All the knights of the FIDELIUS group then followed the informant linked to Bonnofal, being guided to the "Great Passage", the entrance to the Meclithic Valley. The trip lasted about 3 hours, including a stop to replenish water in their canteens.

When they arrived, they felt the dust of the valley beneath their feet and the dry air on their skin. They stood at the entrance to the Meclithic Valley, a vast battlefield covered with bodies of soldiers and knights who fought tirelessly for a futile purpose.

The sounds of battle echoed from every corner, intimidating those who were a little anxious. However, Leslie reinforced his thoughts, and they decided to move forward.

"Folks! I present to you the Meclithic Valley, a testimony to the sacrifices made in this senseless war. But we have a mission to accomplish."

This marked the limit beyond which the informant could not accompany them. Leslie requested their return to a safe point.

“Leslie, this is where I say goodbye to you.” – said Owl, the informant.

“Please don’t die.”

“Okay, you did good, Owl…” – replied Leslie.

After a considerable time had passed since the informant's departure, Leslie once again communicated the risks to the knights.

They decided to continue and, once again, swore oaths with their swords.

"Stay alert, everyone. Our path may be treacherous, but we march with purpose."

“Remember what I said, know how to choose your fights, avoid any types of unnecessary battles.”

"Right-!" – They exclaimed together, in unison.

                                                    plays: "The War on the Meclithic Valley & Sandwhale"

The group divided into two teams of six; Rudra led Alyfir, Bart'Olimios, Connor, Edgar and Humbert, while Leslie led Edmond, Caspian, Lloyd, Augustus and Gael.

The battle had begun. On one side, many soldiers, shooters and infantry faced each other, while on the other, knights stood at the front line and sorcerers cast powerful spells.

“This is where we will split, Rudra–!” – Leslie announced.

“Okay… I’ll take care of mine.” – replied Rudra.

Thus, the two halves dispersed to their sides. Leslie and his group faced their first encounter, while Rudra and his team continued on horseback. Galèsian infantry soldiers emerged to challenge Rudra's group. The conflict unfolded, and under Rudra's experienced guidance, the knights fared well.

"Do you miss the battlefield, Rudra?" asked Alyfir as they advanced, avoiding collisions.

"I certainly didn't want to be back."

They continued fighting, and as they advanced, Connor was hit in the arm with an arrow.

“Connor–!” shouted Alyfir.

Bart'Olimios retaliated, killing a Galèsian archer with his bow and arrow. Despite the injury, Connor assured that it was nothing.

"Just a scratch..! I'm fine."

Rudra reassigned his position with Bart, requesting him for a sudden role while they rode.

“Bart, I need you to be our shooter.”, Rudra declared.

“W-W-W-What!?” – shouted Bart.

“Eliminate every sniper that gets in our way, on both sides.”

Bart swallowed hard, but accepted the task set by his team, and so they continued, with Bart eliminating every shooter who intended to shoot his teammates.

“That’s it, Bart–!” – Humbert exclaimed.

“...They are doing a great job, I think we can speed it up…” – Rudra asked in his thoughts.

"Knights-! Advance with me!” – announced Rudra.

Observing from afar, Leslie saw that Rudra's group was handling the situation well. The knights continued their journey, trying to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

“Great… They’re in good hands…” – said Leslie.

“Let’s move forward too, Boys–!” – Leslie exclaimed to his group.

Both sides advanced triumphantly, avoiding fights and eliminating obstacles in the way when necessary. However, the further they advanced, the more soldiers gathered, preventing express passage on horseback. As they rode, more Galèsian soldiers appeared, and FIDELIUS soon found themselves trapped, surrounded by limited options.

"Damn it! Everyone, get your swords!"

The knights on both sides found themselves surrounded by Galèsians, with no chance of getting out of the situation alive. Rudra looked at Leslie, waiting for a decision, be it strategic or irrational.

“It seems like everything went out of plan…” – said Leslie, disappointed.

"Captain?" – asked Rudra.

“...” – Leslie remains silent, as she notices many armed Galèsian soldiers around him.

“I don’t see any other option… We’re going to have to fight–!”, soon, Leslie was interrupted by a voice.

Suddenly, Bart starts to stutter in fear, looking up:

“Gg-guys..! Look that!"

Everyone had their attention focused on a colossal figure. “Dunessa Amitae*”, a Dune Whale and an “Arreto Nortuas*”, a Dune Stingray emerged from the sands, levitating all types of debris hidden beneath the sands, in addition to spreading large waves of sand.

The knights were left unbalanced due to the fall and impact of those colossal beasts. Debris buried in the sands was also suspended in the air, with a chance of hitting one of them.

The knights, who were close to the stingray, realized that it was going to rise into the air and, to get rid of the huge wave of sand, they had to avoid the seismic activities generated by the clash of the colossal monsters that collided with the ground.

Many soldiers on both sides were buried by the sand, or even crushed by the rocks that emerged from the ground. The knights of the FIDELIUS group rode in anomalous directions, with no escape route.

"Now What? How are we going to get out of here?", exclaimed Connor.

Leslie observes the few opportunities around him, and with no choice, she announces to his companions:

“Knights, we will have to cross this Valley.”

"How it is!?" – exclaimed Alyfir.

“How do you expect us to cross this chaotic valley with these monsters throwing sand and rocks everywhere!?” – asked Edmond, highlighting the adversities that were along the way.

“W–We’re going to die here!” – Bart shouted, in panic.

Leslie directs his horse towards the eye of the storm, and says:

“Whoever wants to follow me and die an honorable death, come–! But those who want to stay to die in a shameful way, feel free.”

Leslie's words took over the rational minds of the knights present, making them make a risky decision. Rudra directed his horse, as did Leslie.

“What are the orders?” – asked Rudra.

"What-! Are you crazy, Rudra!?” – exclaimed Gael.

“If any of you have a better option for survival, step forward.” – replied Rudra, leaving the rest of the group in silence.

“*Huff…* He’s our leader at the end of the day.” – Edgar sighed.

So, one by one, the knights directed their mounts into the eye of the storm. Leslie gave instructions on how they would get through the chaos that lay ahead.

“Here’s the thing, we will always move forward, avoiding as many projectiles in the air as possible.”

“If any of you have to dodge something nearby, do so.”

And so they left. Waves of sand, large rocks and heavy debris, in addition to the presence of colossal giants fighting. The knights followed in groups, the same ones formed previously so that they could continue to the crossing point, the forest beyond the valley.

“Rudra–! There are many rocks in our path!” – exclaimed Edgar.

“Just stay moving! Only deviate when necessary!” – replied Rudra, to the group he was responsible for.

And it happened that, due to the large amounts of shocks between the giants and the ground, some horses remained agitated. Alyfir losing control of his mount, causing him to fall to the ground.

“Arghhh–!” Alyfir shouted.

“Alyfir!” – exclaimed Humbert.

Soon, Rudra ordered his group to continue following the path, while Rudra returned to look for his companion exposed in the dangerous field.

Alyfir, a little dizzy from the fall, looked up and saw a giant piece of debris heading towards him and despaired. Rudra with his horse drew Alyfir's attention to himself.

“Alyfir–! Hold my hand!"

Alyfir turned his gaze towards the approaching Rudra, and with his strong arm, Rudra managed to grab him, sharing his horse with the knight Alyfir.

"Oh I’m––! I’m alive…” – sighed Alyfir, frightened by what he had witnessed.

“It’s not over yet, we have to reunite with the rest of the group.” – replied Rudra.

Leslie's group also found themselves in trouble due to the creatures' proximity to them. Due to the monsters' collision with the ground, cracks opened in the ground, creating fissures in the ground.

“The ground is opening up–!” – Edmond warned.

"Let's go–! We’re not far from the border!” – replied Caspian

Avoiding the cracks that opened, the FIDELIUS found themselves on the path, and close to the border between the Valley and the Dense Forest, but a large crack had opened in the path of the border.

“A big crack! On the way!" – announced Rudra.

“We’re going to have to jump our horses!” – Leslie replied.

The main idea would be for the knights to jump the gorge due to the weight and propulsion. Rudra's horse weighed twice as much because of Alyfir, and it would be almost unlikely that both of them would make it out of that situation alive. Then, Rudra takes a hooked rope from his bag.

"Hey! Hey! Hey–! What are you doing!?" – exclaimed Alyfir

Leslie looks at Rudra, asking about his actions:

"Are you sure about that?"

“Everyone has a moment of redemption… right?”

Rudra's words to Leslie made him think. Soon Leslie laughed heartily and said:

“You guys are really going to surprise me–!”

Arriving at the boundary, blocked by a large crevasse, the knights prepare to perform a long jump with their horses.

“Ready–?!” – Leslie exclaimed.

"Yes-!" everyone responded.

So, one by one, the knights jumped and crossed straight, very close to the edge. The last ones to cross were Alyfir and Rudra.

“What are you going to do!?” asked Alyfir, panicked.

“Alyfir, you will have to cross alone, I will cross with this rope, holding onto the rock in front.”

Rudra was standing on top of the horse, balancing himself with his arm on Alyfir's shoulder, and preparing to jump at the right moment.

“Ruuuudraa–!” – exclaimed Alyfir, expressing his anxiety about the abyss that was in front of him.

"Not yet." – replied Rudra, who was waiting for the right moment to jump.

The crevasse was ahead, and Rudra soon jumped off his horse, leaving only Alyfir to cross.

In free fall, Rudra threw the hooked rope onto a rock on the other side. Alyfir had successfully managed to pass through the great crevasse, and Rudra, with his rope, was suspended in the air, just waiting for his companions to pull him up.

“Rudra–! Are you well-?!" – exclaimed Edgar.

“Y–Yes!” – replied Rudra.

Leslie and the other knights were relieved by Rudra and Alyfir's worrying crossing, and soon rushed to pull Rudra up. With the successful crossing, Leslie and the FIDELIUS turned back, looking at the disaster that was the Valley.

“That– was… insane.” – said Humbert, perplexed by what he had witnessed.

“Expect more of this from now on.” – Leslie highlighted, announcing to his companions the imminent risks of the trip.

Leaving the chaos caused by the creatures behind, Leslie and his FIDELIUS group continued with their horses to their next destination, to the Dense Forest, the path after the Meclithic Valley.

GLOSSARY:

Dunessa Amitae: Dune Whales, colossal beings that roam the sands and feed on desert creatures. They are most active in Veros and Carmina (seasons that represent the summer season).

Arreto Nortuas: Sand Stingrays, are colossal beings, which, like their enemies Whales, roam the desert sands.