As the three left the pyramid, countless eyes fell upon Luna.
She tried to leave her face exposed, since she believed that there would be no risk of being recognized thanks to Sariel's magic, but she put the hood on her head the moment those eyes fell upon her.However, people still stared at her, pointing fingers and whispering among themselves.Her heart rate accelerated, she broke into a cold sweat, and felt dizzy.Those who watched her turned into shadows with winged shapes and covered with chains. Their eyes grew larger, red; the vertically shaped pupils - like those of serpents - stared at her intensely into the depths of her soul.Their figures seemed to get closer and bigger, as if they wanted to consume and envelop her in the darkness of their bodies.Her vision became increasingly blurred, and her legs failed to hold her steady. Her breathing weakened, as if an invisible hand was squeezing her neck, and no matter how much she tried to raise her arms to loosen that grip, all she could do was tremble.Sounds equivalent to thousands of people screaming in agony invaded her ears with an intensity that was almost unbearable, and she felt that her eardrums could burst at any moment.Everything seemed to last an eternity, until she felt an almost imperceptible touch. Gradually, this touch enveloped her and became warm and welcoming, which made the shadows recede and diminish.A distant and comforting voice said something indiscernible and drew closer as it drove away those terrible silhouettes.Gradually, her body became warmer, and the shadows finally disappeared.Her senses finally stabilized, and she could perfectly understand what that voice was saying."Luna, are you okay?" The gentle and relaxing voice sounded right next to her ear."W-Who?""It's okay, it's me, Sariel."The princess's vision cleared, and she could see the traveler's face very close to hers."What... happened?" Her head was still spinning intensely."You turned pale, lost your balance, and fell. I tried to call you, but you wouldn't listen, so I used Illusion Magic to calm you down. Are you okay?"With that, Luna realized that she was on the ground and being held by Sariel, who was hugging her gently, while Pagui stayed by her side and rubbed his head against her hand."I-I'm fine... I just need some air...""Okay, let's go to a more open place."The traveler helped the princess to stand up, and it was at this moment she noticed that a crowd had formed around her.Once again, seeing all those people looking at her, her heart raced, but Sariel's touch helped her stay as calm as possible."What happened?""Is she okay?""She's as white as a ghost."The crowd was deeply concerned about her health. Many offered help, water, and even medical attention, but their generosity went unnoticed by her, who was still feeling dizzy."She's fine, she just needs some space, so please step back!" Quetzal asked.The crowd made way for her as the traveler - with Pagui on his shoulders - led her away.After a short walk, they went to a square and sat down near a fountain."I'm going to get her something to drink. Stay here and take care of her." Quetzal left soon after."I'm sorry, I didn't want to be a burden to you guys...""It's not your fault, Luna. But what happened? You were fine until just now.""I... I don't know... When I saw all those people looking at me I... I..."Her hands started to tremble, but Sariel noticed and held them lovingly."Shh... It's okay, you don't have to say anything, just rest, okay?""O-Okay."
Pagui, sensing Luna's anxiety, sat on her lap and tried to calm her down by rubbing his beak gently against her hand.The princess stroked the bird with her still slightly trembling hands. The feathers were soft, well-groomed, and even fragrant, despite their messy appearance.Luna smiled faintly as she focused on the bird. Time passed slowly as droplets of water splashed on her, and the gentle breeze touched her skin gently.While waiting for Quetzal's return, a very young child approached Luna with a green and red feathered fan in her hands."Lady, for you..." she offered the fan timidly.Luna looked at the child and tried to give the best smile she could under her circumstances."Thank you, but where is your mother? Does she know you're here?""Don't worry about that," said a woman approaching accompanied by another who was pregnant. "My daughter saw you feeling sick and wanted to help, please accept it.""Okay, thank you." Luna took the fan and used it to cool down. "What's your name, girl?""My name is Tikal!" she replied, jumping up and down."It's a beautiful name, my name is Luna.""You are very beautiful! Are you a princess?" the child asked enthusiastically. "I've never seen a hair with your colors, is it real? Can I touch it?"Her eyes sparkled with admiration."Tikal! Have a little respect, the lady just got sick," her mother scolded."Oh... Sorry...""It's okay, it was just a sudden illness. Yes, you can touch it, look." Luna took some of her strands in her hand and offered them to the child.The child carefully touched the princess's long hair with her eyes shining, as if they reflected the shine of those strands."Wow! Is all your hair like this?""Ah, y-yes..." The princess slowly lowered her hood, revealing her face and hair.Just like the other time, she felt uncomfortable exposing herself in that way, but the pure smile of that child encouraged her a little."Wow, you're very beautiful! How can I be like you?""Ah, thank you... but I'm not that pretty...""What are you talking about?" asked the pregnant woman. "You must be the most beautiful woman who has ever passed through our kingdom, maybe even more than Princess Quetzal!""She's very modest," commented Sariel."Well, we have to go now." The child's mother turned to the pregnant woman. "You shouldn't be walking around; you know your pregnancy has been getting more complicated."The pregnant woman, with her belly showing seven months, had a slightly pale face and was gasping for breath just to stand up."I know, but I can't take it anymore lying in that bed! I need to walk and see the sun from time to time.""Yes, but don't forget all the work you and Sak-Lu went through to make this pregnancy happen. If something happens, he'll be devastated."The pregnant woman sighed again. Small beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead."You're right, I'm getting tired anyway...""Alright, let's go, daughter." The mother offered her hand for the daughter to take."Mmm."Mother and daughter walked away hand in hand with the pregnant woman leaning on her friend's shoulder.Just as they left, Quetzal returned with a large glass of orange juice."Here, this will help you regain your strength.""Thank you."Luna drank it all in one gulp and immediately felt refreshed again."Feeling better?" asked the traveler."Yes."
"Then we should go back to the palace so you can rest better," Quetzal suggested.
"But I still want to get to know this kingdom better."
"What if you feel sick again?"
"I... I don't think it will happen again."
"In that case, let's continue." Sariel stood up and helped Luna. "Where are we going now?"
Quetzal hesitated. She didn't feel that Luna's statement was very convincing, but she decided to continue the tour seeing her enthusiasm to know the kingdom.
"Well, let's get to know some of our music then."
Quetzal walked ahead, but kept her pace slow, while Sariel stayed by Luna's side with Pagui on her shoulder.
This time, Luna didn't raise her hood, even though she still felt uncomfortable.
*****
Aegreon stood completely motionless in front of his bedroom window. The room was not much different from Yaxun's, only slightly smaller.
He watched people randomly walking and going about their lives.
Time passed slowly. The clouds crept across the sky, covering part of the kingdom with a passing gloom.
After a few seconds, an almost imperceptible silhouette entered Aegreon's room through the window. Then, a pink glow revealed Shiina, the assassin.
"What is it?" The Pillar kept his eyes on the streets.
"There is something I need to say. Do you remember that conversation we had in Fordurn?"
"Hm."
"Apparently, Sariel was listening closely."
"What?" Aegreon turned briefly. "Impossible. Only the Illusion Pillar would be able to do that."
"He repeated our dialogues with precision. He heard everything we discussed."
"When did you find out about this?"
"That time we went together to collect ingredients. I tried to kill him, but he was too strong."
The Pillar remained silent as he thought. As he considered his options, he turned his gaze to the streets again and saw Sariel, Luna, and Quetzal walking together. His eyes fixed on the traveler and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Dealing with him will be complicated, I didn't expect the Illusion Pillar to have such physical strength."
"Wait, he used Ice magic against me, are you sure he's a Pillar? Don't you know everyone on the Council?"
"No one knows his true name and appearance, except Ardos and Clementius. Are you sure the magic he used was ice? He has a bit of the Ice and Alteration element, but I'm sure his main element is Illusion."
"Yes, I could feel it perfectly. It even uprooted some trees with its force."
"Did the magic hurt you physically?"
"Ye... " Shiina interrupted herself before completing her answer.
At this moment she remembered her battle, although Sariel had used Ice magic, none of it had hurt her, except...
"Only one actually hurt me, I don't really know what happened, but I was thrown and hit a tree."
"So, you didn't see... How did he use his magic?"
"He was just defending himself..." Shiina contemplated.
"So, he could very well have been using Illusion magic to make them appear to be Ice and deceive you."
"But his magic uprooted trees!"
"It could be another trick to make everything more believable."
The assassin remained silent and recalled the entire fight in all its details. In fact, all he did was defend himself, and there were only three moments when she was physically hit: the sweep that knocked her down, the shove that threw her against the tree, and finally, when he grabbed her neck.
So, it was quite possible that he was using Illusion magic to pretend to possess the Ice element. Considering that this type of magic is capable of deceiving not only the eyes, but also all the other senses, then the chances were even higher."It all makes sense then... A name that no one knows. He never slept during our travels, he never used a very powerful Ice attribute magic, and he was still able to hide from you... but what could his goal be?""I don't know, I don't know him, but the most likely alternative is that he was sent by Clementius to discover my intentions, so we have to prepare for an eventual encounter with another Pillar, one with a Combat Element.""So, what will we do? He has already shown that his strength and abilities are on the same level as yours, and he still has the Illusion element, so even if you gain the advantage in a fight, he can simply become invisible and run away.""I have a plan, but we will have to be patient, as his elements are difficult to deal with, so I have to maximize my advantage in hand-to-hand combat and deal with his Illusions.""How do you intend to do that?""I will ask Yaxun for an Alteration Gem and an Illusion Gem. Then we will pass near the Volcanic Plains on our next destination.""Ah... I see." - Shiina smiled evilly.Aegreon continued to watch Sariel from afar. Despite the distance, his eyes were able to see any target for miles."You should enjoy your stay here, it's a big kingdom after all.""You're right, I'll see if Raymond wants to go somewhere..."The assassin became invisible again and disappeared from the room.The Pillar continued to stare at the traveler from afar with a grim expression.