Thus, after passing through the Temple of Saint Dionysius, they were teleported to Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. They now stood within the catacombs of the temple, from where they began advancing through the labyrinthine corridors beneath the ground, until they suddenly halted before a stone wall. One of the Cyans drew his wand from his belt and pressed it against the stone surface, which opened magically. Behind this enchanted wall lay one of the entrances leading to the Cyan headquarters. However, as soon as they all stepped into the corridor, a blinding light erupted, and at the same time the walls from the sides and the ceiling began to contract inward.
The Cyan mage guiding them told them to remain calm and then uttered the spell "Kynosa." Instantly, the walls returned to their original positions and the blinding light vanished.
"There is nothing to worry about. Please remain calm. The defensive system was merely activated because foreign mages—who are not registered on our membership list—entered our headquarters. Do not be concerned; it will not happen again once you are registered upon our arrival."
The elves followed the Cyans, and shortly thereafter they reached a vast hall. They waited briefly, until Giovatori Depate emerged from his office alongside Nofivos and Commander Saoti Hametzi, who had been discussing the developments of the war. Saoti and Nofivos were visibly astonished upon seeing the elves, though the same could not be said for Depate, who had been informed of their arrival well in advance. Depate introduced himself and encouraged Saoti and Foskir to do the same.
Among the elves, Nofivos recognized his father, Enali, and his mentor, Elanor. Nevertheless, he struggled to conceal his excitement at seeing them again after so long, so as not to reveal that he knew the elves. Thus, he introduced himself formally and coldly, and did the same when he came face to face with Enali.
"Foskar Nofivos!"
As they shook hands, Enali suddenly pulled him toward her, embraced him tightly, and kissed him on the cheek. All the Cyans were taken aback by the act of the blonde and beautiful Enali, who greeted their young companion with such warmth and enthusiasm.
"There is no longer any reason to hide, my little one. We have decided to help you officially, and one of the reasons is because you are one of us."
Giovatori, perplexed, requested an explanation from the elves, who then revealed that Nofivos had, in truth, been raised within their kingdom.
"He is one of us, despite the fact that he is human, and his true name is Foskar Adathos!"
Thus, in this unexpected manner, all the Cyans learned of the past of the mysterious young mage with the astonishing magical abilities. One of the Cyans—Pethonos—who had long harbored jealousy toward the sixteen-year-old mage, seized the opportunity to interrogate him.
"I knew it. I suspected you were hiding something… who knows what else you may be concealing from us!"
"Nothing more than what Enali and the other elves have already stated."
"Yes… nothing beyond the fact that the elves raised you and that you hid your true name from us while calling yourself 'Adathos'…"
"Exactly. That is all I concealed."
"Let us assume we believe you. But all this time, knowing that we were searching for the elven race, why did you not utter a word and instead pretended indifference?"
"I could not… I had given my word…"
Giovatori intervened, cutting short the quarrel between the two mages, and answered Pethonos himself in order to put an end to the matter.
"Because, Pethonos, beyond his great magical talent, Foskir possesses a great heart. It is evident that he did not wish to betray his elven friends, who raised him as one of their own."
"Am I to assume, Mr. Depate, that the fact the elves appeared at our headquarters—where their friend serves—is also a coincidence? Has no one considered this? I propose, Commander, that we take this matter seriously."
Elanor addressed all the Cyans, stating that the incident was entirely coincidental and unexpected, though he admitted that perhaps it was ultimately better for everyone that events unfolded in this manner. Depate then thanked the elves for not concealing their relationship with the young mage and thanked them doubly for deciding to assist in the struggle against the Vyrsonians.
"Mr. Giovatori, the developments of the war have reached a critical point. It was therefore necessary for us to appear and aid you in whatever way we can. Do not thank us—we simply did what was right."
"I understand. Please follow me into the council chamber so we may discuss this matter of the Vyrsonians, which has become a great danger to us all."
They all proceeded into the chamber and took their seats around a long rectangular table. At one end sat Depate, and at the opposite end Elanor, positioning the two representatives directly across from one another. A scodito entered the hall and began serving red wine to everyone. Elanor withdrew a vial from his tunic and, with his wand, levitated it magically to the center of the table. The vial contained a transparent liquid, resembling water, which now hovered in midair.
From a distance, Eithamon opened the vial with his wand, and the liquid began to flow outward, forming a suspended, fluid mass. The liquid mass suddenly expanded, and images of past events began to appear within it. At first, it revealed seven imposing mages, each belonging to a different race. The seven mages then appeared before an elderly woman accompanied by a group of assistants, also of various races. The old sorceress offered them a vessel containing a quantity of a strange white substance in a peculiar liquid form.
After receiving the vessel, the seven mages later appeared dividing the white-aura substance into seven equal portions, agreeing to use it to protect themselves from the Ōnia, as the elderly sorceress had advised. The image then shifted again, showing only the elves, who were discussing the recklessness of the other races for not heeding the sorceress's counsel.
"They did not obey the Oracle of the Esloi, and now they pay for it with their lives!"
"And what shall we do? Leave them without aid?"
"We must wait for the Oracle's signal, as we were advised, and until then remain hidden from the Ōnia. Otherwise, we too shall be destroyed, just like the other races."
The image changed once more, revealing a group of monks from the Oracle standing outside the gates of Knosaion. They were welcomed into the elven kingdom, and the monks of the Esloi granted them a magic with which to defeat the Ōnia. The Esloi explained in detail the workings of the magic known as "Nyxichor," and together they constructed a magical weapon using the mysterious white magic gifted by the seer.
Now, the elves and the Elsoi appeared elsewhere—on the island of Doros. In their possession was the completed magical weapon, resembling a massive cannon, and they began the ritual of Nyxichor. The cannon activated and fired a beam of magic into the sky, creating a vast black void high among the clouds. The mages then transformed the cannon into a large sphere of blinding silver-white light and sent it into the black void, while together they cast the spell "Thatosan."
Suddenly, the silver-white sphere darkened, emitting a deep blue aura, and at the same time countless multicolored flashes appeared in the sky—Ōnia—each being drawn magically into the black void of the dark sphere.
After some time had passed, the elves and the Elsoi once again used the mysterious white substance and, with its aid, cast the spell "Arex," sealing all the Ōnia trapped within the black void. The image of the island of Doros began to fade, and Depate and the other Cyans slowly began to understand what was truly occurring in the region of Doros. They also realized that the mythologies of so many peoples were not mere fantasy or fairy tales, but concealed fragments of truth from the distant past of the world.
— Elanor, can we repeat the same thing in order to defeat the Onia?— No, venerable Giovatori, it is not exactly that easy, and there are significant obstacles that prevent us from carrying out the same trick against the Onia again.— Meaning?— Well… first of all, we do not have the necessary quantity of aether magic… that liquid substance with the strange white aura. Therefore, we cannot seal the magical veil that keeps the Onia imprisoned…— So you have exhausted the entire reserve of aether?— Essentially… yes, exactly that. If, back in the old era of the war against the Onia, the other six races had not depleted their aether magic in battle, then today we would certainly have a way to repeat it!
Oxydar adds to Elanor's words, saying that, moreover, by now almost all the Onia have managed to escape from the magical prison located on the island of Dora. Thus, it would require even more magic to attempt to trap them there again.
— So we would once again have to attempt the magical ritual of "Thatosan" with the luminous sphere. That ritual, too, requires enormous amounts of aether energy… If you know anything about quantities or sources of aether magic, then it would be good and wise to tell us. Otherwise, I do not believe we can repeat the ancient ritual.— Even so, Oxydar, even if we had those quantities of ancient magic, I still do not think we would succeed. The ritual of "Thatosan" was performed with the help of the monks of Eslon, whose oracle unfortunately no longer functions today, and the existence of those monks is unknown…— So, Elanor, my friend, what do you propose?— The best we can do for now is to inform the Ministry of Magic about the situation regarding the veil, and then offer our forces in the fight against the Onia.— For your services, there must logically be some form of compensation, I presume… is that not so?— Indeed, Mr. Giovatori. We would like your Ministry of Magic to provide us with any knowledge you possess regarding ancient magic, and if you have any aetheric artifact, that would be even better, if you were to give it to us. We hope that, in the event we manage to locate and acquire a sufficient quantity of ancient magic, we may achieve something noteworthy in order to defeat the Onia.— I will report and present what you have revealed to us about the Vyrsonians to the Ministry of Magic. However, I do not believe they will be particularly willing to part with whatever ancient magical power they may possess—especially when they hear that even if they provide it to you, you cannot guarantee the annihilation of the fae.
After a short while, Depate concluded the meeting and allowed the elves to remain at the secret headquarters of the Blues for as long as they wished, and to exchange magical knowledge freely. The elves thanked Commander Depate and decided to stay at the headquarters until they received a response from the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, it was an opportunity for the elves to enjoy the company of the sixteen-year-old mage, whom they had not seen for quite some time, and to exchange news.
Meanwhile, the chestnut-blond elf had sensed a powerful energy emanating from his young pupil. Thus, when he examined him more closely, he noticed the magical ring he wore on his left hand. At some point, Elanor discreetly led his former student a little away from the crowd and asked him:
— Nice ring…— You noticed it, sir?— Even if I wanted to ignore it, it would be difficult… the ancient magic it emits is quite powerful, not to mention that it exhales a familiar white aura…— I found it in a cave… somewhere in the region of Ephora…— Ephora? You mean in present-day Ricontho?— Yes, exactly…— I did not expect a mere youngster to know the ancient name of that region… you are full of surprises… And how exactly did you locate this ancient and powerful ring?— I happened to be nearby on a mission with the Blues, and when I felt the aura of its magic, I searched… and found the ring of Asovi.— Of Asovi?!— Yes… why? It was protected by a female spirit-guardian, and when I took it, she told me it was called the Ring of Asovi.— What kind of guardian was she, exactly?— She was a beautiful woman, wearing a white mantle and holding a magical scepter like a spear. Her name was Danae.
Elanor listened to everything the young mage told him, while at the same time examining the magical ring that Phoskyr had given him to inspect.
— What abilities does it have?— I am not sure if it has many… but I can fly when I wear it, at an inconceivable speed, without a broomstick. I can even easily rival the Onia themselves when they are flying…— I see… I may need it in the future to examine it more thoroughly at Knossaion with my colleagues and uncover its secrets. You would not mind if I borrowed it like this?— Of course! No problem at all! It is just that, for now, it is quite useful to me in my battles with the Onia, so it would be better, when I have free time, that I bring it to you myself at Knossaion—if you allow me, of course, to come to your kingdom.— I do not know… when I return to Knossaion, I will report what happened here and tell them about your unexpected encounter as well… Perhaps I can persuade them to lift your exile—we shall see…
Thus, a couple of days passed, and the elves exchanged much knowledge with the Blues and formed strong friendships. At the same time, the Ministry announced to the elves that they were pleased with their support and would grant them knowledge and artifacts of ancient magic, provided that they were allowed to visit Knossaion.
Elanor, meanwhile, during his stay at the headquarters, read many magical books of the humans and magical myths, hoping to find something useful. Among what he read, he discovered an old human myth that spoke of seven mage brothers. He explained to the Blues that the event of that victory against the Onia twelve thousand years ago was hidden within this allegorical human myth. When the Blues heard this, they replied that this particular myth was especially popular in their magical society.
— You said, Elanor, "twelve thousand years ago?!" Did we hear correctly?— Yes indeed, Depate. The first time we faced the Onia and defeated them was approximately twelve thousand years ago… according to the historical sources of Knossaion…— Incredible… you have historical records of our world from such ancient times?…
Elanor smiles and, stroking his long hair, replies that they possess many and varied forms of knowledge dating back to the most distant ages of magic…
— Have I mentioned to you that the arrival of the fae on our planet is linked to the appearance of the planet Menesis? If I passed over it, it was because I assumed you had already realized it…— Yes, it is something we did indeed notice. Why do you mention it?— Because it is an astronomical phenomenon that my people have recorded for many centuries, and we have concluded that it appears approximately every three thousand years. And when it does appear, it is also a harbinger of the arrival of the Onia. We are certain that, for some reason connected to Menesis, the Onia benefit from it and thus gain entry into our world.— So this is not the first time the Vyrsonians have invaded our world?— No, Commander Depate, it is not the first time, and it certainly will not be the last… This has been our duty for centuries. We elves, every three millennia, ensured that the magical veil was sealed, thus preventing the Onia from invading the Earth. But our reserves of aether have been depleted, and now we are vulnerable to their raids. Therefore, my friends, I believe that if we wish to succeed this time as well, we must all work together. Otherwise, it may be the last time we ever confront the Vyrsonians…
Meanwhile, Phoskar, as he listened to Elanor's narration of the myth of the seven mage brothers, felt something familiar—like something was trying to remind him of itself—yet he could not understand it. At the same time, for some reason, faint memories of his parents began to surface…
— Master?— Speak, Phoskyr. What is it?— The seven mage brothers symbolize seven races, correct?— Exactly so.— Humans, elves, the Centocheires, the kalikantzaroi (goblins), the Skodita, and the Giants?— Yes, and the Giants, or Vivantes according to their ancient name… There was also the race of the dwarves, but today it has been assimilated into the world of humans.— I understand…— Yes, except that the other races have almost entirely exhausted their sources of ancient magic. That is the reason why some of you have completely—or nearly completely—lost your magical power as a species. This, for example, happened to the Vivantes and the Centocheires, who lost their magic entirely over the centuries as peoples.
These were the matters they discussed, and later the atmosphere relaxed somewhat, as each spoke of customs, traditions, and favorite sports from their homelands. The Blues were particularly intrigued by the elven sport of Ekavol, which they were hearing about for the first time. Especially when they learned that the sport could be played without a staff or wand, they began to realize just how superior the elves' mastery of magic truly was. Their interest in the sport grew so great that they decided they wanted to learn it.
Thus, the elves explained all the rules of the game, and afterward they arranged to play a friendly match the following afternoon. The next day, they split into two teams of six each. One team consisted of the elves together with Phoskyr, who were able to play without wands, while the other team was made up of Blues, who were graciously allowed to use them. Although this was theoretically unfair, the elves were familiar with the sport and had considerable experience, making them technically superior.
So, despite the fact that they could not strike the ball with great force or shoot it from afar, the elves ultimately managed—through teamwork, short passes, and clever combinations—to defeat the Blues. However, despite their humiliating defeat at the hands of the elves, the Blues were not affected by negative thoughts. On the contrary, they fell in love with Ekavol and decided to officially include it among their favorite sports, which they organize every four years in athletic competitions.
Commander Jonathan especially congratulated Elanor and Oxydar, who had impressed all the Blues with their skill in Ekavol. Moreover, the red-haired Jonathan did not forget his friend, the young Nophoivos, who—although human—was able to play almost on par with the elves, without the use of a wand.
— Thank you, Commander, but believe me, it was not so easy. It took years of persistence and training for me to come even close to the elves' natural gift. And the truth is, in the beginning, the only position I played in Ekavol was goalkeeper…— So do you think that if I train enough, I too might have a chance to play like you, without a magical wand?— I cannot answer with certainty, but I am sure that if you train diligently, you will certainly see significant improvement.
Thus, another day of relaxation and enjoyment passed for the Blues and their friends, the elves. When morning came, the elves bade farewell to all the Blues, along with Nophoivos, and departed. Before leaving, the elves gave Commander Giovatori a metal coin bearing the image of a unicorn. They then explained that if, for any reason, they needed to contact them urgently, they should give this coin to Phoskar and have him come to their kingdom to meet them.
Phoskar knew that such metal coins were a common means used by the elves for immediate communication whenever necessary. With the spell "Asikaor," if one was near Knossaion, the magic of the coin would activate, and the elves would be notified of the bearer's arrival. These coins were a rare privilege and were given only in special cases. Thus, Depate and Phoskar thanked the elves for the trust they had shown them and for the honor they had bestowed.
Elanor made it clear that permission to use the coin was granted only to Phoskyr, solely for important matters, and on the condition that he would come to Knossaion alone. And so they departed with the promise to return in one week, to announce the decision of their king, Begalor, and their senate regarding whether they would accept them into their kingdom. Furthermore, they assured them that when they returned, they would also bring with them elite ranks of the Augerins, to aid them in the war against the Onia.