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Yeran awakened and viewed with surprise the glow that came from one of the windows. Everywhere

the wolfess looked and saw no more than concrete walls and a wooden door. She noticed that both her

necklace and her bangle had disappeared. She got up and walked out the room, observing the immense

corridor decorated with arresting figures on the creamy walls. That place was quite warm, accompanied

by an atypical silence that generated certain doubts.

She kept walking through the long hallway, saw a door that led out, crossed through it and entered a

beautiful cloister surrounded by plants and flowers of various colours and shapes. Everything was

delightfully decorated. One of the nymphs that was roaming the castle appeared in front, happy to see

her healthy.

Tentrum's nymphs had long straight blue hair and were white-skinned. They were no more than one

metre sixty tall and they always wore long colourful dresses. All of them had light blue eyes and angelic

faces.

'What place is this? How did I get here?'

'Mrs Yeraldin brought you here,' the nymph replied. 'This is her castle.'

'Yeraldin?' she asked. That name rang a bell to her, she did not know exactly where she had heard it

before.

'Why don't you rest a little more?'

'I've rested enough. I have to go seek Dersaco.'

'If you're referring to the coyote, he's on the other side of the castle.'

'I need to see him,' she said and went.

The wolfess roamed the whole building, marvelled to see how stunning the interior was. There was a

large patio with a water fountain and many beautiful colourful flowers on the grass. Tiny birds were

warbling and flying around. Short marble ivy-clad towers, like those erected in Miadicia, she saw

amongst the pastures; the vines squeezed them and gave them beauty.

A dark corridor she crossed, regarding some doors on the sides. The floor was covered with a long

red carpet that extended from one end of the room to the other. Sophisticated porcelain statuettes on

the sides were, over small altars. At the back, a baldachin covered a marble altar. Some beautiful

landscape paintings on the walls called her attention. She did not know who had made those beautiful

paintings, she supposed they were created by a talented painter.

She left the immense corridor and entered a room decorated with unusual figures on the walls and

ceiling. Gold chandeliers were on top and some bright decorations at the end of the room. The lovely

castle had hypnotised her and she could not stop admiring the indefinable beauty around her.

She went down a long staircase that led to the meeting room, then she crossed a big door and found

another hallway. After an eternity, she found the room where her companion was resting, entered and

saw him lying on the bed. See him in dreadful conditions made her feel soulful. His body had plenty of

bandages, a signal that he had suffered much more than her.

'Dersaco,' --she approached him, 'I hope you get well soon. I was very worried about you. I even

mooned over you.'

'Don't feel down, bitch. I'm still alive,' he murmured, thinking that he had borne the brunt of the

last strike.

'I'll be waiting for you till you recover,' she kissed him in the brow and went.

She walked out the room, let him rest in peace, went out and sat on one of the benches from the

main courtyard, yearning for enjoying the fresh air and the awe-inspiring tranquillity. Her legs the

wolfess stretched and breathed profoundly, closing her eyes at the same time her arms settled down on

the back. Very lucky she had been to have pulled through in so little time. Surprisingly, a known low

voice resounded on the left and she turned her face. Jakso had reappeared after being absent for a long

period of time.

'What a surprise! I didn't expect to find you here.'

'What part of "don't meddle in my life again" didn't you understand?' she told him and gave him a

dirty look.

'Oh, dear! You're still angry with me.'

'What you did has no forgiveness.'

'Everything can be forgiven, even the cruellest acts.'

'You're not part of the group anymore.'

'I'll always be part of the group, like it or not.'

'What are you doing here? Did you come to wheedle someone?'

'I'm not the bad wolf you knew. Now I'm a good pup.'

'You're still a despicable wolf.'

'Not anymore.'

'A leopard can't change its spots. You're a lost hope.'

'Let me tell you how I got here.'

'See if I care,' she turned her face right.

'A group of sakles were looking for the oracle; I lent them my dinghy to get here. I even guided

them so they didn't lose their way. A saranaik got me here yesterday.'

'I couldn't care less.'

'Don't you see? I've helped others and I asked them nothing to repay me. That altruistic attitude is

what you're so infatuated for.'

'I'm just able to feel empathy for others, unlike you who only care about yourself,' she glared at him

with bitterness.

'You taught me to see things from a different outlook, now I see why you shunned my proposal. I

wasn't behaving the way I should've behaved. I truly understand your negation,' he was being sincere

about the repentance of his monkey business.

'If you truly understand my decision, why don't you go and leave me alone then?'

'I firmly believe I deserve a second chance. If you could forgive Lizaru for having hidden the truth

from you, you can forgive me for having been an egocentric trickster.'

'How do you know that?'

'Dersaco told me.'

''He'd never tell you that. He loathes you for what you've done to him.'

'I know. He must still be angry with me.'

'What you've done is much worse.'

'I'd sooner forget the past. What's done is done and cannot be changed.'

'I wish it could be changed.'

'What may I do to get your affection?'

'Nothing.'

'I'm willing to do anything to make you happy. Whatever you want, I can do. I'm not a fly-by-night

wolf anymore,' he said with a rueful smile. 'I've mended my ways.'

Taking into account what had happened during the last battle, she realised Jakso could be very

helpful if he joined them. With his strength and speediness, it would be possible to defeat all the

remaining enemies, even the toughest ones. It was a good way to use him while they complied with

their mission. She could not squander that opportunity. Thus, she accepted him on condition that he

apologised for what he had done.

'I'll give you one more chance to redeem yourself.'

'You don't know how much I appreciate it,' he expressed his feelings with enjoyment.

'First of all, I want you to go apologise to Dersaco for what you did to him. Pal up with him.'

'Excuse me?' he thought he had misheard.

'You heard me.'

'Do you want me to go see him now?'

'Yes.'

'Oh, dear!'

'What's wrong?'

'I need to think about what to tell him.'

'Do you know where he is?'

'I do.'

'Then go.'

The wolfess got up and went outside in search of the oracle. She headed towards an old temple with

a pagoda form that was some metres away from the castle. Near a coconut tree, she saw her walking

with Shureth, her reliable assistant.

Yeraldin, the most optimistic and friendly female character of the story, was yellow-furred, greeneyed and golden-haired. She was one-metre two tall, a bit smaller than the rest of the oracles. She was

wearing a white tunic, an effulgent diamond necklace, two gold bracelets and two silver earrings. Her

squeaky voice was unique, nobody else had a voice like hers.

Shureth was a rakish two-metre twenty-four tall anthropomorphic lynx, with broad shoulders,

slender waist, willowy legs and a very short fluffy tail. He had golden flyaway hair, which was usually

tied to form a ponytail. His eyes were emerald green and sparkling. He was wearing a pair of black

boots, ruddy gloves and sailor clothes. Even looking like a pompous puss, he was a nifty and

respectable warrior who had trained many years with his master.

'You must be Yeraldin,' --she approached her. 'I have to thank you for having saved us,' she bowed

before her.

'You don't need to thank me. I just did what anyone had done,' she replied with a gracious smile.

'You were lucky to have got over. When I found you, half of your bones were broken.'

'Dersaco and I were competing to see who the stronger one was. Our foolishness almost cost us our

life.'

'What were you doing in that dangerous zone?' Shureth asked her.

She told them the whole story since the beginning, omitting unimportant details. Yeraldin was

astonished to find out what Daikron had decided to do. As she planned to visit Markhonni soon, she

thought it would be the proper opportunity to take them back to the peninsula. She could be their

minder during the long journey towards Nephiria. Nevertheless, due to the extreme low temperature,

the oracle was not able to accompany them to Femerty. Yeran promised to travel with her companions

and return as soon as they could. Once retrieved Kolumppus ball, they would resume their journey.

'I'll be pleased to go with you. I can guide you to Nephiria. There you'll be secure,' Yeraldin

asserted.

'That sounds great!'

'I know all the way to Markhonni's castle. We'll be there sooner than you think.'

'I don't know that region. I've never been there.'

The oracle explained her the places they had to cross during their journey to Nephiria. They had to

pass by Aosositrenia, Zurvenia, Clavitamia, Karmiria, Brancania, Hurquiria and Argredia. Clavitamia

was the deers' village, Karmiria was the zebras' village, Brancania was the kolossi' village, Hurquiria was

the weasels' village and Argredia was the rabbits' village. The road was not straight, several rivers and

steep hills they had to detour to get to their destination.

'Why don't you come with us and have a snack?'

'I'd love to.'

Yeran accompanied them to the castle and went to a large room, alive with plants and vines, where

the dwellers enjoyed peaceful conversations and delightful rest periods.

Jakso spent the whole afternoon rehearsing, in front of a mirror, a convincing speech so that

Dersaco would not keep having a grudge against him, specially knowing he had a short fuse. When

everything was ready, the wolf sighed and went to see him. He opened the door and found him lying

on the bed, unable to stand up on his own.

'How do you feel, honey?' he asked him and sat down on the left side of the bed.

'What are you doing here?' he whispered in a soft voice.

'Yeran asked me to make it up with you.'

'You'll get nothing.'

'Let me speak at least.'

'Speak then.'

'I apologise for what I did to you. It's my fault you had lost your beloved tigress.'

'I can't forgive you.'

'I already forgave you for what you did so now you can forgive me for that.'

'I wish it was that easy.'

'I'll pretend you never hated Grud.'

'I didn't hate her. I just couldn't stand her letters.'

'You told her to kill herself, knowing very well she would.'

'I didn't know she was so fragile. It was an egregious mistake I regret having made,' he admitted his

howler was the worst thing he had done.

'We both did horrible things in the past,' he admitted with sincerity. 'There's no need for us to keep

hating each other.'

'I always hated you and I'll always hate you.'

'You can hate me all you want, but that doesn't mean we have to wrangle all day long. We can keep

our enmity in secret for a while, can't we?'

'How?'

'We can sink our differences and start off on the right foot.'

'What are you proposing, wolfie?' he did not imagine he was trying to patch up with him.

'I want to make Yeran think we're good pups. Let's pretend we're close friends.'

'Why should I do that?'

'It's the only way I can get her affection.'

'She doesn't even know what that is.'

'You help me now and I'll help you reconcile with Lizaru.'

'How will you do that?'

'I can do anything, my dear.'

Upon thinking seriously for a moment, the coyote realised that burying the hatchet was not a bad

idea. As Jakso was the one who bugged Lizaru, he was able to persuade her to love Dersaco again

without having to bribe her. She had flown into a temper, but she still loved him with all her heart.

'Fine! Let's pretend we like each other,' he accepted the suggestion. 'But if you go too far, I'll kill

you.'

'I knew you would agree. That's why I love you so much. You're my favourite pooch,' he said

derisively and embraced him.

'Get your hands off me,' --he wriggled like a worm.

'I'm so jolly...' he emphasised.

'No big deal.'

'Who knows? Perhaps we end up falling in love with each other.'

'Get stuffed, you fucking son a bitch!'

'I love you too,' he said and left the room.

Halfway through the hall, the wolf started laughing for his shameful scene. He noticed Dersaco

flipped his lid when he spoke to him in a loving way. If there was something he loved doing, was

ruffling his feathers whenever he could.

That same evening, Yeran spoke to Jakso, with the aim of persuading him to travel with them and

the oracle towards Nephiria. Only did he accept because she promised to get off with him, using a

slinky voice.

A few days had to pass for Dersaco to have a full recovery. Shureth had given the warriors bespoke

suits of armour and advised them against committing asinine errors during the forthcoming battle as

they were going to be alone. Dersaco had his spear and a short sword, Jakso had his blue-bladed sword

and Yeran had her axe. They were prepared to confront the shatokers in their den and so was Yeraldin

to make the voyage.

At midday, the oracle asked the nymphs and the guards, the four panthers that lived in the island, to

take care of the castle while she was away. Shureth appeared on the coastline and said that he had his

ship was ready to set sail. They gathered in the beach to leave. Dersaco and Yeran remained close,

Jakso was right behind them.

'Why is he coming with us?' he asked her in a low voice. 'I thought this mission was between you

and me.'

'I prodded him to come with us.'

'How did you do that?'

'I told him I would roger him if he helped us retrieve Kolumppus ball.'

'How ruthless you are, bitch!'

'He has to be helpful for something.'

'I see you're good at manipulating others with your lies.'

'I wasn't lying.'

'Of course you were.'

'I'll vouch for him.'

'Will you?'

'He's a good pup now.'

The crew got into the ship and left the beach. Jakso sat on a blanket and began to sharpen his sword

with a file. Dersaco and Yeran stayed close to the stern, eager to arrive at their destination. Yeraldin had

a sit and settled down under the sun, in the prow. Shureth took the rudder and sailed once more

towards Mitriaria.

In eight days, the group arrived at the peninsula and observed not everything was the same as

before. The coast seemed to have been devastated by dragons. Something was wrong and they had to

find out. Shureth made the anchor drop and made the ship stopped. The warriors descended along

with Yeraldin.

'We're finally here,' Yeran whispered glad.

'I was starting to feel sick on that boat,' Dersaco admitted.

The lynx sailed back and the ship was lost in the thick fog of the horizon. The travellers had to walk

under the sun and get to the rocky area. An immense plateau they found, which was as dry as a canyon.

'This place is Virkumen,' Jakso recognised the surroundings.

'Have you been here before?' Yeran asked him.

'A long time ago,' he replied. 'My father took me here when I was a cub.'

'I've never been here. It's so silent and grey.'

'Well, this is where I'll wait for you,' Yeraldin told them.

'We'll be back in a couple of days,' Dersaco promised. 'Don't mind waiting so long?'

'I'll seek a place to hibernate,' she asserted. 'Please, be careful!'

'We will,' Yeran promised.

The triad of canines left the oracle behind and headed towards their destination. The mountain to

climb was more than ten kilometres high.