They advanced together with his creature, while the young mage cast anxious glances at the threatening darkness surrounding him. The boy had the uneasy feeling that something was watching him, and he thought he had seen two gleaming eyes within the shadows.
Before he could fully process the thought, a beast suddenly leapt from the darkness—exactly the creature he had imagined.
It was a dangerous monster known in the language of the elves as Tholis. A bloodthirsty demon in the form of a werewolf.
Etydameas's spirit Imari, being a fire creature, held an elemental advantage against the demon Tholis. However, the difference in power between them was immense, and ultimately the savage wolf prevailed, killing the young mage's beast.
The ferocious Tholis lunged at Etydameas, but the boy reacted just in time, casting the spell Batra and trapping the monster inside a deep magical pit, leaving it unable to attack him.
Thus the young mage continued forward through the dark mist.
Etydameas began to fear that the strange darkness covering the land had been created by some demonic enemy. Once again, before he could even complete his thought, a shadowy figure attacked him from within the gloom.
But Etydameas remained alert and managed to block the curse with Protekto, shouting for the hidden figure to reveal itself.
And indeed, the dark mist slowly began to dissolve, and from within emerged a woman. She declared herself to be the powerful witch Galyxo and proclaimed that she intended to destroy him.
At the same time, they exchanged rapid volleys of spells, and Etydameas barely managed to defend himself.
The young mage quickly realized that Galyxo was an extremely skilled and capable sorceress, for she had already cornered him badly. Thus he summoned the beast Ruth to defend him and distract the witch long enough for him to think of a way to defeat her.
But Galyxo simultaneously summoned an earth creature—a Giant—and exactly what the boy feared came to pass.
The witch possessed a natural advantage over the water-elemental creature Etydameas had called. Using the spell Pregoma, he attempted to shield Ruth from the barrage of boulders hurled by the Giant.
The spell created a strong metallic mesh designed to block the massive rock fragments flying toward them. To further reduce the openings in the mesh, Etydamefs cast Avropax, freezing the metal so it contracted and tightened.
However, at that same moment Galyxo summoned the fire demon Egni, whose blazing assault burned through the barrier, widening its openings even more.
As a result, many of the rocks pierced through, and Ruth was annihilated.
The young mage stood stunned. Now he had nothing left to protect him against Galyxo and her two creatures. Worse still, every attempt he made to resist was immediately countered perfectly by the witch. It seemed to him as though she somehow knew in advance exactly what he intended to do.
The boy began to think it was impossible to defeat her.
And as despair overwhelmed him, he thought that if she were to summon some creature such as the legendary lightning dragon Slavir, then he would truly have no hope of survival.
Not even ten seconds later, Galyxo sacrificed both of her creatures—the Giant and the fire demon—in order to summon precisely what Etydameas feared most.
A thunderous roar echoed through the sky as lightning split the heavens, and suddenly the dreadful dragon Slavir appeared.
Etydameas lost all hope. He collapsed to his knees, unable to continue, waiting helplessly for the legendary dragon to destroy him.
Of course, had he possessed his memories, he likely would have suspected that this was merely the demonic Bogart. But under these conditions he was defenseless against its magic, and so he surrendered himself to its mercy.
Apheni shouted at the Odyvians to intervene immediately.
The crowds watching the young mage looked upon him with pity, realizing that this would surely be the end of the boy against the terrifying Bogart.
The Odyvians were already preparing to enter the labyrinth and rescue the child before he was destroyed by the fiendish creature.
But then everyone froze in astonishment.
A beam of light suddenly fell upon the face of the young fugitive.
The light came from a magical insect that hovered before him, and through it the spell Kaiva restored his memories.
At the same time, a voice rang out loudly:
"Get up, little one! It's only a Bogart!"
Now having regained his memories, Etydamefs rose to his feet and invoked the spell Rezikoro.
Instantly the spirit of the Bogart vanished, and with it the shadowy veil and all of its magic disappeared both from the path before him and from his mind.
Unfortunately for Torpineas and his allies, they had been forced to use the magical insect earlier than planned, exposing their interference within the enchanted insects.
Yet there had been no other choice, for his son had been in mortal danger against the Bogart while trapped under the effects of forgetfulness magic.
Now they knew the Odyvian specialists would prevent them from intervening again to aid Etydameas. From this point onward, the young mage would have to survive entirely on his own—especially in the third level of Akmbazan, where the demonic Alnafropes dwelled.
Meanwhile, teams of specialist mages were assigned to secure the magical insect system and cut off whoever had secretly taken control of it. At the same time, Odyvian investigators attempted to trace the source of the magical interference in order to identify whoever had intervened to save Etydameas from the Bogart.
Meanwhile, within the Odyvian committee, debates erupted over whether they should halt the broadcast of the boy's journey and capture him immediately.
However, some argued it would be wiser to allow the escape attempt to continue, hoping to lure whoever had helped the young mage into intervening again so they could expose and capture them.
Though in truth, one of the most important reasons was the enormous gambling profits pouring in from the illegal broadcasts across the magical world.
And so the awakened Etydameas was allowed to continue his journey through the dreadful labyrinth of Akmbazan.
Now fully restored, the young mage moved quickly yet cautiously, following the correct path indicated by the strange sensation produced by the magical liquid Seynadasi.
At the same time, the Odyvians were not only trying to discover who was aiding the boy, but also desperately attempting to understand how in the world the twelve-year-old mage could locate the magical exits of Damanis Prison.
It was a true mystery to them, especially since he had continued navigating correctly even while under the effects of forgetfulness magic.
Meanwhile, Etydamefs could feel it—the pull was growing stronger. That meant he was drawing ever closer to the exit, and this realization filled him with renewed courage and determination to continue his mad attempt to escape the legendary Akmbazan.
As he walked, two ghostly spirits suddenly appeared before him.
The spirits blocked his path and declared that the only way to pass through the gate behind them was to correctly answer the trial they would present.
They also warned him that if he answered incorrectly, he would magically be sent back to the very beginning of the labyrinth.
The young mage listened carefully and asked:
"What is your riddle?"
The two airy spirits introduced themselves as Sotas and Sigian and explained their challenge.
Upon a stone table before him rested three objects:
The key that opened the gate behind them, a powerful magical wand, and a magical ring that amplified magical energy.
The spirits explained that they would secretly choose one of the three objects, and Etydameas would then have to guess which one they had selected.
If he guessed correctly, they would give him the key and allow him to pass freely.
They also informed him that he was not obligated to accept the challenge and was free to turn back and seek another route if he preferred.
Etydameas sat quietly for a moment before asking:
"How can I know you are telling the truth and not deceiving me?"
The ghostly beings replied that he would be allowed to summon one of his magical creatures to serve as a witness to their choice.
Etydameas would step away from the table, and then the spirits would reveal their chosen object to his magical creature.
"When you return," they told him, "you will make your choice in the presence of your spirit, which will know the object we selected. Thus you will know we did not deceive you."
Etydameas took a few steps back and sat down in deep thought.
Part of him considered leaving and searching for another path. Yet at the same time, his instincts—and the powerful pull of Seynadasi—guided him toward the spirits' gate.
Still, he could not ignore the danger.
If he failed the trial, he would be sent all the way back to the beginning of the labyrinth.
And so the young mage found himself trapped in a terrible dilemma.
At last, after several minutes, a brilliant idea comes to him, and so he calls his water creature, Dothor. After whispering together for a while, he then decisively approaches Sotas and Sigian alongside his magical spirit. Etydamon tells the two spirits that he accepts their challenge, and so he leaves behind his magical creature, Dothor, and walks away so they may tell it which one of the three objects they selected.
The two spirits send Etydameas' magical spirit farther away and now call upon the young mage to choose one of the three items resting upon the stone table. Etydameas approaches the table to make his choice and hears Dothor cough twice, seeing him standing far away beside a tree. Etydameas sits silently for about a minute, staring at the three objects before him, and then suddenly, with great confidence, decisively points at the middle object, which was the magical ring.
The young mage asks the two spirits, "Did I find it?"
And the two guardians of the gate answer him, "Correct."
"You may," they tell him, "take the key and pass through the gate unharmed." Yet they also propose that, should he wish, he may test his luck in their trial once more and gain the chance to take with him one additional item from the three if he succeeds again. "If you win," they said, "you may take either the powerful magical staff or the magical ring that strengthens your magical aura — your mana."
The little mage pauses and does not take the key. He begins to ponder that, because he had been under the influence of forgetfulness, he had not conserved enough mana and thus might struggle along the way. So he seriously considers whether he might need the help of the true powerful magical staff or the ring. The staff might help him wield steadier and more effective magic, while the ring would greatly strengthen his mana.
Thus, after much thought, little Etydameas takes the risk and accepts the challenge once more, deciding that if he wins, then he will choose which magical item to take in addition.
So Sotas and Sigian once again send the young mage far away, and after telling the spirit Dothor which object they had chosen, they send him back beside the tree. The ghostly guardians call Etydameas forth once more, and this time an unexpected surprise awaits him.
Sotas and Sigian now had seven objects laid upon the stone table, from which he had to choose the correct one.
Etydameas, startled, looks at the objects and at his magical creature standing far away by the tree. The little trickster tries to think while Dothor waits beside the tree. Suddenly, Dothor strikes the tree trunk four times with his hand and then sits down beneath it, waiting for his master to choose one of the seven objects.
This time Etydameas delays longer, continuing to examine each object carefully with a serious expression. Then he points to the fourth object from the left.
The two spirits answer him, "Correct again, young one! You found it!"
And the little mage smiles triumphantly.
Now the young mage is uncertain and does not know whether, along with the key, he should take the magical ring or the powerful staff. The two spirits observe the young mage's great indecision and offer him the chance to participate one final time in their trial if he so desires. If he succeeds, they will give him all three objects. But if he fails, then naturally he will be sent back to the beginning of the labyrinth with nothing at all.
The young mage is tempted and smiles.
Etydameas thinks that it would be foolish to let such a good opportunity slip away, and so he accepts.
Etydameas had secretly arranged with his magical creature, Dothor, to produce a sound depending on the position of the chosen object in the trial. Thus, if it were the first object, he would make one sound; if it were the second, two sounds; and if it were the third, he would repeat the sound three times. That is why the spirit Dothor coughed twice the first time, so that he would choose the middle object from the three.
And very cleverly and slyly, during the second trial with the greater number of objects, Etydameas' creature changed the signal so as not to arouse suspicion, striking the tree four times instead. The equally intelligent Etydamon understood and once again chose correctly.
This time, however, the two spirit guardians of the gate became suspicious, realizing that Etydameas and his magical creature were somehow communicating. So, after informing Dothor which object they had selected, the two demons used their magic to imprison Etydameas' creature within another dimension until the young mage made his choice, ensuring they could not communicate in any way.
The two guardians, Sotas and Sigian, call Etydameas forth once again. He cannot see his magical spirit anywhere and begins to worry.
Furthermore, there are now twelve objects lined up upon the table, and they tell him to make his choice. Only after he finishes, they say, will they restore Dothor's spirit to their dimension so it may confirm whether he succeeded or not.
Thus, the young mage studies all the objects with concern. He carefully examines every item, which included all manner of things — a watch, a wallet, a key, a staff, a glass, a lantern, and many others.
And so, after much thought, the little trickster makes his decision and trusts his instinct, which tells him to rely upon the foolishness of the two spirits having accidentally revealed the chosen object.
Among the many objects stood a tobacco box, and resting atop it was a magical lighter.
Etydameas approaches the stone table, walks toward the tobacco box, lifts the magical lighter, and shows it to the two spirits without even asking if he had found the correct object.
The two guardians, Sotas and Sigian, stare at one another in shock and confusion, scarcely able to believe it, and hand him all three objects.
Afterward, they restore Dothor's spirit, which learns of its master's success. Etydameas congratulates his magical creature, thanks it for its help, and grants it the honor of opening the gate together with him.
Everyone witnessed the astonishing prophetic powers of Etydameas — including the council of the Odyvians, who were left utterly speechless. All wondered how he had managed, all three times, to find the correct object in the trial of the two spirits guarding the gate. Yet this would remain a secret between Etydameas and his loyal creature, Dothor, for a very long time.
Passing through the gate, Etydameas and his beast behold the corridor leading toward the exit of the labyrinth. Thus he thinks that he was right to trust the feeling of Sevnadasi that guided him upon the correct path and to accept the challenge of the trial.
He advances carefully, keeping his mind ever vigilant while Dothor remains close beside him, and only when they arrive before the double silver axe does he dismiss the presence of his magical creature.
The little mage thinks that soon he must enter the third sector and face the worst demons in the world of magic.
So he rests for a short while and prepares himself mentally, seeking the courage and strength needed to pass through the magical gate. He thinks that now he possesses both the aid of the true powerful staff and the magical ring, yet he still knows that the mark upon his left shoulder limits his abilities — simply not as severely as before.
Thus, he takes a deep breath and murmurs to himself, "One step at a time," while touching the wall with his magical staff.
Having already prepared the spell Onymbator within his arsenal, he enters the dark third sector.
Etydameas imagines and hopes that the one who had previously helped him against the demonic Vogart might possibly aid him again now, and so he moves slowly onward.
Magical insects fly around him, and the cunning youngster notices them and realizes that through these creatures the Odyvians must somehow know his exact location. The enchanted insects transmit his position, and thus everyone watches the young mage's attempt to confront the horrifying monsters known as the Alnafropes.
The Alnafropes are truly dreadful creatures that drain all joy from their victims. They also inflict overwhelming feelings of despair and torment the unfortunate souls they encounter by awakening within their minds their worst nightmares and deepest fears. In this way they push their victims mentally and spiritually to extreme limits, to the point where one may even descend into madness after the assault of the demonic Alnafropes.
The little mage knew well the terrible spiritual effect of the Alnafropes, since he had experienced them briefly before when they attacked him and his companions from Movinto. Yet thanks to their help back then, he had not remained in danger for long, and together they had survived the dreadful assault.
Now, however, he is alone, and he does not even know whether he will be able to summon the advanced magic of the Guardian Protector in order to face these beasts.
The Alnafropes did not take long to notice the young mage, and soon they all charged at once to destroy him.
Etydamon immediately casts the spell Onymbator, and a radiant shield appears, keeping the Alnafropes at bay within its perimeter. The little mage exhales in relief, grateful that he managed to summon at least this shield of light capable of repelling those horrifying monsters.
The young fugitive moves swiftly, following the magical pull of the liquid fire, hoping to reach the exit before all his energy is drained and his luminous shield fades away.
The twelve-year-old mage traveled for nearly ten minutes within the third ring when suddenly his brilliant shield extinguished, leaving him defenseless before the demonic beasts.
Etydameas had read enough about those dreadful creatures to discover some weakness that might offer another way to face them if necessary, yet the only true solution was the spell of Onymbator. Onymbator was a spell of aether, an advanced form of magic that required a powerful positive memory and drew strength from the mage's spiritual energy for as long as it remained active.
Thus, the defiant youngster now had no hope without the Protector's magic.
So the defenseless Etydameas suffers the attacks of the Alnafropes, who send icy shivers throughout his body and place tremendous strain upon his mind. The Odyvians had teams of mage agents standing ready to intervene and save the young fugitive from the jaws of the demonic creatures before they killed him.
However, they do not rush to interfere, for they wait in hopes that those secretly aiding him may reveal themselves again, allowing them to be identified and captured.
Etydameas hurls several spells against the horrifying monsters to confirm for himself whether they truly were unaffected by other forms of magic, just as he had read. Indeed, he discovered that no spell had any effect upon them, for they absorbed every magical attack, and even the summoned magical creatures were effortlessly destroyed by them.
As he used several spells, he realized that he also still possessed the legendary spell Rizard Sichar, which the wise Synagoras had taught him. Seeing that the spell remained available to him, Etydameas immediately conceived a plan that would prove very useful if he managed to escape the third sector alive.
The demonic Alnafropes continue assaulting him relentlessly, yet the little mage does not falter and presses onward toward wherever the magical liquid of Sevnadasi guides him. It grants him strength and hope, knowing that it always leads him along the correct path.
Thus, although the horrifying demons of the Alnafropes battered him physically and mentally, Etydameas did not despair, for he knew he was drawing nearer to the exit thanks to the increasingly powerful pull he felt from the burning liquid of Sevnadasi.
And so the creatures could not truly influence him nor shatter his morale despite the dreadful and nightmarish thoughts they forced into his mind.
Etydameas' sole goal was to find the exit, and therefore he focused all his thoughts and senses upon the magical pull of Sevnadasi, knowing it would lead him to salvation.
The Odyvians in the palace of Sazideas, along with the entire magical world, marveled at the young mage's immense endurance. He had traveled for so long without using the spell Onymbator, and they watched anxiously, wondering how much longer he could withstand it.
Thus Etydameas continued moving relentlessly in the correct direction, while everyone wondered what mysterious force guided him so perfectly and how exactly he endured the terrible assaults of those demonic beasts without collapsing, losing his sanity, or straying from the path toward the exit.
At one point the little mage regains a small amount of magical aura and casts Onymbator once again. His radiant shield reappears, causing the Alnafropes to retreat, and for the moment his heart and mind are relieved from the suffocating spiritual pressure the creatures inflicted upon him.
Thus he advances several more meters, until once again exhaustion overtakes him and the shield disappears.
So he begins casting random spells merely to keep himself ready to summon the Protector's spell again once he regained enough mana, and in this way he continued onward.
Furthermore, whenever Etydameas lacked the protection of Onymbator, he tried to focus only on positive thoughts in order to resist the soul-crushing oppression of those terrible monsters, while concentrating upon the powerful sensation of Sevnadasi so he would not lose his path.
At one moment, the indomitable Etydameas casts Onymbator again, and this time a corporeal white guardian appears in the form of a wolf.
The Odyvians and the entire magical world watching the twelve-year-old child are astonished by his achievement in summoning a Protector with physical form.
Etydamon himself, overjoyed by successfully summoning his guardian protector, runs toward the gate as fast as he can while his guardian wolf drives all the dreadful Alnafropes away.
At last, he succeeds and reaches the magical gate. He touches it with his staff, and it opens.
Etydamon had already calculated that the Goldmages would likely come to seize him the moment he passed through the gate and beyond the guardian Cerberus, just as had happened to his friends long ago.
Thus the cunning mage had already prepared for this moment, keeping the spells Rizard Sichar and Movarda ready for immediate use.
So the young Etydameas does not approach Cerberus nor put him to sleep. Instead, he uses the spell Rizard Sichar.
Two enormous luminous wings wreathed in flames appear around the young mage's body, and he flies upward toward the ceiling of the cavern of the legendary prison.
Then, once he reaches high above, he blows apart the ceiling with the spell Movarda and escapes flying out of Akbazan.
Meanwhile, the specialized mages managed to locate the hideout of the group that had gained access to the system of magical mirrors and insects within the prison of Akbazan.
Inside the hideout were, naturally, Enithipeas, his brother Torpineas, and his little son Ifiklis.
Apheni, Torpineas, and Enithipeas had prepared themselves long ago in case young Etydameas attempted an escape, and thus they had been organized for quite some time.
At the same time, everyone witnessed the clever escape of the young mage as he emerged from the cavern. Simultaneously, the mages belonging to the group intending to aid young Etydameas rushed to support him, while Goldmages ran to capture him.
Thus, atop the hill of Akbazan, the mages clash and an epic battle unfolds, broadcast through the magical insects that had followed the young mage even outside the cave.
At the same time, another confrontation is about to erupt, as special Odyvian agents arrive at the hideout and prepare to attack and capture those who aided the young mage and infiltrated Akbazan's magical system.
Enithipeas tells his brother to flee through the back exit of the hideout together with Ifiklis.
And so Enithipeas and the rest of the group remain behind, attempting to confront the teams of Goldmages, who had trapped the surrounding area within a large magical barrier so that teleportation and escape would be impossible.
Therefore Torpineas lifts his two-year-old son into his arms and runs outside while his brother and the remaining mages stay behind to face the approaching Goldmages.
The hideout lay deep within a forest, and thus the trees provide Torpineas with cover as he moves slowly and steadily through the snow.
Torpineas holds his son tightly in his arms while voices and explosions echo from the fierce battle raging nearby.
He does not run, both because of the deep snow and because he does not wish to frighten his child, and so he proceeds with calm and steady steps toward a nearby cave where they may hide.
Torpineas smiles at Ifiklis to reassure him and keep him from fearing the sounds of battle, and his son returns the sweet smile, tickling his father's neck with his tiny hand exactly as Torpineas himself used to do to him.
Meanwhile, on the other front above the cave of Damanis, a violent battle unfolds. The mages who came to aid Etydameas tell him to flee and leave the Odyvian agents to them.
However, the young mage cancels the magic of Rizard Sichar and lands atop the cavern himself in order to help the group of mages who came to rescue him.
Lord Damanis himself arrives to aid the Goldmages in capturing the young fugitive and all those helping him.
At the same time, the entire battle is being broadcast through the magical insects, and thus many spectators begin arriving at the battlefield to witness the events live and in person.
Some even join the battle themselves, supporting whichever side they favored, and thus the conflict at Akbazan grows even fiercer.
And as time passed, more and more mages arrived, until utter chaos erupted between those striving to help the young mage and those who came to support the Goldmages.
Amid all the confusion, Apheni discreetly slips away from the council in order to run and help her son at Akbazan.