Ekhros (English version)

It was the twelfth day since Amiona had been presented to all the Ekhronians. The day everyone had been waiting for had arrived. As every morning, Ukreel went to Amiona's room to prepare her for the visit to the Rainbow Garden. Uriaka and Sayura joined them, as had become customary since their arrival, deciding to accompany them to the Rainbow Garden. Sipros stayed close to Amiona, as he had promised the queen.

A servant entered the room, bowed, and informed the queen that the Erkonomos(5) birds were ready to depart. She nodded and took the baby in her arms. At that moment, Sipros, who was already in the room, walked to the balcony, frowning as he looked towards the sky.

"Sayura, do you see what I see?"

Sayura approached him and observed the purple sky. In the distance, black clouds were approaching like a bad omen. The Letohoiko's vision was very special; they could see up to a kilometer away.

"They're coming from the coast. What do you think it means?" she asked, a bit concerned. Sipros lifted his head, feeling the cold breeze brought by the wind. He detected a certain stench of decay.

"Nothing good..." he said softly, spreading his wings, ready to fly.

"What's happening?" Ukreel asked.

"Sayura, stay with them. I need to check something," said the tiger, nodding to the queen before flapping his wings and taking off.

He flew towards the back gardens, knowing he would find Ternon strolling there at this hour. The stench of decay lingered in the air, heightening his bad feeling.

As expected, he found his good friend near a segs(6) fruit tree. The sorcerer was watching the sky just as he had done moments before.

When Ternon noticed his friend approaching, he turned to him, frowning. He, too, sensed that something bad was coming.

"What do you think it is?" asked the Letohoiko, landing in front of Ternon.

"Didn't your eyes see?" Ternon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, whatever it is, it's hiding and approaching the port quickly. That's why I came to you. If there's a spell, you can see it."

"Alright," Ternon replied, walking towards the fountain in the center of the garden. He extended his right hand towards the water and whispered, "Incarius..." The water stirred slightly, and gradually, like a mirage, the eight royal guard ships appeared before them, perplexing them.

"What is this?" Sipros asked, looking at the eight unmanned ships.

"There's another spell hiding them," Ternon said, touching the water with his palm. As soon as he did, he recognized the power of his former disciple. "Isayri..." he whispered.

"Are you sure?" Sipros asked, his fur bristling.

"Completely... We must warn the king. Prince Derkno has escaped from the Dark Island."

"How much time do we have?" he growled.

"Less than an hour," Ternon said, unable to hide his concern. Sipros turned and ran towards the palace, with Ternon following, though not as fast as the Letohoiko.

***

Sipros found the family and the other guardians at the palace entrance, ready to depart for the Rainbow Garden. When they saw the Letohoiko, they noticed the tension on his face.

"Your Majesty, we have a big problem heading our way!" he exclaimed.

"Calm down, Sipros. What problem are you talking about?" the king asked.

"Prince Derkno has escaped from the Dark Island," Ternon said, trying to catch his breath. "The eight ships guarding the island will be landing in less than an hour."

The joy drained from Satír's face, replaced by a burning red as intense anger flared up. Despite everything Derkno had done, he deserved death, but Satír never wanted that punishment for his brother; after all, he loved him deeply. However, recalling what Derkno had done and all he must have done to escape the Dark Island, the little love he had left for him was fading.

"Are you... are you sure?" Corman asked, approaching Ternon. His hands were clenched into fists, trembling slightly with restrained anger.

"Absolutely," Ternon confirmed.

"By the kings!" Uriaka exclaimed.

"Sound the necán horn," Satír said to Corman. "Go to the wall and prepare all the archers, ready every weapon they have."

Corman nodded and, without wasting time, mounted his Erkonomo bird, which flapped its wings and soared into the air.

Satír looked at Cork, who nodded without a word. His task was to prepare all the soldiers at their disposal.

Satír sighed with worry. As king, he had to protect his city and prevent its destruction, but at that moment, he wanted to stay with his family, knowing he was the only one who could stop his brother.

"Go to our room and stay there," he said calmly to his wife. He looked at Uriaka and continued, "Aunt Uriaka, stay with them and wrap them in a protective field."

"They will be safe," she said, approaching Ukreel.

"Love..." Ukreel whispered, kissing Satír sweetly. "Promise me you'll come back," she said, trying to hold back her tears.

"I promise I'll come back," he said before kissing his beloved wife again. When he pulled away, he leaned down and kissed his daughter's small head. Amiona slept peacefully in her mother's arms.

He turned to his uncle and watched him say goodbye to his wife. He, along with his son, would help protect the city. He then looked at both Letohoiko and ordered them to gather a group of soldiers to guard the palace doors. If anything happened, they would ensure his family's safety.

When Corman landed on the wall tower, he ordered the soldiers to sound the necán horn. Once he explained the situation, they wasted no time in doing their job. The citizens, hearing the loud sound of the necán horn, were alerted. They knew what the warning sound meant and immediately ran to seek shelter.

They hurried to the shelters beneath their houses, as instructed. Some soldiers on the streets tried to keep the citizens' panic under control, though there were few of them, as most were preparing to face the enemy.

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5. The Erkonomo bird is at least two meters tall and has black feathers, except for its wings, which are the only parts with feathers of rainbow-like colors. Its neck is long and slender.

6. Selgs fruits are round, about the size of a peach. The yellow ones are sweet, and the red ones are sour, both very juicy and flavorful.