Had they known about the true purpose of their apprentices’ mission, it would have been the end of the Order, indeed. But they didn’t know. Soothed by their ignorance and by the enchanting beauty of the diadem forest, Sainar’s eight younger children did worry about their boys, of course, but, most of all, they were glad to be together again.

***

Mornings were still chilly, the kind of mornings that only poets and artists might enjoy.

That morning, two people met at the Temple balcony to watch the dawn together: Eugenia and Lar, the youngest of Sainar’s children, if, of course, you don’t count one Kuldaganian boy he had left and forgotten along with his mother…

Eugenia was twenty-three, Lar was thirty-one. They had been best friends since they had first met, one bright, sunny summer, when Sainar took little Eugenia from her mother and brought the little girl here, to the Temple of Life. Magrove forest was golden with ripe fruit; when the fruit fell on the ground, they sometimes burst, scattering their sweet, ruby-red seeds around.

Sainar and Gerdon went inside the Temple to talk about some important matters in private and left three-year-old Eugenia all alone in the yard. The unfamiliar place scared her even more than the unfamiliar man – the father Eugenia had never seen before he had appeared out of nowhere and taken her away from her home. No surprise that the little girl started to cry. But she stopped the very moment she heard Lar’s kind, lively, and very concerned voice say, “Hi! I’m your brother! Did someone hurt you? Just tell me and I’ll beat him up!”

Lar was eleven… Oh how long ago that day seemed now!

“Good morning sis!” Lar smiled at her, spreading his arms for a hug.

“Morning,” answered Eugenia, embracing her brother.

“Why are you up so early today?”

“I wanted to speak with a trader from Firaska, to learn something about our boys.”

“Any luck?” Lar looked her in the eyes. “I just know it: you’ve learned something interesting! Your eyes are shining.”

“They must be having a problem with getting a Transvolo… or maybe there’s some other reason why they’ve decided to stay there for a while…” said Eugenia.

Lar noticed that his sister was shivering, so he held her closer to himself and threw his cloak over her shoulders.

“You’re so caring,” Eugenia smiled, “just like I remember you.”

“I know,” grinned Lar proudly, “I’m a good big brother. So, how are the boys?”

“Like elephants in a pottery store!” Eugenia laughed.

“Oh well!” Lar raised his brows in a silent exclamation. “Father must have foreseen what a TEAM of ten ambasiaths could do. Even though it has been over twenty years already since his last visit, the people of my city still remember him and his epic misadventures.”

Brother and sister laughed together, just as carelessly and wholeheartedly as they did when they were children… But, suddenly, Eugenia fell silent.

“Father… He’s a good man,” she said, looking her brother in the eyes. “Why does he need that war? Why’s he doing all that to us and the boys?”

“I don’t know…” Lar’s face turned grim as well. “I hope that he truly wants a better future for the whole Omnis and isn’t just mad with the thoughts about revenge.”

“Revenge for Erhaben!” said Eugenia bitterly. “It’s been poisoning countless lives all those centuries… Why keep the hate alive?”

They were silent for a long time watching the world turn dawn-red and golden like a fallen diadem fruit.

“I’ll tell you one thing, sis,” Lar finally broke the silence. “I taught my Orion that he’s a free man and that once his education is finished, he can decide whether he stays in the Order or not. I think you should talk to your Jarmin about this as well.”