“
After being dropped to the ground by the gigantic black bird a few dozen kilometres south of Zu-Galam, Pü's first impulse was to return there. As much to kill the blue-orange kitin as to challenge the authority of the Black Kami. However, he didn't need to hear the Voice to understand the absurdity of his desire. The divine creature was keeping an eye on him, wherever he happened to be. If she had decided that reaching Zu-Galam was too dangerous, then he had to accept it. Having spent three years following its teachings, Pu knew that it was not an entity open to dialogue. Until now, she had only been able to issue directives via the Voice or answer very specific questions. Attempting to return to Zu-Galam would have meant condemning himself to an endless repetition of his failure and would have underlined still more his servitude. Once again on his own, he undertook to travel south-east towards Taï-Toon, the last major urban area of the country that he had not visited. The expedition gave him the opportunity to apologise to the Voice, whom he had unjustly blamed for his abduction by the black bird. He also recognised that attempting to fight the army of kitins alone or to infiltrate Zu-Galam was an extremely risky operation, which would probably have proved fatal. To get to Taï-Toon, Pü followed the route of the Great Wall which separated the Lake of Temples from the Purple Marshes, and which played an essential role in this area against the advance of the Goo emanating from the southern jungles, which were still largely unexplored.The Goo was a mysterious substance, often perceived as pollution or disease, which manifested itself as a mauve substance, gelatinous, shiny and translucent. Its incessant growth and its ability to infect and destroy all forms of organic matter led some scholars to consider it a living entity with an insatiable appetite. As guardians of nature, the Kamis saw the Goo as a terrible curse. All the more so because, of all the creatures of Atys, they were the most vulnerable to its harmful effects. As a result, they relied heavily on the help of homins to limit its spread. Some historians have argued that the Kamis' preference for the Zorais, illustrated by their masks, can be explained by the origin of these people, who were born in the jungles of Atys, thus on the front line in facing the plague. In contrast, the Karavan agents and their followers Matis, known for their expertise in alchemy and poisons, were taking a close interest in this enigmatic material for its potentially exploitable properties… particularly against the Kamis. At least, that's what Pü's mother had taught him. During his childhood, his father was relentlessly hunting down Karavan agents operating in the Purple Marshes. He only gave up this dangerous quest when his wife, after he had had a brush with death during one of these hunts, convinced him of the unnecessary risks it involved. It would have been tragic to lose his life before passing the torch to his sons and before the opening of the Sacred War, event that would mark the ineluctable twilight of the Karavan.
While walking along the southern shore of Temples Lake, Pü realised that a few groups of survivors had settled on the islands scattered across the vast stretch of water. The kitins, and especially the famous patrols of green and white insects with spiked abdomens, were poor swimmers and posed no direct threat to the islanders, who only had to contend with the attacks of the fire-breathing dragonflies, which were already perilous enough. However, Pü knew that the apparent safety was deceptive. He had already seen flying kitins transporting walking kitins to places otherwise inaccessible to the latter, and therefore knew that, without adequate precautions, the islands could easily be overrun. Such was the message he tried to convey after finding a boat to the islands closest to the shore. The islanders told him that kitin incursions were rare and that his presence was not welcome, refusing any further discussion. However, against all expectations, one survivor was more open and, after a brief discussion, advised Pü not to go to Taï-Toon: she claimed that a powerful sorcerer from a neighbouring island had threatened anyone who might attempt to venture there. However, like the other survivors, Pü's presence was worrying her: his black mask was invariably seen, at best, as an ominous sign.
Despite the disappointment of yet another refusal, which further undermined his aspiration to become a saviour, Pü had to admit that this part of Zoraï country did indeed seem less infested with kitins than the other regions he had crossed. As he returned to the shore, then climbed the Great Wall for a closer look at the southern jungles, now turned into shapeless swamps by the Goo that was voraciously decomposing the flora and fauna, he realised why: the kitins themselves must have feared the destructive substance. He was also surprised to note that, three years after the fall of the Theocracy and Zorai civilisation, the wall was still acting as a magnetic barrier, preventing the Goo from advancing further north. But he knew that this was only provisional. Sooner or later, the ambers used as repellents would lose their electrostatic properties. Unless they could be replaced, this would condemn what was once the beating heart of Zoraï country to an inevitable contamination by the Goo. The only recourse then would be to use fire to try and halt its progress. And not a magical fire produced by a homin, whose burning capacity would have been finely controlled, but the wild and devastating fire, the result of a chain reaction of uncontrollable fires, capable of reaching unimaginable temperatures.
Thanks to the reduced kitin presence at the edge of the Purple Marshes, Pü eventually reached Taï-Toon more quickly than he had needed time to reach Zu-Galam from the Eternal Garden. In daylight, this city, which he had already approached in his youth, appeared to him to be a reduced version of Zoran: it stood at the centre of a circular enclosure, built along a stretch of water, and was structured around a main building. At Zoran, built on the shores of the Lake of Temples, it was the Zo'laï-gong, the most important Kamist temple in the country, that reigned over the heart of the city. In Taï-Toon, built on the shores of the Lake of Knowledge, the Zo'sok-gong, which housed the Great Zoraï Library, held this central position. Originally located in Zoran, this emblematic library had been rebuilt in Taï-Toon after the siege and bombardment of the Fyros armies in 2328 destroyed almost all Zoraï knowledge. Until then, this knowledge had been recorded on mektoub skin parchments, a medium whose fragility had proved problematic. The reconstruction was therefore also an opportunity for the Council of Sages to reconsider the methods of preserving written knowledge. The solution emerged from a competition organised by the Theocracy to develop a more perennial mean of preservation. The competition was won by the famous Hari Daïsha, thanks to his visionary invention: the first concept of the amber cube. This revolutionary system made it possible not only to store and freeze material objects, but also to preserve intangible thoughts. By reimagining the way in which his people's knowledge would be preserved, Hari Daïsha sowed the seeds of a new era, in which the whole of humanity would be able to access a mode of transmission that went beyond the written or spoken word to touch directly on thought itself. Every Zorai, whatever their beliefs, took immense pride in this.
This is why, unlike the Zo'laï-gong, a monument erected to the glory of Jena whose demolition Pü had welcomed after his exploration of Zoran three years earlier, he was fervently hoping that the knowledge preserved at the heart of the Zo'sok-gong had escaped the havoc. In a hurry, but remembering the warning from the island's Zoraï, he entered Taï-Toon with calculated discretion, taking care not to attract attention. If he truly did exist, the ‘powerful sorcerer’ she had told him about might be dangerous. As expected, like Zoran, the city had been the target of Karavan bombardments three years earlier, in order to eliminate the swarm of kitins. The damages were clearly visible: ancient carcass remains littered the craters scattered around the perimeter and breaches teared the city's circular wall. In the centre of the city, the Zo'sok-gong, smaller than Zoran's Zo'lai-Gong but similar in its square-based pyramidal structure, was also partly destroyed. Fortunately, only the surface appeared to have been affected. Once inside the enclosure, Pü noticed a Zorai on guard duty, nonchalantly leaning against the railing of a tower that was still untouched. The guard wasn't paying much attention, given the ease with which Pü had escaped his vigilance. As he did not wish to create a diplomatic incident, Pü climbed the tower ladder to introduce himself to him. Finally noticing his presence, the guard, more surprised than anything else, unsheathed a sword.
- "Who the heck are you? You've no business here! Taï-Toon is off-limits!"
- "I don't come to you as an enemy, Pü replied calmly, raising his hands as a sign of peace. I've just heard that a mighty sorcerer has forbidden entry to Taï-Toon. Do you know him? I'd like to meet him."
- "That's impossible! Leave immediately! threatened the homin, taking a step forward and raising his weapon."
Pü sighed and examined him for a few moments. Athletic body, good grip on the sword, but an arm that was barely bubbling with Sap, not enough to significantly increase the strength of its blows. Clearly, this was not the sorcerer he had been told about, even if his reaction confirmed the existence of such a one. He was undoubtedly a simple soldier in his service, probably a survivor from the regular guard of the Theocracy or of some tribe. His obvious lack of mastery in the art of manipulating Sap made him little of a menace.
- "I do not wish to harm anyone. Neither him nor you, said Pü, calmly moving forward, his hands still raised. Just tell me where he can be found."
Pü's stance and the confidence it exuded made the Zorai back off, and he glanced furtively towards the centre of the city, unwittingly betraying his master's location. Realising his mistake, he let out an insult before pouncing on the intruder. Pü easily dodged the desperate attack and, in one fluid movement, delivered a precise uppercut against his chin. While a first-rank soldier would have succeed to use the powers of the Sap to absorb the blow, the novice guard collapsed instantly to the ground. Without missing a beat, Pü quickly bound and gagged him. Given the blow he had just received, the guard would need some time to regain consciousness and, even if he managed to wake up quickly, it would still require some time for him to free himself. This gave Pü plenty of time to infiltrate the pyramid without triggering the general alarm. As he was about to climb down the tower, however, something caught his eye. The guard's sword. Very well-crafted indeed, it would be a perfect replacement for his own, lost a few weeks earlier when he was abducted by the black bird. Without hesitation, he grabbed it before discreetly slipping away.
Pü had no trouble infiltrating the Zo'sok-gong, easily avoiding or quietly knocking out the few guards he came across. Although he initially found it difficult to find his way through the pyramid's maze of dark, narrow corridors, he nevertheless enjoyed getting lost in this labyrinth, which at times reminded him of the interlacing hollow roots of the family stump. Once inside the immense library, Pü proceeded cautiously along the vast aisles, carefully observing the signs of a recent homin presence. Some of the shelves had been emptied of their contents, suggesting some theft. In places, the floor was strewn with amber cubes, while several shelves had been knocked over, contributing to the chaotic appearance of the place. The intact ceiling and walls indicated that this damage was not the result of Karavan bombardments, but rather the product of battle scenes or vandalism. Along the way, Pu came across the desiccated carapaces of small kitins and the emaciated skeletons of a few Zoraïs, silent witnesses to the violent events that had once shaken this place.
When he finally arrived in front of the most private section of the library, where in the past only the most eminent sages of the Theocracy were admitted, Pü heard a voice. He discreetly entered the room, which was barely lit by a few firefly lanterns, and then hid behind a shelf. Observing the scene, he had to use his new senses to realise that what he was watching was not an imposing animal, unrecognisable in the half-light, but indeed a Zoraï. While Pü was around two metres tall, a relatively common height for Zoraïs born male, the homin he was observing must have been around two metres thirty, an abnormal height. Or rather two metres fifty. He was actually hunchbacked and struggled to stand perfectly upright. His height was simply inordinate. And yet that was the least strange thing about his massive, irregularly swollen and bloated body. Only his mask, small in proportion to his massive body, immaculately white and devoid of horns, offered a touch of harmony to his otherwise misshapen appearance.
- "Load these ones."
The voice came not from the hunchback, but from a crouching Zorai who, straightening up, grabbed one of the amber cubes piled up at his feet. Standing at around two metres ten and dressed in a beautiful, albeit worn, violet robe, the hominin revealed arms that were surprisingly slim, nay scrawny. However, what really caught Pü's attention was his mask. Perfectly symmetrical and adorned with green ideograms, it was crowned by a series of long horns rising from the temples to the forehead, giving the whole an almost regal allure. This imposing mask, which seemed almost out of proportion to the thinness of its wearer, reminded Pü of Grandmother Bä-Bä, even though the individual was only in his thirties. While it was generally assumed that the mask revealed the wearer's soul and intimate link with the Kamis, some also believed that its size could indicate its potential. Pü looked at his own mask, which was larger than average, and then realised that he had found the famous sorcerer he was looking for. The latter was staring silently at the amber cube he was holding with both hands, while the giant was busy loading the other cubes from the designated pile into a large cart that was already half-full. Suddenly, the Zorai's mask swivelled towards the shelf behind which Pü was hidden. It raised its free hand towards him. A threatening hand.
- "I see you, thief. Come out."
At these words, Pü instantly realised that the sorcerer had not spotted him visually, but through the same sense that allowed him to perceive the network of Sap that irrigated Atys. The island's Zoraï had definitely not lied: this individual was definitely powerful. Undaunted, the Zorai emerged from his hiding place and stepped forward, scouring the shadows until the light of the lanterns fully illuminated his mask. The sorcerer let out a small giggle at the sight.
- "Oh, but you're not a thief! Or rather, not just any thief. Sang Fu-Tao the Black Mask, first among the Black Warriors of Ma-Duk, father of the prophetic Sacred Warrior. Your survival does not surprise me. I must say…"
Surprised, Pü let the sorcerer speak, while the hunchback, indifferent to his presence, busied himself collecting the amber cubes his master had pointed out to him. Like Zunak, the antekami leader he had met in Zoran three years ago, this Zorai also knew his family. Was he, like the Antekami, an ancient adversary of his father?
- "… for at the end of the world, only the Provided and the Appointed remain.
- "I'm not Sang. I'm his son, replied Pü, once the sorcerer had completed his monologue.
- "His eldest? So the prophecy has come true. The Sacred Warrior is on the march. It's true that your constitution is… singular." he said, scrutinising Pü from mask to toe.
Pü didn't have the heart to tell him that, as Zunak had done before him, the sorcerer mistook him for Niï. He preferred to concentrate on his tone and attitude, wondering whether there was any mocking intent behind his words. Not being very good at detecting innuendo, he couldn't say for sure. What he was sure of, however, was that this individual liked to listen to himself talking. In the absence of any response from Pü, he continued.
- "If you survived, I hope the same is true of your mother and Bä-Bä."
While it was possible this individual had been making fun of him until now, that was not the case this time. Pü could read the sincerity in his eyes and hear the concern in his voice. More eager than ever to discover his identity, Pü decided to open up to him and took a few steps forward.
- "Unfortunately, that's not the case. Grandma Bä-Bä and my mother are dead, as is every member of my tribe. We managed to repel the first wave of kitins in a fierce battle, but the second was fatal. By a sad twist of fate, I'm the only survivor. Tell me, who are you? You seem to know my tribe well.
- "Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. I do indeed know your tribe and its customs, as I know all tribes which once populated the jungle, to tell the truth. I'm very interested in such things. I met your mother on several occasions in Zoran, when she represented your tribe as a diplomat. As for the honourable Bä-Bä, I met her, always in the company of your mother, at exceptional councils aimed at understanding and defeating Goo, bringing together all the country's scholars, including the most marginal."
The sorcerer's eyes, which had been staring at him until then, turned towards the amber cube he still held in his hand. Pü didn't know if he had deliberately omitted to reveal his identity, or if he was absorbed in his thoughts. What was certain, however, was that these were tinged with dark resentment, as the long diatribe he launched into soon showed.
- "‘At least you can take comfort in knowing that your tribe left with courage and honour, unlike Zoran's sages and bureaucrats, who trampled on their people in order to secure their place in the Karavan transporters. I hope they were chased as they fled, and that their vehicles crashed in the dark, unexplored areas bordering Atys! As for the Kamis, after spending almost three centuries telling us that we were their chosen people, none of them showed up when we really needed them, leaving the Karavan, whom they taught us to hate so much, to save the most cowardly and privileged among us…"
While the sorcerer continued to express his resentment, his hands pressed the cube with increasing intensity. Pü understood this rancour. He too had felt a deep bitterness, not towards the Theocracy, which his upbringing had conditioned him never to esteem, but towards the Kamis, despite the explanations the Black Kami had given him about their inaction during the invasion. Waiting for his interlocutor to finish his new monologue, so that he could ask him his identity again, Pü stared at the cube in silence. He wondered if the sorcerer's fingernails, which seemed to be digging into the amber, could alter the ideograms inscribed. Squinting reflexively, he managed to decipher what was inscribed, despite the gloom: “Treatise on the mutagenic powers of the Goo. By Fung-Tun”. Pü, who understood instantly that the amber cube contained dangerous knowledge, remembered that he was in the most private section of the library. And as Pü glanced at the cube on top of the stack carried by the hunchback, trying to get an idea of its contents, the sorcerer suddenly interrupted his diatribe and took three steps backwards.
- "He... He's with you?"
It took Pü a good five seconds to grasp what the sorcerer was referring to. When he turned round, he was startled to discover the Black Kami levitating behind his shoulder.
- "Yes, he's with me," Pü replied thoughtlessly.
It was the first time he was seeing the Black Kami since the incident at Zu-Galam, and that filled his mind with confused thoughts. He was still furious at him.
- "That's… That's as if it came out of you! Is that why you have this dense flow of Sap running inside you? Who are you for real and what do you want? You've come to take him away from me, haven't you? I'll never let you do that! It's mine! shouted the sorcerer, taking a few more steps backwards.
- "No, no, I haven't come to steal from you, nor to hurt you, I just wish to have a conversation!"
As if to contradict him, the Kami raised one of his small hands and pointed a glittering claw at the sorcerer. Pü's body froze at the sight of his white eyes, filled with terrifying anger. Not since the day he had freed the Kami of the Antekamis, and the latter had slaughtered his abductors, had he seen him in such a condition. Did he know this Zoraï? Why did he want to hurt him? But now was not the time for questions. Pü felt the spiritual particles that made up his being resonate with those of the divine creature. All around him, the whole room began to vibrate. Still disturbed by its sudden apparition, he reacted later than the sorcerer, who, after a moment's fright, had pulled himself together with fierce determination.
- "Zu-Gon, get him alive!"
Responding to his orders, the hunchback leapt at Pü with surprising agility for a creature of his size. At the same time, the sorcerer dropped the amber cube and, without using any amplifying gloves, incanted a bolt of lightning of phenomenal power which shot towards the Kami, crashing against his claw just as a burst of light shot out of it. The force of the impact, and the fact that the sorcerer didn't flinch, made Pü realise that this one was in a much higher category than his own as a practitioner of magic. He was clearly as experienced as his mother had been, even though he was closer to the age his brother should have reached. Unbalanced by the wave of energy, Pü was unable to completely dodge the giant's assault, who managed to grab his arm with his larger hand. The pressure of the grip confirmed that the hunchback's brute strength was just as exceptional as his size, and Pü realised that he wouldn't be able to loosen its grip. Seeing that his opponent, once having managed to catch him as his master had asked, remained motionless, Pü unsheathed the sword he had stolen from the guard with his free hand and slashed the giant's arm. But, apparently unaffected by the pain, the giant did not react and did not let go. Meanwhile, the sorcerer maintained his lightning strike against the Kami, who contained his assault with the tip of his claw. Despite the power it wielded, the divine creature, whose eyes were still filled with anger, seemed barely affected. It began to levitate slowly towards its target, implacable despite the power of the lightning. Fearing for the sorcerer's life, and although he had not initially intended to hurt anyone, Pü barely hesitated before slicing off the giant's forearm, promising himself to heal him once the crisis had eased. When the huge limb fell to the ground, its owner barely reacted and tried to catch Pü with his stump. But the Zorai had already rushed towards the Kami, determined to stop him. Remembering that when he had been kidnapped by the black bird, driven by anger, he had felt able to penetrate its mind and control it by gripping its talon, he put his hand on his fur.
- "Cease at once! I order you!"
Pü felt the Kami flicker, but unlike last time, no intense heat repelled him. The divine creature deflected the sorcerer's lightning bolt with a sudden gesture, throwing him backwards, and the electric bolt went on to slice a bookcase in half. Then it floated to the ground. It floated to the ground and sank into it, slowly, as if it had no consistency, until it finally disappeared. Pü rushed towards the sorcerer to help him up, but he was quicker and, still wary, held up his hands, probably ready to incant another bolt of lightning.
- "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into him,' says Pü, raising his hands to soothe the situation. I've met other homins over the last few weeks, and this is the first time he reacts like this. In fact, he'd never shown himself to anyone but me before today. Maybe he thought my life was in real danger. Or maybe…"
Pü crouched down and picked up the amber cube that the sorcerer had been holding just a few moments earlier.
- "Perhaps it wasn't meant for you, but for this. This knowledge is dangerous and abhorred by the Kamis… After all, it became visible the moment I read the inscription on it. Perhaps he sees through my eyes.
- "He… He can see through your eyes? protested the sorcerer. But by Jena, who are you really! You commanded this Kami and you speak of him as if he were a mere protective animal.
- "I've already told you who I am. I, on the other hand, still don't know who you are.’
Again deciding not to answer, the sorcerer lowered his hands and called out to the one named Zu-Gon. The imposing Zoraï stepped forward, holding his severed limb in his good hand, and it was with formidable magical dexterity that his master grafted it onto his stump. Still silent, the hunchback moved his fingers and observed his hand as if discovering it for the first time.
- "Before answering, I must make sure that you are not here to steal from me. Why did you go to the trouble of eliminating all my guards to get into this library? he finally asked.
- "I didn't kill any of them. I just knocked a few out. And again, I have no intention of robbing you. I set out on a journey a few weeks ago, with the aim of gathering the survivors of Atys and offering them my protection. I was recently informed that a powerful sorcerer had forbidden access to Taï-Toon. I simply wanted to find out who had taken control of this city, as the Antikamis did with Zoran.
- "Don't compare me to those barbarians, spat the sorcerer, holding out his hand for Pü to return him the amber cube. I've ordered my guards to watch the entrances precisely to prevent the city, and especially this library, from being ransacked by ignorant or dangerous individuals. This knowledge must not fall into just any hands.
- "And what makes you more qualified than anyone else to handle this knowledge? replied Pü, pulling his hand back. I still don't know who you are."
The sorcerer stared at Pü with palpable intensity, as if carefully weighing up his answer, scrutinising every detail of his mask. Silence fell, heavy with meaning, before he finally spoke, in a deep, measured voice. Only four words were spoken, as if to clarify everything.
- "I'm Marung Horongi."
And indeed, that was enough to explain a lot. Among the handful of famous contemporary magicians that Pü had heard about from his mother, and whom he had considered might be the famous sorcerer, Marung Horongi stood out. The most promising disciple of the Grand Sage Min-Cho, he was seen by some as the most worthy of those who could succeed him and lead the Theocracy on his death, although tradition favoured Hoi-Cho, Min-Cho's descendant. The story also goes that Marung Horongi received his kinship mask at the age of six, an extraordinary feat. Pü, whose mask had only grown when he was ten - an age already considered exceptional - found it hard to believe when his mother first told him. A few seconds passed before he finally handed him the amber cube.
- "I'm not really surprised, I've heard all about you. Even so, I think you should be wary of this dangerous knowledge.
- "This dangerous knowledge, as you call it, is in good hands,’ replied the sorcerer, grabbing the amber cube quickly, as if he feared Pü might change his mind. It's in good hands because I understand its power and its implications.
- "You wouldn't be the first to say that and to…"
The conversation was abruptly interrupted by a small, trembling voice from a neighbouring room. Pü turned round and saw a Zorai barely five years old emerge from the gloom, walking swiftly, betraying the fear inside him. Instinctively, Marung stretched out his arms in Pü's direction, ready to act at the slightest sign of a threat.
- "Ma… Marung? Are you all right? There was a noise…"
On seeing Pü, the child stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes riveted on the large black mask. Pü could immediately see the fear on the child's face. A face still devoid of mask. At that moment, it was impossible to say which of the two was more confused by the other. Pü had not seen a child for several years, and the boy's innocent face, imbued with a gentleness he had almost forgotten, overwhelmed him. His wide black eyes, filled with fear, were set above a slightly upturned nose and round cheeks that still betrayed all the frailty of childhood. Instantly, Pü was overcome with emotion and felt tears welling up in his eyes. This naked face, pure and vulnerable, contrasted cruelly with the horror that had reigned over Atys since the kitin invasion. It was like a fragment of another time, a vision of a bygone life. A life where children hunted fireflies and swung from vine to vine in the family stump, just as he himself had done, before his games gave way to endless martial training. A life without the pain of having had to collect the seeds of life from the twenty-seven children of his tribe, slaughtered by the kitins, to carry out the funeral rite he had forced himself to organise, alone. Desperately alone. Pü lowered his head and ran his fingers along the eye slits of his mask.
- "Everything's fine, don't worry, said Marung, beckoning the child to join him, seeing that no Kami had emerged from the darkness. It was nothing, just a misunderstanding."
The sorcerer bent down and hugged the young Zoraï, offering him a comforting protection that contrasted with the image Pü had formed of him.
- "Who is he? the boy asked, pointing at Pü, his curiosity gradually overcoming his anxiety.
- "Just a visitor. He's an Appointed, just like the two of us. Do you remember what I told you about the Provided and the Appointed?
- "Yes, I remember. In the new world, there are two kinds of people. Those who are lucky, and those who have to do great things."
Marung nodded silently and stood up. Realising Pü's emotion, he preferred not to start again and ordered Xe-Qe to resume his loading work. The child remained motionless, staring at Pü's mask.
- "I'm called Pü, he finally said, once he'd recovered from his emotions. And what's your name?
- "Nung Horongi. I'm Marung's brother."
Disturbed by the apparent age difference, Pü glanced questioningly at the sorcerer, who caught the silent question.
- "We don't share the same blood. I adopted him three years ago, he said, placing a hand on the child's shoulder, squeezing it just enough for the gesture, which was supposed to be protective, to take on a possessive, almost oppressive quality. When I found him, he was floating in the air above his village, which the Kitins had reduced to ashes. Fabulous, isn't it? It was for him that I feared you or your Kami had come here. Nung is my treasure, isn't he, Nung?"
At these words, a radiant smile lit up the child's face, striking Pü right in the heart and reawakening an emotion he had only just managed to contain.
- "Yes! I am Marung's treasure!"
Treasure. That was how his mother used to call him when he was a child. Pü, who had never imagined himself as a big brother, and even less as a father, surprised himself for the first time by imagining himself responsible for a child. And this idea sparked hope in his heart. Yes, that was what he wanted. Not specifically to become a father, but to dedicate his life to the protection of innocent beings, far from the darkness and the fractures that haunted him. To escape the pain of past losses, the memories of the atrocities that the grip of tradition had made him commit as a child, and those he seemed destined to perpetrate. To erase himself and find new meaning for his life.
He too wanted to have a treasure to protect.
— Bélénor Nébius, narrator