The forest spirit was momentarily distracted by the girl, surrounded by magical orbs similar to the one that had struck it. Kailen tried to collect himself, but his bones were shattered. The abbot hurried to his aid, rushing toward him with all his might. His hands glowed with a soft light as he began healing Kailen as quickly as possible. Before their eyes, the wounds started closing, and the bones knitted together, realigning themselves.
"What about the plan?" Kailen asked, rising from the ground and stretching his limbs slightly.
"I'm making progress; I just need a little more time," the abbot replied.
"Alright, I'll buy us some," Kailen said, rushing to assist, as the monster had already closed in on the family's shelter. Despite the magical attacks it had endured, chunks of flesh were torn from its body, but it felt no pain and continued its relentless advance.
The healing had restored not only his body but also replenished his spiritual energy, allowing him to create ice once more. His eyes glowed with a blue light, the power of frost filling his hands. Bringing his palms together, he began forming a freezing orb as he ran. As he approached the spirit from behind, he touched it with his hand, spreading the frost.
The ice rapidly spread across the spirit's body, turning everything to ice. The ground froze beneath it, transforming the spirit into an ice statue. In one last effort, it tried to reach out to its enemies, but it froze, with only a faint light glowing in its eye. Leaping onto its back, Kailen ran towards its head.
"Aim your orbs at its neck!" Kailen shouted.
She nodded and directed her attacks at the neck. The orbs tore through the flesh, ripping chunks away. Seeing an opportunity, Kailen delivered a powerful kick, severing the head from the body. The spirit's head hit the ground, bouncing a few times before coming to a stop nearby.
"Is it dead?" the girl asked, her hands trembling as she clutched her head with one of them.
"No," Kailen replied, watching as the spirit's eye moved its gaze between them.
"Should we finish it off?" she asked, now with only one orb left, hovering near her shoulder.
"No, we just need to buy some time," Kailen replied as he approached the head, summoning the magic of frost. He decided to maintain the cold as long as he had the strength, hoping to hold the spirit back for a little while longer. "What's your name, child?" he asked the girl.
"Syndra," she answered, her brows furrowing as the translucent orb disappeared, dissolving into the air—her energy seemed to have run out.
"My name is Sub-Zero," Kailen said.
"Mr. Sub-Zero, are you a mage?" she asked.
"In a way, yes," he replied.
"Could you take me as your apprentice?" she asked.
"Not now. You should leave as soon as possible," Kailen said, feeling the spirit's resistance growing stronger, the surrounding atmosphere becoming noticeably heavier and more hostile to his magic.
"Alright," she responded timidly and began running back to her family, who were hiding nearby.
A few minutes passed, and Kailen's magical reserves were depleted. He took several steps back to ensure his safety. Layers of earth began to tear away, attaching themselves to the spirit's head, followed by roots that burst forth, forming something resembling a skeleton onto which the earth adhered.
The spirit fully restored its form, and it seemed to be very displeased. Suddenly, tree roots shot out from its body like spikes. It struck the ground with its fists, letting out a howl that sent a wave of sound, ringing in their ears.
An icy crust began to form on Kailen's hands, the last drops of his magic went into this. He struck his fists together, testing the strength of the ice.
The spirit then unleashed a flurry of punches at Kailen. A massive paw came hurtling down with incredible speed, but with a swift movement, he dodged to the left, the winds slightly rustling his clothes. Rolling under another blow, he slipped between the spirit's legs, starting to punch his fists into its legs, knocking out huge chunks of earth. But almost immediately, they began to regenerate. The monster roared, trying to stomp the tiny pest underfoot, but Kailen's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge every attack with ease.
Another hook struck the spirit's leg, shattering almost half of it with the sound of cracking wood. The giant toppled, collapsing to one side. Its enormous body broke everything in its path, crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust. As it fell, Kailen managed to circle around it, and with a powerful leap, he soared upward, bringing his fist down with force onto the spirit's face, striking its eye. He shattered chunks of flesh, carving a path to the spirit's core. With one final punch, his fist made contact with a hard sphere. Opening his hand, he grabbed it and ripped it out of the spirit's head. Almost instantly, the body disintegrated again, leaving behind only a skeleton of wood.
Holding the spirit's core, Kailen contemplated whether to finish it off or wait for the abbot to complete his plan. His strength was nearly exhausted, and he couldn't keep fighting endlessly—not like before, when he could traverse almost the entire Freljord, battling wild beasts and bandits, and still feel invigorated.
"Master Sub-Zero, I've finished—we did it!" the abbot shouted as he ran toward Kailen.
Almost at the same moment, the spirit's core began to change, the red energy within it shifting to blue. Even the aggression in the air dissipated, replaced by a sense of peace. Warm currents of air enveloped Kailen's body, as if embracing him and thanking him for not destroying the spirit but helping to restore harmony.
"That's good," he whispered in relief. He didn't want to disrupt their traditions and rules, fully aware of what happens when destruction is sought over peaceful resolution.
Moving to meet the abbot, Kailen carefully held the core, aware that the spirit might become enraged again if its core were damaged.
"I'm very grateful that you chose not to destroy it. Now, we just need to return it home, and our mission will be complete," the abbot said as he approached.
"Alright, here," Kailen handed him the core.
"No, you must do it yourself. I'm certain it will help you with your problem," the abbot replied. He knew that Kailen couldn't use his magic to its full extent, and the world around him resisted him.
"I understand, but I don't know what to do," Kailen admitted.
"That's alright, I'll help you. Let's go—I've managed to heal the spirit tree, the home where this spirit was born. It became enraged when people damaged its trunk, and it died," the abbot explained.
"Why did they harm the tree? Just for the wood?" Kailen asked.
"No, not at all. There are plenty of other trees here that could be cut down, but unfortunately, some Ionians have greed in their hearts. The sap in these trees is highly valued by pirates. They pay well for it—for example, your friend didn't hesitate to buy some the last time," the abbot replied.
"I apologize for him; he's changed a lot," Kailen replied.
"It's all in the past. If he's better now than he was before, then it wasn't all in vain," the abbot said.
As they talked, they approached a small sapling, beside which lay a dried-out tree that ten people could hardly wrap their arms around.
"Here, we need to bury the core so that the spirit can fill this sapling with its energy, and it will grow back to its former size," the abbot said.
Carefully digging a small hole in the ground, he placed the core inside and covered it with the remaining soil. Almost immediately, streams of energy began to flow, absorbing into the small sapling. It quickly grew stronger, rising before their eyes until it reached a meter in height and its trunk thickened to the size of a wrist, slowing its growth. Lush foliage spread across its branches.
"Now we just have to wait for time to heal its wounds completely, and it will once again fill this forest with its energy," the abbot said.
A small flower, shaped like a pitcher, grew on one of the branches, producing a pleasantly scented nectar.
"Drink this; it's a token of gratitude for your help. You're a stranger in these lands, and this will show that you mean no harm," the abbot said.
Lifting the small pitcher filled with clear nectar, Kailen decided to drink it. The sweet juice filled his body, refreshing him and bringing a sense of calm. The wounds from the battle began to heal, and his breathing became much easier. His magic came alive with new vibrancy; he could feel the tiniest droplets of water around him and sensed that he could freeze them.
"Thank you for your help, spirit," Kailen said, bowing slightly and bringing his fist to his palm.
"Now that we've taken care of this, we should check if that family still needs our help," the abbot said. Out of nowhere, the village warriors appeared. Kailen had lost sight of them when the battle began; it seemed they had fled and hidden. Kailen just shook his head—where he came from, they would have fought to the last breath and fallen in battle rather than run and hide.
They found them in almost the same spot—a small family of four, including the familiar Syndra, who seemed to be with her brother, husband, and wife.
"You're lucky; there are no serious injuries, just a few bruises," the abbot said as he examined them.
"Thank you for saving us from that spirit. If it weren't for our daughter, who angered them, it wouldn't have attacked us," the head of the family said, his tone slightly bitter, though Kailen wouldn't say he was truly the leader; he just acted like the man of the family.
"It wasn't my fault," Syndra replied with a hurt tone.
"What do you mean?" the abbot asked.
"That little brat destroyed the ghostly willow in our village, and because of that, we were driven out," the man said.
"It wasn't my fault; Edward and his friends made me so angry," she said, her voice full of hurt.
"Shut up, girl, no one gave you permission to speak," her father snapped at her angrily.
"Calm down, perhaps it's not as bad as it seems. I don't sense any malice in her, and her words seem truthful," the temple leader said.
"You believe me?" Syndra asked, surprised.
"Yes. Can you tell me your story?" the abbot asked, sitting down beside her.
"Yes," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Through tears, she began to recount how everyone tormented her, even her own brother, and how she often ran to the ghostly willow to hide from everyone. One day, Edward and his friends found her and immediately started to torment her. In her rage, she felt a surge of power and determination; she wanted to punish them for the pain they had caused her. She was in that furious state for a few seconds before the tormentors fled in fear. When the anger subsided, she saw the ghostly willow, drained of life, completely withered.
"I see. It seems you absorbed all the willow's life energy. Perhaps you didn't destroy its core, and it might still survive. I'll send word to the nearest temple; we need to heal the willow before it dies completely. Then you might be able to return," the abbot said.
"I don't want to go back. Please, take me with you," Syndra pleaded, running to Kailen and clinging to his leg.
"You shouldn't ask to come with me. My path is not easy, and it's not one you should follow," Kailen replied, gently stroking her head.
"I can handle it. Please, take me with you. I'm tired; everyone hates me," Syndra said tearfully. Kailen felt that she had no loving family. After what happened, they hated her even more. In her village, everyone bullied her. Now they were afraid of her because of her power.
She reminded him of himself. He was despised by his tribe for his frailty and weakness. Only by proving his worth through skill and strength did he earn their respect. But she wouldn't be respected for her power; they would only fear her.
"Perhaps fate has brought you together," the abbot said.
"No, fate is mistaken. I can barely manage my own life; I can't take responsibility for someone else. I've already let down those who trusted me; I don't want to fail again," Kailen replied.
"Perhaps this is your chance to make things right," the abbot suggested.
"Yes, I'll be good and do everything you say. Please, take me with you," Syndra pleaded again.
"Why do you even want to go with me? We don't know each other," Kailen asked, curious about her sudden attachment to him.
"You're a mage too, and you saved us. That's enough," she replied. Kailen could only smile at her childlike naivety, though she seemed mature beyond her years due to the hardships she had endured.
"We'll talk about this later. Master Sub-Zero is probably tired and needs to rest," the abbot interjected, noticing Kailen's reluctance to take Syndra with him.
"Alright," Syndra replied, her head hanging in disappointment.
"Great, let's return to the village and rest after such a difficult battle," the abbot said.
Everyone agreed and headed back to the village together with Syndra's family. Along the way, she tried multiple times to talk to Kailen about magic. He remained steadfast, not letting her persistence or even her tears sway him. "She's already learning how to manipulate adults," Kailen thought to himself.
Soon, they arrived back at the village, and almost the entire population gathered to meet them, eager to hear the good news. There was joy all around, and by evening, a celebration was being planned to honor the restoration of harmony and pay homage to the great spirit.
Kailen tried to resist the invitations to the celebration, but eventually, through conversations and various tricks, he was persuaded to attend. In the village square, tables were laid out, filled with an abundance of different dishes. He had never seen so much food, even at the grandest feasts in Freljord. A fire burned in the center, around which people danced and sang songs.
Eliza attended to him, serving various dishes and urging him to try different snacks. He refused many, not understanding why they should be eaten. Although taste was not important to him, that didn't mean he would eat insects. The tables were filled with all kinds of seafood, from various seaweeds to exotic octopuses, mollusks, and the like.
During the celebration, Syndra found him and sat beside him, constantly holding onto his hand, afraid he would leave without her.
"You'd be better off living in peace. I'm constantly fighting, and my life is always at risk. Those close to me are in even greater danger. I won't stay in Ionia for long. My home is thousands of kilometers from here, and I will return to it," Kailen told her.
"I don't care; I have no home. I'll go wherever you go," she responded.
"You don't understand what you're saying. Family is the most precious thing you have, and the place where you were born will always be special to you," Kailen continued.
"I still don't want to go back. I know they say I've been consumed by evil spirits and that their daughter is long dead. Don't leave me," she pleaded once more.
"While I'm in Ionia, you can accompany me, but I won't take you with me afterward," he finally conceded to her pleas.
"Yay, thank you, thank you!" Syndra chirped happily, and overwhelmed with emotion, she began jumping around before joining the dancers.
"A tragic fate," Eliza, who was sitting nearby, remarked.
"Yes, that's the world we live in. It's not fair to everyone," Kailen replied.
"Why do people become evil? Can't everyone live together in harmony and peace?" Eliza asked thoughtfully.
"Hm, that's the essence of it. Everyone wants to live well," Kailen said. "If one lives well, another inevitably lives worse, and each of them desires more."
"I won't give up and will do my best to make everyone happy," Eliza resolved.
Inwardly, Kailen added that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He too had wanted the best for his homeland, but it only led to yet another bloody war.