The Seals Of The Altior. Gabriele Pratesi

With his palms resting on the maps he sighed.

      "Ignis. The city of fire."− pronounced the captain.

      "I had warned the great council that the matter had to be resolved immediately."− He went on, saddened by the memory.

      Fortdar lost control in anger. He grabbed the captain by the neck. He shoved it against the wall and dropped a painting.

      “Did you warn them about what? It's your fault that my sister died. For your negligence. You've had to protect her. Instead you were warning the great council."− He accused him with his face planted against that of his brother-in-law, forehead to forehead.

      Goldeon struggled free from his grip. He threw himself heavily on his brother-in-law and pressed his face against the table. The crumpled maps pressed into his cheeks.

      “Do you think I don't feel guilty about it? Every night I have nightmares and I wanted to switch roles. You know very well that I would have died for her."− He said letting go.

      "Arguing between us won't bring your sister back to life."− He said as he thought about his wife.

      He adjusted the maps and started to think again.

       -3-

      The three recruits were carrying the latest weapons into the armory. Crossbows, pikes, spears, willow bows, and short swords. They were exhausted, once they finished the last load. They hadn't noticed the screaming and fighting coming from the control room. The fortress had very thick walls and the hall was not adjacent to the corridor through which they passed.

      Vlad grabbed a sword and started swinging it in the air. The blowing sound could be heard cutting the air. The two younger comrades admired him for his dexterity in movement.

      It's wonderful. The Lunga of Hombros. The body of a two-handed broadsword and the lightness of a dagger. This sword is capable of penetrating any armor. But it is not very resistant to duels of strength."− Vlad explained .

      He handed them the sword to feel its weight and to test it.

       -4-

      On the path northeast of the outpost Helder was patrolling the area. He had left the wagon purposely to take his time. He had never been to the Arx Lupus outpost so he needed to know a little about the area to feel comfortable. The land was uncultivated and there were brambles along the path. Weeds and bushes as tall as men were good hiding places for ambushing. The night with its darkness was not a good ally but the young man was a hunter and he often hunted at night. His eyes were already used to it and eagerly sought whatever was useful to him. A fenced cottage was located not far away from the entrance of a path into the thick of the forest. He moved slowly to the east, bypassing the house. He could hear light, discontinuous rustling. He still didn't know if he was approaching or moving away from something or someone. When he went to the forest, suddenly the rustling became clear footsteps fleeing. Later he felt them distant and he turned back. He knew there was someone watching them. And they weren't orcs, or they would have already attacked him. Helder left the forest knowing they were not alone but controlled by spies.

      -5-

      On the path to the north, the one that skirted the rock face on which the fortress was built, Balt was hiding among the huts. He had no intention of unloading the wagon, nor came face to face with his father, Captain Goldeon. Their relationship was not one of affection but only professional. His father could not differentiate and had always been cold. He was never at home to build a fatherly bond.

      He moved stealthily around the huts and when he noticed herbs and seedlings that might prove useful in some way, he tore them from the root and put them in his saddlebag. Balt also had no problem moving in the dark, he loved walking in the forest at night after the long training of the day. He inspected some shacks that had burnt roofs and nearly collapsed. The air was dirty and he could hardly breathe through a cloth that he held to his mouth and nose. He didn't know what exactly to look for inside those crumbling shacks, he just hoped to find something useful. He saw a sign when he was almost giving up and turning back, which hung by a single creaking chain, had the medical symbol engraved on it. Part of the roof was destroyed and collapsed on one side. He went inside avoiding making noises and causing more collapses. The potions cupboard was overturned and he could see the glass fragments of the ampoules glistening on the floor. In the shelves on the left, where the structure was intact, there were bags with herbs and spices. Balt grabbed as much of them as he could, put them in his saddlebag. Further on he noticed a broken shelf at the foot of which were still intact vials. He grabbed those too quickly. They bore an inscription: "essence of force", "essence of vigor", "essence of mana". He no longer saw anything that might have interested him. Slowly he turned around and walked away. A shelf broke and he felt his ankle grabbed by someone. His heart jumped and he freed himself easily with a kick. lying on the ground half dying behind the counter, the apothecary mumbled to attract the intruder's attention. A broken shelf board was stuck between the man's ribs. He couldn’t breathe any more. Balt quickly pulled out the vial of vigor but he was blocked.

      "You can't save me ..."− He whispered breathlessly.

      "The or-cs... who ... has .. ... the ...ma...gic ..."− He said.

      Balt was shocked for a few moments. He closed the apothecary's eyes and marked his forehead with the symbol of the circle broken in half. It was the symbol of the religion with which his mother had baptized him th, for that reason the young man continued in his practice as a memory He left the body behind and walked out of the building thinking over the apothecary's words.

       -6-

      The three recruits enjoyed trying all the weapons that were in the armory. The youngest of them, Teroin, grabbed a flail, a massive weapon consisting of an iron ball filled with sharp spikes tied to a chain and a stiff wooden handle. He tried to spin it, but the weight had thrown him off balance causing him to sit on the ground as the iron ball crashed into the stone floor producing a huge noise that spreads throughout the fortress. Teroin blushed. It looked like an earthquake.

      "I wasn't the one who did this, right?"− He asked, confused.

      It was an explosion. The east wing of the fortress had been hit by a flaming stone.