The first work from the Heroic Suite was painted at the end of 1917 in Sortavala. In Finland, the artist turned to a story from the local mythology – the heroic songs of the Elder Edda, probably, "The Song about Völund". The character – the smith and wizard Völund – possesses a treasure. He wants to save it for his beloved. The picture reflects the Roerich's special passion for archeology: "heroes passed everywhere", who left "buried treasures" after them. On the other part, the theme of "buried treasure" echoes some events from the artist's life during a serious illness, far away from the motherland, in the troubled days of the vague premonitions of war: "I was ready to hit the road. I abandoned everything that I had".

N. Roerich. I Abandoned. 1918.

The coloring of this picture is the scarlet color of sunrise or sunset, numerous faces in the rocks and stones that highlight the tense and anxious mood of this work.

"On the left and on the background, there is a cluster of wooded cliffs. Black small lakes in steep banks. At one place, stones resemble the old base of a dwelling... The rock of our island is very old. Judging from all the available manifestations, the volcanic formations ended long ago. On such rocks, we could implement our long-standing thought of building a temple, where the cultural achievements of our race would be preserved; where on the most durable materials, using the most reliable methods, we would embody the best achievement of the mankind. We would sculpt the best drawings and engrave the most useful formulae. Given the fragility of our common materials, the incredible transience of paper, colors and everything else, such a repository would be majestic. A secret room of knowledge. Knowledge for knowledge. A great creativity".

N. Roerich. The Flame.