The cold desert wind blew past me. Thanks to the mysterious older man, my body had regained its strength, which encouraged and motivated me. This older man was not a ghost and also not a hallucination. How else would I be fully recovered and alive now? I have a suspicion that I will meet the older man again, and I hope for that because I still have so much to learn about the high council. So I headed north, and I could see that the dunes were getting more and more barren with each step.
Hours passed, and I realized again how strenuous every step was. So I took a break at a cactus trunk, which to my luck bore fruit. While I ate the fruit with relish, I thought about everything more carefully. Where is my brother? Was he still alive? I looked again at my Merthyl necklace, which is an ancient weapon against these beings called the High Council.
I am sorry little brother, I have put this problematic burden on you. But only you can free this world, don't give up!'', I heard in my mind, and that was my brother's voice.
''Kishimoto! Are you alright? Where are you?!'' I shouted impulsively and anxiously into the emptiness of the night desert. There was no response to my cry. ''It was you, big brother ... I can't have imagined it,'' I spoke to myself.
I ate the last fruit from the cactus and propped myself up again to continue my journey to Altravessa.
By now, night had turned into day again because the sun was rising again. I remembered what the older man told me, and that was that Altravessa was in the north, where the sun is not visible. With energetic steps, I continued along this path. My body was invigorated again, thanks to the small calorie intake.
No more dunes! Only cacti and in the distant background a silhouette of buildings. That must be Altravessa, I thought to myself and went forward more and more frantically. But suddenly, a bad feeling came over me, and I turned around. A frightening aura could not only be felt but also seen behind me. Something or someone seemed to be coming towards me, not towards Altravessa.
Hey you, this necklace is a feast for the eyes. For how much may I buy it from you?'', asked me a dealer at the side alleys smiling.
''Not at all, this necklace is essential to me and has an important task that I must fulfill, you know, dear sir'', I answered him kindly and refused his request to buy my Merthyl necklace.
I forgot that the city would be caught up in this oppressive aura and probably attacked by something at any moment. I thought about it for a moment. Shouldn't the woman who has the same Merthyl crystal on her ring be here?
Perhaps I should seek her out. ''That's too bad. Tell me you're not from around here, are you? A traveler, then? Here you have a healing potion. Use it only when your life is in danger. It's on the house,'' the merchant laughed at me and gave me a small bottle containing a bluish liquid.
I should probably drink the potion for it to work. I thanked the merchant and looked around Altravessa a bit. I thought to myself that I had to find that woman with the Merthyl ring. Without realizing it, this frightening aura caught up with me and I suddenly remembered that there was danger.
Barely moving a muscle, I heard a tender voice behind me.
''They are here. The high council is planning an execution. Hide!'', this woman told me and dragged me by my hands into one of the side alleys, where the merchant from before was still standing.
I hurried and ran off into the city. As soon as I arrived, I was overwhelmed by the sight of people harmonizing in peace. Everywhere were crowds of people and merchants laughing with the joy of life, not suspecting that something terrible was coming.