by previous combats.
- The roads are dangerous and we've had more than one bad encounter, but that doesn't mean we can't afford better clothing. - Faye said holding up the bag of coins handed to them by the villagers.
Unable to completely resist the minstrel's charm, the guards lowered their spears almost ready to let them pass. But something made them get on their guard immediately.
- What is that thing? It looks like a spawn from the underworld! - exclaimed one of the guards pointing at Pantaleon. - Is he one of you?
- He wishes he were... - Mathew said sardonically.
- Greetings noble captain of the guards, my name is Pantaleon, and I am another son of the road, an itinerant artist, who carries joy, songs and news from town to town, as well as a merchant of rare objects. I hope you can forgive my appearance, but it is none other than what the gods have seen fit to give me.
- By all means, they have been cruel to you, horrible monster. - Said the guard with a grimace of disgust. - Unfortunately it is not illegal to be hideous, otherwise I would have you whipped just for existing.
- I am sorry to hear that brave captain, however I have always known that the gifts the gods bestowed upon me lie not in my appearance but in my abilities. - And after these words, Pantaleon took his pipes and began to play. It was a sweet melody that seemed to tell the joy of daily life despite the adversities, soon everyone was invaded by those notes and the atmosphere in which they were seemed better. Even the most serious of the guards could not help but follow the beat with their claws, repressing the urge to dance. Then the melody stopped suddenly, leaving everyone wanting to hear more.
- As much as I hate to admit it, you really play well, Pantaleón of the roads. I think we'll let you pass this time.
No sooner had the guard finished speaking when a deeper, more authoritative voice broke in.
- What the hell is going on here!? What's all this racket about, Sergeant Pepian?
- Said another soldier belonging to the same species, but wearing armor with more ornaments, demonstrating his higher rank.
- Captain Aguillen! Sir, we were only interrogating some recently arrived travelers, as we found nothing suspicious, we thought we would let them pass. - Sergeant Pepian said, standing at his post. The other soldiers did the same.
- Everything is suspicious these days sergeant, I will decide if these beggars can pass to our white city. - Said the newcomer arrogantly.
He scrutinized them with an aquiline gaze, trying to instill fear in them to see if they would crack and confess some ulterior motive, but it was in vain, they had none and being watched by a bird in armor the size of a person seemed more amusing than intimidating.
- So, travelers huh? with those rags it seems that they will only go to beg for charity in our city. - Said the captain, then his gaze fell on Pantaleon. - What is this aberration of nature? - he exclaimed, taking a step back. - May the gods deliver us from such a cruel fate as the one that led you to be like this.
- They tell me often, sir. - But in my lands, there is nothing strange about the way I look.
The truth is that Ashram and his friends also found Pantaleon to be a little strange, but not horrendous or out of place in a world like the one they were in, perhaps the culture of the bird men was very closed and that made them distrustful and repudiate everything that was far from what they considered normal. After all, as they remembered from the Swords and Magic game, Meruidian was a land of many races, species and cultures, some lived together in harmony, but others did not.
- The thing is, I don't trust you horrendous terrestrial beings, go back where you came from, before I give the order to impale you here. - Said the arrogant captain.
The group was still deciding what to do, when shadows covered the sky, followed by battle cries.
- Death to the Avian usurpers, death to them all! - said that voice haranguing others.
A sphere of blue flames burst on the scene, giving the soldiers no time to react or get to safety. Four fell dead on the spot, the others were wounded and still writhing in the flames. The captain, however, was unharmed, despite not having been able to react, he was pushed by Pantaleon out of reach of the explosion. The underappreciated singer lay face down on the ground, completely immobile.
The reflexes of our friends, sharpened by recent encounters, allowed them to jump in time to avoid the explosion of the fireball that fell from the sky. Blowing up the tiled floor of which the captain was surely so proud.
- Leave no one alive! - shouted one of the attackers. - Fire at will.
At the order, two new explosions rang out, but they crashed into Runkdar's shield, who had grown to a height of five meters, thanks to Mila. The explosion did not affect him much, since at that very moment Ashram cast on him a spell he had been studying the night before. It allowed him to resist the flames, it seemed very convenient considering that many creatures had attacked them with fireballs recently. Behind him, his friends were safe.
Those creatures, looking like humanoid crows the size of a person, wore dark chain mail and long spears that glowed as they launched fireballs. There were seven of them in total and they were riding animals that looked like giant bats.
Our friends were not about to give them a chance to coordinate another attack, so they reacted immediately.
- Maneuver eighty! - said Ashram
Without waiting a second, Runkdar took Kunoichi in one hand and Zafiro in the other, to launch them at the flying invaders. The former somersaulted through the air to land on the back of one of the raven men, who fell from the sky without knowing what hit him. Zafiro for his part swung his scythe and the head of another birdman, rolled along with its owner. However the giant bats would not let themselves be handled by their new riders and did their best to knock them off their backs. A new burst of fireballs landed on Runkdar's shield, which cracked, noting that it would not hold a third round, Ashram healed him while Mila returned the attack with a fireball of her own, which with better aim, knocked down two attackers and their mounts. After fighting two hundred monsters at a time, fighting some bird men didn't seem so complicated.
The great gate of the citadel opened suddenly, a contingent of soldiers came out in droves, they carried bows and arrows that they used against the attackers, but none more fell, seeing that they had many casualties and were outnumbered, they fled.
- Let my friends go down and you can leave. - Ashram said to the bats, although the people around did not hear those words, but a series of shrieks coming from his mouth.
The bats obeyed, landed on the ground for Zafiro and Kunoichi to descend and were lost in the horizon, regaining their freedom.
- How is everyone? - Ashram asked.
- Just a few scratches. - Runkdar said.
- I think we are all fine. - Mila said, looking around to make sure.
- Mathew! - Said Kunoichi as she saw him lying on the ground several meters away, apparently one of the blasts had hit him.
They were heading towards their friend when they were stopped midway by the spears of the Avian soldiers, who closed a circle around them.
- Halt there strangers, you are arrested in the name of the king. You will be brought to trial for attacking the citadel.