"Well, brat, it's time to go. Lord Tejod is waiting," one of the guards announced in an authoritative tone.
Paltio rose from the chair without hesitation, ready to leave. Mok followed closely behind, but before he could cross the threshold, two guards crossed their spears in front of him, blocking his way. "Only the prince may go. You must stay, foolish butler," the guards sneered disdainfully.
"Mok," Paltio said, turning toward the scene, visibly irritated by the situation.
"Hey, I can't go without my butler," the prince protested, trying to reason with them.
"Don't bother, prince," another guard retorted, shoving him roughly to the ground. "Lord Tejod only wants you. Besides, be grateful that he hasn't turned your butler into red jade and is letting him stay here peacefully."
Paltio got to his feet, brushed the dust off his suit, and looked back at Mok. The latter calmly said, "It's alright, young master. I'll be fine. I'll see you later," as if trying to convey confidence and prevent him from worrying.
The prince nodded resignedly. "Alright," he murmured before leaving with the guard.
The guard, a tall and muscular man, led Paltio out of the palace and into the gardens. There, under the dim light illuminating the area, Tejod and Pax awaited. The latter wore an imposing cape and displayed a larger insignia of the Red Shadows, highlighting his recent promotion.
"What a sour face, boy?" Tejod remarked mockingly, observing Paltio intently. "Ah, I see… It must be because your butler couldn't come." He paused dramatically, savoring the moment. "I've never seen such a look of hatred in someone. Fascinating. But don't worry, you're lucky, because today I'm in a good mood and haven't yet turned your butler into red jade."
Paltio clenched his fists, restraining his anger. He was about to respond or do something impulsive when Pax intervened. Placing a firm hand on the prince's chest, he stopped him calmly but firmly, as if reminding him to maintain his composure. "Don't forget the plan," Pax whispered, barely audible, just low enough for Paltio to hear.
The prince gave a slight nod, suppressing his impulse to act. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, though his gaze remained veiled with determination.
Suddenly, a shrill sound echoed through the air: trumpets emitting a chilling resonance, as if heralding something inevitable.
"It's time, boy. Let's head to the main square. We're almost at the time of the main event," Tejod declared with an evil smile. "Let's go!"
The soldiers waiting in the gardens quickly mounted their horses, while Tejod, Pax, and Paltio climbed into a massive black carriage. The horses pulling it were sinister creatures, with dark fire emanating from their legs and eyes, casting long shadows over the path.
The procession moved forward, leaving the palace entirely. Along the way, Tejod maintained a wide grin, relishing how close he was to achieving his goal. Paltio and Pax exchanged a fleeting glance, as if silently asking each other: "When do we take down this damn badger?"
After traveling for a while, they arrived at the main square, an enormous space surrounded by lush gardens and a vast field where all the remaining soldiers of the Red Shadow now gathered. It was an impressive number—the largest army Paltio had ever seen, far surpassing even the forces of Blajon.
Upon their arrival, they encountered a dark figure cloaked in an impenetrable black suit that revealed not a single glimpse of its true form. Tejod greeted the figure with a respectful bow, but Paltio felt his body tense instantly. The being's presence was overwhelming, freezing the blood of anyone who dared to look directly at it. The prince, unable to help himself, fell into a sort of hypnotic trance as he gazed at the mysterious figure before them. However, thanks to Pax, who gently shook his arm, he managed to break free from the spell of that traumatic experience.
Without uttering a word, the councilor began to speak in a strange, guttural language, their words resonating like a distorted echo in the air. Suddenly, the space before them began to crack, as if the sky itself were fragile glass shattering under an invisible force. An ethereal nebula emerged from the fissure, and the dark being commanded: "Enter, all of you. It is time."
Without hesitation, the soldiers and leaders crossed one by one into the portal. The fissure closed abruptly behind the last soldier, leaving the place engulfed in absolute silence.
On the other hand, Rykaru, upon seeing his father being taken away once again, tried to run forward to confront them. But Alita stopped him firmly.
"Let's continue with what we need to do," Nakia said calmly but with determination.
Everyone exchanged resolute glances and nodded.
Soon, Toco-Toco, using his incredible speed, scoured every corner of the kingdom. He found no one—not a single trace of the Shadow Army.
"Perfect," Alita and Nakia said, exchanging a knowing glance. With fluid movements, both wielded their magic: Alita manipulated the air while Nakia controlled the earth. The red jade statues of the citizens began to levitate, floating gently toward them. Meanwhile, Toco-Toco, Ron, and Chiki coordinated to receive the statues and quickly place them inside the magical bag.
Toco-Toco, Lucca, and Rykaru, with the help of Lume and Geki, pulled on ropes created by the latter two, causing the statues to float even faster toward them. With precision and speed, Toco-Toco stuffed one statue after another into the bag.
"Wow, that was fast. It's great that we have such excellent mages on our team," Ron remarked with a grateful smile.
"Yes, it is," Chiki added, nodding enthusiastically.
"Well, it's a team effort," Alita and Nakia responded almost in unison, blushing slightly at their companions' praise.
As they worked, Alita carefully placed the statues of her parents and siblings into the bag, murmuring to herself: "Dad, Mom..." Ron did the same upon finding his brothers and father, ensuring they were safe. What had seemed like an endless task was completed in the blink of an eye thanks to the team's efficiency.
Once that mission was finished, only the palace remained to be inspected. Toco-Toco volunteered to go ahead and scout the area. Upon entering, he noticed three presences thanks to his green eye. One of them was Mok, accompanied by two guards who remained vigilant.
"Leave those two to me," Ron said with a mischievous smile before slipping stealthily into the palace. Once he was face-to-face with the guards, he whistled to catch their attention and gestured from the shadows, as if playfully trying to lure them away from their post.
"Who's that? And why isn't he turned into jade?" one of the guards asked, frowning as he tried to locate the intruder.
"He's got porcupine hair!" the other added, pointing toward where Ron had been moments earlier. But by the time they realized it, the boy had already vanished from sight. "Where are you, brat!" both shouted, spinning in circles as they searched in vain.
Suddenly, someone tapped them from behind. Before they could react, Ron declared with determination: "It's time for you to sleep." With swift and precise movements, he delivered a couple of direct punches to the guards' faces. The force of his blows sent them flying backward, crashing into a nearby wall with such violence that it shattered under the impact. Both were left unconscious among the rubble.
"Oops!" Ron exclaimed, looking at the mess he had caused.
"Fool! Why are you destroying the palace?" Chiki scolded him, smacking him on the head with her paw.
"Guys! Thank goodness you're here!" Mok said, relieved to see them enter. He then asked worriedly, "But wait... if you could've gotten out of here this whole time, why didn't you?"
"Well, I was waiting for the right moment," Mok replied calmly, though his tone carried a hint of reproach. "But seriously, Ron, you should've been more careful. This is coming out of your allowance."
"But I don't even work in the palace!" the boy retorted, confused.
"No, but once all this is over, you'll be the one fixing that wall," Mok teased, enjoying the chance to rile him up, though his face remained impassive to hide his humor.
"So do I have to pay for it? What if I don't survive?" Ron protested, imagining the worst.
"Well, if you don't survive, I happen to know a bit of necromancy, and we could make you work just the same," Nakia interjected with a mischievous smile, enjoying the joke.
"No, thanks!" Ron quickly responded, visibly alarmed at the idea.
"Calm down, they're just messing with you," Alita reassured him, letting out a small laugh.
"Don't make Ron think too much. You know that, unlike Paltio, he sometimes gets overwhelmed with too much information," she remarked to the others, provoking laughter among the group.
"Enough with the nonsense!" Chiki ordered, always direct and sharp, while delivering another smack to Ron's head.
"Ow! And what was that for?" the boy asked, rubbing his head with a pained expression.
"So you don't get distracted," the dog replied, laughing openly without restraint.
"We must hurry. Tejod left with Paltio and Lukeandria," Mok interrupted the group. "If we saw them," everyone responded, but they still needed to search the palace to retrieve any remaining jade statues.
At that moment, Toco-Toco announced that he would go and check the premises. The feline wanted to ensure there were no more hidden statues in the palace. With his characteristic speed, he scoured every corner, racing up and down stairs and hallways in the blink of an eye. Quickly, with the help of the others, they managed to gather all the statues they found.
Mok examined each one carefully, recognizing those who had been prisoners of the enchantment. As the head butler, he knew the palace staff well.
"General Rex is here too… even some members of the council," Mok reported, inspecting the figures attentively. Suddenly, his expression shifted to one of concern. "But the most important ones aren't here… Where are Paltio's parents?" he asked, his trembling voice reflecting fear.