There were performances after the Pantera squad claimed victory. Everyone watched and waited for the closing ceremony of the event. Hours later, the Medal of Valor for the victors of the summit games was given. Being first in the rankings, the members of the Pantera squad had a golden medal etched with the symbol of the twelve Zodiac Gods. The Nesmos squad members received the same medals but were made of silver, and the Regas squad members received one that was made of bronze.
Celebrations continued even when the darkness of night came. Streets were as bright and vibrant as day and were still filled with people with festive spirits. Aeneas and the others were back at their temporary residence celebrating on their own when someone knocked on the door. Kyra opened it to see Anastasia. They hadn't seen her since she left their group when they arrived at Laochyro.
"Ana? Where have you been?" Lyra spoke, she was worried since Anastasia appeared tired.
Anastasia sighed, she looked at the food and drinks served on the table and said to let her eat first before they speak. Once she finished filling up her stomach, Anastasia turned to Lyra with a serious expression, asking to have a private conversation with her.
The two went inside Lyra's room. When Anastasia felt that no one could hear them anymore she told Lyra that she found someone that could help Aeneas. Lyra was overjoyed, she asked Anastasia to meet with the person immediately.
"But he wanted Aeneas to stay so he could help him," Anastasia said.
"Then, I'll stay in Laochyro as well. Should we go meet him now? How could he help Aenie anyway, does he possess great knowledge or magic?" Lyra replied.
Anastasia paused, she tucked her lips before saying, "They're the same."
Lyra's smile slowly vanished, "Forget it. You know that's not the kind of help I'm looking for," she said.
"We've looked and tried to find another way but this is the only thing we could do to help Aenie. It was already a miracle to find someone similar to him. We must not let this opportunity pass."
Lyra shook her head, "No. It'll just bring more ill fate towards my son, I cannot have that!" She said with the tone of her voice increasing. She was also on the verge of tears but managed to control her emotions.
Anastasia sighed, "Okay. Let's meet him first, maybe he'll change your mind."
"Let's do it another day," Lyra replied with a wistful smile.
Everyone returned home the next day, excluding Lois, Lyra, and Anastasia. The news of the Pantera squad's victory traveled fast throughout Pantera. Its citizens that had the chance to see Arsen at the port of Lapoli, and in cities and towns that they'd pass through would shout, "Reo Preda!", at them with the brightest smile on their faces.
All human settlements in Pantera were adorned with festivities and colorful banners as they also celebrated the month of the Proud Lion which happened to be the same month for the year's summit.
Heos village wasn't different. Although there weren't as many people when compared to a city, the sound of laughter and people enjoying themselves sharing meals and drinks could be heard throughout the village.
Aside from the continuous increase in the number of cases of maddened beasts, days passed in a flow with small disturbances. Especially for the Caspius's. Arsen, his knights, and the kids would train every day and at the same time for each day. In the afternoon, Aeneas, Tiriara, and Neoma would spend hours doing things for fun. Be it playing with some new toy, exploring the village, or reading in his room. After being reluctant for a while, even Tiriara enjoys doing the latter now.
A last meeting of the twelve rulers always occurs at the end of the month of the summit. In the same room, the twelve rulers and the three members of the council of Decatris sat in their designated seats. The hands of the mechanical wall clock were close to pointing at ten in the morning.
Everything that was brought up in the previous meetings that wasn't resolved would be finalized in the last meeting. Subjects that couldn't be finalized would be pushed back into the next summit and would be tackled again after more study. On the other hand, things that needed urgency would be concluded one way or another.
Contrary to the first meeting for the year's summit, the last one went on smoothly. Everything that needed to be discussed was addressed and finalized. One of which was the approval of all rulers for a special squad from the order of Decatris to be deployed in each of their kingdoms to aid in the growing cases of maddened beasts.
And so, ten hours after sitting at the round table, discussing and voting for everything that was addressed, the summit has ended.
The festivities and celebration for the Proud Lion also stopped as soon as the first light of the next month arrived. Days passed as normal. But lately, the assistance of Arsen and his knights for cases of maddened beasts has become frequent.
On the afternoon of the fifteenth of the month of Virgo (September), Arsen was summoned to a nearby city for an important meeting planned by the lord of Arsida himself. Donos and two other knights were the only ones left behind to guard the manor. The three kids; Aeneas, Tiriara, and Neoma were inside the boy's room, reading. Aeneas was seated at his table near the window while the two girls were lying on the floor.
All of a sudden, Neoma stood up and went towards Aeneas. She looked at the container of the black egg resting at the table and spoke,
"Will it ever hatch?"
Aeneas moved his eyes away from the book he was reading and turned to her with a smile, "I hope so," he replied.
"What do you think it will be?" Tiriara said without leaving the comforts of the floor.
The boy shrugged, "I have no idea," he replied.
Aeneas pulled the egg out of its container. The three of them scanned for the fiftieth time this month. They were pulling their hair, trying to figure out how to make the egg hatch or open it with brute force.
"The Lord has returned," said one of Arsen's knights.
Aeneas and the two girls went out of the room to welcome Arsen and his knights back.
"You're early today, brother," Aeneas said.
Arsen looked at him with a smile as he unmounted from his trusted steed, "There wasn't a lot that was discussed in the meeting,"
"Is father also home?" Tiriara asked.
"We left before the Chiliarch, so I'm unsure."
Tiriara smiled, "Oh well," she muttered.
Arsen noticed his younger brother still staring at him, "What is it?"
"I'm just curious, what was the meeting about?"
Haemon, the quirky knight under Arsen, appeared behind him and answered the boy's question.
"Oh, it's about the expedition of the Great Verdant forest, young lord."
"Expedition? Can I come as well?"
Arsen sighed and stared at Haemon with an unimpressed expression.
"Ah. Forgive me, lord," Haemon said with a grin, "Let me take your steed," he continued as he pulled the reigns of Arsen's steed and left the scene in a swift.
As Arsen walked towards their residence, Aeneas kept asking him about the said expedition. The lord Caspius tried to answer each of his questions with as few words as possible.
"When is it?"
"Two months from now."
Walking beside Aeneas, Neoma was asking Tiriara what they were talking about. She tried her best to explain it to Neoma as if she knew about it even though she also didn't have a single clue of what was happening.
"So, can I come?" Aeneas asked once again.
It has been more than a decade since the last expedition in the Great Verdant forest of Pantera occurred. The size of the forest is comparable to an entire Panteran region covered in plant life, magical natural resources, and beasts calling it home. There also exists the hidden village of Mene located not too deep in the forest but still hidden from the entire world.
Many factors made it a difficult task to explore the Great Verdant forest. Examples were its vastness and the amount of diversity of the previously mentioned flora and fauna with some possessing magic that could hinder one's senses and others with powerful magic unknown to man.
Even though that was the case, every expedition in the Great Verdant forest in the past century was concluded as a success. Though they haven't reached the deepest parts, there was no recorded case of casualty in all of the expeditions made. The knights even always brought squires with them. They said that it was due to the leadership of the acting commander and the individual prowess of the knights carefully picked to participate in the expedition.
Aeneas knew about these expeditions, including the part where astounding knights could bring a squire with them. His pleading eyes were piercing Arsen's soul, so the lord Caspius decided to look away.
"You know that mother wouldn't agree."
The boy scratched his head, "She's not even here. And, you'll bring Elu with you anyway, so why not include me?"
"I've already sent a letter to mother about the expedition. And I think she'd be there as a researcher with her colleagues. Also, Elu has been my squire for more than a year now."
"Then I'll be Uncle Donos's squire. Please convince Mother, it's not even that dangerous."
Arsen became serious all of a sudden. His expression made Aeneas gulp.
"I will ask Mother to not allow you myself if you have that kind of thinking. Anything could happen out there, no matter how careful you are. Some knights died against maddened beasts they deemed to be not dangerous. They died not because they were lacking in skills," Arsen pointed at his head, "It's their thinking that was lacking," he continued.
Saddened, Aeneas stared at the ground, his hands in a tight grip, "It's— I didn't mean it, brother. I know all about that, forgive me for speaking without thinking it through," he replied.
Tiriara and Neoma stared at each other. They wanted to ease the situation but both didn't know how.
Arsen sighed, and with a smile, "Fine, I'll ask Mother to allow you to come."
Aeneas's face brightens, "Really?"
His older brother replied with a nod and said, "But you should also ask her yourself."
Aeneas nodded with a grin on his face. Both Tiriara and Neoma were happy for him, jumping in excitement.
"Then, I'll also ask Father to let me go on the expedition!" Tiriara blurted out.
For some reason, Aeneas imagined the scenario where Tiriara was telling her father that she was attending the expedition with a grin on her face, and the lord of Arsida opposed it at first but reluctantly agreed in the end.
"Can I also go?" Neoma asked.
Her pleading eyes were even harder for Arsen to ignore. But, Arsen explained that they planned to bring her along with them from the start. Nireus Chronis, the lord of Arsida himself, would be the one leading the upcoming expedition. He had contact with someone from Mene, and the Moonlord has agreed to lend them some warriors as guides to the parts of the Great Forest they are familiar with but in exchange, he wanted them to bring Neoma to meet him.
Although Neoma felt a bit conflicted, she was happy that she would be going with Aeneas and Tiriara.
Though the previous expeditions ended without any casualties, Arsen felt that it might not be the case this time around since the upcoming expedition's main purpose was to investigate the increasing cases of maddened beasts coming from the Great Verdant forest of Pantera.