A white horse with feathered wings, pureblood pegasus, flies through the clouds with a gracefulness that makes it seem light like a feather. Sun reflections run across the horse's armor, made of steel adulterated with magic to be as light as leather and glow with a blue reminiscent of a blue sky. The animal's cuirass matches the rider's armor.
Renata in one hand holds the pegasus reins, and in the other a spear with a silver edge. The beautiful woman's skin is white, eyes are blue, body is lean but athletic from training, and her silver hair descends in a long braid down from her helmet and falls over the left shoulder. The sides of her bluish breastplate are iron coins joined closely together with small steel chains, the same goes for the greaves and helmet, the plates showing refined lines reminiscent of flowers and fishes.
It is a noisy armor, ornate, very uncomfortable, clinking with every slightest movement. But it is the armor that duty obliges her to wear, as a representative of the council, but above all of the kingdom of the merchant princes.
Renata flies over the walls as she looks over the current state of the Stoicus kingdom. The reconstruction of the districts continues, especially the poorest areas that were the most affected, but in general there is an atmosphere of resumption and optimism towards daily life. Although for her the difference in the view is not so great, she always found the rustic aspect of the place deplorable. The new walls, colossal and amorphous, did not help to improve Renata's opinion, proud of the opulence of her homeland.
The pegasus descends, earning surprised gasps from children and adults who see it appear from the clouds. Renata enters within the confines of the castle and lands in the courtyard. A couple of soldiers rush to greet her and ask what she wants. Renata raises her chin and asks bluntly:
"I have a message from the council. Tell to your king... And my sister"
...
A vivid memory revives from the depths of Jimbo's mind, a memory he would have preferred to forget. Jimbo sees himself as a child, sitting in a large dining room with rotting walls, holding a tuna and mayonnaise sandwich. The mayonnaise was bad, but food was scarce so he finished it. For three days he suffered from worms, so intensely that sleep was almost impossible.
The ordeal now is similar, only this time the worms attack his brain, as if wanting to burst through his ethereal skull and burst their way beyond the blue space. Jimbo tries to slap himself, to hold his head, to swear, but it's too hard moving and thinking, and his words turn into halting whimpers. The blue crystal flickers and trembles as if it were about to explode.
"Master!" Dowmy flutters to jump and stop Arrax, but Marnie hugs her from behind and prevents her. The imp struggles in the disciple's arms. "Let me go!"
"Don't get in the way or you'll pay the consequences!" Marnie warns, barely managing to restrain the imp.
Arrax takes another step closer, still holding out his arm. Hilda watches with a frown.
"Do you know what you're doing, Arrax?"
The wizard ignores the question and goes straight to complaining.
"I heard about the conversations you had with my creation behind my back. How disrespectful"
"The king's business is above your business"
"No one is more loyal to his majesty than me. But nobody can blame me for feeling bad about being bypassed, especially after suffering in a bed all these days..." Arrax says and flicks the wrist as if his fingers were turning an invisible wheel.
Jimbo's paralysis turns directly into pure pain, and his groans into a growing scream. Hilda uncrosses her arms and places a hand on the handle of the sword, now that she can hear Jim, she finds impossible not to feel uncomfortable.
"Arrax, stop right now. The Dungeon Core received the king's protection"
"I know the limits of my creation better than anyone. The king will understand, or is not a father's divine right to discipline his son, and make him understand the risks involved in acting without permission?"
Jimbo's screams persist, and Arrax showed no sign of lessening the punishment. Dowmy in desperation bites Marnie's arm, causing her to let go. The imp leaps with claws poised and fangs bared, but fails to reach Arrax. A scarlet glow erupts for an instant from within the wizard's cloak.
Dowmy collides with a red barrier that pushes her backwards and spins down onto the ground until she is flat on back, coughing and clutching her chest, lines of smoke rising from her body. Arrax looks sideways at the imp and casts a look of indignation and contempt.
"Who do you think you are, dirty animal? Who let you out of your cage? Who was the idiot who healed your wounds without my consent?" Each new question sounded angrier than the last.
Arrax lowers his arm and concentrates on the imp, this causes Jimbo's paralysis and pain to moderate considerably, although still lingering.
Jimbo watches as Arrax points a finger at Dowmy.
"The only master here is me, creature. It would take 1000 years for a worm like you to have a chance to serve me. Die!"
The ether that Jimbo had been warily guarding and collecting, ignites as if it had not cost him sweat and blood to obtain. Without a second thought, he acts.