The two felt quite bad to see those tombs. Siblings who have been consumed by hate have led to the killing of one by the other. Agatha had never heard of them, while Roud seemed quite serious, looking at those tombs. He moved slowly towards the tombs, looked up to the statue of the Keycloud head of the house, and then moved towards the white tomb.

  “Here lies the protector of the innocents, Agatha..” a brief break “..she was indeed a great princess of the Sky Mountains. I do have a memory of this. Approximately a thousand years ago, a huge war was fought by the people of the clouds. She indeed did everything she could to protect the civilians; her heart was as pure as my Light Stone. She was the kindest and wisest of all. She refused to get married in order to help those in need, which is why she became the priestess of Cloud’s Temple. The God of air's temple.."

  Roud moved closer to her brother’s tomb..

  “..while here lies her vicious brother, Redim. He was intrigued by the power of darkness more than anybody. He was not a typical child; in fact, he was smarter than most, more beautiful than most, and also much more sensitive and empathetic than most. It was his sensitiveness that destroyed him. He could not suffer anymore for the pain of others, so he sacrificed himself to power, which led him to madness and hate. A knife in the dark, a swift blow by the stairs of the temple, and his sister was gone. A desperate cry of rotten feelings merging with the memory of love, and that blade he carried, the blade of his master, pierced his own heart with his own push.”

  After some moments of silence..

  “Roud, this story is terrible. Were you there at that time?” asked Agatha

  “Yes, I cannot forget Federica. She was, at the time, my dear friend. I often told her it was nonsense, the power of Light was given to me, she was so kind, she would have been so much better than me during that war”, said Roud, while some tears dropped from his eyes.

  “You want to talk to her phantom..Roud?” asked Agatha,

  “Oh, that would be nice, but I know she has no key with her. Those keys were made in ancient times. We do need to go to the first mausoleum of the Keycloud family..” said Roud.

  He moved back to Federica’s tomb, gently caressed it, made a small smile, and continued to walk back to the other families. Agatha followed him with Bracchius, who did not pay attention at all, except for the sounds of wind in the air passing by.

  The three walked from tomb to tomb for quite a while, at least half an hour, while trying not to get distracted by the names, statues, and history marked in every stone. And finally, they arrived at the first mausoleum of the Keycloud family. But something was not like the rest of the tomb.

  “Roud..why the families and tombs end here?” asked Agatha,

  “Well..apparently, men arrived in the sky lands three thousand years ago, but the nobility was established only two thousand years ago. So that is why you do not have more tombs in this lineage, Agatha. The Keycloud family was actually one of those families that have always been in the nobility records, which is why we are next to this door” replied Roud.

  “Door? What do you mean? I don’t see any door, Roud” asked Agatha while looking around. She then moved closer to the end of the tomb, some steps of an immense staircase. She continued walking in the dark with her torch..

  “Do not go too far away, Agatha. I might need your cloudy help soon..” said Roud while looking at the names on the tombs.

  Agatha continued some steps forward..then, a wall. A wall full of inlays and bas-reliefs, tiny sculptures and symbols she has never seen before, people with eagle eyes, some with wings, some with feathers, some with tails, and others with huge tusks coming out of their mouths.

  “Rooud..rooud? What is this?” asked Agatha, a bit scared.

  Roud meanwhile arrived close to Agatha.

  “Ah..maybe I should not told you about the door, ahah!” laughed Roud.

  “This, dear Agatha..” he took out his Light Stone and illuminated the whole immense wall..

  “..this is the door to the Zenishan’s tombs!”

  “What do you mean, Roud?” asked Agatha,“I mean what I just said..look Agatha, look at us..us humans. Don’t you think we are not quite the species to live here?” asked Roud,

  Agatha was a bit in shock and did not reply.

  “We cannot fly unless we build ships, we do not get along anymore with the creatures of the Sky Mountains, so where do we come from? You think we were just invented by some gods and were born from clouds? I understand you have no memory of the past of the humans in the Sky mountains; thousands of years are not enough time to learn in such a short time. We also lost a huge part of our history, which I do not remember either. But this I do remember, and I know..Agatha, I understand you were born into a world where you only think the place to live is from cloud to cloud, but we are not from here..we come from Ethanias, the earth beneath the clouds.”

  Agatha was truly in shock at this stage..her mouth open.

  “Do not worry, you will get used to it, ahah” laughed Roud.

  “We are not from here, Roud???!!!” asked Agatha, excited but also scared.

  “Exactly, that is why we have to open the clouds, it is time we go back to Ethanias to help. At least, this is what I have been told by the king, but I also kind of remember why, even if I am not one hundred percent sure. So, this huge wall you see is the door to the Zenishan’s tombs, those who were born in the sky..those who ruled the skies” said Roud.

  “What do you mean, ruled the skies? So why aren't they here anymore? Do not tell me we came here and killed them!?” asked Agatha.

  “Oooh..not at all. We actually arrived here thanks to them. We lived together for a long time, but suddenly, after that huge war I fought together with Federica, they all disappeared. We were scared the enemy took them and seduced them with the sickness of darkness, but they never came back, even in that form, so we understood they simply vanished..” said Roud.

  “Enemy? Who was your enemy, Roud?” asked Agatha.

  “I do prefer not to talk about it now, Agatha. It is a very long topic to discuss. I promise you we will do it once we're out of here. As you may have noticed, not only good people have been buried here.”

  “But I have so many questions now! How do we open this other door? We can finally maybe understand why they vanished?” asked Agatha.

  “I wish I knew Agatha, but I only know it's a door and it will not be opened by the wind this time for sure. I am truly sorry..” said Roud.

  “Mmmh, ok! But once I have finished your quest, Roud, I am heading back here with you as you promised, and not only will I be getting all these ancient recipes, but I also want to open this door!” said Agatha, excited and happy.

  Roud smiled, put his Light Stone back in his pocket, and went back to the tombs.

  “Ok, Agatha, we need to talk to this guy here. Redas Keycloud, holder of keys. So we basically will do the same as with the other phantom, so give me some cloud from your bracelet, and I will infuse it with light.”

  “Shatenna..” whispered Agatha. This time, a small amount of cloud slowly drifted from the air bracelet to her feet.

  “Oh! Thank you..” said Roud. He infused the cloud with light and separated it into two pieces. With one part, he made a light collar like the one used with the guardian. The other part crashed into the tomb in a dust of light and cloud. Slowly, the phantom started to appear..

  “Stand back, Agatha, we do not know if this phantom will be gentle or aggressive like the guardian..” said Roud.

  Agatha took a few steps back from Roud and prepared her air bracelet, with the wind-blast spell in mind to say.

  “Whooo..whooooooo awakessss meee?” asked Redas..

  “Good to see you, Redas. Time passes quite fast, don’t you think? My name is Roud, I am the new Light Wizard of this time” replied Roud.

  The phantom opened his eyes, full of excitement. He was a man in his thirties, wearing a vest, and his big, muscular arms, full of rings and bracelets from ancient times, were coming out of it. He had a beard and a moustache, and an earring like mercenaries used to put on.

  “Iffff you aaaaare Tesiusss, youuu mayy replyy...to myy quesstionn..” said the phantom of Redas.

  “Oh, for lord Kloud, Roud! He picked your strongest attribute, ha? Memory..here we fight again..” said Agatha.

  “Sarcasm?” said Roud.

  The phantom picked a hammer from his tomb and moved closer to Roud.

  “Nooww..Tesiuss..whiccch beveraage wee..were usseed to drriink togetherrr?” asked Redas.

  “Roud? Roooud???” asked Agatha impatiently.

  The phantom raised his hammer slowly behind his own head. Roud was watching the ground, thinking.

  “Rouuud! Rouud?! Use the collar..for Lord Kloud, now! said Agatha, scared.

  The phantom looked at Roud..changed his face rapidly from serious to angry and made a forceful strike.

  “Pear grappa from Duerth Merkath!” replied Roud.

  The phantom stopped. Agatha was so nervous that her legs trembled.

  “Indeeed, Tesiusss..” said the phantom.

  Agatha almost punched Roud on the head, but she stopped this time, making an angry yet relieved face.

  “Why did it take you so long to say it? Usually, you do not remember anything, if you knew why you took this much time to almost get hit twice the same day?” asked Agatha.

  “Well, I guessed..” said Roud while making a stupid smile at Agatha.

  Agatha looked at Roud, disappointed.

  “What? Does it seem to you the time to guess? Hello? We have a phantom in front of us!” said Agatha.

  “I know, I know, I was prepared to use the collar, don’t worry. I just remembered that liquor you read in the Brenath’s silk recipe, so I gave it a try! Ahah!” laughed Roud.

  “There is nothing to laugh, Roud! I just started to respect you more as the Light Wizard, but apparently, the adolescent part in you is still there..let’s hope you won’t be the same when you get older!” said Agatha.

  “Do not worry, Agatha! It will be worse! Ahah!” laughed Roud again.

  “Yoou..are alwayss inn a good mood..Tesiusss..” said the phantom, “whaaat doo youuu neeed..” asked.

  “Redas Keycloud, as holder of the keys, I need to ask you to give me the keys of the air temples in the skylands. The time has come to open the chambers and use the artefact” said Roud.

  “Heeeree youu haavee..masteeeer oof Lighttt..”

  Redas took out three phantom keys from his right pocket and handed them to Roud.

  “Thank you, master of keys..I will make good use of them. But I know there are four keys from the King. Where is the fourth?” asked Roud.

  The phantom turned serious again..

  “The keeey of the suuun..waaas stoleen..from Redimmmm Keyyclouud..froomm myy toomb..” replied Redas.

  “Oh no..no..I do not want to wake him up at all..”, said Roud, a bit terrified this time.

  “I do thank you, Redas, may the winds welcome back your soul..” said Roud.

  The phantom walked towards Roud, his face frightening. He hugged Roud and smiled.

  “Goodbye again, Tesius.” with a warm and human voice, and disappeared.

  Roud took the light collar and broke it into three pieces. He then shaped them into keys and placed each on a phantom key. The three keys became made of solid cloud, with the same inlays they had a millennium ago.

  “Well, at least we already have three of them..now comes the difficult part” said Roud.

  “Now we need to awaken the phantom of Redis? The prince, amused by the sickness of darkness?” asked Agatha.

  “Yes, my dear friend, but this time..we have to fight” said Roud with a confident mind.

  The three went back all the way up to the last mausoleum of the Keycloud noble family without saying a word. Once there..

  “Ok, Roud, how do we fight this prince of darkness?” asked Agatha.

  “I guess like the guardian, but this guy is far stronger than the guardian. I suggest you hide behind that statue with Bracchius; it's better if Redis doesn't know we are in three, but only me. He will focus only on hitting me and not you, like happened before. Now..Lorrrd Bracchius! Will you do us a favour and help us defeat Redis?” asked Roud while kneeling towards Bracchius.

  Bracchius licked his toes with no sign of understanding. Agatha looked at the scene, quite embarrassed.

  “Did you not teach me you need to think highly of him and he will feel you and do what you say?” asked Agatha.

  “Uhm..yes, but it does not work every time, unfortunately. It is the correct way, but he is still a magical creature so..you know..he kind of does what he wants when he wants most of the time” replied Roud.

  “Amusing..” said Agatha while she had her arms crossed.

  “So I guess you two hide behind that statue, you can prepare your bracelets to help me in the fight, please do shoot precisely at him and not at me, since I will be covering the phantom in your line of sight. I will prepare a pair of collars to block him; let’s hope it's enough.”

  “What do you mean you hope is enough? Are we going to risk dying again?” asked Agatha.

  “Mmmh, you might be right this time..let me prepare a collar of light also for you..”

  Agatha whispered her spell, and some small clouds went to the ground. Roud shaped them as collars, kept two for himself, and gave the other one to Agatha. She then hid behind the statue and prepared the spells. She grabbed Bracchius and hugged him..

  “Would you please help us this time?” asked Agatha.

  Bracchius looked at Agatha happily, but did not seem to understand this time.

  “I am about to go, Agatha! Be ready!” shouted Roud.

  He went towards the black tomb. Took a piece of light cloud he made with part of the clouds Agatha made before and struck it to Redis’ Tomb. Roud is prepared to strike the collar. Slowly, a phantom appeared sitting on the tomb. A youngster around his mid-twenties, with dark, long hair and a leather light armour. Boots are also made of leather, and a dark khanjar is spreading ashes on the ground while Redis plays with it with his hands.

  “Goood to seee youu..Liiight wizaaarrddd..” Redis smiled.

  “How do you know I am the light wizard, Redis?” asked Roud.

  “I stilll feeel youuur annoooyinngg liiight!” shouted Redis, jumping towards Roud with the khanjar.

  Roud throw a light collar towards him. Redis slammed it with the khanjar, breaking it into dark ashes.

  “Shi..that is not good!” said Roud while dodging the attack. Redis missed and slammed the ground.

  “Now, Agatha!” shouted Roud.

  “Mielis!” shouted Agatha, a blast of wind directed at Redis. He was pushed back to his own tomb, which broke upon his landing. Roud jumped forward and put the collar around Redis’ neck.

  “Yooouu..youu thiiink theeese trriiickss..aaaree enooughh too hooold mee..??” asked Redis. He broke the collar with his dark khanjar and struck Roud.

  “Not this time!” said Roud. He jumped back, and the khanjar cut his tunic. Redis pulled back his khanjar and struck Roud again. This time Roud’s right hand became light and clashed with the khanjar.

  “Yooou aaareee stilll tooo younngg wizaaard..to overcooome meeee..” said Redis and made another strike to Roud’s neck. Agatha screamed. But the khanjar knocked back after touching Roud. Redis stopped. Roud’s body was all covered by a thin layer of light.

  “Light Armour Redis..you remember?” said Roud cocky.

  “Yooou shaall peeerissh..nooow..” said Redis, fighting against Roud, some strikes blocked by Ruod’s right hand, some others hitting him and bouncing back..

  Roud seemed fine by his attitude, but he was more and more tired, sweating all over his forehead. How long will he resist? Agatha, meanwhile, grabbed Bracchius.

  “Bracchius, do something! Look! Look!” she brought Bracchius up to watch; he snarled.

  “Do something, come on, we are in danger!” said Agatha. Bracchius made an even stronger snarl, but the two were too busy fighting.

  One strike, two strikes, three strikes..Roud’s breath became heavy. He then struck back at Redis and grabbed his face. The phantom face started to burn and smoke while Roud pushed him to the ground. The phantom shouted in pain, then looked back at Roud and pierced his right hand with the khanjar to the ground. Roud was stuck.

  “Noooww..timmee tooo dieee tooo...wiiiizaaaardddd..” said Redis.

  “Agatha, now, now! We need to separate him from the blade!” shouted Roud.

  “Youuu triiiickeddd meeeee..” said the phantom, looking at Agatha, scared and angry.

  Agatha was also scared; she only had one shot left in her bracelet. She grabbed the collar and put her arm in position. Meanwhile, Bracchius was looking at the statue where they hid happily. He looked at Agatha, then at the statue, again at Agatha and the statue again. Agatha knew it was a matter of seconds; she did not know why, but right in that moment, she felt like Bracchius was right. She posed for a second. The phantom smiled and jumped to reach Agatha.

  “Shoooot!” shouted Roud.

  Agatha looked at the statue. A long tunic, bold with a long beard..without thinking, only driven by instinct, she directed the shot to the statue..

  “Mieeelis!” she shouted.

  The cloud broke into light dust from the impact with the stone. A wind vortex stronger than any other Agatha ever felt came from the tomb. She was knocked to the ground while Bracchius smiled happily with his tongue out, looking at the statue. Redis was blasted away from there and knocked to the opposite wall, his face pressed hard against the solid rock. Roud was on the ground, sheltered from the wind.

  Agatha looked at the inscription on the tomb.

  “Frenerarth De Brandinus, Wizard of Wind.”