The sun was hiding behind the delta ocean, and as agreed, Odilon and Frella were waiting for the sorceress at the inn. 

They were sitting at the farthest table in the establishment, drinking cider and chatting. Odilon grimaced as he tasted the drink, for him the liquid tasted bitter, but for Frella it was something completely delicious and refreshing. 

 Frella saw when Mikae entered through the side door and scanned the place to try to find her friends, so she gestured with her outstretched hand upwards. Mikaela saw her sister and went to sit with her. 

"Where is Polipedes?" The newcomer asked. 

"I wonder the same." Odilon replied, drinking the remainder of his bitter drink in one gulp. - We've been waiting here for two hours and so far nothing.

"If I remember she said that the emperor and the governor were her brothers, they must be talking about something of importance." Frella said, right after she asked the waiter for another drink. 

"No. They must be negotiating something." Odilon said. "She always negotiates. No, thank you! Bring me another drink, please! That cider is awful." 

"We don't have much to do, we can only wait. Is that the cider we used to drink, Frella? Leave it here. This is very good!" Mikae said. 

"You guys taste funny." Odilon shook his head negatively.

"Do you think she will leave us?" Mikaela said. "I wonder if the emperor offers her a position, will she accept?" 

"I think it's unlikely." Odilon said. "If it was to work for Menetuf she would have gone long ago." 

"You never know." Spoken the young woman with the purple locks. 

Fiorella once again waved her hand, as she saw Polipedes enter the room. The sorceress did not look happy. She pulled out a chair and sat down, and remained silent for a few minutes until she huffed at length. 

"Oh, dear! I've seen this face before. It even looks like my father gave you one of those nonsense orders." Odilon said. 

"The emperor wanted to do business. Waiter, bring me a drink, but not that cider, it's bitter in my mouth.  As usual you were persuasive enough to convince me." 

"I knew it!" Shouted Odilon. Realizing that everyone was looking at him he quieted down again. "I'm going to guess; he wants us to hand over to him whatever it is we are seeking. Isn't that right?" 

"Yes. Menetuf has offered us whatever it takes to find the box. This juice is very good. I couldn't say no to his offer." 

"Good, now we work for the emperor." 

"No, Odilon. The plan will be carried out the same way, the box will only be delivered to him after we have rescued Sotrel."

"And what is so special about this box?" Mikaela asked. 

"Well... since we are all here let's start the explanations. The box we are going to get is not something ordinary, it has a power, a gift, it fulfills any wish of its bearer." 

"But that's wonderful." Frella said. "Imagine how many things can be made from that power." 

"Not only can I imagine, but I know what it can do. This box was responsible for creating the ice giants and many other things in the past. Its power and entitled unlimited and that is why so many want the box. The last time it was seen was when my brothers and I handed it over to be locked up and forgotten about." 

"So you know where it is?" Mikae asked. 

"The location of the box yes, but I don't know how to open the gates that protect it." 

"That's why the ice giants went after you in the castle.  Odilon said. "They knew you served my father, they wanted you to find the box for them."

"that." 

"But you said you had no idea why they broke into the castle."

 "No, I said I didn't have the answers to what they were looking for. Many know where the box is stored, but few know how to open the gates." 

"And what is in those gates?" The blue-haired young woman asked.

"They have magical locks, which can only be opened by your own seal. There are four gates in total." The sorceress interrupted. 

"So that's four seals." Odilon said. "So what's the plan? We're each going to get a seal?" 

"That would be impossible." Spoke the sorceress. "No one knows where those seals are hidden. There could be one in every corner of the planet and at the same time all four could be together in the same room." 

"Then why did we come here, since you don't know where the seals are?" 

"Here frequents the captain of an explorer ship. They say that his men have already found a place that seemed to have something important stored away." 

"And how do they know that?" 

"For the place was protected by an extremely powerful being; the men tried to confront the creature in order to get the treasure, but the captain was the only one who survived, for he fled the place."

Mikaela, Fiorella and Odilon looked at each other. 

"So all we have to do here is to probe the captain to find out where to find that seal." Frella said. "After we get the answer we'll set off for the hiding place of that said seal, face a super powerful creature and if... if we win get the reward." 

"That's basically it." 

"And that's going to repeat itself four times?" Frella continued. 

"That. We need to find the keys, without them we have no chance of getting the box."

"Couldn't we just open a doorway to the inside of the hiding place?" Mikaela asked. 

"We could, but it would go wrong. The creatures that created this lair are of a race from beyond time, and their magic is very powerful; our portals would be distorted and we would end up dead or lost between worlds. At the moment this is our best option." Polipedes got up from his chair. "Stay here, I'll see what the captain has to tell me." 

Polipedes went to the bench, where the captain was sitting alone drinking a beer. 

The sorceress came over, sat down next to the navigator, and threw a small leather pouch full of silver florins onto the counter. The captain looked away, licked his gums, and let out a soft belch. 

"What do you want?"

"I know that you and your crew have found the hiding place of something of value. I need to know where it is."

"You want to know where it is? Go to the world of the dead and ask my men." The captain bowed his head in mourning. "You think this money will bring my men back?" 

"I'm not paying you to bring your men back, I'm giving you the money to tell me where the place is."

"Thalia." 

"Which part?" 

"To the north." The captain's voice was hoarse. "In the mountains near the Aespian Sea. If I were you I wouldn't go up there girl." 

"Girl," thought Polipedes. "I'm older than you think. 

"What about the creature your crew faced?" 

"Creature? I wish it was a creature. That woman was hideous. She never touched the ground, her scepter emitted a whitish light. At one time she was so bright that she blinded the boys, and at other times she was so dark that she seemed to be invisible. I'm telling you that the best thing to do is not to go." 

"I don't have that as an option sir."

"Well...it's up to you. If you are willing to waste your men in this meaningless task. How do you intend to get there? Do you have a ship?"

"No. Would you be willing to guide me there again, sir?" 

"By the gods! Of course not! I'll never go back to that horrible place." The old captain coughed, "If you like, I can refer you to someone." 

"That won't be necessary, I believe the emperor would be happy to lend me a ship from his fleet." 

The sailor shrugged, took his money and left. 

Fiorella came over to Polipedes, she was slurring her words and her tone of voice was fluctuating. 

"What happened, Frella?" 

"She tried some of Odilon's beer." Explained Mikaela, holding her sister's arm. 

"And just one sip was enough to leave her like that?"

"Apparently so. Tell me, what did you find out about the stone?" "We'll have to go back to the emperor and ask for a ship; troops too... if possible. Not today. It's late and... Fiorella is out of it, but I'll go to Menetuf again tomorrow." 

"I thought we were going to sleep in the castle, since the governor and the emperor are your brothers." Odilon spoke. 

"I believe this inn is very good for us to spend the night. The owner of the establishment is a friend of mine and allowed us to stay here free of charge. Frella, Mikae and I will sleep in one room. Odilon, you will stay in a separate one."

Everyone went up to their rooms. Mikaela continued to support Frella, who was staggering around and saying nonsense words. 

...

The icy wind shook Adanhael's long, straight black hair. The general of the ice giants was standing on the balcony of Fort Kazhir, the capital of Mist, the country where the giants lived.

He pressed his helmet between his hip and his right arm. His left hand held his majestic sceptre, the tip of which had a sphere of blue energy that glowed constantly. 

Adanhael watched Eiron prepare the soldiers in the main courtyard of the fortress.

"I see you have ordered the preparation of troops." Said Bantar entering the hall.

"My king!" Adanhael knelt down. "How nice that you have come out of your isolation." 

"Stand up general." The king's red cape swayed due to the wind. "I have decided that we must act. Have you managed to find out what the sorceress is doing?" 

"She is accompanied by two other young women, in addition to the prince who was already with her. They went to Aurora. Yavel talked with the emperor, then met with his followers at an inn and talked with an old man." 

"And what was the tenor of those meetings?" Bantar looked at the formation of soldiers intently with his hands joined behind him. 

"I don't know sir. The sorceress used a blocking spell in both the meeting with the emperor and the conversation with the man at the bar."

"What are you up to Yavel?" thought the king, "Should we be worried about this? No. It's probably just another ridiculous thing. Did I close the door to my room? I'd better go check it out." 

Find out what Yavel's plans are." 

"As you wish, my king." 

Bantar walked toward the door, his steps were steady, but his mind was extremely troubled by something he saw in the courtyard seconds ago.

"Adanhael." The king turned facing the general once again. 

"Yes."

"Warn Eiron that the seventh soldier in the third row is three steps out of formation."  

"I will warn him immediately, your majesty."

Adanhael put on his helmet and disappeared in a flash of blue light.