Chapter 4

"Wait!" - said one of the gods.

"Speak up, Rindalin." - Rowa answered.

"Why don't we use the stone, it's our chance, don't you see it? Instead of throwing it into the waters of Ateloriam right now, we can carry the stone into the dark lands of Doriam. We will use the stone and with it we will resurrect Roderick, thanks to the power of his eternal life." - Rindalin said, getting up from his chair and walking in circles around the tower enclosure.

"And who will possess the stone, Rindalin, will you?" -Said one of the gods as he rose from his seat and took his staff. - "The stone can only be possessed by one person, it cannot be shared."

"It is the heir to the throne who will carry it." - Rowa said, turning to look at Alfred. - "It is you Alfred who will carry the stone and go to Doriam."

"Me?" - Alfred responded, touching his chest and looking at everyone in confusion. - "I just came into this world."

"Unless the gods of the compound disagree. What do you propose, gods?" - Rowa said looking to the right and left to see what the others respond.

"If the legend is correct, then it must be the boy who will carry the stone. Of course, if he turns out to be the true heir to Alandir. But if we are wrong, it would be a huge mistake to grant such power to inexperienced hands. Don't you all believe it?"

"Do we have any other option? If one of us carries the stone, we are in danger of becoming like Molech and we will be seeking tyranny instead of peace. We have to trust in prophecy, otherwise we will fail miserably and Molech will subject us all to his power."

"In that case, I will go." - Alfred proclaimed - "That must be my destiny, that must be the reason why I came to this world."

"I will go with him, Alfred will need me and my knowledge about Alandir, I will guide him where necessary." said Merydia, standing up from her seat and holding her staff with both hands, her face showing determination. of her for carrying out the mission.

"Well done, Merydia, you will accompany him. In order to attack Doriam and penetrate its mountains, we will have to resurrect Roderick whose mausoleum lies in the deepest part of the dark lands of Doriam. You will both have to cross the mountain range and look for his coffin. That will be your mission."

Then, Rowa proceeded to unsheath a sword and raise it to the top of the enclosure, which she had kept on his thigh and which was barely noticeable since her long hair hid it. It was a sword with a shining silver edge so clean that one could reflect his face in it like a mirror. It carried a hilt of reddish dragon skin and a crystalline blue stone embedded in it.

"Behold, Roderick's sword." - said Rowa, placing the sword on both palms of her hand. He proceeded to kneel, lowering her face and handing the sword to Alfred.

"Here is your sword, prince of Alandir. Do not be afraid to use it when danger finds you. Use it relentlessly against your enemies, the monsters of Doriam and against any envoy of Moloch who represents a threat to you."

Alfred extended his hand and took the sword, admiring the beauty of its edge and feeling the soft but resistant dragon skin on its hilt.

"Now, you are ready for your adventure, I will follow you from here and I will not abandon you. The gods are with you." - Rowa said, looking up at Alfred and Merydia.

"Thank you very much, goddess Rowa, thank you very much gods of Mildrair. I will take care of this sword with my life and it will take care of me." - said Alfred, keeping the sword at his waist and making a subtle bow towards Rowa and the rest, kneeling on one knee and lowering his head.

They both proceeded to leave Mildrair Castle and ventured to the outskirts of the kingdom, they mounted an eagle, holding tightly to the reins, and flew towards the clouds. The higher they flew the better they could admire the beauty of the lands of Alandir as they had done before.

Each time they got closer towards that land full of purple mist that lay in front of their faces and that yellowish light on the horizon which It looks like a layer of smog spreading over the mountains of Doriam. In front of them the setting of the sun began to reflect, hiding on the horizon and turning the sky yellow and the clouds purple. The sky slowly began to darken and the twilight disappeared. The bright stars began to appear in the sky and a gigantic and translucent full moon, which could even be seen the craters, some large and dark while others were small like points.

They were getting closer and closer to the border of that dark land and due to nightfall, they decided to go down and rest a little. The eagle proceeded to descend from the heavens subtly, until it landed in a large green valley, full of oak trees around, from which a long river of crystalline green water was hidden. The eagle perched on the top of a gigantic brown oak tree with equally gigantic green leaves, so big that one could lie down on them and rest, and in fact that is what Alfred and Merydia did when they landed on the tree.

When Alfred lay down, he made a sudden movement, the stone flew and began to bounce along the branches of the oak tree.

"Noooo the stone, I dropped it!" - Alfred shouted, holding tightly to one of the large leaves of the tree and looking down so as not to lose sight of the stone and know where it would fall. One by one the stone fell, hitting between the branches until finally falling into the valley. The stone was translucent red in color and was so bright that the moonlight reflected its light on it.

"Wait Alfred, I'm coming for it." - Said Merydia, coming down from the tree and holding on to the roots as if she were a monkey. Finally Merydia manages to get down but something happened. The wind began to blow and it pushed the stone down a hill. The stone began to fall and bounce between a cliff full of round gray stones, until it ended up inside a dark cave full of gray stones.

"Alfred, over here, it's in the cave!" - Merydia said, chasing the stone and seeing how it went into the cave.

However, a growl like a large hungry tiger began to be heard from the cave. And from the darkness of the cave bright yellow eyes peeked out.

"There's something in there, be careful Alfred." -Merydia said, frowning and holding her staff tightly with both of her hands, then she proceeded to point it towards the cave. Alfred on his part unsheathed the sword that Rowa had given him and did the same. They both put themselves on guard to protect themselves from the danger that lay before their eyes.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" - Alfred shouted towards the cave and slowly approaching it, taking the sword with both hands and pointing slightly forward. But that animal roar could still be heard from the cave, and those bright yellow eyes of that mysterious beast could still be seen.