BALLAD OF THE TRACIENTS

The air in the dimly lit room was heavy with tension, the flicker of bluish-purple flames casting long shadows on the stone walls. Razik moved slowly toward the center, his every step echoing in the silence. His expression was tense, his muscles rigid with apprehension as he approached a large symbol drawn on the floor—intricate, ancient, and pulsing with latent power.

Razik took a deep breath, steadying himself. This was not something he was looking forward to. He brought his arms together, his hands forming an arcane gesture as he began speaking the incantation. His voice was low, a deep rumble that reverberated through the room. As the incantation continued, the symbol on the floor began to glow, and the light from the flames dimmed, casting the room in an eerie twilight.

With a sudden rush of wind, the symbol flared to life, and from its center, the projection of a white fox Tracient materialized. The figure's fur was snow-white, its eyes a piercing, cold bluish-purple that glowed in the dim light. The air in the room grew heavier, darker, as the overwhelming aura of this Tracient filled the space. Even in projection form, his presence was suffocating, consuming the room with an oppressive energy.

Razik fell to his knees immediately, bowing deeply in both respect and fear. His head lowered, he could feel the weight of the other Tracient's gaze on him like a heavy stone pressing down.

"Razik," the white fox Tracient's voice was soft but laced with authority, "why have you summoned me like this? The Mind Summon is only to be used in emergencies." His words carried a dangerous undertone, like the calm before a violent storm.

Razik trembled slightly but held his posture, his forehead almost touching the cold stone floor. "Forgive me, Lord Shadow," Razik said, his voice shaking with both respect and fear. "This… this is an emergency."

The white fox—The Shadow, as Razik addressed him—narrowed his eyes. "Speak, then. But it had better be worth this intrusion."

Razik swallowed hard, gathering his courage before speaking again. "There's been a disturbance in Narn, my lord. A wolf Tracient lives... Adam Kurt. He and his companions, they possess the Aryas."

At the mention of the Aryas, the flames in the room flared violently, exploding into towering infernos. Razik flinched, instinctively covering his face as the intensity of the heat overwhelmed him. Even though it was a projection, The Shadow's anger was palpable, filling the room with a terrible, suffocating presence.

"Do you realize the consequences of lying to me, Razik?" The Shadow's voice was ice-cold, his rage evident. "If what you say is untrue, you will wish you had never been born."

Razik's body shook as he tried to regain his composure. "I would never lie to you, my lord. I swear on my life. The wolf Tracient and his companions are real—they possess the Aryas of Destruction and Derision. I've seen it with my own eyes."

The room grew deathly quiet as The Shadow processed Razik's words. The silence was oppressive, weighing down on Razik's shoulders like the full force of a mountain. After what felt like an eternity, The Shadow spoke again, his voice laced with deadly calm.

"If this is true, Razik, you know what must be done. You are to eliminate them immediately. They must not reach Darius."

Razik nodded frantically, his face still pressed against the ground. "I understand, my lord. I won't fail."

The Shadow's cold blue eyes flickered dangerously. "Bring the Aryas to me as well. Failure is not an option, Razik."

With that, The Shadow's projection flickered, and the bluish-purple flames dimmed as he disappeared. The room returned to its previous dim glow, but Razik remained on his knees for several moments longer, his breathing labored as he processed the intense encounter.

After a long, steadying breath, he rose to his feet, his expression hardened with resolve. He couldn't afford to fail—not now. Not when the stakes were this high.

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Elsewhere, in a Snow-Covered Clearing in Narn

The sun glinted off the icy branches of the towering trees, the snow below reflecting the soft light of the early morning. Adam and Trevor had wandered off from their camp, leaving Kon to scout the area while they explored the surrounding forest. The thick snow crunched under their feet as they moved between the frozen trees, Trevor occasionally swinging from the lower branches with ease.

"You've got to loosen up, Adam," Trevor called back, his voice light and filled with mischief. "You're too stiff!"

Adam grunted, following behind Trevor with far less grace. He had been trying to mimic Trevor's movements—swinging from the trees and climbing up the frozen branches—but his bushy wolf tail wasn't as agile or helpful as Trevor's strong, prehensile tail. Each time Adam managed to pull himself up a branch, he would trip or slip down moments later.

"I'm not exactly built for tree-swinging, you know," Adam called back, laughing despite himself as he stumbled through the snow.

Trevor leapt down from the branches, landing gracefully next to Adam. He gave his friend a playful grin. "Come on, don't be so hard on yourself. You're keeping up alright, wolf-boy."

Adam smirked, dusting the snow from his fur. "You just make it look easy."

"It is easy," Trevor teased, his tail swaying playfully behind him. "But only if you're born for it." He swung up again, hanging from a branch with one leg before glancing down at Adam with a wink.

"You're born to climb, I'm born to run," Adam said, throwing himself into the next attempt to leap onto a branch. He caught it, but his arms struggled to pull him up as smoothly as Trevor. The monkey Tracient leaped beside him effortlessly, and Adam hung there for a moment before his grip slipped.

Adam tumbled back into the snow with a grunt. "You'd think I'd be better at this by now."

Trevor landed beside him with a dramatic sigh, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Not bad for a wolf, but you've got a long way to go."

They continued their playful banter, Adam trying—and failing—again to swing from the trees like Trevor. Eventually, after several failed attempts, Adam managed to catch hold of a low-hanging branch and, with a grunt, hoisted himself up. For a moment, it seemed like he might actually have the hang of it. But as Trevor climbed up beside him, Adam's balance faltered, and they both tumbled back into the snow, landing in a heap.

As they lay there, laughing, the cold snow pressed against their fur, Trevor's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You're getting better at it," he said between laughs.

"Yeah, sure," Adam replied, smiling up at the sky. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

For a brief moment, as the laughter faded, the two of them found themselves closer than usual, their faces just inches apart. Trevor's playful smile faltered, and he felt a sudden warmth spread through his cheeks. He looked away quickly, his face turning a light shade of red.

Adam cleared his throat awkwardly, pushing himself up from the snow. "We should probably get back to the path."

"Yeah… right," Trevor agreed, standing up and dusting off his clothes, still blushing slightly.

As Adam stood and brushed the snow from his fur, there was a lingering sense of something unsaid between them. Trevor laughed it off, but the faint blush remained on his face as they exchanged a glance. Just as the tension began to settle, the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow reached them.

Kon emerged from the trees, his expression unreadable. "Are you two done messing around?" "We need to keep moving if we're going to reach Archen Land before nightfall."

Adam straightened, brushing the last of the snow from his fur. "Right, let's go."

"Lead the way, Captain," Trevor teased, though his tone was more subdued now.

The trio continued their journey south, making their way through the snow-covered forest. The trees grew denser as they walked, the storm overhead beginning to fade as they neared the edge of Narn. The snow was lighter here, but the cold still hung in the air, making their breaths come out in faint, visible puffs.

"So," Trevor began as they trudged through the snow, "what do you guys think about this King of Archen Land? You think he's going to be all noble and proper, or do you think he's going to be a secret wild child like me?"

Kon grunted, his eyes scanning the horizon. "He's the wielder of the Arya of Evolution. He's not going to be a joke."

Trevor raised an eyebrow, swinging up into a tree as they moved. "I didn't say he was a joke. Just wondering. I've met plenty of powerful people in my time, and not all of them are exactly… regal," He glanced at Adam, his eyes filled with curiosity. "I mean, just because someone's got power doesn't mean they're going to be all uptight and boring, right?"

Adam chuckled, his boots crunching softly in the snow. "I don't think anyone in Archen Land has had time to be 'uptight.' From what I know, they've been too focused on surviving. And if King Darius really does have the Arya of Evolution, he's probably been using it to protect his people for a long time."

Kon, always serious, added, "Darius isn't the kind to take this lightly. Archen Land probably survived the Great Narn War because they stayed out of it until they had no choice. That kind of strategy makes them smart… and cautious."

Trevor grinned, from where he was perching, "Smart and cautious is good. I'm just hoping he's not boring."

"You think everyone is boring," Kon muttered, rolling his eyes slightly, though there was no real malice in his tone.

Trevor dropped down again, his face lighting up with a grin. "Well, not everyone. You two are at least a little entertaining. Sometimes."

Adam shook his head with a smile, while Kon's mouth twitched slightly, as if he were trying not to laugh. The trio continued walking, the tension from earlier lightened by Trevor's playful attitude.

As they moved deeper into the thinning forest, the ground became less covered in snow, and patches of frozen earth began to appear beneath their feet. The air grew warmer, the biting cold easing with each step they took toward the southern border of Narn. The storm overhead had also begun to fade, the dark clouds parting to reveal slivers of blue sky.

"So," Trevor began again, swinging from a branch with ease, "what happens when we find Darius? Do we just ask nicely for the Arya and hope he hands it over?"

Adam sighed, looking up at Trevor with a thoughtful expression. "It's not that simple. The Aryas aren't something you can just hand over. They've been entrusted to certain Tracients for a reason. Darius has the Arya of Evolution because he's meant to use it."

Trevor nodded, clearly interested. "So, we're asking him to join us, then?"

Kon, ever the realist, cut in. "We're asking him to help us, but that doesn't mean he'll agree right away. We have to convince him that joining forces is the best option."

Trevor made a mock thoughtful face. "Convince a king, huh? How do you do that?"

Adam smiled. "I'm not entirely sure, but we'll figure it out. From what we've seen, the Aryas respond to their wielders when the time is right. If we're all meant to come together, then Darius will feel it too."

"Sounds a little mystical for me. But hey, I guess it's been working so far. I mean, who knew I'd end up here, with you two, fighting Razik and his army of creepy minions?"

Kon smirked, glancing at Trevor. "Seems like destiny had a few tricks up its sleeve."

Trevor laughed, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope we're not walking into another trap. I'm still getting over the last one."

The three of them fell into a comfortable rhythm again, walking in silence for a while as they neared the edge of Narn. The snow on the ground grew thinner, giving way to patches of frost-covered grass and frozen soil. The air became even warmer, and the sound of distant birds could be heard on the wind.

Soon, they began to see it—the massive shimmering barrier that marked the border between Narn and Archen Land. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before, a towering wall of energy that stretched high into the sky, pulsing with a soft, ethereal glow. The colors shifted and swirled, blending shades of blue and green that rippled like water.

"Wow," Trevor said, his voice filled with awe as he stared up at the barrier. "That's… something else."

Adam nodded, his gaze locked on the shimmering wall. "That's the border. It's been keeping Archen Land safe from the darkness that's covered Narn."

Kon's eyes narrowed slightly as they approached the barrier. "It's more than just a wall. There's powerful magic in this. If Darius is using the Arya of Evolution to keep this up, he's more powerful than we realized."

Trevor tilted his head. "So how do we get through it? It looks pretty solid to me."

Adam frowned, his instincts telling him they were being watched. "There has to be an entry point. If the king knows we're coming, there will be a way through."

As they approached the barrier, Adam felt a tingling sensation on his skin, the energy from the wall making the air hum. Trevor hopped up onto a low branch, hanging there as he examined the shimmering surface. "Do we knock, or…?"

Before anyone could respond, a soft sound of footsteps echoed from the trees ahead of them. Adam's ears twitched, and Kon's hand moved to his sword. Trevor swung down, landing softly beside them, his eyes scanning the treeline.

A moment later, a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, stepping lightly onto the open ground before the barrier. It was a tall deer Tracient, his antlers gleaming faintly in the light of the barrier. His fur was a soft, tawny brown, and his eyes were sharp, filled with intelligence as they took in the trio standing before him.

The deer Tracient inclined his head slightly, his expression calm but authoritative. "You've come far," he said, his voice smooth and polite. "Welcome to the border of Archen Land. My name is Kopa, emissary of King Darius."

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