"But guys, what are you doing here? Even Meliradal is with you!" Golden exclaimed, surprised to see the guardians gathered.
"That's right. It seems the whole gang is back," Krasper commented with a mischievous smile, crossing his arms.
"What do you mean, 'it's time'?" Golden asked, looking at Silver curiously.
"Yes, it's time to find our lord Avocios," Silver replied seriously, his tone firm but calm.
"You mangy dog, why are you spouting nonsense? Do you even know where he is?" Golden retorted, raising an eyebrow sarcastically.
"Oh, here we go again with their little drama," Meliradal interjected with an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.
"Can you two behave? There are people watching us," Kilibur said, discreetly gesturing toward Paltio and his friends, who were observing the scene with a mix of awe and confusion.
"Hey, Paltio, who are these enormous beings the size of Golden?" Ban asked, approaching with curiosity.
"They're Avocios' guardians," the prince explained, admiration evident in his voice.
"The guardians? Then they're great figures… Should we bow or something?" Ban asked, slightly inclining his body as if about to do so.
"No, relax," Alita responded, placing a hand on Ban's shoulder to stop him.
"My lord Silver, I've trained this spiky-haired boy well, though I see he still has some things to work on. A month or two more in mental training, and he'll be ready," Chiki said, pointing proudly at Ron but with candid honesty. He then added, "But if we're leaving, I'll go with you, my lord."
"Calm down, Chiki. All of you will stay with them. I told you that once you finished training Ron, you'd return to me, but there are things the guardians must do. So you, our spiritual supporters, must stay behind," Silver explained calmly.
"That's what you get for being overconfident, meow," Toco-Toco joked, laughing at what Silver had just said to Chiki.
"You're staying with them too," Golden said sternly, glaring at the feline.
"Ha, ha! Looks like you won't be going either," Chiki teased, now mocking Toco-Toco.
"Meow, my lord, I want to go with you too!" the feline protested, puffing out his chest indignantly.
"No, Toco-Toco. You must stay. This is a matter for the guardians," Golden said firmly, ending the discussion.
"If you're right... Were you about to say something, Nakia?" Meliradal asked, glancing at the bird who seemed about to speak.
"The same goes for you, Lume and Geki," Kilibur and Krasper added in unison.
"Hold on… Does that mean I won't see you again, Golden?" Paltio asked, concern evident in his voice.
"To be honest, lad, not for now. But I hope to support you in your great battle," Golden replied with a reassuring smile, placing a hand on Paltio's shoulder.
"And who's going to help me finish the training? Remember, 20 percent is still left, and I'm not getting your power to borrow anymore," Paltio said, feeling powerless about the situation.
"Calm down. As Silver said, you no longer need me. That's something I was going to tell you: my power is already embedded in your seed, so it'll be easy for you to use it when needed. Besides, Toco-Toco will take my place and finish the training. He'll also teach you how to activate it," Golden explained, winking at him.
"Well, what can I do, meow," the feline muttered, resigned but accepting his new responsibility.
"Do you know where Avocios is?" Rodelos interrupted in a loud voice, his gaze filled with determination. "Because I've been searching for him too, and I haven't been able to find him."
"Well, we don't necessarily know the exact location, but the five of us can find our creator," Silver replied confidently.
"I understand," Rodelos said, nodding slowly. "Then, I'll go with you."
"You can't come," Meliradal responded calmly but firmly. "Krasper can only transport the guardians, no one else. That's why only the five of us will go."
"Oh! I see," Rodelos murmured, lowering his gaze, a bit embarrassed though also envious that he couldn't join the mission he'd been pursuing from the start: finding Avocios.
"Paltio, I'm sorry. I thought we wouldn't have any more time together, but now I see I have to leave you alone so you can fulfill your destiny," Golden said, looking at the prince with a mix of pride and concern.
"Well, I'm not alone. I have many friends now, and we'll find a way to defeat the shadows while you return," Paltio responded with determination, though his voice betrayed a slight tremor.
"But since you're here, before you go… How do I use the scepter now that it's restored?" Paltio asked, holding the object curiously.
"That's a good question, but I don't know how to explain it. It's one of Avocios' weapons. Maybe Krasper knows something," Golden replied, glancing toward the laid-back dragon.
Krasper briefly examined the scepter and shook his head. "I have no idea how to use it," he admitted, studying the artifact.
"Perhaps your grandfather knows," Ron interjected, looking at Rodelos expectantly.
"The scepter may have always been in our family, but I never knew its proper use. At most, I taught my son how to dismantle it and scatter it, so evil wouldn't obtain it. But that's all I know, I'm sorry, lad," Rodelos said, looking at Paltio with genuine regret.
"It's something you'll have to figure out then, kid," Golden added seriously. "But don't take too long, because you only have four days left, counting today," Kilibur reminded him, crossing his arms.
"Yes, I know that," Paltio responded with determination. "I'll try to find a way to use it."
"Hey, wouldn't it be a good idea to use it to find Avocios?" Lukeandria suggested, hopefully.
"Yes, but since the prince doesn't know how to use it, we'll need to do this on our own," Silver concluded, adjusting his stance as if preparing to leave.
"Alright, let's go already, guys," Krasper said impatiently, eager to reunite with Avocios, though he tried to hide his excitement behind a mask of indifference—though not as well as Golden, whose anxiety was evident.
"Yes," the others agreed before preparing to depart. Just before leaving, Kilibur remembered something: "That's right, I almost forgot. This is what Professor Kuang gave me for you. It'll help with the crystals." He handed the device to Alita, who received it carefully.
"It's time to go," Silver announced, looking at everyone seriously.
"Toco-Toco, I entrust this to you to take the prince to the next level," Golden said, handing a golden key to the feline. "I've also created various locations in the mental training planes for their final days," he added, winking at Paltio.
"We'll meet again, Paltio. I hope so," Golden said as he began to fade away along with the other guardians.
Once the guardians were gone, the group fell silent for a few moments. Finally, one of Paltio's friends broke the silence:
"And now, what are we going to do, Paltio?"
"For now, all we can do is return to Avocadolia. But first, we need to prepare a strategy to secure victory," Paltio responded firmly, though his eyes reflected the magnitude of the challenge ahead.
"Hey, we'll need a massive army," Alita said, her voice heavy with concern as she looked at Paltio seriously.
"Well, that's true," Paltio replied thoughtfully, assessing their available support. His mind raced, searching for strategies that could tip the scales in their favor.
Meanwhile, the reunited guardians arrive at a set of ancient ruins in an arid, desolate land. The wind howled fiercely, lifting whirlwinds of dust that seemed to dance around them. Everything was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, as if the place had been abandoned for centuries.
"Why have we come here?" Golden asked, glancing around with curiosity and a hint of distrust.
"This is where the source lies, the only place where we can search for a clue," Silver explained calmly, his voice steady but brimming with determination. "This is where it all began," he added, pointing to the ground before them.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble slightly. A sort of circle emerged from the earth, and within that circle was a deep black void, like a doorway to the unknown.
"You all know what to do," Silver said, turning to the others with a resolute expression.
"No, what are we supposed to do?" Golden, Kilibur, and Meliradal asked almost in unison, exchanging confused glances.
"We hold hands," Krasper replied with a sarcastic smile. Then he muttered to himself, "I guess that part was erased from their memories too… Oh, master, what did they do to these three!"
"Hurry up and take each other's hands without protesting," Silver ordered, his tone so serious that it left no room for argument. The others exchanged looks; though they wanted to learn more about what they were doing, they decided to trust Silver when they saw him take Krasper's hand without hesitation.
"Fine, whatever," Meliradal sighed resignedly, taking Krasper's hand. Kilibur, without much preamble, took Meliradal's hand. Only Golden remained, staring at Silver with a mix of wounded pride and reluctance.
The others looked at him with expressions that clearly said, "Hurry up."
"Alright, fine. All for Lord Avocios," Golden finally said, taking Silver's hand with a touch of drama.
They all joined hands around the circle on the ground, preparing to channel their energies. At that moment, an electric current surged through their bodies, intense but not painful. Their eyes went blank almost instantly, and their minds plunged into a state of deep connection, as if accessing a higher plane of knowledge.
The black void at the center of the circle began to vibrate, emitting a faint but powerful light that illuminated the desolate landscape. The air filled with a constant hum, as if the place itself were alive and responding to the combined energy of the guardians.