Riuluk didn't know what to say, think, or do. Should he answer, should he stay quiet? Should he run or should he not make a move? Should he smile, laugh...or stay quiet and in silence? All these questions and no blink of an answer from himself. Was he going to die? What would have happened to him?

  He couldn't decide anything; he was only staring at this huge creature with a root rod on his shoulder and a very serious look on his face. Then he understood he was truly waiting for an answer...

  “Eeee..eeee..I-I'm..I'm s-s-sor..s-ssorry,” finally said Riuluk.

  “You are sorry?? Do you know how long it takes to make those mushrooms you are stealing grow?” replied the creature.

  “N-n-n-no..I-I'm..v-v-very, s-s-s-s-sorry.” said Riuluk.

  “Oh, you are very sorry?? Baka, Burin! Come here!” the creature shouted.

  Two green tiny creatures came out of the cave-house under the hill. The door was already open, opened first by the creature while Riuluk was entering the half-circular square backwards. From the door, you could see a cosy house with roots all around. Some orange lights inside, tables, maps, books, food and drinks...

  Baka and Burin were completely green-skinned, dressed only in some dirty white scraps covering their intimacy. Without shoes, they were a bit not proportional considering their bodies: ears bigger than their faces, yellow eyes bigger than their nose, arms bigger than their chests, hands bigger than their feet and legs shorter than their arms.

  “Waaaa waaaa..prrrrrrr!” said one of the two.

  “Iiihihihihihih..” laughed the second one.

  “Take this scoundrel and tie him up!” said the creature.

  Riuluk could have easily fought with the two apparently pixies, but the big creature was so scary that he let the little ones tie his hands and feet. Baka and Burin then lifted him up and brought him to sit on a stone close to the cave-house.

  The creature slowly walked towards him, smashed his root rod into the ground with both hands, and looked at him from above with those black, penetrating eyes.

  “How did you get into this forest?” asked the creature.

  “I-I-I don't know your ma-ma..majesty,” said Riuluk, hoping it was the right way to compliment him.

  “This forest is almost unreachable; there is a magic protecting its view, no one can see it from above, nor from the ground. The only way to enter here is through water!” said the creature. Riuluk remained silent.

  “Only a few know its entrance, and those few have my blessing to enter! You, who are you? I know from your looks you are a sky traveller, it's impossible you arrived from there, not even if you fell down by accident, you could see the trees of this forest, it would be only a grassland, not any different from any bush of the vast lands of Druen...”

  “Who are you??!!!” shouted the creature.

  The two pixies searched in his pockets, then suddenly they found a stone in his left pocket and brought it to the creature. The creature looked at it, astonished...

  “Where did you get this stone??” asked the creature impulsively.

  “I will not tell you!” shouted Riuluk, being touched inside himself for something his old friend gave to him in such a moment.

  “You stole it!” said the creature.

  “No! I didn't steal it! It has come to me...they gave me this stone,” said Riuluk

  “Gave you this stone? It's impossible, we never give the only awakened Quartz Stones to strangers, worth nothing!”

  “I'm not a stranger worth nothing! I'm a friend who gave it to me...you are not allowed to know anything, my life depends on it!” shouted Riuluk, full of passion.

  The creature was, for a moment, touched by such words. He looked closely at the stone, and he took out another stone from his pocket...a green one. He put it close to the orange one coming from Riuluk's pocket... they started to shine, and their colour inside was like smoke in a room.

  “Th-this..this is the stone of the wizard of fire! Why do you have it?” asked the creature.

  Riuluk, noticing the creature had another of the Quartz Stones, believed he could rely on him and felt compelled to say the truth.

  “He-he-he is dead..” said Riuluk, “ he gave me the stone because he still hasn't found the new chosen of fire..he asked me, Riuluk, his old friend, to search for the new one, otherwise he said, the balance will be broken.”

  The creature whispered fear within him. He walked faster inside his house, turned a couple of drawers out without caring how they would crash on the floor. Came back after a minute with a terrible look on his face...

  “It's true, I can sense it, the fire wizard is dead.”

  Baka and Burin remained in silence, afraid and worried at the same time.

  “I'm getting older as well. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this change, which means my senses have been annihilated or slowed for a moment. The newborn of fire must be already a young fellow, while his power was awakening, and the old Fraenthorn was dying. I didn't sense any change in spirit, since the difference in power in the circle of fire remained the same. I cannot tell you where he is, but I can tell you he hasn't awakened his power yet. It is growing inside him, but he doesn't yet know how to use it. You have a long journey to accomplish, Riuluk, son of Duarm...” the creature looked in Riuluk's eyes.

  Riuluk was shocked. How could this horrible creature know such a thing...

  “I'm the wizard of Nature Riuluk. It's a pleasure to meet you,” said the wizard.

  “You will carry the stone to Duerth Merkath, I believe it's a territory you are quite used to...” he smiled, “Baka and Burin will come with you to help you in your journey, take it as a present from me.”

  “Whaaaat?” said one of the two with a very high voice.

  “Don't make me repeat myself! Now go home and change your clothes! Humans and dwarves will confuse you for goblins if you think you can walk naked like that around! Ahahah..” he laughed,

  “oh..and untie Riuluk..of course.”

  Baka and Burin, still annoyed about the wizard's decision, cut the ropes of Riuluk and then went to the cave-house while hitting each other like two young brothers.

  “Riuluk, you need to find a certain person in Duerth Merkath, or at least that's where I know he likes to stay most of the time when he doesn't need to travel. You will notice him immediately, he is a troublemaker, always loving company and vices of mankind..ahahahah, but at least he has some character! That is for sure! I forgot his name since he likes to change it from time to time depending on how he feels, but it is said he can predict the future, that is why you need to find him, he can help you more than I can, Riuluk...I am a gardener of treasures, nothing more...”

  “Come on in, Riuluk, let me offer you something to eat. I know the stomach of dwarves is never full!” said the wizard.

  Riuluk went inside the cave-house, his feelings calmed. He felt lighter than after having eaten for a whole day.

  Finally, he wasn't alone anymore. Finally, he felt stronger than ever; he had hope.

  The door closed at his entrance; the forest remained silent; the light and the air enveloped that moment in peacefulness.