

## Acknowledgments

I dedicate this book to my brother, Byron Schumate, who has been an incredible sounding board for my ideas and eagerly awaited each chapter to be finished. My mother, Carrie Mifflin who was my first and forever fan and Erika Elpers for being the first person outside my family to give me an honest opinion. Most importantly, to my wife, Jill Meinhold. She encouraged me to pursue this crazy thing called writing and has been supportive, even on my ugliest days. In addition, to _YOU_ , whomever manages to read and love (or hate) my book. Thank you for giving it a chance!

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Charity Rowell-Stansbury, of On My Kindle, rated Fated Volition 5 out of 5 stars!

" _Overall, Fated Volition by A.L. Meinhold is a great fantasy/adventure epic without the really slow points that some epic fantasy readers come to expect. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the story, and the relationships between the characters really make this book stand out when compared to other fantasy epics. I also liked the fact that most of the story's protagonists are females; the departure from the traditional "heroes saving the princess" to "heroines saving the prince" was not lost on me._

If you are looking for a good fantasy/adventure epic with female protagonists and enjoy authors like Mercedes Lackey, Gayle Greeno, or Melanie Rawn; check out Fated Volition by A.L. Meinhold. You won't be disappointed!"

# Fated Volition

## The Sapphire Star Saga

A.L. Meinhold

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 A.L. Meinhold

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

# Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter One \- In the Beginning

Chapter Two \- A Journey

Chapter Three \- Changes

Chapter Four \- A Fire Inside

Chapter Five \- Seek and Find

Chapter Six \- Parting Ways

Chapter Seven \- New Direction

Chapter Eight \- Shipwrecked

Chapter Nine \- Follow the Leader

Chapter Ten \- Unexpected Enemies

Chapter Eleven \- Keeping It Together

Chapter Twelve \- City of Dreams

Chapter Thirteen \- Waiting Game

Chapter Fourteen \- What Makes a Family

Chapter Fifteen \- Truths Revealed

Chapter Sixteen \- Unexpected Deliverance

Chapter Seventeen \- Animal Instincts

Chapter Eighteen \- Unfolded

Chapter Nineteen \- Luck of the Dragons

Chapter Twenty \- Born From the Ash

Chapter Twenty One \- Disobeying Mother

Chapter Twenty Two \- Remnants of Soul

Chapter Twenty Three \- Reaching an End

Chapter Twenty Four \- Training Day

Chapter Twenty Five \- Unexpected Visitors

Chapter Twenty Six \- Beating the Odds

Chapter Twenty Seven \- Win Some Lose Many

End Notes

Bonus Chapter

# Chapter One

## In the Beginning

Five pregnant women lay before him, screaming in pain. They were all going to give birth at any moment. Panicking, he knelt in front of the nearest one. Unsure of what he was doing, he watched Ava and Samhelia tended to the women and followed their lead. As he was telling the mother before him to stay calm and breathe, a thunderous crash erupted above them and a woman shrieked.

Just to his right a raven-haired beauty cried out in pain, but not from childbirth. Next to her was a large stone of some kind. It was so hot that he could see steam radiating off it. The scent of burnt flesh tinged the air and Farwen gasped as he saw her leg. Through the singed fabric of her dress, red blisters were appearing on her skin.

He reassured the woman he had been helping and went the other quickly. Hesitant to touch the strange rock, which looked like burnt crystal, he concentrated very hard on it. With a loud pop, the crystalline object shifted over about three feet. It wasn't far, but at least it was far enough to keep the heat off Genevieve.

"Please help. Oh God...he doesn't even know." She was crying out, delirious from the pain.

She screamed again as blood soaked through her clothing.

Frightened Farwen called out for Ava, "Something is wrong, I don't know how to help her!"

Ava knelt beside him and in that moment he looked at the others briefly and realized that, they were all cradling their babies in their arms. Should it have happened that fast? It seemed unnatural to him. That whole night had taken a strange turn and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Recalling what had happened just barely an hour before, he lost himself in the memory of that evening.

He had been waiting almost an hour outside the ornate door and the small kelpie was starting to get anxious. The council had been in session for over two hours, and he was beginning to think they would never come to a decision. Tired of staring at the burgundy wood panels he leaned his large ear close to the door. Careful not to smudge the polished gold center that, thanks to him, shown like a mirror.

For a brief moment, he did not recognize himself. It was the first time in as long as he could remember that the entire magical council was meeting. All of the secrecy and extra guests were taking a toll on him. His once vibrant tanned skin was now pale and yellowish. The skin around his eyes was tight, which made his already large eyes seem to pop out a bit more.

Barely reaching three feet tall, he was small even for a kelpie. Farwen was always able to keep up with the daily chores that accompanied serving the council. However, he had started to notice a decline in his efficiency. Partly due to the large number of people that had been staying at the castle. None of the elders had any complaints and Farwen doubted that they had even noticed a difference.

Nevertheless, he took pride in his work and it bothered him terribly. Straining to make out the conversation behind the door was giving him a headache. The thought of using magic to eavesdrop occurred to him, but he shook his head and dismissed the idea just as quickly. The council went to great lengths to keep their meeting private, and he was sure that there would be harsh repercussions for attempting to thwart their precautions.

Kelpies did not have much magical power, but what they did have was useful. Most could project themselves just about anywhere, within a reasonable distance, and they could manifest things. They were very convenient powers to have, both of which made it very easy to serve the council. There was that annoying horse transfiguration, of course, not something that Farwen enjoyed at all.

An unreliable talent often only worked when he was very angry, and even then, it was mostly uncontrollable. It was because of the horse nonsense that many places in Watreon considered kelpies dangerous or bad spirits. There were several stories of a kelpie losing control and letting the horse instinct take over their will.

Not necessarily, a bad thing except for the fact that the horses fed on emotion and no emotion was quite as strong as fear. Kelpies, although small and childlike, were not defenseless or forced to work for others, their treatment was respectable, and they came and went as they pleased. Those that served chose to do so because it was something that made them happy.

Giving up on hearing anything, he decided he would find some work to busy himself with until the council summoned him with further instructions. Quickly turning away from the door, he almost ran into someone.

"Beg your pardon, I didn't hear you approach." Farwen said, and he bowed apologetically.

Gazing up he realized there were six women standing before him. Five of the women were very large with child. They all stood there looking at him with tired and frightened eyes. The woman leading them was more than beautiful. She was glorious and he had met her many times before.

Pure white hair fell in waves to her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Even with her youthful appearance, she looked very wise and powerful. Her eyes were a soft and kind, and a shade of grey he'd never seen in any other creature. Rings of silver circled her pupils.

Smiling at him, she knelt down to look him in the eye. It was a fluid movement, with no hesitation, and it startled him at first.

"Nice to see you Farwen." Ava said.

Her voice was musical, like the golden notes of a harp, beautiful and overwhelming. Her voice was always amazing.

"Please let the council know that I have arrived and I have these lovely ladies I would like to introduce." She said, motioning behind her.

At the last of her words Ava rose, once again a movement so quick Farwen's eyes could barely keep up. She was a powerful sorceress and her beauty never failed to astound him. When she was standing, she was completely still, as if she were a statue. Only her skin was not pale like marble. Bronzed and shimmering, her skin seemed to glow as if there were light shining from beneath it.

It was subtle and he doubted that human eyes would even detect it. A flowing white gown draped over her and hung most delicately, clinging in all the right places. Pushing the door open, after a slight hesitation for fear of some enchantment, he crossed a small receiving area in to a huge circular room.

The ceiling looked as if it kept going far beyond what the eye could see. It was very dim, despite the several hundred lamps that hung from what appeared to be thin air. The council room, hidden below ground and could only be accessed through a tunnel. Farwen was not sure who had constructed the room, but they gathered there without fear of being exposed or vulnerable to each other.

It was neutral territory and had been for as long as anyone could remember. Part of a binding blood oath that had occurred at the end of a great war. He was not sure about the details, only that many species were near extinction and the magical community united for the good of all.

Hidden well, Bastriean resided between three mountain ranges.

Each mountain range came together exactly at the others end, so that it formed an almost perfect triangle. Though difficult to travel to and from, it had ample protection. He couldn't imagine how difficult it had been to get there with five very pregnant women.

As Farwen lead the most unusual group into the chamber, he felt a sense of peace wash over him and he knew at once that his good friend Thad must be around. Thad was also a kelpie, but he had a very rare gift for their kind. He was able to control people's emotions. Mostly he just made them feel calm and kept any harmful or angry feelings at bay.

It was an invaluable asset to the council and helped to keep the peace, and solve problems with clear and rational heads. Searching the huge room for him, Farwen's pale yellow eyes rested on a rather short fellow with very large rounded ears and a bushy black beard. Thad smiled at him with the same yellow eyes and looked over toward a giant table that was able to seat nearly fifty.

The table bowed so that everyone was able to sit on the outside and still be able to look and address all who sat there, while still having a middle and clearly defined place for a leader. In the middle of the table sat a large man, who was roughly the size of a bear. He had the same white hair that Ava did, although it did not seem as enchanting on him.

Garrel had a beard to match which flowed down in curls to the middle of his robe. The robe was a deep purple, which signified the color of the order, and a funny looking hat rested on his head. A short hat was similar in color to his robe, only the color seemed to change slightly as he moved his head, as if it were made of some sort of metal.

It had several tassels that hung down a bit too long and it flopped forward every so often. That amused Farwen, because he thought it looked quite like the hat was too lazy to stand up on its own. Every now and then Garrel would blow a tassel out of his eyes and readjust it, just to have the hat flop right back into the same indolent position.

Farwen look to Thad to see if he found the hat amusing also, but he was concentrating hard on someone at the table. It was a skinny black haired man, who looked rather uncomfortable. He kept fidgeting every time Garrel spoke, and looked quite restless. There were several others seated on both sides of Garrel. Counting quickly as he approached the table, Farwen added twelve others for a total of thirteen, not counting Ava and her five guests.

Garrel, who was in the middle of addressing the council, did not pause in his speech as they came forward. "...and so you see the desperate measures that must be taken, if we are to survive what is to come. I do not pretend that killing the twin princes is the most attractive option, but it is our safest."

Garrel stopped for a moment to look at Ava nervously before speaking to Farwen, "You may proceed."

Farwen smiled and stepped to the side as he announced Ava and her guests, and took his place next to Thad to listen and wait. Ava did not waste time; she smiled and nodded at a few members of the council acknowledging their hellos. She looked straight at Garrel as she spoke and her voice never wavered.

"Council, it saddens me that I am not sitting with you at this table. A table at which we have solved a great many problems in the past. Tonight you have all heard the great and terrible foretelling of Samhelia, our gifted and precise seer. She has told you of the coming war between the twin princes of Watreon.

"Though I am scared and unsure of our part in this future, I am certain that most of you will not aid our enemy."

At her last sentence the sly looking man, that Thad had been concentrating on snorted.

"Something to say Rabbishan?" She asked calmly.

He glared at her, not concealing his anger at the confrontation and shook his head, all the while mumbling under his breath.

Ava merely smiled and continued, "Garrel has been given the opportunity to disclose to you all, his plan of action. You must believe me when I tell you that this is a rash and serious decision. Our council was not formed to become a reigning power. We do not interfere, unless it is necessary, and even then, it is to the smallest degree possible.

"I am aware that this problem will still require a great deal of interference, but killing two princes? Both of whom are barely sixteen, only just becoming men. I do not see any redemption from such a heinous action. Think for a moment on what that would mean. Who are we to pass judgment on crimes that have yet to be committed? What would we then become?" She pleaded.

Garrel argued, "Ava, I do not sit here and act like this is an easy thing for us. You must see that it is the only way of stopping this horrible and devastating war from taking place. I cannot allow you to stand here and try to convince this council to just let it happen." Garrel's anger showed on his face, and Farwen saw Thad straighten and concentrate harder.

"I am not asking you to simply sit by and watch as our land is destroyed. I would like for all of you to listen to my story, and another option." She said.

Pausing briefly before continuing on, she rubbed her hands together and continued. "After hearing of Samhelia's vision, I hurried to her, so that I could hear it from her myself. It was at that time she recalled a foretelling by her mother when she was just a child. She told her of a sapphire star that would fall from the sky, and on that night, five daughters would be born.

"Five daughters of elemental powers possess

Gifts born under the falling blue star

Will be fates just sword in war

Two brothers, both alike

One whose soul is born in light

And one who's soul is black as night

Five daughters who triumph over evil and circumstance,

Will restore the kingdom to the rightful prince!"

Ava paused while everyone looked back and forth between her and the five pregnant women behind her.

Garrel laughed. "You can't be serious. Ava really, do you honestly think that a bedtime story will help us win a war fueled by hate?"

She gestured towards a blonde sitting at the end of the large table. Quickly everyone realized that it was Samhelia, though no one was sure when or how she had gotten there, but all were now intent on listening to the rest of Ava's story.

"I believe that these women are carrying the five daughters of the sapphire star. It took me a great while to find them all, but with Samhelia's help, I am certain that it is them." She said.

Farwen looked at the expecting women as if for the first time. They were all very beautiful. They ranged in age, but he could not help keep his eyes off the one standing directly behind Ava. For a human she was quite astonishing. She had raven black hair that fell down to her tiny waist in the most delicate of curls. Her skin was smooth and creamy white. Her cheeks were flushed with a rose hue, but her eyes intrigued him most.

They were dark blue, with a golden yellow ring around the pupil, and her long black lashes seemed to float above them. She looked very young to be so fully expecting and could not have been more than sixteen, but she carried it well and lovingly. She also seemed to have a secret of some sort. Her face gave it away. It was something painful.

Whatever is was, Farwen was certain she carried the burden of secrecy alone. Ava regained the attention of what had become a room full of spectators.

"As you can see, they are all ready to give birth any day. I would like us to protect them and their daughters until the time is right. When that time comes, I will personally take responsibility for training them properly. These women are aware of what is at stake, and are willing to help in whatever way they can."

Garrel stood and his voice boomed across the room, "Council we have much to think about before we decide. Ava is asking us to put faith in an idea that has many holes and blind spots of a future, which we cannot see. If we eliminate the problem, now then we have nothing further to fear. Choose wisely dear friends, all our lives depend on it."

Ava did not address them again; she simply took her spot at the table, leaving the expecting mothers to stand awkwardly in front of them.

Garrel spoke again, "Now is the time, council, please cast your vote. All in favor of eliminating the princes stand up."

Of the fifteen people seated at the table, only four stood next to Garrel, leaving ten seated. Garrel stood a while longer hoping that he would not have to admit his defeat. His thin lips pulled apart slightly to smile crookedly at Ava.

"You have all decided. I hope that she is right. We will know soon enough if these are in fact the mothers of the five daughters of the sapphire star. Then we will see if this is truly the path we must take." Garrel said and took a small staff, and banged it over the table to signify the end of the council meeting.

Farwen could not help but be a little frightened of the unknown future. What would a war mean for him and his fellow kelpies? Everyone cleared the chamber quickly. Ava and Samhelia stayed behind with the women. She motioned for him to come closer.

"Farwen I would like you to meet Moira, Rose, Stallia, Gretchen, and Genevieve." She said.

The last name fell on the wondrous girl he had been admiring before. She smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. Oh how he wished he could reach out and comfort her.

Samhelia spoke for the first time. "Farwen, could you please show these women to a sleeping chamber? A large one please, they would prefer to stay together."

"Certainly. This way." He motioned for them to follow and reminded himself to keep his pace slow, so that they could keep up with him.

After getting the women settled, Ava approached him.

"Thank you Farwen. You have done a great service to me tonight. I shall never forget it!" She said, then knelt down and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

He blushed and smiled at her, not knowing why she thought his help had been so important. Before he could ask more questions, his normal duties called him away. He hoped that Ava would succeed, and if needed he would help in whatever way he could. He turned back quickly when he heard the first of five screams.

He was knew that it wouldn't be long before they all gave birth, but never did he imagine that they would all labor at the same time.

"Farwen? Farwen!" Ava called to him, bringing him back to the present.

Genevieve lay before him, writhing in pain. Moving out of the way so that Ava could help Genevieve, Farwen held her head in his arms and prayed that she would be okay. After a while a baby girl was born.

"Evangeline. I'll call her Evangeline." Genevieve said weakly. She looked pale, as if death would take her any moment and was shaking horribly.

As Ava was getting ready to hand her the child, she cried out once more. That time he heard tearing sound along with her screams and there was more blood. He did not think it was possible that someone so small and fragile could contain so much blood, and yet it just poured out of her like water. Ava handed Evangeline to Samhelia who was now chanting something under her breath.

"It's another Sam. Another baby. A boy." Ava said surprised.

Stroking her hair, Farwen looked down at Genevieve as the life drained slowly out of her enchanting eyes and he knew that she would not live much longer. Weakly she managed to call out another name.

"Gavin. I think he would like that." She said with a smile.

Ava nodded, and held the boy and girl by Genevieve's head so that she could see them closely.

She kissed them both and said, "I love you, I will be in your heart always."

He watched as two single tears rolled off her cheeks and fell onto each of the babies' chest. It did not seem a strange thing at first. Then he noticed where the tears had dried on their skin lay a teardrop shaped mark over both their hearts. Ava took them to clean, leaving him alone with her.

"Farwen I must entrust you with a secret. Can you bear the burden of this secret alone?" She asked sadly, her voice just a raspy whisper.

He only nodded in reply for he feared he could not control his emotion if he spoke.

"They have a great father. A noble man, but he does not know of them. No one knows. When the time is right, you must tell them of their father." She paused out of breath.

"They must know of him, it is important you don't share this with anyone until it is absolutely necessary. Can you promise that Farwen?"

He nodded again, moving his oversized ear closer to her. Her whispers were so faint he could hardly make them out. When she told him the name of the man, he looked at her with surprise and disbelief.

She said, "It is true. Do you promise?"

He answered, "Yes my lady, you have my complete loyalty. But how will I know wh`1en the time is right?"

"When it seems that all hope is lost for the prince of the light, then you must tell him." She smiled again faintly and closed her eyes as if to rest, but she would never open them again.

He laid his head on her chest and wept. When Ava laid a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, he looked over at the object that had crashed through the ceiling what seemed like hours before. He had not realized before that when he moved it, it had split in two. Inside the strange crystal was a pure sapphire about as large as his head.

He looked at Ava quickly, and she nodded as if she knew what he would say. Taking his hand, she led him out of the room.

"Farwen I think you should rest, but tomorrow before the sun rises, we set sail for Ferrentri. I would like you to accompany me on my journey." She said.

He was startled, "The elves? But why? It's so far."

"Yes." She said sadly.

"We did not anticipate losing so many mothers. We must split the children for the time being for their safety and the elves are the farthest journey we must make, so it is there we venture first."

"Why to the elves though?" He asked.

"Because, dear Farwen, Samhelia knows their elemental power and Lillian will go to them for training. As Alexandra will go to Aurora, Evangeline will go to Mastion Village, and Ryhan will go to Resteir." Ava said.

"What about the fifth girl?" He asked.

She seemed hesitant to answer, and then replied, "Victoria will travel with her mother to Volcaringuard."

His eyes widened, "Dragons?"

She nodded.

Changing the subject, she said, "I do not know what will become of the boy, but for now he will stay with Samhelia."

Farwen told Ava he would serve her well. Although nervous about the upcoming journey, and sad for the loss of not only Genevieve, but also Rose and Gretchen shortly after childbirth, he was hopeful that the power of the daughters of the sapphire star would prevail.

# Sixteen years later

## Part One

### Ryhan

## Chapter Two

## A Journey

Resteir was the greenest land in all of Corafeldon. The forest was thick and dense, and the foliage grew rich and fragrant as far as the eye could see. Until the great drought came, and she watched the grass turn brown and then drift away into dust. She saw the river and lake, dry up and crack like broken clay pots. Listened to the once deafening sound of the tree frogs turn mute as their homes turned to nothing more than overgrown sticks in the dirt.

Resteir was her home and soon it would be nothing more than a desert, empty and barren. It was no wonder her mother was in such a hurry to leave with all the other villagers. Most everyone had already moved on in search of more inhabitable surroundings. Their well was almost dry, crops would no longer grow, and there would be nothing left to sustain them if they stayed.

"Ryhan! Come and help please." Her mother called to her.

She had packed her bag two days before and was impatiently waiting for her mother to finish gathering the things she considered useful for their journey. Where they were going, she was not certain. Her mother had changed her mind about their destination more times, than she could count. Most everyone they knew were heading closer to Breckenshire.

In hopes, that being close to one of the King's cities would offer more opportunity for food and work. There wasn't much point of staying in Resteir. It had become nothing but a wasteland. Ryhan wished that she had some sort of idea where they might end up. It wasn't as if it would really matter, she had never even left her small village. Barely worth the pen stroke on a map, just a small corner of the country where a few hundred villagers decided to settle,

Corafeldon was the largest island of the three main islands that made up Watreon and she had never even seen more than a day's journey of it. Sighing heavily, she shuffled in to the house her father built for her mother when they were first married.

Small did not even begin to describe it. At times, it seemed completely suffocating. Standing off to the side of the room, her mother was staring at one of her most prized possessions. A ten-inch oval mirror hung on the wall, to help ward off evil spirits supposedly. The idea was that the spirits would be so frightened of their own reflection that they would run away and never return.

Ryhan wasn't sure that she believed in such tales, but her mother cleaned it every day, and would often say things like, "Thank goodness for that mirror or those devil faeries would have put out our fire today." or "If that mirror hadn't been there I'd have never gotten rid of that pesky gremlin that's been hanging about."

Mostly, Ryhan and her father would just make a joke or give her a little laugh and move on, but her mother really believed in the power of that mirror. Ryhan walked over to her and placed her arm over her mother's shoulder.

"Are we going to take it with us?" She asked.

"Better not, I couldn't bear to see it broken." Her mother said and hung her head, tears filling her eyes.

She could tell that her mother was reluctant to leave it. They were already carrying so much that she didn't try to convince her to bring it. Catching her reflection in it was always an odd feeling for her, but on that day, something seemed different. Reaching up, she twisted her dark auburn hair back behind her head.

Staring hard at the girl in that other world, she tried to see what it was that had changed. Giving up she let go of her hair and it fell in long waves around her pale and freckled face the way it always did, and her deep blue eyes stared back at her intently. On a good day if the light filtered in to the room just the right way, you could see little flecks of red in the blue color of her eye. It was her favorite thing about her appearance.

It obviously was not a good day.

She had a nervous feeling in her stomach. Every day that she got closer to sixteen, the more she felt like something huge was going to happen. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Ryhan was about to head back outside to wait on her father when her mother grabbed her hand and motioned for her to sit in the chair next to her.

"Did I ever tell you about the night you were born?" She asked.

Ryhan just nodded in reply, she had been retelling the event like a bedtime story for as long as she could remember.

"I know you think that it is just a story that I have created for you about magical stars that fall from the sky, in faraway lands. However, it is all true. All of it. What I have never told you is that...I was not alone. About half way through my pregnancy, an unbelievably beautiful woman came here and told me about a war that was coming and how my child... you darling, was destined for great things.

"She asked me to accompany her to Bastriean, to a meeting between leaders of the magical community. I'd never even left Resteir, but something in my heart told me to go." She said.

Her mother sat on the edge of her chair looking troubled and confused. Ryhan waited for her to continue, but she watched as she stood up and started pacing the room back and forth.

Suddenly she rushed to her side and whispered in Ryhan's ear, "There is something I have kept secret from you and your father. Something very important, so you must listen carefully."

Her mother was worried, more worried than she had ever seen her. It caused creases in her once beautiful face, which had become aged from the sun and hard labor in the field. Every now and then, when she let her hair down, her blue eyes would shine. When she really laughed, her whole face lit up and her beauty returned, even if only for a few moments.

"When Ava came to me I knew he would never allow me to go, so I left, against your father's wishes. There were four other expecting mothers, who journeyed with us. We became very close. It was strange, as if one heartbeat connected us all. And when we arrived, tired and very largely with child, we gave birth the same night, at the same time.

"The most wondrous thing happened. As we were giving birth, a star crashed right through our ceiling. They took the pieces away before I had a chance to look at them more closely, but it looked as if some sort of blue stone resided in the middle. Three of the mothers passed due to difficult childbirth and I felt as if I had lost three sisters. A deep pain and ache that has never left me." She paused, caught up in her story, and looked as though she was thinking intensely about something.

Ryhan placed a hand over hers, "Mother, what is it you're trying to tell me? This doesn't make much sense to me." It really was very confusing and a sense of foreboding washed over her.

Her mother continued, "After you were born, they told me that you had been blessed with some sort of power. A gift of the elements. They wanted to send you away, to raise you in some distant land. I started to panic. Ava told me it would be the best thing for you, that you would be well trained and taken care of. But... I just couldn't let you go."

She began crying hysterically and Ryhan wrapped her arms around her hoping to be of some comfort. Unsure of what she could say, or how to process what her mother was telling her, she just sat with her while she quietly sobbed. The stress from having to leave their home must have been affecting her mother terribly. Ryhan thought she should probably go and find her father, he would know what to do.

Assuring her mother she would be back soon, she walked outside and took in large gulps of air. Her lungs exploded with pain, she felt as if she had been holding her breath the entire time her mother was talking to her. None of it could be true, how could it be, falling stars and magical powers. What powers? She had never experienced anything that she would consider magical.

Taking off towards the woods, she hoped she would find her father out doing some last minute hunting before they left. It was doubtful that he had any luck. Most of the animals had left long ago and there wasn't much left to the forest but dead trees, so she didn't worry about how loud her steps were.

Just as she entered a clearing, she saw her father walking towards her with another man. She did not recognize him at first and then realized it was Roger. He was a stable hand that lived next to them. They had grown up together and she considered him a friend, despite being extremely annoying. He used to be a lot of fun until he started trying to join up with the Centermerge.

The Centermerge was the king's army of highly trained soldiers, and not very nice ones at that. Word traveled fast in Corafeldon, and they had all heard several stories of how brutal and unkind the king's soldiers were, but the Centermerge was a completely new level of filth. She could not understand why such a nice person like Roger would be so keen on enlisting with such ruthless men.

She had an inkling that it was her father's influence, he had been a soldier for the Imperial Guard before the old king died, and Axiom took the thrown. King Axiom was nothing like the ruler his father had been. While Ryhan was born during the old king's rule, it was King Axiom's reign that she knew, his reign that she lived, and she knew with her whole being that it was only going to get worse.

It was no secret that her father wanted them wed. With her sixteenth birthday approaching, she had a feeling Roger was trying to prove his worth by joining the army. She hated to think that all that she had to look forward to when she turned sixteen was getting married, and having children. There had to be more out there waiting for her.

It was not that Roger would make a bad husband, but she wasn't in love with him and she had told him so, many times. She rarely saw him because he would go to town and wait around all day to see if one would happen to pass through recruiting. Idiot.

Thoughts pausing for a moment, Ryhan looked up to see her father and Roger heading her way. Roger was waving his hands up and down trying to catch her attention. He looked rather silly and she could not help but laugh a little. Good thing he was not within hearing distance, she didn't want him to know he had any effect on her at all.

Running towards her, smiling his big goofy grin the whole way, he excitedly said, "Ryhan, there you are, I've been looking for you all over!"

She replied, "What is it now? Dragons in the forest? I don't have time for your nonsense stories right now, I need fathers help with mother."

Ignoring her statement he said, "I came to tell you something. Something that is actually important."

She waited impatiently and when he did not speak, she shouted, "WELL? Are you going to make me guess?"

There was a slight breeze, which made the dried up grass in the field blow against her bare feet. It felt nice and scratchy at the same time.

"I've enlisted! I leave tomorrow morning for Breckenshire to start my training." He said.

Breckenshire was so far away. It seemed like it was all the way across Corafeldon.

"You moron. Why would you go and do a stupid thing like sign yourself up to get killed?"

He looked down at his feet and kicked the dirt around a bit before looking back into her eyes. The wind was starting to blow harder, kicking up a lot of dust in the air, so he moved to the other side of her to shield her from the worst of it. She had assumed he would be following her family out of Resteir. It never occurred to her that he would not be coming with them.

Ryhan did not like to admit how nice it was, as frustrating as he could be, to have Roger around. He kept her from realizing how lonely she really was. Underneath it all, he was her best friend. He was her only friend really.

He spoke to her softly, "Ryhan...I need to do this. I cannot expect anyone to want to marry me as a stable boy! I need to start a life for myself. Besides, Corafeldon hasn't seen war for nearly a hundred years."

She had to admit that he was right about that. Not many people alive could tell recall the last war or what started it. What was all that talk about marriage? She knew her father must have been pushing the issue. Catching up to them her father greeted them and smiled gently.

"Father, mother is talking a bunch of nonsense, she's very upset, and I couldn't calm her." He nodded at her and jogged ahead of them to reach her mother quickly.

The sun was no longer visible, and Roger took her hand to lead her home. She let him, hesitating slightly, not wanting to give him false hope, but glad for the comfort. When they finally reached her door, Roger took her other hand into his.

He looked deep into her sapphire eyes and said, "I always knew you'd come around. Your father said I'd just have to be patient, so I waited. And now finally we'll be together the way I always wanted."

Ryhan could not breathe. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought she was going to have to pound it back in her chest. MARRIAGE! He wanted to be married, to her. He could not possibly think that she would say yes. She was speechless.

"Roger," She said pausing as she pulled her hands away, "I thought I was very clear, I don't love you. I can't marry you."

"But your father said you agreed and he's already consented." He said confused.

She could feel her anger rising. What could they possibly be thinking, they had no home anymore, they were about to venture out into world their futures unknown, and her father wanted to consent to marriage. Where would they live? How would she survive while he was off playing soldier boy? She was about to express this to Roger but before she could utter a single word, her father and mother rushed out to greet them both.

"Alright boy, you didn't waste any time! I knew you had it in ya. I told ya she would say yes!" Her father seemed ecstatic, but her mother just stood by him with a worried expression on her weathered face.

This could not be happening, she had to say something before they had her handfasted and pregnant.

"Wait! You knew?" She asked, looking at her mother. Her mother gave her a sullen nod and shrugged her shoulders.

Turning to Roger she simply said, "Roger, this isn't what I want. I am so very sorry, but I have no interest in marrying you. Moreover, you are all crazy if you think this is even a remotely good idea. There are important things to think of right now more than marriage. With that said, Roger please don't go off to train and get yourself killed."

She embraced him quickly and ran into the house before he could say another word. She didn't like to deal with emotions. They made her feel helpless and out of control. Her father followed her in quickly.

"YOU GET BACK OUT THERE! He deserves something better than that from you." He was screaming.

She didn't turn around, just grabbed a bundle of wood to start a fire, it was already dark, and so they would not be leaving that night. He took her arms from behind and spun her around to look in her face.

"Don't you turn your back on me, now get out there, and talk to that boy." He demanded. She broke free from his grasp, and yelled back.

"I DON'T WANT TO MARRY HIM. I do not love him. And you can't force me to."

"The hell I can't. What does love have to do with anything? You think your mother loved me when we were wed? The only reason I got her father's permission is that I gave him the fattest pig. But the lad loves you, what more could you ask for? I already gave my consent, and I do not go back on my word. YOU WILL marry that boy. End of discussion!" He finished as if there was nothing else to say.

"And what do you get out of it? He doesn't have a fat pig to offer you. No, all he has is his employment as a soldier and all that guarantees is that I he will leave me alone by myself for most of the year. Are you so eager to be rid of me? Am I that much of a burden to you?" Her whole body began to shake with fury.

How dare her father demand such a thing from her? All her life she had met his expectations, and never questioned him. She was not a noble, she was just a simple farm girl, why should it matter that she wanted to wait to fall in love? A pain erupted behind her eyes, crippling her to the floor. Just then, her mother rushed in the door and to her side.

"Ryhan, what is the matter?" She asked.

Ryhan couldn't answer, the pain was excruciating. It moved from behind her eyes down the back of her neck. She felt it creep down her entire spine then dissipate through the rest of her body. At the same moment, the kindling in the hearth burst out in enormous flames. They licked the ceiling before dying down and smoldering out. Her father jumped across the floor screaming. If she had not been watching the whole thing, she would have never believed it happened.

During the event, she had heard her mother's soft voice call out, "It can't be time yet, she's just barely sixteen."

It didn't make much sense to Ryhan. However, not much of the afternoon had. What had been a nice autumn day, had taken a strange turn of events, and left her emotionally and physically exhausted. When she finally found her bed that evening, it had only taken moments for her to drift to sleep. It was a fitful rest, full of strange dreams about magical meetings and a beautiful white haired woman that had come to take her away somewhere.

She woke with a start; a figure was sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Ryhan, it's me." Her mother whispered.

Relieved, her breathing steadied.

Her mother sobbed, "I am so sorry. I probably should have let them take you, at least then you would have been more prepared for what you're facing."

"What do you mean, what I'm facing?" Ryhan asked confused.

"You must leave us and go to Fishien. At first light, Roger is leaving for Breckenshire. I have spoken with him and he has agreed to accompany you to Fishien, since it is only a day's journey out of the way."

"Mother, what are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere." Ryhan said flatly.

"This isn't a negotiation Ryhan. Your life is in danger. If you don't go now, I don't know what will happen to you, but I can't protect you any longer." Her mother said fearfully.

"Is this about what happened earlier? You can't really believe that had anything to do with me?" Ryhan asked skeptically.

Sighing, her mother asked, "Did you not feel the power within you? I saw what it did to you. You can't deny that you felt something."

She started to protest, but thought back to that evening. Convincing herself it was just a coincidence had been too easy. Perhaps she didn't want to face the reality that her mother might not be crazy.

"Mother...I am so confused." Ryhan stated.

"I'll answer anything I can, to the best of my ability." She said.

"What exactly did you mean when you say I have a power?" Ryhan asked.

"Well, I don't know much about it, but I was told by a seer that you would have the elemental power of Fire." She replied.

Thinking back to how the fire had grown when she was angry, she wondered if that could have been her doing.

"How is that possible?" Ryhan asked.

"I don't know. There are so many things in the world that I do not understand, but magic exists all around us. And you my sweet girl became a part of that world before you were even born." Her mother said, brushing back the hair from Ryhan's face.

"What am I supposed to do when I reach Fishien?" She asked.

Her mother replied unsure, "I cannot tell you, I only know that is where Ava told me to send you when I felt I was ready to let you go."

"What is the purpose of all this, the story that you told me of when I was born, and my power, what is the point of it all?" She asked.

"I can tell you only what I was told, that you and four other girls were born to help defeat a great evil that will come to our land. I don't even think I understand the purpose of it all. I only know, as I have always known, that you are destined for great things. I suppose the rest is left for you to determine." Her mother said.

Ryhan sat very still trying to take in everything her mother had told her. She had always felt drawn to something, an indescribable feeling of magnetism that pulled at her, as if trying to lead her somewhere. A feeling that had been getting harder to ignore with each day that passed.

It was a bit overwhelming and no matter how frightening, she was excited to make the journey. Her mother kissed her goodnight, and left her to ponder alone. She did not think that she would be able to sleep at all, but it crept up on her and before she knew it, she was dreaming fitfully.

Images of magical quests, and evil soldiers flashed through her mind. There was a man who kept laughing, who had something of hers, something she wanted back badly. He had piercing ruby eyes. His menacing laugh echoed through her mind. It seemed to resonate through her whole body, paralyzing her. Screaming, she woke herself from the horrible nightmare.

She tried to get back to sleep, but could only lie with her eyes closed, for fear of dreaming of the evil man again. Light was appeared over the hillside, and she quickly gathered her things and headed out to meet Roger. Her mother had said her goodbyes the night before, but she still felt a bit saddened at having to leave without saying a word to her father, even if she was angry with him.

Roger was waiting for her under a huge tree; the few leaves left were brown and falling. She had sat with him many days under that tree. Sometimes they would have a midday meal, but mostly they just sat and chatted. He was her only friend; it was not hard to imagine why he would be interested in marriage.

Although they fought like cats and dogs, they were mostly friendly about it. As annoying as he could be, he always apologized for his stupid boyish behavior. Smiling at the young man barely a year her senior, she felt badly that she could not begin to feel the same way about him. He was like a brother. She wasn't sure what to say to Roger as she approached him.

He was leaning against the trunk of their tree, with his arms crossed over his chest. She smiled at him again, the best she could manage, and looked down at the ground. She thought he was about to say something, but no words left his mouth, he simply grabbed his bag and began walking toward where the river used to be.

Taking the hint, she followed him quietly and wondered how long he would make her suffer in silence. Once they found the dried up river bed they walked along side it. Ryhan did not know where they were going, and hoped that he knew, because she had never been farther than a few miles from home.

"Roger, about how far is it to Fishien?" She asked sweetly, hoping that it would start up some conversation.

Unfortunately it did not work, because he did not even turn to look at her when he replied, "It is a three day journey there, and another day to Breckenshire."

Three days. She didn't think she could honestly walk for three days staring at the back of his head.

# Chapter Three

## Changes

If it was quiet he wanted, then it was quiet he would get. She would not make a peep. She always won at his little games, and she planned to win again. After about ten hours, Ryhan's stomach was howling at her. Cursing herself for being in such a hurry that she didn't pack food; she scanned the scenery looking for something edible.

Luckily, there was a tree not far ahead growing some sort of fruit, so she quickened her pace enough that she passed Roger. He did not say anything only began stretching his long legs a bit more as he walked, until he was at least even with her. She laughed at little, and he looked away from her. Rolling her eyes, she began to run.

A little space between them was just what she needed; the tension was giving her a headache. Of course, he began to run also, but she had always been much faster than he had. Reaching the tree first, she quickly realized that she was about two inches too short to reach any of the fruit.

Once Roger arrived, and realized that she could not reach, he laughed a little smugly and picked several yellow apples. Instead of offering her any, he ate one, and put the rest in his bag. He left nothing for her to pick, it was surprising the tree was able to produce the few it had, and it looked as if it would topple over any minute.

Furious, she went and opened her bag and took a sip from her waterskin. It held roughly four servings of water and it was only about a third full. If they did not find water soon, she wasn't sure how far they would make it. They kept a slower pace for the next hour, while Roger was looking for a place to set up camp. Her stomach was protesting loudly, and the evening air was getting cold. Amused, she watched as Roger tried several times to start a fire unsuccessfully.

The more frustrated he became the more angry glances he shot her way. She was getting tired of his lack of understanding, and his frustration was starting to make her angry. Who did he think he was anyway? She had never lead him on, or treated him like more than a friend. She was always very clear that she didn't have feelings for him. She did not think punishing her for something she had no control over was fair.

He was still rubbing two sticks together when she started to get a strange feeling. Once again, she felt a stabbing pain behind her eyes. Falling to her knees, she tried not to cry out. The pain moved to her neck and through her spine, then to the rest of her body. She faintly heard Roger call out another curse, and then felt the warmth of a fire before darkness took over.

When she opened her eyes, Ryhan had almost forgotten where she was. She felt warm. Realizing that Roger had covered her with a blanket, she sat up and searched for him. There was a dying fire on her left and across the other side of it, and he was snoring loudly. Trying to remember what happened, she spotted a few apples by her bag.

Smiling to herself, she hoped that meant the silent war between them was over. She grabbed all three apples and ate the first two so quickly that she almost choked a couple times. The pain in her stomach had eased up enough, that she ate the third one more slowly, actually noticing the sweet crisp taste.

Staring at the smoldering wood, she wondered if she had started the fire. Could all of it really be true? She prayed that she would not have to go through that pain every time she tried to use her power. It was strange to think that she could possibly be anything that her mother said she would be. She began to think that maybe they had gotten the wrong person.

Growing tired again, she laid down and drifted back to sleep. When she awoke, Roger was already up. Something smelled good. Roger was cooking something on a small pan he had brought with him. She stretched her sore limbs, and folded up the blanket, placing it back in his bag.

"Good morning. I know you are probably starving, I found a lizard and some eggs." He said.

Lizard was not an appealing breakfast, but it was food and she wasn't going to complain.

"It smells wonderful, thank you." She replied.

"I guess I shouldn't keep you from eating anymore, I'm sorry about that, you scared the hell out of me." He said.

She looked at him for a long while, not sure of what to say. He obviously thought she passed out from hunger, should she tell him what really happened?

Unsure she asked, "What exactly happened?"

"Well I'm not really certain. I was trying to start a fire, ineffectively, and all of a sudden out of nowhere there were huge flames as tall as me. It happened so fast I barely had time to get out of the way. I looked over at you and you were laying on the ground unconscious. I tried to wake you, but you were sleeping deeply, so I just let you rest. I figured it was because I hadn't let you eat all day." He said apologetically.

Ryhan smiled at him and ate her breakfast in silence. She helped clean up, and stayed at camp while he went in search of some berries. He hoped that he would find a little game so they would have food for the evening. She sat there for a long time thinking about everything that had happened over the last two days, feeling very alone.

She wondered if they, whomever it was that she was supposed to be meeting in Fishien, would mind if she told Roger what was happening to her. After contemplating it for a while, she had decided. If they had something against Roger knowing, they would have to take it up with her, because she could not keep it to herself any longer.

When Roger got back to camp, he greeted her with his big goofy grin, wider than ever. It made his brown eyes light up. He had his shirt off and bundled in his hands. She had never seen him without clothing, and she suddenly felt a little embarrassed. His lean muscles flexed slightly as he set the shirt down. Smiling back at him, she tried to look him only in the eye.

"We lucked out, I haven't seen mallow berries in years, hopefully the closer we get to the coast and farther away from the drought, the more foliage we'll find." He said excitedly.

She was glad that he had found the big plump berries; they would keep them sated until evening. Pulling a smaller empty sack from his bag, he emptied the berries out of his shirt. She was grateful when he put his shirt back on; his naked chest was becoming a distraction.

He embraced her and said, "That should hold us over for a while."

The hug surprised her, and she did not mean to tense up as much as she did.

He obviously felt it, and pulled away quickly. Looking down at the ground and rubbing his golden brown hair, he walked over to his bag and pulled out a small leather pouch. It looked very similar to a coin purse and had a colorful ribbon tied around it.

"Happy Birthday!" He exclaimed as he handed her the bag.

She had completely forgotten. She was sixteen. Silently she wondered what she would have spent the day doing before her world was turned upside down. Probably nothing as exciting as the journey they were making.

"Thank you Roger." She said holding the bag gently as if it would break at any moment.

He laughed, "Open it, the bag isn't your gift."

She pulled off the rainbow colored ribbon, and reached into the bag. A silver chain clinked softly against itself as she pulled it out. It was long enough to fall to the bottom of her chest and was made of several pieces of the same glistening metal intertwined and knotted every few inches. It was exquisite.

She could barely find the words to thank him again, "Oh Roger...this is so beautiful. I don't even know what to say."

"So, you like it then?" He asked.

She replied, "I love it. It's perfect."

That time she embraced him, but pulled away after a few moments, trying not to give the wrong impression. Placing the chain around her neck, she wondered how he had been able to afford something so amazing. She had wanted to ask him, but thought better of it, as she was sure that it would hurt his feelings.

As if sensing her thoughts he said, "It was my sisters. I found it while I was packing my things. She would have wanted you to have it."

Holley was the same age as her, and was like a sister to her as well. She had gotten sick when they were younger and didn't live past her eleventh birthday. It was a thoughtful and endearing gift. Tears filled her eyes and Roger shook his head and wiped away a single tear that had fallen on her cheek.

"Your eyes. They look different." He commented.

Absentmindedly she wiped her eyes and gave him a puzzling look.

"They are still blue, but there are all these intense red flecks around your pupil. Like embers." He said in awe.

"Oh it must be the light." She said and stood quickly, not wanting to broach the subject at that moment.

He followed her lead and asked, "Who do you know in Fishien anyway? I didn't think you had any family outside Resteir."

Hesitating she said, "I'm not sure, my mother knew whoever it is a long time ago."

He didn't press any further, but she could tell his curiosity was not satisfied. They set out for another long day of walking. It was a more pleasant experience than the previous day. They chatted for most of the day, which made the time pass quickly enough. She was a little worried that they might be lost though, because Roger kept glancing behind them every so often checking for something.

How they could be lost, she was not sure, because they had been following the riverbed the whole way. They stopped in a small clearing to rest. It was full of a type of flower she had never seen before. They looked a bit like daisies, only there were several blooms on one stem, and there were many different colors.

"Do you know what sort of flowers those are?" She asked Roger, but he looked just as puzzled as she was.

Whatever they were, they smelled wonderful. Ryhan sat down and leaned against the tree behind her. Once she had a moment to rest, thoughts came flooding in of her mother and Roger and of how her future was even more uncertain. What would happen once she reached Fishien? All of the thoughts circled around in her head. She tried to clear them all away and rest, since they still had several hours of walking before dark, but that just left her with a headache. She rubbed her temples and all of a sudden, her head no longer hurt.

In fact, she felt great. More than great, she felt amazing, wonderful, and happy. Really happy. She smiled at Roger and he turned to her and giggled.

His laugh was high pitched and unusual, laughing with him she asked, "What is so funny?"

Laughing hysterically he responded, "I...I don't know. Why are you laughing?"

She tried to answer, but she was not even sure why she was laughing so hard. Several minutes passed and tears rolled down her cheeks from laughing so much. It was beginning to get hard to breathe. Roger was so enthralled in his laughing fit that he laid down on the ground. She joined him on the ground quickly enough, too weak to stand any longer.

What was going on? Never in her life had she wanted stop laughing so badly. Rolling around in the flowers, she got another big whiff of the sweet scent. It was almost sickening. A loud noise came from the other side of the clearing. It sounded like a large animal of some sort and it was getting closer.

Laughter still uncontrollable, Ryhan glanced at Roger to see if he heard the noise also. Unable to respond, he just nodded his head. She turned her head toward the sound to see if she could see anything. Nothing. The noise was getting louder. Whatever it was, it sounded big and angry. She was frightened, and the laughing was hurting her stomach.

Roger motion back towards the way they came. Nodding her head, she got on to all fours to try and crawl out of the flower induced hysteria. Unlike anything she had ever experienced before, she had to concentrate on every movement and will her limbs to move. She never realized how much effort it took the body to produce a laugh, let alone thousands. They had barely gone two feet when the growling animal revealed itself.

It was a huge beast. It resembled a bear, only its front legs were much shorter, so it walked on its hind legs holding the front legs close to its body. Its head was very round, and it had two rows of razor sharp teeth that ran the entire length of its face. The strange animal's nose was remarkably small, and Ryhan thought for a moment that anything would seem small compared to the gigantic mouth that was salivating at them.

She froze in place. The laughing had stopped, silence overtook her senses, and for a moment, she feared she had gone deaf. She did not even think she could blink. There was a sickly sweet odor in the air. It smelled similar to the flowers, only much stronger. It burned her nose, so she tried to breathe through her mouth, but could taste it in the air and quickly began breathing through her nose again.

Roger looked even more terrified than she did, if that was even possible. The creature came up to her, its sticky sweet smelling drool dripping down its chin. A purple tongue rolled out of its mouth quickly. Pink blisters covered the surface pulsating like a heartbeat. Her stomach churned at the horrid stench, and Ryhan thought she might vomit.

The unappealing combined scents of sweet nectar and rotting garbage wafted in the air. Its protruding tongue licked the side of her face and her cheek felt like it hot coals were rubbing against her skin. All she wanted to do was scream but nothing would come out. It leaned in close to sweep its ugly tongue across her face again; when a loud crackling noise stole its gaze and a large, bolder flew upside the monsters head.

Dazed for a moment, the creature shook it off, angrily looking for whatever had caused the object to strike it. Another bolder, a bit larger than the last, hit the beast right between its round plate-like eyes. It moaned and fell to the ground. Still paralyzed, Ryhan could not see whom or what was causing such an act, but she hoped it was not something bigger that also wanted to eat them.

She felt someone grab her arms and pull her out of the flower-infested field. Already freed from the paralytic field, Roger sat leaning against a tree. It took several minutes for her to regain the feeling back in her body. She looked around for whoever it was that helped them, but saw no one.

"What just happened?" She asked Roger.

"I have no idea, I didn't see who helped either, but I had thought someone was following us." He said.

"Do you know what that beast was?" She asked, shuddering at the thought of it waking up to find them still in close proximity.

"I remember an old scary tale when I was just a child, but I never paid it much attention. I think that beast is called a Haldengar. They lure their prey with the flowers. When some animal is trapped in their field, they torture it by eating it slowly. Layer by layer, starting with the skin first and then..." He stopped when she started gagging.

"Well, I'm quite thankful to whoever helped us. I just wish they would have shown themselves." Ryhan took a fleeting look around before remembering her wound.

All at once, the pain came flooding back. Roger came to her side, eyes wide as he saw the side of her face.

"What does it look like?" Her voice shaking as she asked.

"Not good." He said as he grabbed the waterskin and doused the wound. Ryhan screamed at the pain. It felt like he was ripping her skin off.

"Come on, we have to move before that thing comes back and wants to finish the job." He said.

Shaking, she took Rogers hand and leaned against him trying to keep up with his pace. Grateful as she was to whomever had pulled them out of the Haldengar's field; it worried her a bit that they could not stick around long enough to introduce themselves.

After they had walked several miles from the horrid flower-eating beast, Roger agreed that they could slow their pace. She was thankful to be able to stop, she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on. They made camp and roger had a much easier time getting a fire started. The pain on her face was enough for a lifetime, she was glad she did not also have to endure the pain of starting another fire.

She worried that every time she was angry or upset that her power would just randomly set things on fire. What a horrible way to live. After getting things settled, Roger brought over the waterskin and a clean cloth as well as a few stalks of a green plant. She was not sure what kind; she was never very good at identifying plants. He reached up to dab the wet cloth on her face, and she flinched at the pain.

"Sorry, I'm not sure what happened, the best I can guess is that the secretion of that Haldengar dissolves the flesh. When I tried to clean it the layer of skin that was covered with the saliva just washed away with the water." He winced as he said it, as if it caused him pain to tell her.

"How bad is it?" Ryhan asked.

"Uh, its...it's not so bad. I'm sure it just hurts worse than it looks." He exclaimed.

"Roger, don't lie to me, just tell me the truth." She said.

"Okay, it's pretty bad, it's going to take a while to heal, and you'll have to be careful about infection. You should see a healer as soon as we get to Fishien." He said reluctantly.

Ryhan sighed, "I want to see it. Do you have a looking glass with you?"

"No." Roger replied quickly.

She watched him put away the waterskin and unused plant stalks. He was lying.

"I don't believe you." She said.

"I don't care." He replied.

She reached for his bag, but he snatched it out of her hands.

"LET ME SEE!" She shouted.

"No, it will do you no good to see your injury right now. Wait until a proper healer can help you." He pleaded.

"ROGER!" She yelled angrily, and could see the flames flickering behind him.

He refused and placed the bag on a tree branch far out of her reach. She felt the heat rise up into her face and spread through the rest of her body, the fire grew higher. Who did he think he was, she thought to herself, and the flames felt hotter. Her anger intensifying, the fire stared sputtering wildly out of control. Roger backed away from the fire and stared at her as if he was putting pieces of a puzzle together.

Quickly he knelt down in front of her and looked her in the eye. "Ryhan, calm down. Breathe. Look into my eyes and just breathe."

She did as he said, letting the deep breaths calm her.

When she was back in control of herself, she apologized to him. "I know that you are just trying to help me. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

He just nodded and said nothing else. She knew he wanted to talk about it, but she also knew he was not going to bring it up and risk her getting angry again. Therefore, she just let the silence fill the air for the moment. Whatever the plant was that he had smoothed over her cheek had given her some relief.

After finishing a small rabbit that Roger had managed to catch, they laid next to each other while watching the stars. It was a clear night. Ryhan was always amazed at how many stars filled the sky. She started to tell Roger what was on her mind, but before she could say anything, she heard him snoring loudly.

She covered him with a blanket before going to sleep herself. It came swiftly and soon she was running. She was running so fast that she could barely see where she was going. There was a voice telling her to hurry, that she would be too late. The forest seemed to stretch out before her endlessly. It was as if she were running in place, and never getting anywhere.

She cried out for someone to help her, but there was no sound. A woman's voice spoke; it was beautiful, like angels. The voice was calling for her, begging her to come.

"I'm trying!" She called out, but again the words fell silent before they could reach anyone. She kept searching. What was she looking for? She wanted it badly, needed it desperately. A man appeared. She could only see his piercing ruby eyes that bore right through her. He was laughing a cold and wicked laugh that resonated deep in her bones. He had something, the thing she had been looking for.

He knew she was weak because of it. What was it? She could only see his eyes. Only hear his evil laughing.

"Please!" She begged. This made him laugh harder and he approached her, arms opened wide, as if he was coming to hug her.

Trying to escape his cackling and afraid of what he would do, she ran. Managing to get lost in the woods again, his voice grew louder. He was getting closer. She would not escape him; she could not run fast enough. He caught up to her and put his arms around her from behind.

"No use fighting," He hissed, "I always win."

He was holding her tight. So tight, she could not breathe. What was he doing to her? She was getting weak and heard a faint whisper call her name. It was getting dark and she could not fight it anymore. She tried to take a breath, but nothing happened.

"Ryhan, wake up." A voice called out, louder than before.

She opened her eyes and choked on the cold night air. Scrambling to her feet, she scanned the area, looking for the ruby-eyed monster and found nothing. Falling to her knees, she let the real world come back to her slowly. Roger waited a long while for her to get her strength back.

"Ok, what happened to you? You really scared me Ryhan." Roger said.

"Well...I was dreaming. Yeah that's it...I was just having a bad dream." She said weakly.

"That was no bad dream, okay. You weren't breathing. It looked like something was trying to crush your ribs. I don't understand. Why are you really going to Fishien? What aren't you telling me?" He asked.

Ryhan sat for a long time, unsure of how to start, "Roger... I wanted to tell you, but you were mad and then I didn't know if I should get you involved. I am sorry, but I don't think you would believe me. I'm not sure I even believe it myself."

He just motioned for her to continue. She took a deep breath and recounted everything that happened since the night before they left, including details about the fire at her house and the one at the camp. He shifted slightly when she mentioned the pain that came with the fires, as if he were in pain also. She was curious about his reaction, but continued with her story. When she was finished, they sat in silence for a long time.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me." Ryhan said.

He looked into her deep sapphire eyes. Moving closer to sit next to her, he put his arm around her and leaned his head onto hers. It was nice, but she did not know if she should let him stay that way or not. Ever since he had proposed marriage, she was not sure how to act around him. He must have sensed her confusion and pulled his arm from around her, but did not move away.

"Ryhan," He said softly, "It's not that I don't believe you. I have heard of a great many things in our world, magical things. I just cannot believe that you would willingly go to these people that you don't even know, and trust them to help and take care of you."

At first, she was offended that he thought she needed taken care of, but after hearing the actual concern in his statement, she realized that it was only him being protective. She thought that he would have many more questions, but he was silent for the remainder of their trip. Fortunately, there were no more strange events. Just silence.

Every time Ryhan would try to start a conversation, Roger would simply smile and give her a short reply then go back to his own quiet thoughts. She was beginning to regret telling him her secret. He must have thought she was some sort of monster or something. She would not bring it up again. They would reach Fishien, and then he could go on with his normal life.

It saddened her to think that she might never see Roger again. However, she was glad that he was going off to live his life. Maybe he would find someone that would make him truly happy. They arrived in Fishien a half a day earlier than planned. Which gave them some time to walk around the market. It was a large coastal town and the market smelled strongly of the sea and spices.

How was she supposed to find someone she didn't know? What would happen if she never found the right person? She was becoming nervous while they were wandering around aimlessly. Filling her waterskin at a fountain nearby, she silently hoped that she would not need it again anytime in the near future. Ryhan had never been accustomed to people staring at her, and now with everyone looking at her face she felt even more unnerved.

Ignoring the pain, she pulled the hood of her cloak up around her head and watched the villagers move about through their day. However, much better off than the people of Resteir, the people of Fishien were not exactly a lively bunch. Filled stalls lined the streets and none of them looked particularly hungry, but there was a certain vibe in the atmosphere. She could tell that the changes happening in Corafeldon effected them as well.

"I don't even know who or what to look for." Ryhan stated sadly.

Roger was about to reply, when another voice called out her name from behind.

She turned around quickly to see a small child who looked to be about five years old. The voice she heard had sounded like an adult man, so she let her eyes pass over the boy, quickly searching for another person close by.

The child grabbed her hand and said, "Ryhan you must come with me. My name is Farwen; I am here to take you to see Gavin."

The boy she had passed over was in fact a man. After studying his features for a while, Ryhan realized that he was only about three and a half feet tall, and his entire body was completely proportionate. The only hints that he was not human were his yellow eyes. He also had very large ears that were completely round. Roger seemed just as astounded as she did, and stood there speechless as well.

The creature did not seem to mind their staring, "I know that you haven't seen many magical beings before, so I apologize if I have surprised you. You must come with me now. It is urgent that you meet with Gavin as soon as possible."

She didn't know why, but she trusted the man. He seemed mysterious and knowledgeable. There was a hint of familiarity about him that she could not quite put her finger on. Ryhan allowed the childlike man to lead her. She noticed that Roger was close behind them, and wondered what he thought of him.

He would probably say she was too trusting, but something inside her felt like she knew Farwen. They stopped next to a row of shops each one with a staircase that wrapped around the side of it.

Farwen turned to Roger and said, "She will be fine, you may continue on you journey now."

Roger about exploded, "If you think that I am just going to leave her with a stranger you've got another thing coming. I WILL make sure she gets to where she needs to be."

"She has arrived where she needs to be. It is not necessary for you to endanger yourself any longer. I assure you she is safe with me, please be on your way." Farwen replied.

Roger shook his head and continued to follow them closely. They reached a building that looked like an herbal shop. Like all the other shops, there were stairs that wrapped around from behind the building and stopped where they stood.

Farwen glanced at Roger and then spoke to her gently, "I would advise you to send your gentleman friend on his way. This is a very dangerous endeavor, and we do not wish for anyone to become involved that does not need to be."

Ryhan nodded, knowing that he was right, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to him. She looked him over, frowning at his worried expression.

"Could we let him stay for just tonight? We have traveled such a long way, so quickly, and nightfall is approaching. Please? I will make sure that he takes leave of us in the morning." She asked.

"Of course my lady, but Gavin will not be pleased." Farwen answered hesitantly.

Turing to Roger she said, "You can stay for the night, but you must leave tomorrow. This is my journey now. You have your own quest remember."

Roger nodded, but she felt as though he had not made up his mind if he was really going to leave. She hoped for his sake that he would continue on to Breckenshire.

# Chapter Four

## A Fire Inside

Ryhan was not sure what she had expected to find when they entered the house above the shop, but it certainly wasn't what she saw in front of her. It was incredibly simple, nothing lavish, or mysterious. A front room with a table and chairs and a small hearth, and perhaps two sleeping chambers made up the entirety of it. She was quite surprised at how plain everything was.

There was not anything colorful or bright, in fact the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was the stack of books in the corner. There must have been at least twenty. Which was a lot considering she had not ever read one single book. Farwen urged them both inside, shutting the door quickly behind him.

"If you will excuse me for a moment, I will let Mr. Cross know that you have arrived." Farwen said, before he left in a hurry.

Ryhan removed her cloak and continued to look around. She thought perhaps there was a secret room somewhere, maybe hidden by magic. After studying the room hard, she gave up and concluded that the simple house was, after all, just a plain simple house with nothing special about it. Pausing in front of a mirror, Ryhan caught her first glimpse of her face and wanted to cry.

She had never been a particularly vain person, but half of her face was completely mutilated. It looked as though someone had taken sand paper to the right side of her face. From the bottom of her eye down to her jaw, an entire layer of her skin appeared raw and rough where the bleeding had scabbed over.

Even when it healed it would leave a palm sized scar on her face. She was not sure how to feel about it, the pain came and went. Emotionally, well emotionally she would just have to numb it all out and keep it together because she could not afford to lose it. Not when she was just finding out who and what she was. Roger paced back and forth not paying attention to anything other than his own thoughts.

Ryhan smiled at him, but he did not notice and continued his march across the room. By the time Farwen came back, she was ready to meet Gavin and find out what exactly she was supposed to be doing.

"Oh good heavens, what happened to you?" Farwen asked concerned.

Instinctively she drew the hood back up to hide her face and said, "We were attacked, by what we believe was a Haldengar, Roger tried his best to help me tend the wound."

"I will call for a healer at once; I am so very sorry that this happened." He said sincerely.

"Thank you. It is quite painful at times." She said, while gently touching her face.

"In the meantime, Gavin would like to speak with you now, if you will follow me Miss." Farwen said, motioning for her to tag along.

She nodded and started to follow, when a large arm came swinging out in front of her. Caught off guard by Rogers's action, she wasn't sure what to do. Both Farwen and Ryhan looked at him for an explanation.

He scowled at Farwen and said, "SHE is not going anywhere ALONE with strangers. I want to meet this Gavin as well."

Ryhan looked at him in shock. She did not know what to say, as she was both glad for his protection, but offended that he thought she could not handle herself.

"I am afraid that is not possible. You already know too much about our quest, we do not wish to endanger you any farther." Farwen replied politely.

"I have set out a change of clothes for you, and took the liberty of heating a bath so that you may wash for dinner." He added.

Roger looked like he was ready to punch something, so Ryhan stepped between him and Farwen and sweetly said, "Roger, I have to say that I am jealous. I would love a warm bath. You must hurry before the water gets cold. I will be alright, and I'm quite certain that you would hear if I were in any trouble."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

He stood still for a long time, then nodded his head as if agreeing to his own thoughts and went to the room Farwen showed him. Following the small man, whom she was growing very fond of to a smaller room in the back of the house, she wondered what sort of person Gavin was. Sitting at a writing desk, she saw a man who looked about the same age as her.

She had expected an older man, someone wise with experience, not a boy on the verge of manhood. She suddenly became very frustrated. He did not acknowledge her presence, only kept his head down finishing a letter he was writing. Anger flushed her cheeks. She had not noticed the fireplace on the far side of the room until it was too late.

The pain returned, and once again, the pain crippled her to the floor. The man jumped from his desk and went to her. She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, and the pain left as quickly as it came. He looked into her eyes, and she saw him for the first time. He was amazing, beautiful. Hair so blonde it was almost colorless fell across his forehead, and the most curious violet eyes peered in to hers.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Ryhan was speechless. It was as if she had forgotten how to speak. He smiled at her, a smile that would haunt her dreams. She realized that she was staring and looked down to the floor.

Swallowing hard, she replied, "No. I mean yes. I am alright."

Remembering the fireplace, she looked around to see if anything had caught fire, but nothing seemed out of place. Confused, she looked back at the gorgeous man in front of her.

He smiled his heart-melting smile, "Don't worry, nothing has been harmed."

Ryhan only nodded, not really understanding, but too distracted to ask questions. She felt like a silly little child. That would not do. Keeping her emotions in check and hidden from others was something she had mastered at a young age. In the days that had past, that control had become fleeting.

It was frustrating that some strange man was making her fall all over herself. She took a deep breath, and sat in the chair in front of his desk. He followed her lead, and returned to his position behind the desk. He smiled again, only this time she did not allow it to affect her the same.

"My name is Gavin Cross, and we have been waiting for you a very long time Ryhan. We had hoped that you would find your way to us sooner. I suppose because you have had no training, it must have taken you longer to come into your gifts."

Gavin seemed frustrated. Now that she had control of her emotions, Ryhan could see that he seemed to be forcing himself to be polite.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting; it's just that I only found out about any of this a few days ago. I would like more of an explanation than what my mother was able to give me." She said.

Gavin looked at Farwen, as if they silently communicated, and Farwen left the room shutting the door behind him. Ryhan was a bit nervous, but did not let it show. His expression softened, and he sighed.

"I know that this must be very frightening, and wondrous, and so many other emotions all in one. However, I want you to understand now, that when we leave here, there is no turning back. It will get dangerous, and even more frightening. During our journey, you will have to train very quickly. All of the others have been training since birth, so you will be at a disadvantage." He rose and walked over to her.

With a worried expression, he knelt down next to her, and his hand rose slightly as if he were going to touch her face but then thought better of it.

"This must be incredibly overwhelming for you. I must confess, when I said that we have been waiting for you, what I really wanted to say was that I have been waiting for you. I feel extraordinarily connected to you. It is a sad thing to have a longing for someone, and never lay eyes upon them." He said, leaning in close to her.

She could feel his breath on her face. Ryhan felt as though her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She nodded knowing the exact feeling he was describing, and recalled pulling sensation she experienced all her life. Something she could not explain.

Whispering, he said, "I am not sure what it means, I only know that as soon as I saw you I felt as if I became whole."

She looked into his violet eyes, and could see that he meant every word. Unsure of what to say, she sat silently, wanting to tell him that she felt exactly the same way. The words would not come. Her eyes started to water, and she panicked at the thought of crying in front of Gavin. She despised crying.

Nervously she stood up and paced back and forth for a moment. Before she could speak, he started to look angry.

Confused she stopped, and sat back down. He returned to his side of the desk.

"I am very sorry for my behavior. I should not have been so inappropriate. Please forgive me." He said curtly.

Ryhan's heart felt as though he stabbed her. It was all so new to her; she did not know what to do. She had to say something, before it was too late.

"Gavin," She said and he looked up at her with hope, "I did not--" She started to say.

"The healer is here. Dinner will be ready soon. Roger is finished washing, and I have drawn you a bath Miss." Farwen interrupted.

Nodding she stood to follow him. She turned back and smiled at Gavin, but he was already busy with his letter again.

"We will talk again soon?" She asked.

He mumbled something under his breath, and she left him, feeling disappointed. The healer joined her and Farwen in one of the bedrooms. She was a lot younger than the healers from Resteir were and Ryhan wondered if she was qualified to treat her wounds, but she trusted that Farwen would have sought out someone with experience.

The woman shook her head, "You are very lucky, if you hadn't washed off the saliva when you did the damage could have been much worse."

Ryhan wanted to say something along the lines of, "Would you count yourself lucky to have half your face licked off?", but bit her tongue.

Pulling out a hard bristled brush the healer said, "This is going to hurt, but I have to clean it thoroughly and get all the scabs off before I can treat it with medicine."

She did not protest, just closed her eyes, and squeezed Farwen's hand tightly trying her hardest not to scream. Agonizing throbbing replaced the sting not long after the healer had finished cleaning the wound. She rubbed on a salve that was warm and tingly at first and then quickly turned into a cool creamy wave of relief.

"This salve was made with merrow scales, it has remarkable healing properties. Leave it on while you bathe and then rinse it off when you've finished. You will feel much better after." The healer said and then gave her a nod and followed Farwen out so that she could undress for her bath.

Enjoying the warmth of the water, Ryhan had not noticed how long she had been soaking. Time had slipped away as her thoughts distracted her. She dressed quickly and joined the others at the dinner table. Everyone stared at her when she arrived.

"Beautiful." Someone uttered and she was not sure whom it had come from. Blushing she sat down quickly, afraid that they were patronizing her. Gavin motioned to Farwen who brought Ryhan a small looking glass.

She glanced at her reflection and unconsciously put her hand to her face. The wound was gone. Where it used to be was a faint pink scar that was barely visible, it shimmered a tiny bit when she turned her head into the light, but it was hardly noticeable. She had thought the healer was just telling tales when she had said merrow scales, but now she was not so sure.

Smiling she handed the looking glass back to Farwen and thanked him. Dinner was very tense. Roger only pushed the food around on his plate, while staring angrily at Gavin.

"What exactly is it that you do, Cross?" Roger asked rudely.

"I am afraid that I cannot explain what it is that I do. Only that I help assist a council of leaders of the magical community." Gavin responded pleasantly.

"Please do not stay here. I don't think you are safe." Roger pleaded with her.

She didn't reply, how could she explain to him that she was willing to endanger herself?

"You don't have to worry. I will make sure that no harm comes to her." Gavin said annoyed with Rogers's protectiveness of her.

Roger glared at him, and it seemed that time stopped all together. Finally, Roger pushed his plate away and retired to bed. She wanted to go to him and give him some sort of comfort, but decided against it. There would be time to speak with him in the morning. Turning her attention back to the two gentlemen still seated at the table, Ryhan tried to lighten the mood.

"So Farwen, you must tell me all about where you come from!" She said.

"We kelpie's have been around almost as long as the dragons. Even our eldest elders aren't sure where we originated from, but it is believed that we escaped from the woodlands of Bastrioph." He said.

"I'm not familiar with much of Watreon, where is Bastrioph?" She asked interested.

"That place is a cursed land on the eastern part of the north island. However, in the first of our recorded history, we shared the land with the elves. When the humans came, the elves moved to the south island, and that is when we joined with the magical council. We are a serving race. It is what we enjoy, what we live for. As long as we are treated well, the council's stronghold is where we will call our home." He replied proudly.

"When you say you escaped from Bastrioph, what were you escaping from exactly?" She asked.

"It is forbidden to speak of them. They are pure evil, feeding off the life of everything around them. It is not pleasant talk for dinner." He said sadly.

"Would you like some cider with your meal?" He asked.

Before she could answer, Farwen was off to get the cider. Gavin's gaze met hers and she couldn't make herself pull away. It was the strangest feeling she had ever experienced. It was as if nothing else existed. Everything came to a halt. As if, they were floating endlessly together into nothing.

It was wonderful, and confusing. Curious if he felt the same sensation, she tried to ask him, but the words came out in a sigh. He reached out for her hand, and brought it up to his lips. She leaned a bit closer to him, and fell abruptly off her chair just as Farwen entered the room.

"My lady! Are you alright?" Farwen asked concerned.

Gavin had rose from his seat as quickly as she had fallen, but Farwen was the first to make it to her side.

Standing, she quickly replied, "Yes, thank you. I think I have had a bit too much excitement for one night. I will retire now."

She smiled and thanked them for a wonderful meal. Once in her chamber, she flopped herself onto the bed in embarrassment. Regaining her composure, she convinced herself that she would not let Gavin Cross affect her like that again. After several hours of lying in bed unable to sleep, Ryhan heard a tap on her door. For a moment, she hoped that it was Gavin, knowing that it was probably Roger.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see Farwen.

"Sorry for disturbing you miss, but I thought you might be having some trouble sleeping so I brought you some tea." He said.

She smiled warmly at him, "Thank you Farwen. You have been so kind to me. I hope that we will become great friends."

"It will be some time before I see you again misses. I have been assigned to escort your gentleman friend to Breckenshire. But I am sure that we will remain friends, as I already feel very close to you." He said.

"Why are you going with Roger?" She asked confused.

"I am not sure if you will like what I am about to tell you, but we are aware that Roger is going to join with the centermerge soldiers, and we are in need of an informant. I will try to persuade him to help on our journey there." He answered.

Ryhan was in shock. The thought of Roger spying almost made her want to laugh, or cry, she wasn't sure which.

"You were right. I am not happy with this news and I will not help you try to convince him either." She stated.

Farwen nodded. He wished her a well night and left her to her thoughts. It was a bit frightening to imagine where her path was taking her. She did not know who she was anymore. Not that she ever knew before, but at least she had some inkling of the direction her life was going.

She was stubborn and ill tempered, but she was also kind and caring, never letting her status set limits on her or another person. She felt a bit silly around men, and thought courting an inane notion. It seemed that it was all about games and nothing about feelings or truth. Never wanting to end up like her mother, weak willed, obedient and tied to a man, she avoided talk about marriage at all costs.

Which is why the feelings she had been having since she had arrived in the house were tearing her apart inside. She had just met Gavin, and yet she felt as if she knew him more than she knew anyone she had met before. Ryhan was not sure how this would affect her ability to concentrate on her journey ahead of her, but she hoped that she could put her ridiculously girlish emotions aside.

She also thought about how it would affect Roger. It did not seem right that he should be involved in something so dangerous. After laying awake worrying for what seemed like hours, she finally decided she would not be able to rest until she had spoken with him. She walked as silently as she could to the room where Roger was staying.

Surprised to see light coming from beneath his door, Ryhan pause just outside for a moment. She heard two voices engaged in hurried whispers. What could they possibly be chatting about this late at night she thought to herself? Getting a bit closer she was able to make out part of their conversation.

"You don't understand what she means to me, to everyone...she will be safe." Gavin exclaimed.

"How can you sit here and say that to me, you only just met. You cannot expect me to believe that you truly love her. You don't know her the way I do. She's afraid of love, even if she never wants me, you'll lose her too." Roger protested.

Ryhan was shocked to hear that they were talking about her and a little mad at Roger's statement, no matter how true it was.

"It's not only that I love her, it's more than that. I have spent my entire life feeling incomplete. Like the most important part of me was missing. From the moment that she graced my presence I felt peace wash over me and for the first time I feel whole." Gavin said, sighing.

"I know that it must be hard for you to imagine or believe, but I am telling you the truth. Now that I have found her, I could never be without her again. So please support her and give her your blessing, because I know she will not feel right if you leave with unresolved feelings."

It seemed like ages before Roger replied, "I do not like it. Moreover, I am not sure that she feels the same way you do, but I will not stand in her way. I will help in whatever way I can, but if harm comes to her, then I will hold you responsible, and I will make sure you pay."

Roger seemed more sad than angry and it pained Ryhan to think of him hurting because of her. Tears were falling from her cheeks before she could stop them, and she quickly went back to her chamber to weep.

She cried herself to sleep that night and swore, as she did every time, that it would never happen again. She awoke the next morning to a knock on her door. It opened before she could get out of bed. It was Roger, she smiled at him, and he came over and knelt beside her.

"I know that you think you know what you are getting yourself into, and I know that you think you can take care of yourself. Please be careful, and if you need me, or change your mind about anything, write and I will come to you." Roger said very quickly and kissed her on the forehead before leaving.

He did not even give her enough time to respond. By the time she had managed to get dressed, Roger and Farwen had already left, and Gavin was getting the last of their supplies ready to leave. After eavesdropping the night before, she was not sure if she felt better about the feelings she had, or more confused. Should she talk to him about it, or wait until he brought it up?

Not knowing the right action, she just stood and watched him gather up things. He stopped and looked at her for a moment. The confusion must have shown on her face, because he smiled at her and gently took her in his arms.

"I am so very sorry. I know that you must have hundreds of questions and that you are feeling very confused. I promise once we are safely on our way that I will tell you anything you would like to know." He reassured her and motioned for her to help him pack.

Ryhan smiled back at him and reluctantly left his embrace to help pack, what seemed to her, unimportant things.

"So you will tell me anything? I doubt that you would reveal everything that I could possibly ask, everyone keeps secrets!" She said jokingly.

"I will never keep anything from you." He said seriously.

He kissed her hand and smiled his heart-melting grin. She only nodded in response, not sure what she could say in return. Even after hearing what he had said the night before, she could still hardly believe that he actually felt so strongly for her.

They left the small house after about an hour more of packing.

As they were walking toward the docks, she could not help but wonder why they had spent so much time packing all that stuff when they only had one bag each.

"What exactly was the point in packing all that stuff? I could have had my bag ready in five minutes." She asked a bit annoyed.

He replied, "We packed all that stuff to send back to the stronghold, there is a lot of valuable things that need returned to them. Someone will be by later to pick them up."

That made sense. She felt a little silly for asking such an obvious question. As they approached the dock, she realized that they would be traveling with others. How was she supposed to be able to ask him everything she wanted to know or start her training, whatever that meant, if there were other people around?

They boarded a small ship. There was four others on board plus the captain and two of his men. She wasn't sure how nine people were going to fit on the tiny vessel, but she hoped it was not for very long. Gavin took her hand and swept her to the back of the ship.

It was probably the most secluded they would be for a while, so she enjoyed the moment. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.

"I know that it will be rough, but it should only be for two days up the river until we reach Luna Lake. From there we will head out on our journey alone. Please be patient, my darling, our time will come."

Ryhan looked up into his glorious violet eyes. Although disappointed, she smiled and wished that her eyes were as incredible to gaze into as his were. The feeling of gravity pulling her was taking over again and this time she did not know if she would be able to control herself. He brushed his hand against her cheek, and she thought she would fall over any moment.

Putting his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer. She could not see or hear anything besides his mouth and his slow breaths. He leaned in closer, and when his lips met hers, she thought she would die from the pleasure. It was as if his mind became hers and they dissolved into one thought.

She saw the way she looked through his eyes and she was beautiful. Her deep sapphire eyes were magnificent. She could feel how he felt about her. Unconditional, unexplainable, devotion. It was pure and wonderful. She never wanted to stop kissing him, and did not know how she could. With each passing moment, she felt even more connected.

Just when she thought she might be able to break free, he pulled her even closer to him and crushed his lips harder against hers. She didn't resist. When Gavin finally pulled himself from her, she felt a bit saddened at their separation.

"I'm so very sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just felt as though I'd die if I didn't kiss you at that moment." He apologized.

She reached up and brushed her hand across his face.

"Do not be sorry." She pleaded.

Unable to make sense of anything else going through her mind, she left it at that. The captain approached them.

"I don't have an extra room. You will have to board together. But something tells me you won't be minding that." He said in a gruff voice, clearly amused.

Once the ship had left dock, they checked their quarters. It was a small room with one very small bed and a tiny desk for writing. There was a wooden chair and just enough room to walk between the bed and the desk. She looked around, not sure what to think. Gavin placed his arm around her.

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the floor, you can have the bed."

She thought she should protest, but the thought of him lying next to her on the tiny bed, seemed inappropriate and she was not sure after the kiss they shared up on deck, if she would be able to control herself. Plopping herself down on the bed she sighed. There were still so many unanswered questions. She had no idea where they were going, or why.

Gavin sat in the chair at the writing desk. He looked at her and smiled. She felt like a completely different person with him around. Calm and collected, instead of her usual tempered and worried self. Feeling the heat creep back into her cheeks, she thought that some conversation would probably be a good thing.

"Gavin, will you please tell me where we are going?" she asked.

He nodded and replied, "I suppose now is a good a time as any. Here in Corafeldon, a mountain range divides the grassland from the desert. Well now, it is all mostly desert because of the drought, but the land behind the mountains is a true desert. The mountains stretch the entire length of island. They make up the Mastion Belt, and deep inside it there is a village of people cut off from the rest of Corafeldon.

"Mastion Village is very mysterious. There have not been many who have dared venture there, and those who have, don't usually come back."

Ryhan wasn't sure what to think.

"If it is that dangerous, why would anyone willingly go to that village?" She asked.

"Well, the people who reside there have been known to have miraculous healing powers. They live just off the river in between several of the mountains. Not much else is known about them." He said.

Ryhan thought for a moment. Even though Gavin had been a tad vague about them, they seemed eerie. It gave her the chills to think that they were heading towards some strange village, full of people they didn't really know about.

"So why are we going to Mastion Village?" She asked.

"Well, we are going to meet Evangeline. She is one of the daughters of the sapphire star. From there she is going to travel with us to gather the rest of the daughters. It is time you were all together." He said, sadly.

"What makes you sad?" She asked.

He looked into her eyes and replied, "A lot of things. One, it means that our quest becomes real, and that it's possible that I may lose people I love and care about. In addition, Evangeline is my sister. I've never even laid eyes on her."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Ryhan asked, "Your sister?"

Shifting in his chair, he cautiously explained, "There are five daughters of the sapphire star, and all five daughters have a connection, a bond from birth. However, one of the mothers, my mother, bore twins. A daughter and a son. I am the only son of the sapphire star."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Ryhan asked.

"It was not something that anyone had foreseen so I have been kept as secret as possible." He said.

Ryhan twirled a piece of her auburn hair as she contemplated her future. What if the connection between her and Gavin was just some magical side effect from the star? What if when he met all the others he felt the same about all of them? She could almost hear her heart breaking at the thought.

Startled by the break in silence she jumped a little when he said, "I can see that I've given you much to think about. Let us go up on deck and get some fresh air. We can talk more, perhaps about something more cheerful."

She took his hand and followed. The next two days passed quickly enough. They spent most of their time talking. It was amazing to her how easily they could carry on a conversation and sit so comfortably in silence. Gavin asked her about her complex relationship with Roger and with her father and mother.

She asked him how he felt about his separation from his sister. Not that they needed to ask or tell because it seemed that the longer they were with each other, the less they needed words. She could not exactly read his mind; it was more like she knew what he felt. It was clear that he could do the same with her.

The second night, Ryhan laid down for bed in her clothes as usual. It seemed inappropriate to change into her sleeping garments. Many things seemed inappropriate lately, she thought to herself. She drifted to sleep quickly and dreamt mostly of their time on the ship.

She was on deck looking out at the peaceful water. Suddenly the ship rocked violently. She turned to look behind her, and there he was. The ruby-eyed man grinned at her with his gleaming white teeth. She had never been that close to him. Never confronted him face to face. She started to move to his left, but he anticipated that stopped her.

He began laughing. The evil cackle made chills run down her spine.

"GAVIN!" She called out.

Her call for help only made the man more amused. He approached her. She didn't know what to do, so she stood still. The man reached out and twirled a piece of her hair in his fingers. She shuddered at his touch. There was a familiar odor coming from his hand, but she could not place the scent.

It was not a pleasant smell, but it wasn't unpleasant either.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear and she tried to get away. Grabbing a fistful of her hair and he jerked her back to him.

"Don't try to fight. It is hopeless. Everyone you love will die. It is inevitable." He hissed.

He placed his hand on her head and pushed her to the ground. She began to weep as his laughter echoed through her mind. It was endless; the sound enveloped her, made it difficult for her to catch her breath. She could not move, could not think. Abruptly she felt a pain behind her eyes.

It was familiar and she knew what was coming; only this time she would not try to stop it. The sensation seemed to explode through her body and she heard her name called out. It was faint and she could barely make out what was said. She stood to see the left side of the deck in flames, and the crimson-eyed man on the other side of the flames smiling at her.

Running toward the voice that called for her, she knew it was Gavin and she had to get to him.

"RYHAN?"

He was close.

Just then, she awoke, screaming for him. He was carrying her. They were on the deck of the ship. The night air was cold and crisp, but she felt heat on her face. Gavin look frightened and she realized something was wrong. Still in his arms, she turned to look behind them. Half of the deck was on fire. Some of the passengers were screaming, others were crying.

"What is going on? It was me wasn't it? I did this?" She asked, knowing deep inside that she was to blame.

He looked into her eyes and did not respond. She watched Gavin look around, unsure of what to do.

"We are at the entrance to Luna Lake. If we are lucky, we should not have far to swim. It's our only option right now." His looked pleaded with her not to argue.

She nodded in agreement, and he set her down on her feet. He took her in his arms and kissed her. It was just as passionate as the first time they embraced, but that time it was also a bit urgent. It made her more fearful that this might be the last time they held each other and she hugged him tighter.

He pulled away and said, "Once you're in the water, don't wait for me. Just keep swimming until you get to shore. You understand? Just worry about yourself."

"No, I won't leave you. You are coming with me." She said frantically.

It was ridiculous, how could he make her go alone? Gavin looked back at the people still on board. Some had already jumped; the others were all running around unsure what they should do. Ryhan could not help but wonder where the captain was, she didn't see him anywhere. She turned and looked into Gavin's eyes, pleading with him. He frowned, and sadly nodded his head.

Taking her hand, they walked to the edge of the ship. Nearly engulfed in flames, they jumped off the deck into the icy water together. The water enveloped her, embraced her as if she was a long lost child. Its grip so tight she could not move. Bitter cold waves washed over her as she finally reached the surface. Breathing was difficult, and she was not sure which way the shore was. She felt some one grab a hold of her waist and tug lightly.

Sensing it was Gavin she did not resist, even though she could barely focus enough to see straight. Growing weaker by the minute, she tried her hardest to help swim to the shore. Hope of finding land was fading, and she felt like letting the water take her under into its bosom again. The last thing Ryhan remembered before passing out completely was Gavin lifting her into his arms. She could not be sure if it was real, or simply a dream, but she smiled.

A fire crackled loudly as she awoke. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. She glanced around quickly, and realized they were camped just off the shore. Gavin was lying next to her sleeping. The warmth of the fire was nice, she was still a bit damp so she got a bit closer and tried to remember what had happened. Feeling Gavin's hand on her shoulder, she turned to look at him.

He looked very serious and said, "Tell me what you were dreaming. It is very important that you reveal every detail."

She told him of the man who had haunted her dreams. Gavin listened carefully, only asking questions when necessary. He seemed very troubled but did not share his concerns with her. Usually she could tell what he felt about anything, but it was as if he were keeping his thoughts and emotions blocked from her at that moment. It frustrated her, and made her feel alone. She was also sad and grief stricken.

"What happened to the captain and the others on the ship?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

He swallowed hard and began, "The fire started in the captain's chambers. As for the others, I saw a few make it to shore a good distance from here. I am sorry that this has happened. I know you feel responsible. You must understand that there is a fire inside you. It constantly burns and your emotions fuel it. If you had been trained Axiom would not have been able to get to you like this." He finished.

"The man in my dreams is the king isn't he?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

Gavin put his arm around her and whispered in her ear, "First thing in the morning we will begin your training, and I will tell you of Ayden and Axiom. But for now I want you to look out at the lake."

She looked past the burning fire to the calm water before them. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The moon's reflection lit up the entire lake. It was as if the moon were sitting right there shining up from under the water. Luna Lake was an entirely appropriate name for it. She leaned her head against his shoulder and drifted off to sleep, that time she dreamt of nothing.

# Chapter Five

## Seek and Find

They had been walking for nearly an hour before Ryhan broke the silence. It had been a very awkward morning. When they had awoke, Gavin handed her a few pieces of dried meat that he had found in a crate that had washed up to shore sometime during the night. Starving and grateful to silence her stomach, she ate the waterlogged meat without complaint.

Something had changed during the night; there was an obvious shift in the connection that she shared with him. He had closed himself off to her again and she could no longer sense his emotions.

"You promised to tell me things this morning." She said.

It was all she could really muster. She would be angry with herself if she had said what she was really thinking. That she did not understand why he was shutting her out or how he could turn his emotions on and off so indifferently.

"I did?" He asked innocently.

"Yes!" She replied impatiently.

He shook his head and mumbled, "No. I do not think that I did. What was it you wanted to know?"

"What? You can't be serious." She said irritated.

Ignoring her, he kept up his brisk pace. A familiar pain crept into her eyes. Stopping abruptly, Gavin turned around quickly and reached out for her.

"Ryhan, I was only testing you, I need you to calm down. Breathe." He said calmly while looking into her eyes.

"I... don't think I can." She gasped as pain shot down her spine.

"Try. Just try." He pleaded.

Closing her eyes, Ryhan focused hard on her breathing, trying to ignore the heat radiating from within her. After several long and deep breaths, she opened her eyes and felt a little more composed.

"Good job, you did exactly what I asked. It will not take long for you to learn more control over your power. The real trick is going to be getting you to control your anger." He said amused.

"You said last night that my power is linked to my emotion, but really it's just linked to my anger?" She asked.

"Not exactly. Any emotion if felt strongly enough could ignite a spark in you. Fear, passion, even love. But your anger is what is wild and messy; your power will be unreliable until you can learn to control your temper." He explained.

"So you made me angry on purpose, you couldn't have just explained that to me? Do you know what it feels like when that happens to me, how painful it is?" She asked annoyed and if she was being honest, a little hurt.

There was more to her than her anger. She would be the first to admit that she had a short fuse, but ever since she learned of her power, it seemed to be getting shorter by the minute.

"I needed you to see how well you could control it yourself. So that if I am not near, you will not endanger yourself or others." He clarified.

He may have been right, but it did not make her feel any better. She thought of the people on the ship, unsure if any of them survived, and guilt washed over her. She never wanted something like that to happen again.

"I still don't understand where the power comes from. It feels alien to me. Like something that takes over me when it happens, not something that comes from within me." She said, trying her best to make him understand. "It's forceful and dark, and I don't know if I even want to use this power."

"It will feel more natural the more you use it. Power feels differently when you choose to use it instead of letting it consume you." Gavin explained sympathetically.

He motioned for her to sit on the ground with him. She obliged and sat across from him.

"The first thing you must learn is how to center yourself. It is the key to control. Close your eyes and let your breath rise and fall into an even rhythm." He said.

Ryhan watched him close his eyes and hesitated a moment before following his actions. She concentrated on her inhalations and exhalations, trying deliberately to keep a steady pace. After a while, it was not difficult, it just happened naturally. Their breathing fell in sync with each other and she became more aware of her body and the space around her.

Gavin's voice broke the quiet, but it was soothing and didn't interrupt her focus, "Good Ryhan, now relax your body, allow all the tension to leave you, keep breathing. And let me know if you become conscious of any new sensations."

It was easy to do. The rhythmic breathing already had her relaxed. It only took her a few more seconds to let the rest of the tension in her body melt away. As the new sense of peace fell over her, she felt an area of warmth radiating from within her chest just above her heart. It was small at first but as she brought her attention to it, and it began to spread, filling her entire chest with heat.

It moved into her back and down her spine. It was not like the pain she felt before. It was completely different. The feelings she had gotten before were intense, sharp, and uncontrollable. This was ardent and inviting. Curious if she could manage it, she concentrated on the heat, and tried to will it with her mind, asking it to retreat to her chest.

She immediately felt chilled where the warmth left her back and settled into her chest. Ryhan could not believe what was happening, Gavin was right, it felt like a natural extension of her, as if it connected with whatever kept her alive. Containing it was not very challenging, she wondered if she could manipulate it outside of her body.

Letting the heat build in her chest, she held it there allowing it to grow until she felt like she could not cling to it anymore and exhaled loudly as she released and let go abruptly. She let out a cry of surprise as the heat seared through her veins and then dissipated quickly before she collapsed on the ground, out of breath, and exhausted. Gavin went to her side quickly.

"I told you to talk to me and tell me what you were feeling. What just happened?" He asked sternly.

Ryhan shook her head unsure of how to answer. She tried to explain it as best she could. It was the first time he looked angry with her and she did not like it. Most of all she didn't like that he was still blocking her from feeling what he was feeling and she wondered if it worked the other way.

"Can you still feel my emotions while you block your own?" She asked.

"No. If I am guarding myself, I cannot feel what is inside of you. It takes too much energy to close myself off. I can't reach out at the same time." He said.

So he was blocking her. Intentionally. Her heart sank a little in her chest and wave of disappointment washed over her. Perhaps it had been too good to be true.

"That was incredible focus, keep practicing that when we rest. Please be more careful though and do not push your limits until you have had more time to learn control. You need the control before you can start manipulating your power. Okay?" He said as he stood and held a hand out to help her.

She nodded her head and asked, "Why are you guarding yourself from me?"

He looked at the ground as if he was unsure of how to respond.

Several minutes later he replied, "It's difficult to explain. You do not know so much. You have a lot to learn, in a very short amount of time. I cannot let my feelings cloud your judgment. It is best for us both at this time."

"Then I need you to start explaining things to me." She said tersely.

She was not sure what to make of it, he seemed sincere, but his sincerity gave her no comfort. He nodded and pointed ahead of them; she followed his gaze and saw mountains appear in the distance. She swallowed hard, nervous about what would happen once they found Evangeline, her head swimming with unanswered questions.

"I will try to give you as much information as I can before we reach the base of the village. I must apologize. I should have shared what I know with you sooner. I was afraid of how much you could handle all at once." He inhaled deeply and began again, "The year that we were born there was a great foretelling about the twin princes Ayden and Axiom.

"One would grow into a great and benevolent leader and the other a dark and evil force over the land. Samhelia is a very powerful seer, as was her mother before her and her mother before her. There will be a great war between Ayden and Axiom unlike any that Watreon has ever seen.

"At the time the council wasn't sure which of the brothers would be good or evil, and the leader of the council, Garrel, wanted to eliminate the problem before it began by killing them both. Ava and Samhelia sought out a different option. They felt that killing two innocent boys that were just our age at the time was another kind of evil and convinced the council to reconsider.

"They gathered five pregnant women they believed were about to give birth to daughters involved in another prophecy, and they were proved right that very night. The girls were split up according to their elemental powers and sent away to be cared for and trained so that they might help defeat the dark prince and restore goodness to the throne.

"It's no secret that King Axiom has been a wicked ruler and put his own selfish quest for power over the well-being of his people. The council was not certain that Axiom was bad at first, because after his father passed Ayden disappeared. When people found out that, their beloved king was poisoned and that Ayden fled, they thought that perhaps Axiom was the righteous leader they were waiting on.

"It didn't take long to realize that they were wrong. Ayden is still missing, some think he is dead and that Axiom poisoned him, or holding him prisoner. Either way, it makes things more complicated." He said.

"How so?" Ryhan asked.

"Well for one thing, how are we supposed to help restore the throne to the rightful heir if we don't even know if he is alive or where he is? Also it's hard to rally people to fight, if they don't know who or what they are fighting for." He explained.

"I'm not sure how all the people of Watreon feel. But I know how the people of my village felt having to leave a place most had called home all their lives. The people of Corafeldon are angry and desperate. It might not be as hard as you think to make them join our cause." She said.

"Maybe you're right, only time will tell." He said with a sly grin.

It was well into the evening before they stopped again. With almost no light left in the sky, they gave up on finding cover to camp for the night. It was open plains until they reached the mountains. No cover meant exposure, not only to the elements, but also to anyone or anything passing by. It was a risk they would have to take, they were both exhausted, and before long, they would not be able to see where they were going.

Ryhan plopped down on the ground hard, "I don't think I could take another step if I tried. I need food and water soon or I'm not going to make it much further."

"I will go and try to capture a rabbit or something, while I'm gone practice centering yourself." He said and was gone before she had time to protest.

She gathered a few sticks and as many pieces of wood that she could find in the fading light, and piled them in front of her. Sitting a few feet from the wood, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, falling into a natural rhythm more quickly than the first time.

Radiating warmth filled her chest and she allowed the heat to spread throughout her whole body. It was an exhilarating experience. Even though she knew she probably should not, she tried to push herself a little further. Without opening her eyes, she pictured the firewood in front of her, what it looked like when lit, how the flames flickered and licked at the air.

She imagined the heat from it against her skin. As she did the heat built up inside her and instead of fighting against it, she released it, never letting go of the picture of what she was willing it to do. When she heard the crackle of the fire in front of her, she opened her eyes quickly. She could hardly believe it.

"Ryhan what did I tell you? That could have been a disaster!" Gavin said loudly as he approached.

"But I know where it comes from now. I may not know everything I can do with my power, but I know how to manipulate it now." She giggled excitedly.

She felt giddy, like a little girl, but she did not care. It was the first time in as long as she could recall that she felt completely in control of herself. No one could take that feeling away from her now that she knew what she could do.

"You are quite extraordinary you know that?" He said to her with amazement.

Ryhan blushed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Seriously, there are very few people out there that possess the kind of power that you have, and even fewer who would learn to control it in as little time as you have. It is remarkable. I am very interested in seeing what the future holds for you Ryhan." He said proudly.

"Thank you." She said and motioned to his hand.

"Oh, right, no rabbits, but I found a few field mice." He said.

Sighing, she shook her head. Her diet had become quite unusual and it would not bother her in the least if she never had to eat a lizard or mouse again. Still, she was grateful that she was eating at all and she watched as Gavin prepared their meal.

She did not quite understand what his part was in all of it, their journey, or the prophecy. Nor what sort of gift he possessed. He had made it clear since they met that he had a power of his own, but he never once talked about it. Was there a reason, was he hiding something? And if he was, could he be trusted?

Up until that point, she had let her emotional connection lead her instincts and she had trusted him implicitly. Since he had so purposely closed himself off, her thoughts were starting to clear. In fact, he had not really given her many personal details at all. She would try to find the truth of some things before they reached their destination the following day. Perhaps she had been wrong to trust him so easily.

After they ate, Gavin had Ryhan practice putting out the fire as well as lighting it. It was a similar sensation, except that she had to imagine absorbing the fire into herself. It took a bit longer to get the hang of, but she managed to do it twice before declaring that she was thoroughly exhausted and could not possibly do it again.

Gavin agreed that they should get some sleep and they both made the best of the scratchy earth that night. Thankfully, she did not dream of the ruby-eyed monster that had haunted so many of her dreams. However, she woke up feeling unrested and sore from a fitful sleep. Gavin was already up. She watched him stretch briefly and then wondered to herself if the man ever slept. She was about to ask him when the sound of a galloping horse interrupted her thoughts.

Scanning her surroundings quickly, she looked at Gavin and questioned him desperately with her eyes. There was nowhere for them to hide. They were unarmed and exposed. Praying that it was a friendly traveler and not some bandit or worse, she moved toward Gavin in one swift motion. He stood in front of her and she held onto his arm hoping to steady herself, certain he could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

"Relax, I will handle this." He said as the rider approached.

Whomever it was, rode a magnificent golden horse. Its head was long and delicate, with large expressive eyes. Its long thin neck sat high on excellent sloping shoulders. The person riding it was wearing a long hooded cloak and she could not make out their face. Ryhan observed the rider and admired the fact that they were riding bareback. The horses speed slowed and trotted up to them carefully.

Gazing up at the person seated on the sinewy horse, she watched as they removed their hood. Longs strands of blonde hair fell free. Immediately, Ryhan noticed her eyes. Those eyes were unmistakable. They were the same eyes she had been staring into every night since she had arrived in Fishien. Though they were a deep sapphire like her own, the violet flecks that surrounded her pupils were haunting in the same way that Gavin's were.

"You must be Evangeline." Ryhan spoke after Gavin failed to say anything, stepping out from behind him.

The woman did not speak and simply looked towards her and nodded.

Evangeline glanced at Gavin and said, "Sixteen years I've waited, and now you have nothing to say to me brother?"

Ryhan watched as he looked at his sister and failed to find any words. Evangeline stared at him a moment longer and took a deep breath as if she knew nothing would come of that moment. She hopped down off the horse, her pure white blonde hair pulled back off her shoulders, danced in delicate waves around her waist as she moved. She was very petite, and the top of her head only came to Ryhan's shoulder. Evangeline took Ryhan's hands in hers and smiled warmly at her.

"I have dreamt of this day so many times. I had hoped we would meet sooner and I cannot express how sorry I am that we have not. But you are here now, and I truly hope that we can make up for lost time." She said as she embraced her.

"Thank you, I wasn't sure what I would find on this journey, but I'm glad that we have finally found you." Ryhan said.

"Seek and you shall find. There are many more to seek out now and so little time to do it. We must talk about so many things. First let us get back to the village and get you food and water. I am surprised that you are traveling without supplies." Evangeline exclaimed.

Ryhan sighed and shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was a long story and Evangeline just accepted her silence with understanding. She patted her horse's thigh and then motioned for Ryhan to come closer.

"You may ride with me; I know that you have had a long journey." Evangeline said as her horse brought up its front leg so that she could easily step up and throw her other leg over.

She reached down for Ryhan's hand to help her. Ryhan looked at Gavin and hesitated.

He quickly exclaimed, "Go ahead, I am well rested, I can walk."

Before she could protest, he was helping her up onto the horse. She tried to read him, but couldn't get anything from him, she wasn't sure what he was thinking or feeling, but she knew he was concentrating hard on keeping someone out and she had a feeling it was his sister.

Once they reached the edge of the mountain range Evangeline slipped off her horse and helped Ryhan down as well.

"It's not much further, but it is easier on foot, Tekkah has a hard time navigating through the foothills. The echoes confuse and spook her. She is an excellent desert horse and can go a full day's journey without needing a single drop of water, but sadly she was not made for the treacheries of the mountains." She said as she affectionately patted Tekkah.

They made their way through the foothills at the base of two mountains. A river flowed lightly to their right side. It was barely an hour hike and they reached a small clearing. The river ended at a small lake, surrounded by several strange dome like huts. In the center, on the far side of the lake, was a large square building.

Made out of the same wood and putty that the rest of the huts seemed to be made of, it appeared large enough to fit several of the smaller huts inside it. Unlike the round tops of the other buildings, it had a pointed rooftop that slanted on both sides.

"Where are the people who live here?" Ryhan wondered aloud.

Evangeline pointed at the large building in the center of the village and answered, "They are preparing one of the young women of the tribe for a coming of age ceremony. Everyone in the village participates."

"Coming of age?" Ryhan asked curiously.

"In the Mastion tribe, when a girl turns thirteen, she is isolated from the rest of the village for one week. During this time, she takes many tonics to help cleanse her body of her old life as a child, several women elders care for her and help her to decide what place she will take in the tribe.

"And then depending on what she chooses, the isolation ends and another type of ceremony is performed." She explained patiently as they made their way around to the small village.

"What sort of ceremonies?" Gavin asked interested.

Ryhan looked over at him surprised. It was the first thing he had said since they met Evangeline. He had not managed to utter even one word before that.

If Evangeline was surprised, she did not show it, she simply responded politely, "There are several different rite of passage ceremonies. For example, if the girl were to choose to become a hunter she would be kept awake for three days and then given a mystic soup to drink, which would heighten her senses dramatically. Then she would be sent out into the dessert until she brought home her first kill or died trying."

Ryhan gasped.

Evangeline looked at her with understanding.

"I know that it may seem barbaric, but I have spent most of my life with these people, they are incredibly kind and extraordinarily talented healers. They know more about the life force that lives in us, in everything, than probably any other being in Watreon. Except maybe for the Dragons, but I'm sure you can imagine how difficult they are to converse with." She finished with a smirk.

"But what would they accomplish if she perished in the desert? What was the point of her life then?" Gavin asked disgusted.

"I would very much like to explain, let's go inside and rest for a bit, and I will try my best to help you understand." She said as she motioned to the closest hut.

Gavin hesitated and glanced at Ryhan and then down at his feet. She wished that she knew what he was thinking. He walked inside and Evangeline waited for Ryhan to enter before following as well. It was not at all, what she had been expecting. Sheer fabrics in deep purples and grays hung from a small hole in the center of the roof and draped the walls closely.

A fire pit in the center of the room gave off a faint scent of burnt wood and the presence of a small bed on the back wall filled her with longing. Her limbs were stiff from sleeping on the ground. There were various baskets, some filled with fabric and others with colorful herbs and flowers. A small shelf was crammed full of books. Several large square pillows in the same purple and gray colors sat around the fire pit.

"Do all the huts look like this?" Ryhan asked.

Evangeline shook her head.

"This is considered luxury," She said waving her arms around at everything, "Most of the people here sleep on mats, and only use what is necessary. I was given the freedom to do what I wished with my home, and during the few times I traveled I acquired some finer things."

Her tone was almost remorseful, and Ryhan wondered if she was ashamed of her possessions.

"Well I think it's beautiful." She said hoping it would make her feel better.

"Thank you Ryhan." Evangeline said gratefully.

Gavin did not wait for them to sit down. He plopped down on a pillow and sighed heavily. He was either bored or growing impatient, or both, but Ryhan thought he was being rude. If Evangeline thought so she did not say, but looked at Ryan as she grabbed a large jug from one of the baskets.

"I'm going to get some water, would you mind starting the fire?" She asked and left before she could answer her.

Ryhan sat down on one of the cushy pillows and concentrated. She reached out and connected to the energy inside her with ease. Allowing the heat to spread through her body, she welcomed the familiar warmth. Releasing the energy made her smile with delight as the fire crackled before her.

"I still can't believe how much control you've learned in such a short time." Gavin said with pride.

"Thanks to you. You really helped me to learn to center myself. If it hadn't been for you I'd have started a wildfire by now or something." She said jokingly.

"I can't take credit for what you've accomplished. You really are one of a kind." He said seriously.

He smiled at her the way he had the first day they met and she blushed. Oh no, not again, not after he had been giving her the cold shoulder. Twisting a piece of her hair, she glared at him.

"What has been with you? Why are you acting so strange?" She asked irritated.

He shrugged his shoulders and acted like he was about to say something but just shook his head instead.

She sighed.

"Fine! Don't tell me. You do remember that you shut me out, right? I can't read your feelings anymore, so how am I supposed to know what's going on in your head unless you open your mouth and talk to me?" She said exasperated.

"I thought that I would feel something, some sort of connection with her. She is my twin. I thought at the very least I would be able to sense what she feels the same way I can you. But I can't. There is nothing there, I sense nothing, and I feel nothing." He explained, frustrated.

It was clear that his disclosure had upset him. Ryhan reached out and took his hand in hers. It tingled where his skin touched hers. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and she rested her face in his hand. Forgetting that she was mad at him, she allowed herself that one moment. After all, she did not know when she would get the chance to again.

"Kiss me." She whispered.

She had barely gotten the words out and his mouth pressed against hers. The kiss was urgent and rough and ended as quickly as it began leaving her hungry for more. Before she had time to process what had just happened, Evangeline carried in her jug of water and set it down swiftly.

Gavin had let go of her hand when she entered, and Ryhan still felt the warmth of where his hand had just been.

"You can use your power quite well obviously, and with no formal training, that's remarkable." Evangeline exclaimed.

She crossed over to where Ryhan was sitting and looked into her eyes. Ryhan admired the deep sapphire blue like her own, staring back at her, with streaks of pale violet that looked like small-interlaced circles when up close. Gavin may not have felt a connection to her, but Ryhan certainly did.

It was difficult to describe even to herself, but it was as if Evangeline was a part of whatever was inside her. It was similar to the feeling she got when she centered herself and used her power. Evangeline was motherly and sisterly, a best friend, all at the same time, all wrapped into one.

Wondering if she felt the same as her, Ryhan got her confirmation when Evangeline grabbed her hand and nodded.

"It's nearly impossible to explain what created the connection shared between the five of us, but it is real, I can assure you that. I had the same feelings when I met Alexandra." Evangeline explained.

"So you've met the others?" Ryhan asked curiously.

Shaking her head she replied, "Only Alexandra. I never traveled outside of Corafeldon. She trained with the merrowfolk and they have cities in many bodies of water throughout Watreon. I met her at Luna Lake when she was there a few years ago. But I'm certain I would feel the same connection with Victoria and Lillian as well."

Ryhan wondered about the girls and where they had went after they were born. How long would it take for all of them to come together? She watched quietly as Evangeline pulled out a kettle and boiled water for tea.

When she was finished, Evangeline handed Ryhan and Gavin a cup of tea before sitting down and sipping her own cup.

"I'm sorry there is no cream or sugar, those things are hard to come by here." She said apologetically.

Gavin murmured something about it tasting better without all that stuff. Ryhan nodded her head in agreement. She looked around and sighed heavily, her journey had only just started, and yet she had come so far. Not knowing what the next day would bring, it was probably a good idea to take advantage of the moment of relaxation offered to her.

"So, sister..." Gavin paused letting the word hang in the air before continuing, "I believe you were going to help us understand the ways of the Mastion tribe." He finished with a slight smile.

Ryhan thought perhaps that he had brought it up again out of eagerness to end the silence.

"Ah, yes. Let me see if I can explain it so that you understand the way I do." Evangeline contemplated for a moment and then continued, "The people of the Mastion tribe believe that everything has a purpose. Everything. You, me, the ground we are sitting on, the air we breathe, the great tree outside the village, even the ants living on the tree.

"Everything serves a purpose and every purpose is cyclical. Take the tree for example, it is made of all five elements earth, air, fire, water and the quintessence. The roots of the tree absorb water and minerals necessary for growth from the earth. The tree breathes air in and out through its leaves.

"Receives light and warmth from the sun. If you were to set the wood of the tree on fire, the elements would be released from it. The water would evaporate, light would burn out, and the wood would turn to a nutrient rich ash, which would again serve as a source of minerals for other life forms.

"The quintessence, or spirit as many call it, is what connects them all together. The life binds them and breaks them apart. Spirit is everything and nothing at the same time. The bridge between the physical, what we see and feel with our senses, and the mystical, what we feel but cannot really see or explain. The tribe understands all of this, so when they perform these rites of passage, it is with the knowledge that each person is fulfilling a purpose in some way.

"If she were to die in the desert, she could provide food for the animals that could in return feed her people. As her body decomposed, she could provide nourishment for a plant that could possibly serve as medicinal use to sick or injured tribesmen. While it would be a difficult loss for her loved ones, they would embrace her death with full acceptance of her purpose." Evangeline finished quietly and let them contemplate her explanation.

Ryhan had never looked at life in such meaningful way. Never considered that all things in life shared connections. Evangeline's understanding of the cycles of life, and what it all meant left her in awe. Up until that point, she had not really even considered what Evangeline's power was.

"Evangeline, what exactly is your power?" She asked curiously.

The fact that she might have come across as rude was an afterthought. Evangeline's eyebrows furrowed and she looked perplexed for a moment.

"It is very difficult to explain my power. Your power comes from a physical element. And although it cannot truly be confined, it can be controlled. Mine is different, it is spirit. Control is not really the correct word to describe how I use my power. However, it is the best that I can explain for now.

"I can join all the elements, help manipulate them, but I cannot use them on my own. I am an exceptional healer and can interpret the ethereal bonds of the spiritual bones of those past. I have occasionally been able to move things with my mind. I have not tried to practice that much though.

"Recently I have begun to develop the ability to control the boundary between fantasy and reality to make realistic illusions. I don't know if that will ever be of use to me, but I find it fascinating." Evangeline said.

Ryhan was amazed. She knew that Evangeline had years of training that she did not have, but she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be as powerful as her. If the others were that much more advanced than she was, she was not sure what she could offer them.

As if she sensed her troubles, Evangeline comforted her, "Ryhan you have learned so much in such a short time, you will learn the boundaries of your abilities and what you can do with them soon enough. Be patient with yourself. I believe the most important purpose of my power is to unify the five of us, so that we may fulfill our destiny together."

Evangeline looked at her intently and then looked at Gavin.

"Ryhan I would like to spend some time with my brother, if you don't mind." She said eagerly.

Ryhan thought it was a good idea. She could see that their lack of connection clearly upset Gavin, and she was glad that Evangeline was reaching out to him.

"Of course, I would like to take a better look at the village anyway." She replied and squeezed Gavin's shoulder as she exited the hut.

Stopping in front of the lake, she took a large breath. The afternoon air was crisp. It amazed her how different the land was nestled in the valley of the mountains. The air even tasted different, it held a sweet yet metallic essence. She exhaled and thought of the many lands she had yet to see, of all the things she was searching for and had yet to find.

# Chapter Six

## Parting Ways

The ceremony that had been taking place inside the big building must have been ending. Several members of the tribe came out carrying large feathers that they were using to sweep the ground. The motion created a path from the hut to the lake. Their skin was a pale and creamy white color and their hair was fine and blonde. So blonde that it almost appeared white. She could not help but notice the similarity to Evangeline.

Maybe all spirit users or mystic healers had hair that color. They took no notice of Ryhan, but she did not want to be in the way so she moved farther back and observed from a distance. A few moments later, the rest of the villagers came out standing in line on either side of the newly created path. It was difficult to see through the wall of bodies, but she caught a glimpse of a young girl making her way to the lake slowly. Three elderly women followed the girl.

Surprised by the young girls nakedness as she emerged from behind the villagers, Ryhan observed the old women lift her onto their shoulders and throw her into the lake. The women, who Ryhan could see much more clearly, looked very bizarre. They shaved their hair completely off except for small strands around their faces, and there was some sort of circular disk inserted in their bottom lip so that it looked like a large plate stuck out from their mouths.

The only exception was a woman who appeared to be the eldest. It was obvious that she had a disk in her lip at some point, but where the object should have been was a loose hole big enough for her to stick her hand through. The girl did not fight them submerging her into the water. It was only when the women held her under and stopped her from resurfacing that Ryhan became concerned.

She started to move towards the lake. A firm hand grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. Turning around quickly she saw a large man tower over her by nearly two feet. He said nothing, only shook his head. Ryhan did not need him to speak to understand that she was not to interfere.

Nervously she looked back at the water to see if the girl had come up yet. She had not. What was going on? The girl started to move, but the women held her under firmly. It was at that point that the girl started thrashing around, clearly in a panic. Without thinking about it, Ryhan started to head for the water and the man behind her stopped her again.

"LET GO OF ME!" She screamed at him as she pounded her fists on his chest. He held her tightly around her waist. Ryhan yelled at the group of people observing the women who were drowning the girl, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? SOMEONE HELP HER!"

Ryhan felt herself losing control of her emotions. She tried hard to calm the fire raging inside her, but it was too late. Pain erupted behind her eyes, and the sparks shooting down her spine crippled her. She slumped into the man's arms.

Fighting to stay awake and not lose consciousness she said, "I'm sorry, I tried."

Gavin's worried face was the last thing she remembered seeing. Evangeline's delicate voice assured her everything would be ok.

She was running as fast as she could. Her lungs felt as if they might burst. Her legs were on fire. She needed to keep moving and willed herself to go faster. A menacing laugh surrounded her. She could not get away from it.

"Ryhan..." The voice teased. "There is no use in fighting me. This is where you belong. The others will never accept you. Not like I will. Come to me Ryhan." The ruby-eyed man emerged before her suddenly and she managed to stop only a few inches out of his reach.

He held his arms wide open for her and smiled, "Come to me." His voice was seductive and she could smell him. His smell was intoxicating. Sweet and smoky, like flowers on fire. She could not think clearly. Her thoughts hazy, she took a step towards him. He grabbed a hold of her hard and let out a shrieking laugh of victory.

His face close enough to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheek, he said, "That's my girl, no one will stop us now."

Fear flooded her senses, she could not see or think, when she opened her mouth to scream nothing, but silence came out. Flames appeared at their feet, and quickly grew up to their waist. She was in hell, and she had willingly went into the arms of the devil.

"Ryhan!" Another voice called out.

No, there was no one who could save her.

"Ryhan, open your eyes." The voice said. It was familiar and a sense of longing settled in the pit of her stomach.

"Follow my voice Ryhan, come now, and open your eyes." It was Gavin.

She tried to do as he asked, to come out of her nightmare, but it would not let her go. It held her there and threatened to pull her down into its darkness again when she felt his soft lips against her own. When she awoke, the only thing she could see was his violet eyes staring back in to hers.

As hard as she tried, she could not fight the tears that were falling. Gavin held her in his arms. She appreciated the silent comfort, as she did not want to relive the nightmare she had just endured. It was not until she saw movement out of the corner of her eye that she realized they were on the ground outside Evangeline's hut.

The smell of burnt hair clung in the air. It was heavy and thick. She felt as though she was choking on the smell. Ryhan noticed several villagers stood with their backs to them. Evangeline exited the hut with two large bags and a satchel over her shoulder, looking sullen and worried.

She knelt next to Ryhan and asked, "Do you think that you have the strength to walk?"

The tone in her voice suggested that Ryhan didn't really have a choice. She nodded to Evangeline and Gavin helped her up. Her head swam with dizziness and she took a moment to steady herself and then walked forward with them. Evangeline led the way, always several steps ahead of them. It was difficult to keep up with her and Ryhan was confused.

"Where are we going, and why are we going so fast?" She asked nearly out of breath.

Evangeline did not answer, just quickened her pace. When the mountains were in the distance behind them and after almost an hour of virtually running Ryhan halted unable to keep up with her and yelled, "STOP!"

Evangeline turned and looked around cautiously. She dropped the bags she was carrying and sat down on the ground.

"I think it's safe to rest for a bit." She said out of breath.

"What is happening? Are we running because of me?" Ryhan asked nervously.

She watched Gavin and Evangeline exchange worried looks, but no one said anything.

"I need to understand what is going on. What happened back there? Did that girl drown?" She asked.

Evangeline pulled a large waterskin out of a bag and motioned for Ryhan to sit next to her. She hesitated, unsure of what was about to be revealed to her. Gavin took her hand and she allowed him to guide her to a seated position on his lap. Glad for the chance to be close to him, she took a long drink of water and waited, rather impatiently, for an explanation.

"Ryhan, I know what that must have looked like to you, but it was a very important ritual taking place. They couldn't let you interfere." Evangeline said.

"They were killing her and everyo--" Ryhan started furiously.

Evangeline held up her hand and stopped her.

"You don't understand," She said gravely pleading with Ryhan to listen, "The three women you saw with her were sages. They are like the elders of the tribe, wise and powerful. The eldest sage was dying, and they need someone to replace her."

"I don't understand. If they need her, then why were they trying to kill her?" Ryhan asked confused.

"It's not that simple. Sages do not come along every day. Only girls born with exceptional power are offered to become a Sage, and then only if they choose to do so." Evangeline said.

"Why would anyone choose to be drowned?" Ryhan asked angrily.

Evangeline sighed and continued, "There are only ever three sages, always women. The tribe has not had a new sage in almost forty years. The eldest would have probably died any day. When a girl decides to become a sage, they are taken into the lake and submerged in the water.

"It represents the womb and birth, and they are held under until they are on the brink of death and then allowed to reemerge, born again in their new position. She is then clean, washed of her past and can begin her celibate life as a sage."

"Celibate?" Gavin asked surprised.

Evangeline replied seriously, "Their commitment to learning and protecting the tribe is far greater than that of becoming mothers. They remain virginal until they die. They believe it keeps their power pure."

Ryhan wasn't sure what to think, "So, she was never in any danger?"

"Not really. There have been accidental deaths in the past, but it is very rare." Evangeline said.

"So then why did we leave like that?" Ryhan swallowed hard.

The look on their faces was enough to tell her what she already knew, "You said the eldest sage PROBABLY would have died any day. Meaning, she is dead already?"

Gavin stroked her hair and Evangeline only nodded before looking at the ground.

"How?" She asked.

Unsure if she really wanted to know the answer. Her eyes locked with Evangeline's and instantly she saw flashes of the elderly woman screaming, covered in flames. She closed her eyes hard and stood up quickly.

"NO! No no no no no no no...please no." She cried.

Gavin stood next to her and she was distinctly aware of his uncertainty of how to comfort her.

"I didn't mean for it to happen." She sobbed.

Evangeline looked as though she would cry too. Ryhan cried until there were no tears left. Then she knelt there, grief stricken, guilty for what she had done. How could she have let something like that happen?

She did not move, she just stared straight ahead, as the sun shifted over her and night began to fall. Barely noticing Gavin and Evangeline start a fire and make camp, she continued to stare off into the night. There was no undoing what had happened. Yet she prayed silently for it to be undone.

She had thought she had control over herself and had been so certain nothing like that would ever happen again. Yet it did. What kind of monster was she?

There was destruction all around her and it only seemed to be getting worse. How could she atone for the fact that her 'gift' cost innocent people their lives? Tears came again and she shut her eyes and squeezed them out. Inhaling she listened to her heartbeat. She exhaled and felt the release of her breath from her lungs. Focusing on her breathing helped to calm her.

Soft whispers caught her attention.

"It must be done, you promised me." Evangeline said in a firm breathy voice.

Gavin quickly replied, "I know that. How can I leave her like this? Look at her. She hasn't moved in hours."

"Gavin, you know that I will let no harm come to her. You being here will only confuse and distract her. There is so much she doesn't know, so much she needs to figure out." She pleaded.

"This isn't fair, to send me away like this." He said anger rising in his voice.

She scoffed, "You're being selfish."

They continued to argue for several minutes at which point Gavin threw his hands in the air and walked off. Ryhan felt defeated. She did not know if she wanted to go on without Gavin, but from the sounds of things, he would be leaving any time. Maybe Evangeline was right, maybe he was a distraction.

No, she thought to herself, he had been there helping her and keeping her calm since they met. She was in no position to argue for him to stay. In fact, she was in no position to demand anything for herself. She would go along with it because it is what Evangeline wanted, for whatever reason, and Ryhan trusted her.

One thing she would not agree to was using her power again. Never again would she let herself hurt someone like that. Taking a deep breath, she stood and shook out her aching legs. As she approached Evangeline, Gavin was walking toward her from the opposite direction. He started to speak, but she stopped him.

"I have something to say to the both of you." She said.

"I am truly sorry for what happened. To that woman and to the people on that ship. I will continue to work on my control and so that I do not hurt anyone else. But I will never...ever use my powers again." She explained seriously, and then sat down by the fire, not caring what they had to say about it.

"Ryhan..." Evangeline started, but Ryhan stopped her.

Evangeline nodded and accepted what she had said, although something told Ryhan it would not be the last she heard about it. Gavin said nothing and just held out his hand to her. She took it and followed him as they walked leisurely in no particular direction. They stopped far enough from the fire that all they could see was a big sky full of stars.

Gavin laid down on the ground and she followed never letting go of his hand. He had let his guard down again, and she could feel everything he was feeling. Sadness, anxiety, fears and heartbreakingly...love. He loved her, she could feel it radiating out of him, settling over her and reassuring her that what they felt was real. The fact that he loved her only made her heart ache more.

"How am I supposed to do this without you?" She asked him.

He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Don't pretend like you can't." He said sadly.

Could she go on without him and do what she needed to do? She felt broken and unsure if that damaged part of her would ever mend. Remembering that her mission was bigger than she was, she decided she could.

"That doesn't make it any easier." She said, trying to swallow the huge knot forming in her throat.

He did not respond, just nodded in agreement.

Like usual, he was right. Of course, she would go on without him. One of her greatest abilities was to push away the pain and move forward. She would do it with the people she hurt and she would do it with him as well. Laying her head on his chest, she listened to his heartbeat. It reminded her of her own.

They laid there for most of the night, until it became too cold for even their body heat to keep each other warm. They retreated to the warmth of the fire. Exhaustion finally taking over, Ryhan closed her eyes hoping that she would not dream before sleep finally won.

# Part Two

### Evangeline

## Chapter Seven

## New Direction

When Evangeline woke, she had hoped to speak with Gavin before he set off on his own, but he had already left. Ryhan was still asleep and Evangeline was not sure how she would take his sudden disappearance. She could not imagine how difficult things must have been for Ryhan at that moment.

Not that learning about her own power had been easy, but at least she had time to adjust and grow with it. Thrust into a life she did not even know she was destined for, Ryhan struggled to cope. Evangeline felt a very strong connection with her that went beyond their elemental link. An almost sisterly affection that was strange yet comfortable for her.

Ryhan would probably argue that she was not someone that really needed looked after, but somehow Evangeline sensed that she needed her protection. Ryhan was strong, but she was also naive about many things. She gathered and packed the few things she could while waiting for Ryhan to wake. Tekkah would have made their journey much easier, and she hated leaving without her horse.

Convincing the tribe to let them, leave was not an easy task and there were many things left behind that she would have liked to bring. Staying any longer would have meant some sort of punishment for Ryhan. While the Mastion people knew the ways of elemental magic, they did not take interference in their customs lightly. It was best for everyone that she left when she did.

Ryhan started to stir, and Evangeline realized she was holding her breathe in anticipation of her waking. Reminding herself to be patient, she felt a calming wave wash over her. One of her greatest assets was her ability to recognize and control her emotions. She could not control other people's emotions.

Help them to focus and control their power, yes, but the way they thought and felt was beyond her reach. Her brother however seemed to have more of a grasp on that power than he let on. While he could not use their powers himself, it did not take Evangeline long to notice that he could stop Ryhan from using her power completely.

It seemed that he had almost an opposite effect than her. The spirit element allowed her to shape, mold, and create things, which is why she could heal and move objects. It gave her an understanding of the other elements and how they work on a deeper level than even the other girls could understand.

Gavin seemed to have the same understanding, except he could break them down, and block them out. Unsure of how aware he was of it, she had confronted him about it after witnessing him in action. He had blocked Ryhan from using her power, and Evangeline wanted to know if it was intentional. He had assured her that it was not, but something in her gut told her differently.

Evangeline could not sense a connection with Gavin, at least not in the same way she could with Ryhan and Alexandra. If he could block her as well that would make sense, but she did not think he had the ability to. Linked, they shared the same power. Even if it was opposite sides, it was the same coin nonetheless.

That must have been the reason why they could not effect each other. Something was troubling her. If Gavin could block Ryhan's power, why did he allow what happened back at the village to take place. She hoped that her worries were foolish, she hoped that, more than anything she had wished before. Not just for Ryhan, but for them all.

Yawning, a sleepy Ryhan looked around the camp. If the lack of Gavin's presence affected her, she did not let on and for a moment, Evangeline admired her strength. However, her admission the night before that she would no longer use her power concerned her. She hoped it would not take long to show Ryhan that she should embrace her gift, not fight it.

Ryhan stood and stretched, mumbling a good morning.

Evangeline smiled at her, "I know it's late in the morning, but I didn't want to wake you. You seemed pretty restless."

"Did I? I didn't dream at all." Ryhan said quickly.

She seemed unnerved by her observation. Evangeline thought her response was strange.

"Do your dreams bother you Ryhan?" She asked.

Trying to sound comforting and reassuring she added, "I've dreamt of Axiom before as well."

"You have?" Ryhan asked surprised.

"Yes. I used to have them frequently when I first started to develop my power. It's called dream walking." Evangeline said.

She recalled the nightmares vividly; she had not had one in ages but remembered how terrifying they were.

"You said 'used to', as in you no longer have them?" Ryhan asked hopeful.

"He still tries every once in a while, but I learned to thwart his efforts long ago. Most people who dream walk are only able to observe, you have to be very powerful to influence someone's dream, but he cannot actually hurt you. He has no real power over you. One of the village elders helped me learn to block him out. I can teach you, if you'd like." Evangeline explained.

"Please!" she responded with relief.

"Okay, we'll start working on it tonight before we sleep." Evangeline said.

Ryhan thanked her, sat back down, and hugged her knees, it was clear she was lost in her own thoughts.

"I was thinking that heading towards Volcaringuard first would be best. It is on the North West side of the island of Doctemptha. Ferrentri is on the southeastern coast of the island and the farthest away.

"Narindig is the northern merrowfolk capitol off the coast of AltenLand, which is also where the stronghold is in Bastriean. It is just as likely that Alexandra is in the southern capitol city of Aurora. I am not sure how long the journey will take us, but I received a message six days ago from Garrel. Samhelia had another vision. It was vague. Ultimately we all need to meet with the council in Bastriean in 10 days' time." Evangeline explained.

"Ten days? And if we don't make it by then?" Ryhan asked.

"Garrel only said that it was important we were there before then. I'm not sure what will happen if we fail." Evangeline answered.

She was not sure how much of what she had said Ryhan actually heard. Waiting for a response, she sat down next to Ryhan and nudged her slightly when she didn't get one.

Ryhan looked up at her startled, "Oh! I'm sorry. I guess I was off in my own little world. What did you say?"

Evangeline patiently repeated what she had just told her.

"That doesn't give us much time." Ryhan said.

"Garrel also mentioned that Axiom has been sending scouts out looking for us and that he is moving a lot of troops around. The letter seemed rather urgent. I think it would be in our best interest to try and make it there in time." She said.

"I supposed you are right. This is the farthest I have ever been from home. I don't know much about the world so where we go doesn't matter much to me." Ryhan said blankly.

"Well let's get going than!" Evangeline said.

Her words came out with much more enthusiasm than she had meant them to, but she got the feeling that Ryhan was not the type of girl that liked an interrogation about her thoughts or feelings, much less acknowledge any sort of weakness she might have.

"Breckenshire has a small harbor on the coast to the west, at the edge of the mountain range. We will board a ship there and set sail for Volcaringuard. If we keep a steady pace we should reach the harbor in a day." She said.

Ryhan gave her a strange expression, a mixture of horror and elation crossed her face several times before Evangeline spoke, "Is something the matter?"

Ryhan shook her head as if to clear the thoughts away, "No, its...it's just that Roger is there. He joined the Centermerge. I did not think I would ever see him again. Do you think it very smart for us to just go marching in to a town that is home to thousands of the kings highly trained soldiers?"

"We won't actually have to go through the town. Forgive me, but who is Roger?" She asked.

Evangeline waited for Ryhan to begin and listened intently as she told her of everything that had happened since she and Roger had left Resteir. No wonder the poor girl was hanging on by a thread. The day passed by quickly as they kept a swift pace and chatted with each other. Evangeline was careful not to bring up Gavin and as far as she could tell, Ryhan was avoiding the subject as well.

For a while, it felt as though they were just two normal teenage girls and there was no great prophecy they had to fulfill. As the sun set Evangeline suggested they keep an eye out for a good place to set up camp and Ryhan agreed. They found a nice area close to the foothills. There was a small patch of trees that offered a bit of shelter and coverage should anyone pass by.

As they started to settle in, she carefully approached Ryhan and said, "I know that you probably meant what you said last night, but just listen to me for a moment," she paused and waited for a reaction, but Ryhan just stared at her blankly.

"I can understand, after everything you've been through in such a short time, why you don't want to use your power." She stated and paused when Ryhan sighed heavily.

"But fighting something that is a part of you will not help. It will only make you frustrated and your power even more unreliable and unmanageable. It is easy to feel like you are losing yourself, but you are still you, Ryhan. You are still all the things that make you who you are. Including your power. That will never change no matter how hard you try to suppress it." Evangeline said, as she looked Ryhan in the eyes.

Ryhan was quiet for a long time, "Okay."

Okay? Well Evangeline supposed that was better than Ryhan down right refusing to try was. She thought maybe if she shared an experience of her own that Ryhan would understand better.

"I'll start the fire this time, but next time I want you to try." She said and began building a small fire before continuing on, "I was six when I first realized what my power could do. A man that came to the village often, to trade and bring supplies had seduced one of the girls already promised to another man.

"Arie was one of the few that helped to take care of me. She had run away with him. When her father and her betrothed found her, they forced her to come back home. She went through a rather gruesome ceremony to cleanse her of the filth she had acquired, both physically and spiritually, while she had been gone with the trader.

"I don't think you want to know the details, but to give you an idea it involved bloodletting and a viscous scrubbing of her entire body with a rough salt mixture. She had lost a lot of blood and left to die. I went to her and sat with her, crying because I knew she was dying.

"I knew, because I could hear her heart slowing and could sense everything that was going on inside her body that was causing her to shut down before my eyes. She held me and hummed one of my favorite songs. As a child, you do not think about things as finite. You often imagine things are able to change in the most impossible of ways.

"So I lay there with her and just imagined all injuries repairing themselves. And they did. At first the elders were confused as to what brought on her miraculous restoration; they realized it was me after I accidentally healed a mountain goat's broken leg a few weeks later."

"Accidentally?" Ryhan asked confused.

"I say accident because I really wasn't aware of what I was doing. It just happened instinctually. I never purposely intended to heal either one of them. After that I was kept away from most of the villagers until I was older and learned more control." Evangeline said.

"Why did they isolate you?" Ryhan asked with puzzled admiration.

"They were worried that if all the villagers knew what I could do, there would be a never ending barrage of requests to heal all sorts of ailments. They didn't want me to mess with the natural cycle of life." Evangeline explained.

"That makes sense I suppose. But you never killed anyone, you helped them." Ryhan said sadly.

"No I never killed anyone, but I understand how you lose control sometimes. When I feel extreme empathy for someone, I find it harder to stay in control. I have tossed about entire rooms with my mind in anger. I have hurt people on accident when they were not doing something I wanted them to. I could just as easily rupture a vein in someone's head as I could repair it. It just takes time, be patient, and have a little faith in yourself." She said.

She thought she might actually be getting through to Ryhan and was about to say something when harsh grating sounds, loud as shrill alarm bells, interrupted her thoughts. It startled them both and Evangeline grabbed Ryhan's hand and told her to stay as still as she possibly could. She looked up at the night sky and muttered to herself under her breath to stay calm.

The temperature had dropped dramatically in the last hour and her breath came out in large foggy puffs. Evangeline closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, she focused on picturing the both of them the same color as their surroundings. Imagining them both to blend in so perfectly, that if someone was to look down on them from above, they would think they were looking at nothing but the frosty earth.

"What is going on?" Ryhan asked alarmed as the shrill call sounded again much closer.

Evangeline shushed her and concentrated. She felt the essence creep out of her and surround them both in her misty tendrils of magic. Please work, she pleaded silently. She ceased breathing when she spotted the two large ravens flying low to the ground a few hundred feet from their camp.

When they reached the clearing, they circled several times before flying off to the north over the mountains. She had to remind herself to breathe again. The fact that those birds were out scouting made her nervous.

"What the hell is going on?" Ryhan asked her afraid.

"Those ravens were Mentis and Memoria. They are the king's familiars. He sends them out to gather information for him." Evangeline said nervously.

Ryhan looked at her with disbelief, "Birds?"

"They aren't normal birds Ryhan, they are mystic ravens. They can see anything and hear anything for miles. They speak to the king and tell him the secrets of the land." Evangeline explained.

"Why are you so worried?" Ryhan asked.

"Because if they saw us, then that means Axiom will know that we are together. If he knows that, then he knows we will be joining forces with the other daughters soon." She said.

Evangeline hoped with everything in her that Mentis and Memoria had not seen them. Otherwise their travels were about to get a lot more difficult. Ryhan did not seem to grasp how serious the situation was.

"The reason we were all split up was so that the king wouldn't be able to find us easily. It has been our biggest advantage. One that we no longer have if he knows where we are and where we are going." She explained to her calmly.

Ryhan seemed to understand better and looked a bit frightened. Evangeline patted her shoulder and reassured her.

"I think that my magic worked." She said optimistically. "Let's practice warding off dream walkers eh?" She said with a sigh.

Evangeline had Ryhan lie down next to the fire. She sat next to her close enough to be able to reach out and touch her if needed.

"Close your eyes and ground yourself. It's no different than when you practice centering yourself to control your power." She directed.

"A lot of good that's done me." Ryhan exclaimed sarcastically.

"Ryhan, everything takes time and practice. Be patient, your control will come to you." Evangeline replied sternly.

"Okay, okay." Ryhan sighed as she closed her eyes to relax.

"Let me know when you feel you are sufficiently grounded." She requested.

After several minutes, Ryhan acknowledged her focus by nodding her head slightly.

"With your eyes closed, allow them to relax and stare into the back of your eyelids. See the darkness all around you. Let it envelope you and allow your body to completely unwind, letting each of your body parts rest against the ground." Evangeline said.

She paused to observe Ryhan as her breathing slowed and her limbs lost their tension, letting her fall deeper into relaxation before continuing.

"Good, now as you are staring into the darkness, look ahead, and imagine a white light coming closer to you. The closer the light gets to you the brighter it becomes. You can feel the warmth from the light on your skin. Picture the light spreading out, forming long strings that wrap around you like tentacles.

"These tentacles encircle you completely and form a barrier against the dark. You are now in a womb of light and it has completed illuminated the darkness around you. Are you in your womb Ryhan?" Evangeline asked soothingly.

"Yes." Ryhan answered softly.

"Good! Keep that image in your head as you let yourself drift into sleep. Once you are sleeping I will try to enter your dream, hold on to that web of light around you and don't let me in." Evangeline said.

She gave Ryhan a few more minutes to fall into a deep sleep and then laid on the ground next to her, using the same relaxation techniques she had just described to Ryhan. When she felt herself falling into sleep, she imagined stepping outside her body. Looking down on herself and Ryhan sleeping she willed herself to step into Ryhan's body.

It felt as though she was free falling through darkness until she landed softly in a pile of dried out leaves. Standing, she looked around her. She did not understand. Ryhan should have been able to keep her out. Maybe she had not done a very good job explaining it, she thought disappointed.

"RYHAN?" She called out to her.

No response.

"Can you hear me?" She called out again.

Nothing.

"Ryhan I need you to come to my voice." She exclaimed.

Silence.

Evangeline started to walk aimlessly. She could be anywhere in her mind, finding Ryhan would be difficult. A forest surrounded her, but the colors were off, bland and washed out. The trees grew thicker the farther she walked, until there came a point when she could no longer continue going forward.

Turning around to head back the way she came Evangeline was startled when she realized she was no longer in the forest. Instead, she was ankle deep in sand on the edge of a lake. Ryhan stood in front of her, in the middle of the water completely engulfed in flames.

"RYHAN!" She called out to her.

Ryhan looked at her intensely, but said nothing.

"What is going on? I need you to concentrate. You weren't supposed to let me in." She said poignantly.

"You think a little meditation will keep me out?" A man asked amused.

She had not heard him approach and jumped at the sound of his voice.

"What are you doing here Axiom?" She asked him crossly.

"Don't you know?" He laughed.

"Look at her out there, beautiful isn't she?"

Evangeline followed his gaze and she watched as Ryhan stood in the water, helpless and on fire. The flames did nothing to her of course, but she looked as if she were in agony.

"Ryhan you can fight him, imagine that web of light." She said.

"Oh please!" He laughed wickedly.

"-Imagine it coming out of you like a sphere,-" She continued, ignoring his interruption.

"Try all you'd like, she is getting weaker by the minute." He scoffed.

"-push him away with the light Ryhan,-" She said.

"My brother is coming to me now as we speak, she'll be mine soon enough. You all will." He growled.

"-do it Ryhan, you can do it." She pleaded with her.

Ryhan's head fell back and she screamed. At the same moment, she released a great wave of light that washed over them all. Evangeline woke with a start. She reached out for Ryhan who grabbed her hand eagerly.

"What happened?" Ryhan asked with tears in her eyes.

"I'm not sure." Evangeline admitted.

"I don't understand, you said it would work." Ryhan said angrily.

"I'm sorry, it should have. I do not know what happened. It was like he was waiting for us." She said.

"He's too strong." Ryhan stated sadly, sounding defeated.

"Don't give up ok. Please. We will keep practicing." Evangeline said.

Ryhan nodded, but looked at her as though she did not believe it would work. She wanted to give her some encouraging words, but none would come to her. Axiom's power had obviously grown, or he had someone helping him dream walk. Either way she felt the same fear Ryhan had expressed creep over her.

If he could reach them in their dreams, it was only a matter of time before he found them when awake. The sun was already peaking over the horizon and they both agreed that getting an early start would be best. They walked in silence. Evangeline too consumed in her own thoughts to carry a conversation.

It did not make sense. If Ayden truly were alive, why would he be going to Axiom now? Where had he been all that time and why was he hiding out? Questions came and went through her mind as quickly as a bee buzzing from one flower to the next and about as orderly as that too. Perhaps it was not true and Axiom had just said that to confuse or get a reaction out of her.

Even if it was true, she decided to wait and speak with the council before she came to any conclusions. Not that there were any conclusions to form from the information. If anything, it just made things more puzzling. They kept a quick pace for most of the day only stopping once to rest and reached the edge of Breckenshire by dusk.

Hoping to avoid entering the city, they made their way around the surrounding wall, searching for a path that would lead to the harbor. They thought they had found one, but it lead instead to a high wooden fence and an abandoned guard station. The fence stretched out into the ocean, and with the high tide in there was no way around it.

"We are either going to have to climb the fence, or look for another way." Evangeline contemplated aloud.

"Do you think that it is deserted?" Ryhan asked motioning to the guard station.

"Perhaps. Or they could just be changing over." She replied.

"Well now is as good a time as any." Ryhan exclaimed as she ran towards the fence.

"No, wait-" She started. But it was too late.

Ryhan was already scaling the fence. As she got closer to where Ryhan was climbing, a guard emerged from a small door beneath her. He looked at Evangeline with a puzzled expression.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing way out here?" He asked irritated.

"Sorry to trouble you. I...well I uh-" She was not sure what to say.

He stared at her, not noticing Ryhan on the fence behind him.

"I..." Her mind was blank.

"WELL GET ON WITH IT." He shouted at her.

She jumped at his roar. The last thing she wanted to do was draw more soldiers out, so she did the only thing she could think of...she cried.

"Well you see, I lost my cat. She climbed right up over the wall this morning and I came out here to try and find her, but then I got lost." She sobbed.

He softened a bit.

"I am cold and tired and I just want to get back inside the wall so that I can go home." She wailed.

He patted her on the shoulder and told her it would be all right. Turning around to open the door for her, he stopped as he spotted Ryhan.

"Now wait just a min-" His speech cut off as Ryhan jumped down and knocked him upside the head with her bag.

With a soft thud, he fell to the ground. She had not quite knocked him out, but he acted disoriented. Ryhan pulled the small iron skillet they had used for breakfast that morning out of her bag.

"Thanks for packing the heavy stuff in my bag." Ryhan said mockingly as she raised the skillet to strike him again.

"Don't hit him again; let's just go now before he gets his wits about him." Evangeline pleaded, grabbing her head.

She would never get used to feeling other people's pain. Usually it was easy for her to block it out, but when it was sudden or unexpected, it sometimes leaked through her barrier.

"So he can sound an alarm and let every soldier in the city know we are here, no thanks." Ryhan said. She inched closer, raised the skillet over her head, and was just about to bring it down on the man again when she dropped it excitedly.

"It's Roger!" Ryhan exclaimed.

They sat him up against the fence and gave him some water. It took a few minutes, but he recovered his thoughts quickly. Ryhan kept a look out while Evangeline explained to him why they were trying to get into the city.

He shook his head, "Axiom has a sketch of you two up in every guard station in the city." He said.

"How?" Ryhan asked confused.

"Mentis and Memoria?" Evangeline asked him.

He nodded rubbing the knot forming on the side of his head.

"I had hoped that they couldn't see through my magic." She stated sadly.

"Now what?" Ryhan asked impatiently.

"I can get you into the city, but you'll have to procure passage on your own. If they find out I helped you..." He stopped and looked at them both gravely.

Ryhan sat next to him and replied sadly, "Oh Roger! Why did you have to get mixed up in all of this?"

He told her not to worry about him. Evangeline could see how much he cared for Ryhan. She knew he would do whatever he could to ensure no one found out they were there. He led them through the fence and pointed them towards the harbor. They thanked him and Ryhan embraced him before they left him to his duties.

"Are you ok?" She asked Ryhan.

Nodding she shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.

They found a small cargo ship getting ready to set sail for Doctemptha. It did not take long to convince the captain to take them on, especially after Evangeline gave him a purse full of coins with promise of more when they arrived to the island safely.

By the time, the moon had settled into the night sky, the shoreline was far in the distance. Evangeline felt better knowing that they were on their way to Volcaringuard, but her troubles were not comforted by their distance at sea. She needed answers to many things and hoped reaching Volcaringuard would shed some light on them.

# Chapter Eight

## Shipwrecked

Evangeline took a long swig from her waterskin. Salt permeated the sea air and she could do nothing to rid the taste from her mouth. The strong winds that had quickly carried them away from Breckenshire had ceased and left gentle breezes in their place. A voyage that should have taken them a mere day to reach Doctemptha now put them at three days at sea with no land in sight.

Precious time wasted away and while grateful that their trip on the ship had remained uneventful, the longer they drifted aimlessly with no wind for guidance, the more uneasy she grew with the situation. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, silently reminding herself to listen to the world around her.

Leaning over the rail, she caught sight of something moving in the water. She dismissed it at first as a large fish, but then noticed how quickly it was moving toward the surface. It was a creature she had never seen before. It was a dark blue figure with long arms and legs. Its webbed hands surfaced first then a mess of red stringy hair piled on top of its head.

Razor sharp teeth lined the wide-open mouth and Evangeline stepped back a bit from the rail. The creature began making a loud guttural noise and then several more creatures popped up onto the surface. She tried to get a sense of what they wanted but an alarm started sounding before she had time to think.

"NIXEN! Someone shouted behind her. Several men came forward armed with harpoons and bows. Evangeline noticed that they were not pointing their weapons at the creatures below; instead, they were actively searching the horizon.

Confused she asked the man closest to her, "What is happening?"

"Nixen." He stated as if that explained everything.

"Well what is a Nixen?" She asked.

"Those are nixen." He pointed at the blue creatures.

"If they are so bad why aren't you shooting at them?" She asked.

"They aren't bad." He said irritated.

Evangeline rarely lost her temper, but she felt like clocking the guy upside his head. She was about to ask him more when a warm hand rested on hers. Ryhan nodded reassuringly. She had rarely come above deck, all the commotion must have made her curious.

"I heard a couple of the sailors talking. A nix is a fairly harmless creature and often warns of coming danger." Ryhan exclaimed.

"What sort of danger?" Evangeline asked.

"I am not sure, but seeing one nix is bad enough, there are about seven down there now, I'd say it's something big." She said worried.

Evangeline looked back at the nixen and nodded her head in gratitude. They started disappearing back into the depths, which could only mean that whatever was coming was close.

"LAND!" Someone shouted.

Relieved she said, "Oh good, perhaps we will reach the shore before danger reaches us."

She knew she was wrong before she even finished her sentence. Ryhan gripped her hand tightly and stared into the distance.

Evangeline faintly heard someone shout behind her, "IT'S THE TROGESS," the world seemed to move in slow motion as several arrows were knocked and released at the monster.

She could barely believe what she was seeing. The thing was easily the size of their ship. Its body was similar to that of porpoise and two enormous heads on two very long necks growled loudly at them. Scales that glinted in the sun as if they were metallic covered its entire body. The Trogess moved quickly, far faster than they were going with such little wind to aid them.

Evangeline tried opening her mind to the monster but failed. They were going to have to think quickly if they were to survive.

"Ryhan, we are going to have to fight. I need you, I cannot do this alone." Evangeline said.

Ryhan shook her head and stepped away. She was frightened, but Evangeline sensed it was more of her own powers than of the monster.

"I will help you, guide you. Just do as I say." Evangeline told her calmly.

Ryhan nodded reluctantly.

The monster was a few hundred feet away from them and Evangeline could sense some powerful magic, but it was not really coming from the creature. The Trogess was an animal, instinctual, with no higher thought process. So where was the magic coming from? She spotted something around one of the necks. A collar made of black twine. That must be it, but what was its purpose? She asked herself.

Growling again, one of the heads breathed out a gust of snow and ice. It froze the top half of a mast and Evangeline watched as it broke off and shatter on the deck. Tiny shards of ice and woods went flying in every direction. Men scattered in every direction, yelling curses and directions aimlessly.

Stumbling to gain their footing, several of them sent another round of arrows sailing at the monster. Most of the arrows missed. A few hit their marks but bounced off the metallic scales leaving no sign of damage to the creature. If anything, the effort had annoyed it more. It shifted its weight and spun to the left raising an enormous tail out of the water.

Striking the starboard side of the ship with the flat of its tail, the Trogess howled and swept it across the deck. Ducking quickly, Evangeline pulled a stunned Ryhan down next to her. The monster dove under the water and everyone scrambled to their feet. Resurfacing it blew another icy blast at them. Barely missing the ship the water froze and cracked around the bottom, freezing them in place.

"When the sailors knock the next round of arrows, ignite them." Evangeline said to Ryhan.

Ryhan looked at her as if she was crazy, "Are you nuts? I'll probably set the whole ship on fire."

"Just trust me." Evangeline said.

Taking her hand, she allowed their powers to connect. As the men around them regrouped, Evangeline helped Ryhan focus her powers. She heard the arrows being knocked and felt Ryhan's powers ignite, then and watched as the flaming arrows soared through the air toward the monster. Giving Ryhan a reassuring squeeze of her hand, Evangeline felt the comfort it gave her, even if it was short lived.

The Trogess roared with annoyance as the arrows bounced off its skin. It reared its heads back again and launched more snow and ice toward them. Evangeline shoved Ryhan aside just in time as the blast hit a portion of the upper deck behind them.

Recovering quickly Evangeline ran to Ryhan, "Listen, you need to shoot a fireball down its throat."

"What? I have never done that before." Ryhan exclaimed.

Evangeline looked into her eyes, "You can do it, have a little faith."

Ryhan nodded slowly, "Okay, but how?"

"When it leans one of its heads back to release another gust of ice, aim for the roof of its mouth and shoot right as it starts to come forward. It should go straight down its throat."

"And if it doesn't?" Ryhan asked nervously.

Evangeline replied, "Then I guess we decorate the ocean floor as frozen statues."

Ryhan paled.

"Don't worry. You can do this. You won't fail." She reassured her.

Evangeline closed her eyes and reached out for Ryhan's hand. She imagined their hands melting and becoming one, their arms fusing together as well as their heart and mind. Spiritual linking was not an easy thing to do; it required implicit trust from both people. Ryhan fought it at first but then allowed Evangeline in and finished the link.

Evangeline opened her eyes and concentrated on the roped collar as she felt the heat in Ryhan's hand building. The monsters second head was busy eating whatever it could get into its mouth. People, wood, sails it did not really seem to have a preference. Arrows stuck out of its body everywhere but seemed to have no effect.

The collared head screeched and pulled its head back and came forward slightly, NOW she thought, and ripped the collar away with her mind just as Ryhan lobbed a fireball at its mouth. Evangeline focused on the fireball willing it to meet its target. It connected and the monster swallowed as it hit the back of its throat.

Steam poured out of its mouth enveloping the ship in a dense sticky fog. It screeched louder and retreated under the water. The crew hollered victories but Evangeline could still sense the creature near.

"Guard yourselves!" She yelled at them.

They looked at her unsure of what to do. She was about to tell them to prepare for another attack when the ship was rocked hard, sounds of cracking wood filled the air and everyone was tossed over the side. Never letting go of Ryhan's hand, Evangeline quickly swam to the surface.

"What now?" Ryhan asked.

She looked around, "The shore isn't far. Let's try to reach it before the Trogess reaches us."

She willed the particles of water to help them, imagined the water moving them closer to the shore, it seemed to help. Once they were able to stand, they joined the few crewmembers that were already resting on the shore.

"Are we safe?" One of the young men asked nervously.

Evangeline saw a splash of a fin and heard a faded screech not too far off the coast, "I'd say we should move farther inland just to be sure."

They all agreed and quickly moved away from the water.

"Shipwrecked again. Just great!" Ryhan muttered as she moved ahead of her.

Evangeline looked back. All that was left of their ship was a few pieces of wood drifting out to sea.

"We made it here, at least we are alive." Evangeline responded.

Ryhan huffed and plopped down on the ground. Evangeline was not sure what else to say, she didn't think that Ryhan wanted a pep talk, and anyway she wasn't sure how much more optimism she could muster at that moment.

"First thing first, we need to figure out where we are on the island." She said.

"How exactly do we do that?" Ryhan asked.

Evangeline paused. "Good question."

She looked to the remaining crewmembers, "Any ideas?"

A small man with a wiry beard stepped forward, "Ay ma'am, we were headed toward the northwest tip of the island, judging from the curve of the coast and tide at this hour I would say we are a bit of a ways from our destination."

"How close?" Ryhan asked.

"About a day and a half south of port and a day further from Volcaringuard." He answered.

Contemplation filled the air, "That would put us about half way between Ferrentri and Volcaringuard?" Evangeline asked.

He nodded.

"Best we head south then I think, no reason to waste time traveling north then south then north again." She said.

Evangeline smiled a bit as Ryhan seemed to perk up at the news. She told the crew to find what supplies they could and then took a few steps away from the others to gather her thoughts. When she did not take the time to center herself and sort through all the sensations she was feeling, she would become overwhelmed and that never turned out well for anyone.

She took the time to steady her breathing, concentrating on her inhalations and exhalations, feeling every particle of air as it entered her mouth. As it hit her tongue, she tasted a mixture of sea and native wildlife. It was salty and bitter as well as sweet. The air smelled the same as it tasted and it awakened her spirit.

Listening to the sounds around her, past the chatter of the men and into the trees beyond the coast, her body relaxed. Her mind became more coordinated with the world around her. There were a few animals lurking in the forest she would not want to cross paths with, but the tension behind her eyes dissipated and she felt more in control of herself. Her abilities, though powerful, were difficult at times.

"Are you alright?" Ryhan asked behind her.

"Yes, I just needed a moment." She replied.

"The captain says it's probably best we make camp and travel first thing in the morning." Ryhan said.

Evangeline nodded. "Night is fast approaching and I think we all could use some rest."

Ryhan was quiet.

"Are YOU alright?" Evangeline asked her.

"How do you stay so calm? I get so overwhelmed I don't know if I will be able to maintain my sanity at times." Ryhan stated.

Giving it some thought, Evangeline proceeded carefully, "I find myself overwhelmed at times as well, I think that I just have a better understanding of my limits and how my powers affect me. That is a skill in and of itself and you will learn it with time."

Ryhan stared at her as if she were expecting her to go on.

"Everything, from the sand on the beach to the leaves on a tree, emits energy. People do as well, but it is a little bit different, more complex. I sense all of that energy. It took me a long time to figure out how to process everything I was feeling."

"What does it feel like?" Ryhan asked.

"It feels sort of like...vibrations. Some are stronger than others." She replied.

Ryhan nodded her head and Evangeline was not sure, if she was agreeing or if she was simply trying to understand.

"All our powers work in a similar way, but mine functions on a much deeper level. Down to the tiniest parts that make something whole. That's why I can sense when a creature is near us, or someone is dying, or even if there is edible food growing close." Evangeline finished with a smile and nodded toward some fruit trees in the distance.

Ryhan grinned as she placed her hand on her stomach and raced off to the trees. It was obvious to Evangeline from the look on her face that it was not the end of the conversation. Explaining what her powers were was one thing, but how they work was different, she was not sure how to explain that.

Finding out she had powers was scary, and learning to control them took time, but they were always something she had accepted with complete faith. She never had the desire to figure out more than that. Evangeline had the time to become sure of herself, Ryhan did not, and she could see why Ryhan was so interested in discovering everything she could about the powers they possessed.

It would be so much easier for her if she would stop fighting and just accept who she is, Evangeline thought. Ryhan tossed a bumpy purple fruit at her and she caught it just before it sailed past her. It may have looked strange but it smelled heavenly. Juice flooded her mouth with the first bite. The texture was a bit strange, like chewing wet paper, but it was food and her stomach thanked her.

"This all you could find?" Evangeline inquired.

"I didn't want to get too far from the group, so I only went just past the tree line." She said, and then added, "I thought for a moment you had decided to come along but I guess I had imagined it."

"What do you mean?" Evangeline asked quickly.

"Well I heard footsteps, they seemed to be heading in the same direction, I called out, and no one answered. I no longer heard footsteps after that." Ryhan shrugged as if that were all there was to say and continued to stuff her mouth so full she could no longer converse.

Considering the unknown dangers of the forest and the possibility that someone might be following them, Evangeline thought that maybe they should stick close to the coast during their travels. She expressed her concerns to the crew and then added that it might make it easier to find the city of Aurora if they had the sea with in their sights. They laughed at her a bit before settling down for the night and agreed to take turns guarding the camp. Three awake while three slept.

Obviously, the legend of the underwater city was still very much a legend. She knew it existed, even if she had never seen it herself. Alexandra visited it quite often and lived with some of the merrowfolk of the area. She had told Evangeline of the splendorous city and her adventures there.

"Where is Aurora?" Ryhan whispered as Evangeline lay down next to her.

"It is a magnificent city under the sea, but no one knows where it is or how to get there. It is where a lot of the merrowfolk live." She replied.

"Merrowfolk? Seriously?" Disbelief shown on her face even in the night sky.

"Is that really so hard to believe after everything that you have been through these past days?" Evangeline asked her.

Ryhan shook her head and absently stroked the right side of her face, as she seemed to think on things awhile.

"I suppose not, legends seem more real to me now than my simple life in Resteir ever did." She did not ask any more questions and Evangeline felt herself drift off.

Rest was good. Relief washed over her like a warm bath with the absence of dreams and deep sleep. That was, until she was awakened by a scream.

# Chapter Nine

## Follow the Leader

"What? What is it?" Evangeline shouted unsure of what was happening.

She scanned her surroundings rapidly in search of the scream. Everything appeared normal. The men were asleep, snoring as loudly as ever and the camp seemed undisturbed. Heaving a sigh of relief, she felt herself relax a bit. Perhaps she had only dreamt it.

Leaning over to grab her waterskin, she noticed that Ryhan was gone. Panicking would only make things worse so she forced herself to calm down before getting up and searching for her. Losing control of her powers only happened when she was distraught or panicked and she could not allow herself to be either.

There had been no signs of a struggle at camp, which meant that Ryhan must have gotten up and left on her own. She listened intently to her surroundings, sensing nothing out of the ordinary she headed toward the tree line. Using their connection, she tried to call out to her. An image of a fallen tree and Ryhan sprawled on the ground flooded her vision.

Rushing into the woods at night and alone was not a smart thing to do but she did, without hesitating. Another scream echoed off the trees. This time she recognized that it was Ryhan. Sprinting faster she willed the forest to aid her in her search. Asking for help with her mind and heart, she felt its response in the lack of obstacles in her path.

She did not have a clear idea of what direction she was heading, but could tell that she was getting closer to Ryhan as the connection between them grew stronger. The next scream was so close it stopped her in her tracks.

"Ryhan? Where are you?" She called out.

There was no reply. She spotted a fallen tree to the right and slowly approached it.

"Ryhan?" She called out softly. "Are you there?"

She scoured the immediate area and found no signs of her. Confused she called out to her again. Nothing. It was possible that there was more than one fallen tree in the forest. She turned to head back and felt something hard hit her in the back of the head. Before she could face her attacker, she heard the branch crack as it hit its target again.

Evangeline fell to the ground as the world spun around her. Her head felt full and fuzzy and it was hard for her to focus. She held her head in her hands hoping it would make her feel more stable. It did not, and she cursed aloud when she pulled her hand away and found it covered in blood.

Uncertainty and fear began to creep into her thoughts and she felt herself starting to get overwhelmed. She crawled over to the tree, and leaned against it. Her head throbbed a lot when she sat up, but it dissipated quickly. Using her calming techniques, she steadied her thoughts and emotions. She was not sure how much time she had, but she was not going to be useful in that condition.

She pictured the wound in her mind and sensed a crack in her skull, but that was not the worst of her injury. Going deeper, she found a part of her brain that was bleeding, pretty badly, and went to work on healing herself. It took longer than normal and it was hard for her to concentrate for fear of her attacker returning. When her vision returned to normal and she felt like she had done as much as she could do for herself, she stood ready to face whatever was out there.

Scolding herself for not being more aware of her surroundings, she proceeded carefully back toward the beach. She would go back and get the rest of the crew to help her search when the sun was up and they had the advantage. When she reached the campsite, Ryhan had returned. Muddy tears streaked her face and her clothes were torn and shredded in places.

"Are you alright?" Evangeline asked, rushing to comfort her.

"I don't know what happened." Ryan replied franticly. By then most of the crew was awake and Ryhan had become conscious of their stares.

"Where have you been? I was worried, I went looking for you?" Evangeline wanted the truth before the crew started asking questions she couldn't answer.

Ryhan's eyes filled with tears, "I don't know! I just woke up in the middle of the woods. I don't know how I got there. I ran back here as fast as I could and you were gone too. I didn't know what had happened." She cried.

Evangeline wrapped her arms around her and tried to be comforting.

"Were you dreaming of him again?" She asked already knowing the answer.

Ryhan nodded, wiping her face and gaining composure.

Evangeline thought she looked angry, and seeing her angry was much better than seeing her helpless. At least if she was angry she could fight back. Evangeline told Ryhan everything that happened after she woke up and waited patiently for her to explain her side of the events.

"Just take your time, tell me what you remember as it comes to you." Evangeline encouraged her.

"I was dreaming about the city of Aurora and a man named Adaro. He was in some sort of underwater cave where he kept souls of the dead to do his bidding. It was awful; they were trapped, bound to him, by some sort of dark magic. They could not move on and were miserable existing there in a place they don't belong. It was painful to see.

"The man, Adaro, he didn't look at me or speak directly to me, but he knew I was there watching him. I could not leave. I tried to wake up. I tried to do the things you told me, but I had no control. Then Axiom was there and he was laughing that wicked laugh of his, sending rakes of painful chills up and down my spine. He whispered something in my ear."

She paused as if she weren't sure if she wanted to say any more, but continued after a long hesitation, "He said, 'You will never escape, no matter where you go, who you hide behind, you will never escape who you really are and the power you have.' and I screamed.

"I screamed because I was afraid he was right and because I wanted him to be right. Adaro looked at me after that. He looked right into my eyes," She shuddered and suppressed a sob, "his eyes were pure black. Like they were made of nothing, just a deep void that could suck the life out of you if you stared at them too long.

"But he was handsome at the same time and smiled as if he were tempting me to do something. Wanting me to give in to something that only he could offer me. Only I wasn't sure what it was. But whatever it was, it felt...GOOD. And I wanted it. I tried to resist, I fought as long as I could, but then I just took his hand.

"Axiom was gone and all I could see was those dark eyes in front of me. Sucking me in. I panicked, screamed, and unleashed my powers letting go of all control. I felt the heat on my skin, but there were no flames."

She was sobbing hysterically and Evangeline reached out for her but Ryhan swatted her hand away. She could feel Ryhan's desperation to finish and so she let her continue.

"There were no flames. At first, I did not understand, and then Axioms voice was in my head. 'Don't you know what happens to fire when you drown the flames in water?' His laughter was unbearable. I was suffocating. Not only suffocating, but all my strength waned, I could not fight. Everything went dark and then I woke up in the forest."

Evangeline gave her a few moments to collect herself. She was not sure how to respond to what Ryhan had just told her, or how to help her keep Axiom from entering her dreams. Adaro was a mystery as well. The only thing she was sure of was that they needed to get through this journey and back to Bastriean as quickly as possible.

Sitting down next to Ryhan she told her as sincerely as she could, "We will figure out a way to keep him out of your head. I promise."

Ryhan angrily replied, "Yeah? How? Because your little technique isn't working."

"I know, but maybe the elves have some sort of herbal remedy, or some knowledge of a way that will work. I will find something." She told her.

Ryhan said nothing just worked with the crew to gather up the few supplies they found. Evangeline gave her some space. She knew it was only a matter of time before Ryhan started taking her anger out on someone. Only she had hoped it would be the enemy instead of her. She seemed to be unraveling more and more each day and Evangeline was worried about her.

Ryhan needed rest and some proper training, but unfortunately, Evangeline could not give her that yet. She hoped that Ryhan could hold on to herself, long enough to get where they needed to go.

# Chapter Ten

## Unexpected Enemies

The day had been long and full of silence. Normally Evangeline would not have minded the peace but with no shade or protection from the sun, they had to stop several times to rest and drink. Trying to use the little water they had sparingly was more of a challenge than she had expected. The sun was finally starting to set and the air was less sticky.

She helped set up camp and willed her limbs to cooperate. Her lungs felt full and heavy from the humid air and even a little effort left her feeling out of breath. A longing for the cool air of the mountains overwhelmed her.

A young man from the crew approached her. "I know your feelings about the forest miss, but we think it might be best to stick to the tree line."

She knew he was right, "This sun isn't helping us move any faster. Let's take a break, get some rest and we will travel through the forest first thing tomorrow."

He smiled and ran off to tell the rest of the crew.

"That was awfully understanding for someone who was so convinced we should stick to the coast." A voice said bitterly.

"Ryhan, what is it you want from me huh? I am trying my best here. I'm dealing with everything the same as you." She said irritated.

Ryhan huffed and walked away.

Evangeline liked it better when she ignored her. Ryhan had a sharp tongue and did not hold back often. The few times she had spoken to her since the previous night's events, Ryhan had not hesitated to unleash all sorts of cross words her way. Under normal circumstances, her patience was unwavering, but at that moment, she was ready to throttle her. She glanced over at Ryhan and felt chills as Ryhan greeted her with and icy cold glare.

"THAT'S IT!" She shouted and stalked off toward the woods.

She grabbed the first few branches she could that looked suitable and went back to camp. Picking up the one that felt good in her hand she stepped in front of Ryhan.

For a moment, Ryhan looked alarmed, "What? Are you going to whip me?"

She wasn't sure how to respond, the thought actual felt good in her mind, she pondered it a moment longer than she should have and then did the only thing she could muster...laugh. It was a deep, gut wrenching laugh, which left tears in her eyes and an ache in her belly. The rest of the crew, who up until that point had look on with apprehension, joined in with her laughter.

Ryhan crossed her arms and shifted her weight around. It was clear that she was uncomfortable and unsure of what to make of the scene before her. Evangeline felt bad and composed herself,

"Of course not! You clearly have a lot of anger built up. I thought it best that you learned to handle a sword." She said a little more excited than she had wanted to.

Ryhan raised an eyebrow and looked at her skeptically, "You do know that is a stick right?"

"Yes I know it's a stick," She replied impatiently while adding, "Do you see any weapons around here?"

"I thought you were supposed to train me to use my powers?" Ryhan stated, more impetuously than Evangeline cared for.

"Actually, my responsibility is to get us all to the stronghold. I was willing to help you, but YOU decided not to use your powers. Which isn't making anything easier."

She could tell she was hitting a nerve so she continued.

"In fact it's just making things WORSE!"

"I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS." Ryhan shouted.

"Like it matters, you don't listen to anything I tell you, you sulk all day feeling sorry for yourself, instead of trying to make things better." She knew the next part would be the final blow but did not care at that moment. "No wonder Gavin left."

Ryhan grabbed a stick and screamed as she ran at her.

Evangeline had not wanted to hurt her, but she knew that making her angry was the only way to motivate her. Ryhan swung at her and missed several times, which only fueled her anger. Evangeline held the stick in her hands, and braced herself.

Stepping into the next attack she allowed her body to absorb the hit and let the shock roll through her and into the ground, then parried the next few blows. She could tell that Ryhan was calming down as the force of her attacks lessened.

"You are kind of a natural. Have you used a sword before?" She asked.

That was obviously the wrong thing to say because the next thing she knew Ryhan's stick was on fire and she was not relenting. Evangeline was nervous but stepped aside just as Ryhan lunged at her and watched as she lost her footing and hit the ground face first. She got up cursing her and spitting out sand.

Evangeline kicked Ryhan's stick away from her and said, "I only wanted to teach you to defend yourself. We cannot merely walk and complain, feeling sorry for ourselves on our travels. We might as well start preparing."

"Prepare for what?" Ryhan asked through gritted teeth, "Some stupid war that may or may not happen? Our destiny?"

Before she could respond, a huge wave of seawater rushed over the shore. They did not have time to react as it washed over them. Soaked and confused, neither of them had it in them to argue anymore. Evangeline looked towards the water and saw someone walking toward them. The sun was setting on the horizon and she could see nothing more than a shadowy figure.

When the person reached the beach, she looked as if she had never been in the water at all. She was bone dry, which made Evangeline a little jealous as her sopping wet clothes clung to her uncomfortably. Only a few delicately placed shells and some sheer fabric, the likes of which she had never seen before covered the girl's curvy body.

A rope of pearls held down her midnight black and wavy hair. Sapphire eyes, bright with flecks of aquamarine, swept over the scene.

"Angel, I never thought I would see you in a screaming match." She said amused.

"You know her?" Ryhan asked accusingly.

Evangeline quickly introduced them, "Ryhan this is Alexandra."

"Alex, please. Alexandra is such a mouthful. About as much as Evangeline." She said lightly.

"Alex, you know how I feel about Angel, I prefer Evangeline." She said.

Ryhan was furious, "Well Alex...You mind telling me why I'm soaking wet right now?"

Laughing she responded, "You looked like you needed to cool off."

Ryhan stomped away and Evangeline embraced Alex welcoming her.

"She's got a temper, that one." Alex said motioning toward Ryhan.

Evangeline waved the comment away and with a frustrated sigh said, "I was worried we would have to spend too much time searching for the city of Aurora, and here you found us."

Alex responded seriously, "Times are dark, even Aurora is effected by the ripples of Axiom's reign."

She paused a moment as if remembering something specific then continued on, "We can talk more about that later, tell me everything that has happened with you on this journey!"

Evangeline enjoyed the company. It was nice to have a conversation without angry sarcasm taking over the discussion. It grew dark quickly and they made a feast out of the crab and fish Alex caught. The crew had helped, but it seemed as if the fish just jumped right into her hands, it was quite a spectacle.

Evangeline was surprised at how much lighter she felt, everyone felt, with her around. With one exception of course. She scanned the beach for a head of red hair and was relieved to see Ryhan sitting by the fire. Sitting down next to her, Evangeline offered her some of the crabmeat. Ryhan shook her head. They sat in silence for a long while. She could feel the anger coming from Ryhan. It came in waves, rolling over her like a dense fog.

The anger was so strong that she almost didn't notice the other emotions behind it. Loneliness. Heartache. Grief. Ryhan did such a good job at hiding those emotions that Evangeline was surprised at how well she actually controlled herself. One of the young men pulled a small windpipe out of his pocket and began to play. Alex laughed and danced along with a few others.

The sound of her laughter seemed to irritate Ryhan. The fire went out suddenly, as if it had snuffed itself out, then reappeared blazing hot as ever. Ryhan played with the fire a while longer and Evangeline said nothing, just watched as the flames seemed to dance along with the music, licking the night air in rhythm with the melody.

"It's beautiful!" Evangeline exclaimed.

For a moment, she thought she saw Ryhan smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. The music stopped and the fire returned to normal. Ryhan sat up a bit as Alex came over and sat down.

"That was fun. I always love dancing in the moonlight." Alex said as if it were something she did often.

Evangeline thought it was curious the way the men looked at Alex. She could not remember a time when a man ever looked at her that way. Alex was voluminous, she had curves in all the right places and wide eyes that looked right in to you and seemed to know your darkest secret. Her full lips begged someone to kiss them.

Evangeline was nothing like Alex. Her small petite body was more childlike than womanly. She wondered what it might feel like to have men desire her the way the desired Alex. Her silent contemplation was broken when Alex tried to reach out to Ryhan.

"I know about your dreams, I can help you." She said sincerely.

Ryhan stared at her coldly and then looked at Evangeline with disappointment.

"You told her?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

"Ryhan, we shouldn't have secrets from each other, we need to help one another." Evangeline said.

Ryhan crossed her arms. "I don't need her help."

"Ryhan, dream walking is one of my abilities. I'm very good at it." Alex reassured her.

Ryhan stood up, "No, I am not going to let another person inside my head."

"Fine, deal with it on your own then." Alex said as she threw her hand up.

Ryhan stalked off, putting the fire out as she left. Alex murmured something about her being childish and then struck up a conversation with one of the crew. Evangeline debated on whether she should go after her and decided to give her a few moments to calm down. A scream in the distance made everyone jump.

They all rushed toward the sound and found Ryhan on the ground, her arms wrapped around a small child. Evangeline pulled her up and Alex took a hold of the little boy. After pulling them apart Evangeline realized that the boy was actually a man.

"Farwen?" Evangeline asked.

"That's not Farwen." Ryhan yelled, then added, "Let go of me." As she ripped her arm free of Evangeline's grasp.

On closer examination, she realized he looked nothing like Farwen. He had a big bushy black beard that look as though he some sort of furry animal was eating his face.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Thad." He said with a gruff voice while struggling to get free of Alex's grasp.

"Thad? Don't you work for the council?" Evangeline asked.

"Aye, and if you don't let me go, they'll be hearing about this." He barked at them.

"Why would they send you? Aren't you kind of important to them?" She asked skeptically.

He stared at her coldly before replying, "They knew tension might be thick, they sent me to help ease the transition for you."

"Well you sure are doing a bang up job." Ryhan said sarcastically.

"He's lying." Alex said.

"Am not." Thad replied quickly, and then added, "How else would I know where to find you?"

"Trust me, he's lying, I can tell." Alex said.

"Why are you really here?" Evangeline asked him.

He said nothing.

"He's working for Axiom." Alex said.

"I saved your life from that furry monster back in Corafeldon," He said motioning to Ryhan, "Why would I do that if I was working for him?"

"That was you?" Ryhan asked curiously.

"Aye, if it weren't for me, you and that fella would be Haldengar dung by now." He said.

"I don't care what he did. I am telling you he is hiding something. I can sense his corrupt motives. He is working for Axiom." Alex said.

Thad sneered at her angrily and spat out a string of curses before settling back down and denying her revelation. Everything made sense to her now, especially Ryhan's constant anger and their bickering. Thad could influence emotion and it had become clear he was the one who had been following them.

"How could you?" Evangeline asked him, and then added, "The council trusted you. Why would you turn your back on them?"

Thad said nothing, only looked past them as if they were not even there.

They took him back to camp, and placed him under guard for the night. He could not be trusted, but they all thought it best if they rested and questioned him in the morning. Their journey was getting more complicated and Evangeline hoped that she could keep everyone on the right track as things got more dangerous. On the other hand, at the very least that she could keep Ryhan and Alex from killing each other.

# Chapter Eleven

## Keeping It Together

"This better work." Ryhan snapped.

"It would work better if you actually put some effort into it." Alex responded.

Ryhan looked at her as if she wanted to choke her, "What do you think I've been doing all morning?"

"Then why isn't it working?" Alex asked then added, "It certainly isn't because of me."

On and on it had went for most of the morning. Evangeline was sick of it. They had been trying to create steam, an idea she had given them when she recalled the events of the Trogess attack, hoping that it would help them form some sort of bond. The two of them were not a good combination, fire and water did not mix well.

Though their powers influenced who they were, from their physical traits to their emotional characteristics, they should still be able to control themselves. She was not sure how it escalated so quickly, Thad probably had something to do with it, but she turned just in time to see Ryhan lob a fireball straight at Alex.

Alex's reflexes were sharp and she responded by summoning water from deep beneath the ground to put out the fire just in time to be doused with a puff of steam.

"You are going to pay for that." Alex yelled.

Ryhan started at her.

"ENOUGH!" Evangeline shouted and forced them away from each other with her mind.

They both stared at her from the ground.

"What is going on? We shouldn't use our powers on each other." She pleaded with them, "Can you please just find some sort of middle ground?"

Neither of them said anything, just looked around at anything except what they should really have been facing.

"If that is the attitude you both share, then we have already lost." Evangeline said sadly.

She did not know how much longer she could stand the tension. Walking away from them, she told the others their rest was over, time to keep moving. It was her shift to guard Thad. The one hour she dreaded more than dealing with Ryhan and Alex. He affected whoever was closest to him the most.

The only time he stopped influencing their emotions was when he slept, but even then, they all seemed to have nightmares. She was not sure what his plan was, he had refused to speak since they captured him, but it was obvious by his silence that he was working for Axiom. As she settled into a slow pace next to him, she felt his sway start to take effect.

It fell over her like a fine mist, making her skin cold and damp even in the heat of the afternoon. She did her best to block it out, but even her best only dulled the sensation. Irritation set in and she quickened her strides. She found it helpful to put a good distance between her and the others when it was her turn with Thad. It kept her from taking it out on them.

"You can only resist for so long." Thad sneered.

"Ah, he speaks!" She replied sarcastically. "And what profound things you have to say."

He shook his head, "Jest all you like, you'll give in eventually."

"I liked it better when you said nothing." She said.

"Tsk tsk, I thought you had better control than them." He nodded toward the others.

She said nothing.

"Don't you want to know why I'm here?" He asked.

"It doesn't really matter! You betrayed all the people who cared about you, and joined with Axiom." She said indifferently.

"You think you understand what is happening, but you know nothing." He said.

"I know you are a coward who chose to save his own hide, rather than fight for what is right." She replied.

Amused, he looked at her and asked, "And what is right? You follow the council blindly. They have hidden away in those mountains, with their secrets and assumptions, and done nothing all these years. Yet now, you go to them, ready to fight. But who are you fighting for? What are you fighting for? You. Have. No. Idea."

He laughed, pleased with himself, and then said, "If Axiom wanted any of you dead he would have let the Haldengar finish off Ryhan when she was trapped in that field. But he let me save her. He is not what you think he is. Nothing is black and white. Nothing." He finished with a smug grin and said nothing else during her shift.

What he said had gotten under her skin. That she could not deny. She had no idea what had been happening all that time. The only thing she knew was what the council told her. Their updates had become fewer and farther apart throughout the last few years. Yet she never questioned why. She never questioned their motives. Should she have?

She should never have allowed Thad to get to her, but he had and there was no way to remove the questions she had now. Doubt would do her no good. They would continue on their journey to the stronghold and then she would make sure to seek out the answers she wanted.

Wondering to herself if she should let Ryhan continue her shifts with Thad; she decided she would offer to take Ryhan's shift when it came up. If he could affect her this way she could only imagine what he was doing to the pent up anger that Ryhan had. They were only a few hours away from the borders of Ferrentri, she was not sure if they would make it before nightfall.

Instead of making camp, they stopped to rest and gathered supplies for torches. Normally she would not risk traveling at night, but she thought it best to continue and not waste another night. She sat down and was surprised to see Ryhan and Alex approach her together.

"We will probably never understand each other." Alex said.

Ryhan added, "But you were right, we need to learn to work together."

"And trust one another." Alex finished, then added, "We have been working on this all day, we think it could be useful in the right situation."

Evangeline watched curiously, as they sat across from each other. They held their hands up, palms facing the others, close but not touching. Closing their eyes, Evangeline could see their chests start to rise and fall in sync. Ryhan's hands showed a faint outline of warm fire. An outline of water covered Alex's hands.

They pushed their palms together gently and a cloud of steam started to rise. It was not long and the steam that rose from their hands cooled and settled around them into a heavy dense haze. It wasn't like the chilly fog that rolls down from the mountains of her home; rather, it was sticky and hot. It enveloped them completely and Evangeline could not see anything around them.

She could barely even see her own hand in front of her face. It was amazing. The thick wet air made it difficult to breathe. Her breaths became loud and exaggerated. Curious she asked, "How long does this last?"

"With this much I am not sure." Alex's voice called out from the cloud.

Ryhan added, "We only did a little earlier."

Evangeline was amazed at their growth, but she did not need the men asking a bunch of questions. Especially Thad, last thing they needed was for him to get word back to Axiom about what they could do. Reaching out, she centered herself, becoming aware of the steamy fog and every element of it. She imagined herself like a sponge, drying it up, pulling all of the moisture out of the air and into her.

With a large exhale, it disappeared like a puff of smoke. Ryhan and Alex looked at her surprised, and then exchanged glances with each other. Ryhan looked as if she were about to say something, when one of the crew approached.

"Sorry to bother you, but the men are ready to press on, strange things are happening tonight, it's a full moon ya know." He warned.

Evangeline agreed with a knowing smile and they joined the party quickly. Ryhan took her place next to Thad before she could offer to take her shift. It was not long before she could feel the tension in the air again. Thad was working his evil; it was clear by the shift in their moods and the way that Ryhan stomped angrily beside him.

Evangeline tried to get close enough to eavesdrop, but Alex put her hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

"Its best you don't. He will only cause an argument between you." She said.

Alex was right, if more than one of them were around him a fight soon followed. The crewmembers seemed to keep a level head. Perhaps Thad's powers did not work on them. Or, he wasn't using them on the crew. It made her more suspicious that not even a single member of the crew felt affected by Thad.

He had not even tried to escape once since they caught him. It was as if he wanted to stay with them and that made her nervous. He was up to something and she did not have a good feeling about it. She was just about to voice her concern to Alex when one of the men ahead of her let out a yelp then fell to the ground.

She ran to him to find out what happened and before she could even reach him, several other cries pierced the night and all of the crew was laying on the ground around them. Evangeline looked to Alex and Ryhan for answers, but they stood there just as perplexed as she did.

Thad, who usually found moments like that amusing, looked terrified.

"Untie me." He shouted.

"No way." Ryhan growled.

He pleaded, "I can help. Untie me."

"Ha, how could you help, by making whatever it is angrier?" Alex laughed.

Angrily he responded, "Hello? I am a kelpie. Magical horse powers ring any bells?"

Alex looked at Evangeline with inquisitiveness. Evangeline did not like the idea, but she wasn't sure what they might have to fight.

She nodded at Alex, but a strange voice called out, "I wouldn't do that."

Whoever it was sounded like an old man and a child at the same time. It was alarming yet comforting. It made her feel uneasy.

"Who are you? Show yourself." She demanded.

A man stepped out from behind a tree. He was long and lean, at least two feet taller than she was, and covered with what looked like tree bark. No wonder he was hard to see, when he stood next to a tree he was practically invisible. He looked very young, but his eyes showed many years of knowledge.

"Who are you?" She asked again.

"I am Darrellik, entrance guardian of Ferrentri." He replied kindly.

"What have you done to our friends?" She asked.

"They cannot come into our land, it is written, and so it shall be. They are not harmed, only sleeping. We will send someone with food and supplies so they may be on their way when they wake." He stated.

She was confused. "Written?"

He smiled. "Our laws are ancient and not easily understood by outsiders, they are not for me to elucidate."

"We have come-"

"I know why you are here. It is almost morning, come rest. More will be revealed to you when you wake." He motioned for them to follow.

She hesitated and glanced at Alex and Ryhan as if to ask what they thought. They weren't sure either and only shrugged in response. They really had no choice but to trust him. Lillian was in there somewhere and they needed her. Evangeline agreed and followed him in to the thick woods.

Unsure of what they would find in Ferrentri she comforted herself with the fact that they were one-step closer to completing their purpose. Whatever that might be.

# Part Three

### Alexandra

## Chapter Twelve

## City of Dreams

Darrellik seemed pleasant. He spoke to them kindly and answered their questions openly enough. He refused to elaborate on things, like where the city was located. They had been walking around for the better part of an hour and Alex was certain that they had circled back around not far from where they started.

She supposed it was his job to ensure that no one could find them easily, but roaming around in the thick trees was getting tiring. The forest was awakening around them. It was as if the night had absorbed all the sound and silence filled the air. Now with morning just behind the tree line, birds chirped and squirrels scurried along the branches.

The little relief that the night gave from the heat would soon end. The shade of the trees would help, but she could already smell the moisture in the air. Alex did not mind the humidity in fact it invigorated her. The others, however, didn't feel the same and had no problem complaining.

She watched Darrellik as he walked in front of her. His body moved in a way that would have been difficult to explain if she had not seen it for herself. He was agile like a cat, moving swiftly. Yet at the same time, his long steps seemed slow and calculated, like that of a large animal. He rather bobbed his head up and down with each step forward.

He looked like an awkward walking tree trunk; it was a tad funny to watch. She stifled a giggle avoiding any questions or chides from Evangeline about being rude. Finally, they reached a small clearing. It was perfectly round and bare. Nothing grew in the circle, not even grass. Alex shifted her feet and a cloud of dust floated up around her ankles.

"Wait here." Darrellik said and disappeared into the trees before anyone could respond.

After what seemed an eternity, a group of seven guards entered the clearing with Darrellik in the lead. She could tell that it made Ryhan and Evangeline nervous. Even Thad was shiftier than usual, but Alex trusted her intuition and she knew that the elves meant them no harm. When the guards were about three feet from them they stopped and parted, revealing a woman.

She stepped forward and looked at the four of them sternly. The lady elf was nothing like Darrellik. Alex was not sure how old she was, but she could tell that the woman would have been an elder among their people. Her chin length hair fell around her pale face and was almost completely grey with a few streaks of black here and there.

A long stiff green robe made out of moss covered her body. Markings covered the woman's, though they were so faint Alex could not make out what they were. They were almost the same color as her brown skin but the iridescent lines shimmered a bit as the woman moved. It was beautiful and Alex longed to reach out and touch her face.

"I am Alta Abralle. I am the High Mother of the clans of Ferrentri. I understand you have traveled a long way, but I am sorry to inform you that Lillian is not here." Alta said in a thick accent.

"Where is she?" Evangeline responded first.

Alta Abralle smiled warmly and replied, "She is on a hunt with some of the women from the clan of the Trusted Fox. They did not return when they were expected two nights ago."

Alex asked concerned, "Did something happen to them?"

The woman furrowed her thin brows, "I do not know. I do not feel that they are in danger. The item they were seeking is very difficult to find. I think they may have had trouble locating it."

"What was it?" Ryhan asked.

"A rare plant for a birthing ritual. It is custom for the clan who is expecting, to seek it out." She responded then added, "I know you have many questions, but now is not the time. You look exhausted. We will open our city to you and be hospitable, but you must first complete a trust ritual."

"What does it involve?" Alex asked.

"It is very simple. In exchange for shelter and admittance into our greatest and most secret city, you will give me a secret." Alta said casually, as if she only asked for a blade of grass or fallen leaf.

However, Alex understood what it was she wanted. Not just a secret, but something deep inside that you would not dare breathe a word of to anyone. The thought sent a slight chill up her spine and she wondered what a woman like Alta could do with secrets like that. Alex hugged her arms to her chest and waited for Alta to explain further.

Someone, she was not sure who, asked how she would know if they were lying and Alta responded that they would not be able to. Alta pulled out four small vials, filled with a light green liquid. Alex listened intently as she explained what to do with them. When handed her vial she hesitated. She already knew what her secret was.

She never admitted it aloud to herself and was not sure if it was something that was worth knowing to someone else. For her, she had held on to it for as long as she could remember and she was afraid that people might look at her differently if they knew. Drinking the bitter liquid down was not the only bad part. There was barely a mouth full and the taste disappeared quickly.

It was the nauseating feeling afterward that was hard to bear. Dropping to her knees, she held her stomach tightly, feeling as though she were going to vomit up everything she had ever eaten in her whole life. Taking that as her cue, she held the vial up to her lips and waited. Silvery liquid began to seep back into the vial.

When finished, she felt perfectly fine, lighter even, as if that secret had been a huge weight on her shoulders. Feeling freer than she ever had, she handed the vial over with a smile. Alta winked at her and lifted the vial up to get a better look. She nodded at it slightly and tucked it away into her robe somewhere. Alex had thought it had taken a while for her to work her secret up, but the others seemed to be struggling with theirs.

"Are they okay?" She asked.

Alta responded, "Not everyone is as lucky as you Alexandra. Some secrets are unknown even to the person who harbors them for so long. They will come out of hiding. It will just take some time."

Alex was not sure what she meant by lucky.

"Your secret won't trouble you much longer. Soon you will find what you are looking for Alexandra. Even if you don't know what it is yet." Alta gave her a knowing smile.

She wanted to ask her to clarify, but Evangeline was the next to bring her vial forth. It looked much different, instead of a silvery liquid hers was a pale violet sand of some sort. Alta examined it and nodded her head slightly. Ryhan screamed out as if in pain and leaned over as if she were about to retch.

Alex watched as a dark gray liquid filled the vial and Ryhan heaved her chest several times before getting up to give it to Alta. Getting a closer look, the contents of Ryhan's vial seemed to move and roll the way that storm clouds travel across the sky. Upon Alta's examination, Alex was surprised when she pursed her lips and hesitantly put the vial away.

They waited for Thad; he had refused to drink his potion and was sitting glaring at them all.

"Your powers won't work here kelpie, drink and be done with it." Alta demanded.

Thad growled aloud and one of the elves poured the liquid in his mouth. Seconds later, he was spitting some black tar like substance back into the vial.

Alta looked at them all, breathed heavily, and said, "Great, now you can all sleep."

The darkness overtook her immediately, Alex felt nothing, no pain, no joy, just complete emptiness, and the world went black. Alex woke peacefully, feeling refreshed and better than she had in days. She supposed she should have been angry about the sleeping spell, but she was in a room, sleeping in a bed and no harm had come to her.

Shrugging her shoulders to herself, she sprang out of bed and crossed the small room to find a door. There was not one. No windows either. She ran her hands along the wooden walls, searching for some sort of recess that might give access to a hidden door. Nothing. She told herself not to panic. Taking a few deep breaths, she cleared her mind and examined her surrounding more carefully.

She was in a round room. It could not have been more than fifteen feet across. There was a bed and small table with a single chair pushed in. A few stands lined the wall with various baskets and decorative items. On the table, there was a basket of food, some dried meat, and tubular vegetables.

Alex had already choked down three pieces of meat before she realized what she had done. The food might be poisoned. Then again, if they had wanted her dead, why bother putting her in the room in the first place. She flopped down on the bed unsure of what to do next. It was the first time she had looked up since she had woken.

The walls stretched high above her into darkness. She could not tell if there was a ceiling. When it finally dawned on her where she was, she frantically searched the walls again. Finding several large grooves in the wall that she could easily climb, she began her ascent without hesitation. Being stuck inside the trunk of a tree was not an option. Waiting around for someone to come was not an option either.

It did not take long for her to reach the top of the ladder. She climbed onto a small platform that felt a tad too springy for her comfort. With one last glance down, she thought that the room looked like a small dollhouse from how high she was. Feeling around in the darkness, she squealed with joy when her hand tightened around a knob.

Giving the door a push she faced a wind so hard she thought it might send her sprawling back into the chasm behind her. Slamming the door quickly behind her she paused for a moment to take in everything that she was seeing. She was high up. How high up she was not sure, but there was canopy above and below her. There were roped bridges stretching out across the trees.

As far as she could tell there was a bridge connected to every tree she could see in the distance. Glancing around her, she could see no other people, no elves, not even any animals. Confused and eager to find out what was going on, she moved across the bridge in front of her. On the other side of it, a small platform encircled the tree and another bridge, nothing more.

She continued on, reaching another tree and finding only another bridge. They did not seem to be taking her in any single direction. They had to go somewhere she thought and moved forward on to the next bridge. Hours seemed to pass, although she could not really be sure of the time. She couldn't see the sun through the canopy and the light that filtered through the trees looked the same as it had when she started.

Something was not right. She stopped in the middle of the bridge she was crossing and looked down. Trying to sense if there was water below, she gave up when she could not feel anything. There was just emptiness. Even the trees around her seemed empty. Normally she could sense the water that flowed in even the smallest living things, but there was nothing.

Something nagged at her. It was there at the back of her mind but she couldn't quite grasp what it was. It was as if she had forgotten something she had just learned. She tried to recall the last thing she could remember before waking up in the bottom of the tree. Something was there, trying to take shape.

It was fuzzy, like she had been looking through smoke when it happened. She remembered standing in a clearing, looking at Evangeline for comfort. Evangeline's eye bore into to her. The smoke cleared away and memories came flooding in, washing over her like a tidal wave. Trust Ritual. It is a test, she thought.

Before she could change her mind, she climbed over the rope and stood on the other side of it. Leaning far forward with her arms holding the rope behind her, she closed her eyes and let go. The sensation of falling only lasted a few moments and then she felt a slight pull in her gut and felt as if she were floating down gently.

When she finally landed, the high mother Alta was sitting on the ground waiting. Alex sat down next to her and waited for her to say something.

"This is the City of Dreams." Alta said as she motioned around her. "It is the passage from your realm to ours. To protect us from those who are not welcome among our people."

Alex couldn't help but think of some poor traveler lost forever in the maze of rope bridges.

"If a stranger were to venture into our land, they would simple walk past us as if we were a rotting tree trunk or pile of leaves. It is only those who would seek us out that are tested." Alta explained to her.

Alex supposed reading her mind was not very strange given the circumstances.

"Not exactly in the way that you think. This is your mind Alexandra. Therefore it is not necessary for you to speak aloud." The woman answered.

"Well now what? How do I get out of here?" She asked verbally.

"You just have to wake up." Alta exclaimed.

Alex woke, seated on the ground and leaning against a tree. Ryhan was awake and looked away as soon as she saw her. Thad and Evangeline were still asleep. Her limbs felt heavy and her head hurt. Thankful it was over, she was not sure what had just happened or if she would ever understand it.

Waiting patiently for the others to wake, she took pleasure in the foul mood Thad seemed to be in when he woke. They stood and followed the elves deeper into the woods silently. Whatever had taken place for each of them in the City of Dreams, none of them felt like sharing.

# Chapter Thirteen

## Waiting Game

Trees and houses stretched out before her. Alex couldn't really tell if the houses were made of trees, or if the trees were made of the houses. It was strange and beautiful. She had never seen anything like it. To her right a line of tree houses went on down the path as far as she could see. There was barely any space between them and they all seemed to grow together.

They formed a wall of sorts and though they looked like small individual houses smashed right up next to each other, she wondered if they connected on the inside as well. She pictured herself starting at one end, walking through house after house, and reaching the other side.

The houses did not look like pieces of wood nailed together. They looked as if they grew right out of the ground that way. Another row of tree houses sat above the ones on the ground and looked the same. Quite a few feet separated the buildings, connected only by the staircases between them.

Alex saw many elves coming and going, the greeted her warmly enough, but she could sense that they were not entirely pleased about something. Whether it was their presence or something else, she could not be sure. She looked to her left and was in awe once again. Instead of homes, there were workshops and buildings, each one different and unique in its own way.

Some of them grew out of the trees to form simple open stall like structures with three walls and a roof. Some were grand buildings with windows and doors. She noted a manor of things sold, or rather bartered, such as vegetables, meats, weapons, clothing, etc. There was even a small pub. It had more space around it than any of the other buildings did.

She supposed that was because many people probably visited the establishment at once. They walked on for what seemed like at least a mile when they finally approached a building that sat across the path they were walking. Where the rest of the houses and buildings had flowed alongside the path, it sat the opposite way and was the last stop along the path.

It was very large and beautiful. She could only see the front entrance. The first thing she noticed was the large ornate door. It stood twice as tall as she did and was decoratively carved with different plants and animals as well as what must have been elfin ruins. The entire front of the building that surrounded the door seemed to be weaved of dark leafy vines.

Two massive trees formed the sides and came together at the top, twisting in a way that she had never seen before, as if they were dancing together and froze in time. It reminded her of the way the plants moved underwater. The dirt path turned to stone as they approached the door.

No one had spoken as they traveled through the city, so it startled her a bit when Alta spoke right next to her.

"This is the Great Hall of our Clans. It is where we feast in celebration and mourn those we have lost. It is where we keep record of things that are known and all that has been forgotten. You have been invited into our city as our guest. Tonight we will have a feast in your honor, for it is great work that you do, even if you do not know it yet. For now you will be taken to the guest rooms to rest and freshen yourselves."

Another elf came forward and introduced himself as Fello.

He took them to a building that was to the right of the Great Hall and smiled as he showed them to their rooms. They were small and interconnected. Decorative fabric draped across the doorway for privacy. Evangeline and Ryhan stayed the same house as her but they took Thad off somewhere else.

When the three of them were alone Ryhan was the first to speak, "This place is so strange."

"I think it wonderful. Mysterious would be more accurate than strange." Alex responded.

Evangeline looked at both of them gravely, "Do Not let their hospitality fool you. They have many customs and laws that are unknown to us. They are honest, but can be tricky when they want to be. Keep your guard up and please do not go off alone."

Alex understood about trickery. Many creatures of the sea got their pleasure from tricking innocent humans. Still, she would enjoy the time they were there. She had so many questions about the way they lived. She found a washroom at the far side of the house. The tub was empty. Longing for a hot bath, she gasped as the tub filled with steamy water.

Sometimes things like that happened on accident. For the most part, she had her power under control, but every now and then if she desired something badly enough it would happen even if she did not will it. No use in letting it go to waste, Alex thought and peeled off her dirty clothes. As soon as she stepped in to the tub, she felt rejuvenated.

The water was of the sea, salty and refreshing. She sunk down to her chin and felt the ache in her tired muscles disappear. There were several scented soaps on a stand next to the tub and she sniffed them all finally choosing one that was sweet and floral smelling with a hint of citrus. Lathering the soap, she took great pleasure in scrubbing the grime off her body and out of her hair and then submerged herself completely under the water.

_Alexandra_.

Someone whispered her name. Startled she came up out of the water quickly, splashing large puddles on the floor as she did. She looked around and waited for Ryhan or Evangeline to call for her but neither did.

_Alexandra_.

There is was again, that time it sounded as if they were right next to her.

She felt hot breath on the side of her face and in her ear as someone whispered her name again.

_Alexandra, you are mine_.

Jumping out of the tub quickly, she pulled on a robe that was set out and ran to the next room. Evangeline and Ryhan were sitting at a table drinking tea.

"Alex, are you okay?" Evangeline asked with concern and a bit of shock.

Alex did not answer just looked around frantically, waiting to hear that voice again. She jumped as someone put their hands on her shoulders. Evangeline backed away and gave her some space. Alex looked at the concern on her face and then down at herself. The robe was soaked through and she was dripping water all over the floor. She could only imagine what they must be thinking.

"Um, I'm sorry." It was all she could get out before she broke down in tears.

She downed three cups of tea before she could get out what happened. They looked at her unsure of what to say.

Ryhan started to say, "We are all tired-"

"Don't do that. You of all people should understand." Alex interrupted.

"Fine." Ryhan replied as she crossed her arms and sat quietly.

Looking at Evangeline, Alex said, "It was Adaro. I know it was."

"How do you know?" Ryhan asked as her face went white.

"Because I know his voice." Alex said.

Evangeline looked worried, "You know Adaro?"

"Unfortunately. I had a run in with him a while back. Ever since then he likes to torment me on occasion." Alex said.

"Why?" Ryhan asked.

"He offered me something I needed, to help a friend. However, I was not willing to give him what he wanted in exchange. So now, I don't know, I have become some sort of challenge for him or something." Alex explained.

Evangeline asked, "What was it he wanted?"

"My Heart." Alex said somberly.

The others said nothing, just looked at each other, and contemplated the events. Ryhan left the room in a hurry and Alex started after her but Evangeline just shook her head and said to let her be. She could not stand to be in her sopping robe any longer and went in search of some dry clothes.

She found a chest filled with several dresses as well as a few shirts and pants. Pulling out a long lavender dress, she held it against her. Wishing she had a mirror as she pulled it on. It was a thin material, cool to the touch, but soft and comfortable. It hugged her tightly at the top of her waist and fell loosely to the ground.

Modestly cut and embellished with tiny white needlepoint flowers, the sleeves stopped just above her elbow and a sheer fabric flowed down on either side of her arm. She felt lovely, in a different way than normal. It was no secret to her the desire she created in others. She became aware of her hold over men at a very early age.

That dress made her feel beautiful, not sexy. It was a nice change. She showed Evangeline and Ryhan where they could find clothes and helped them draw hot water for baths. After a while, the three of them sat together waiting for Fello to come and escort them to dinner. Evangeline had chosen a gorgeous dark blue dress that made her skin and hair seem like it was shining from under it.

Ryhan was wearing an emerald green dress with a beaded bodice that looked stunning. Alex had offered to do her hair and Ryhan let her reluctantly. She braided and twisted it in places so that it was out of her face, but fell down her back beautifully. The green in the dress really brought out her red hair.

When Fello finally arrived, he was wearing a simple brown tunic and Alex was afraid that perhaps they might be overdressed. The elf murmured something about how lovely they looked and motioned for them to follow him. Her worries were set at ease once they stepped outside. Elegantly attired elves of all ages made their way toward the Great Hall. She stopped to admire the city at night.

Small lanterns hung from posts down the path, and hundreds more seemed to illuminate the trees above her. They swayed gently with the trees in the wind as if the lights were floating on water. The wind carried the scent of wild flowers and warm food past her and her mouth watered instantly. She did not realize how hungry she was.

"It smells absolutely divine!" She exclaimed and took Evangeline's hand in hers.

They walked in step behind the others and she tried to put food out of her mind, until they entered the door to the Great Hall. It was enormous. Row after row of tables stretched out before her. Every table filled with soups, breads, meats, fruits and vegetables. More food than she could probably eat in her whole life.

Fello lead them to a long table at the head of the room. It was higher than the rest of the tables and Alex realized that it was set on a small platform. He motioned for them to sit and Alta joined them a few moments later. Once the majority of the seats filled, Alta stood and said something in another language that Alex did not understand.

Everyone in the room raised their glass to them, and even though she wasn't sure what Alta said she smiled and joined the toast. Once Alta sat down, Alex leaned over and asked what she said.

"I blessed our food and gave thanks for your presence." Alta said, and then smiled, "Well that is the just of it. It is difficult to translate from our language to yours."

Then she motioned for them to eat. Everything was so delicious that she had seconds of everything she could fit on her plate. Feeling overly full, she grew tired. When the feast was over Fello escorted them back to the guesthouse.

"Fello, you don't say much." Alex said teasingly.

He laughed a little, "Aye ma'am, I believe there is a time for everything that needs to be said."

She thought about that for a moment.

Interrupting her thoughts he asked, "Perhaps you would like to join me for a tour tomorrow? It might make waiting for Lillian's return a bit easier.

She smiled and replied excitedly, "I'd love to!"

She bid him goodnight and fell asleep quickly looking forward to seeing more of the city the next day.

# Chapter Fourteen

## What Makes a Family

Fello was waiting outside patiently when she woke that morning. Alex hoped he had not been waiting for long. He smiled as she greeted him and held out his arm for her. It was unexpected, but a kind gesture and she hooked her arm in his. As they walked around the city, she took in all the sights. Though she had gotten a glimpse of most of the buildings the day before, she wondered aloud if there were more than just what was down the main path.

"Aye. Most of us reside here in the city. A few choose to live on their own. Most prefer the kind of community we have here." He responded.

Alex replied, "Your city is different than most I've seen. What is the structure exactly?"

He answered, suppressing a laugh, "We could spend days speaking of our culture and society."

Alex laughed, rolled her eyes and gave him a little shove, "Okay, the just of it then?"

"We have large families, typically ten to fifteen in one household." He said.

Alex must have looked shocked because Fello laughed and quickly added, "They are not all born of the same woman."

His statement just made her confused.

"We live much longer than humans. Six or seven times as long. The eldest in our city is well over five hundred. That is a long time to spend with one person." He said ambiguously.

"So you don't mate for life?" Alex asked.

"Does that surprise you?" He asked.

"A little I suppose. I thought everyone desired love." She replied.

By then they had reached the small pub she had noticed on their way into the city. He motioned for her to sit at a small wooden table and she obliged. He ordered tea and something else that she did not understand and they sat in silence for a while. After a few sips of his tea Fello spoke.

"There are a lot of beings in the world that believe in love. Of those beings out there, the majority tend to believe in true love, one person that is a perfect match with whom you can spend the rest of your life. Again, I remind you, many of those beings do not live as long as we elves do.

"We believe in love, but also that we continuously change and grow. Sometimes together and more often apart. We fall in love, settle with someone for a few years, decades even, and then move on. It is almost always mutual and rarely ends in heartbreak."

"How so?" She asked curiously.

"Well, let me see if I can explain this adequately. Let's say perhaps that a couple had decided to have a child and then a few years later feel that their relationship has reached its end, they will then find new partners who will join them in their house. They will raise that child together and then if the new couples decide to have more children, all the adults will raise them. Everyone takes care of each other."

Alex thought about what he was saying. It seemed strange to her. She looked around at everyone, going about their lives. For the first time she noticed the children. She wondered what it would be like to grow up with several parents, and always have someone there to look after you. She thought about the reefs that were outside the city of Aurora.

When she first looked at them, it seemed to be a chaotic mess of different species all crammed into one spot. The more she watched it became clear how much they all needed and cared for one another. Each ones existence dependent upon the other. If the elves were happy with their way of life, who was she to judge how they lived it.

It obviously worked for them. She told him what she thought and he smiled at her warmly. They enjoyed a pastry type breakfast and set out walking again. He took her by the shops and training grounds. Telling her a little bit about each thing, they saw. The men and women had very specific jobs in their society.

Men were either teachers, instructing the young, or guardians to the entrance of the city. Women were in charge of hunting and elite training. Most of their warriors were women, because they were swift and quiet in battle and had incredible skills in combat. Something Alex found interesting was that they were able to choose when they could conceive.

Women did not have children until they decided to. It was a huge decision to make, because when they decided to have children they no longer worked until the child was grown. Alex learned that because the families were so large, they divided in to clans. Once they reached adulthood, they could join a different clan.

Fello stopped and chatted with a young woman, introducing her as Felicity White Dove.

"So your clan is White Dove?" Alex asked.

"Very good, I see you have been learning our ways." Felicity nodded in approval.

"Our first names are given to us at birth and then we choose our second names when we choose our clan." Fello explained again.

"There is even a big ceremony held when we come of age to choose our clan." Felicity added.

Alex was about to ask how often they chose to join a different clan then the one they grew up in, when a young and pretty elf smiled and waved at them from a distance. She was lovely in every sense of the word. Her features were slight and petite unlike the large lanky limbs of most of the elves. She was not much taller than Alex was.

The girl had a basket of wildflowers, some of which she weaved into her hair. When she approached, she greeted Felicity with a passionate kiss on the mouth. Alex looked at Fello, unsure of what to make of it.

"Alex this is Komorea, Felicity's partner." Fello said.

Alex greeted her politely, "How do you say your name again?"

"Co-more-ay." She said.

"It means, moon light that filters through the trees." Felicity added adoringly.

Fello chatted with the women a while and Alex found herself studying the couple. It fascinated her the way they were so comfortable with each other. Absently touching one another, without thought or hesitation. The women said their good byes and left hand in hand.

"Love comes in many forms; it is not uncommon for a woman to love another woman, or a man to love another man." Fello said, and then asked, "It is common for humans too, yes?"

Alex thought about it for a few moments before answering, "Common? Perhaps. Accepted? Certainly not everywhere. It is difficult to know what to expect from people, some are supportive and others are very much against it. Where I am from it is understood that it happens, but not spoken of."

"Ah, it is easy for some to misunderstand something simply because they cannot feel it themselves. Those who have never experienced passion, say those who have are lustful. Those who have not experienced accomplishment, say those who have are boastful. It reasonable to say that they take it to a dark place because they do not understand what it is like to experience that kind of love." He said, almost as if he were comforting her.

She glanced at the couple strolling down the path and imagined how happy they were, no question whether they could, or should, be together. Could her life be like that one day? Unaffected by the opinions of others. Before that day she would not have thought so, but a spring of hope began to flow through her, perhaps it would.

"So, what does your name mean Fello Swift Feet?" Alex asked, changing the subject.

He said, "It means one who takes his time."

"So, your name is Slow Swift Feet?" Alex asked.

They both laughed about it and then Fello took her back to the house. They had wandered around for most of the day and the sun was starting to move behind the trees. She bid him farewell and went inside to find some food. She was famished. They were supposed to meet with Alta Abralle later that evening and she desperately wanted to lie down for a while.

Rustling up some bread, she ate it quickly on her way to the bed. Alex was not sure why she was so exhausted but she felt as if she were going to fall asleep before her head even reached the pillow. Right away, she knew he was there. Alex had mastered dream walking years ago and she could always sense when someone had entered her dreams.

"Come out, you have no power over me here." She yelled.

"No?" A voice asked in the distance.

He sounded so far away, yet so close.

"No. Have you forgotten whose dream you are in?" She asked.

"This isn't your dream Alexandra." He said, and then laughed, as if she were not in on the joke.

Alex looked around. She was in the room she fell asleep in. Not that it mattered, surroundings rarely made a difference in dreams, especially when you could create almost anything you needed to. Something felt off. She could not quite put her finger on it.

"I told you, you are mine, and I will have you. One way or another." The voice whispered fiercely.

It was distant, like it was speaking from far away. Her first instinct was to run, even though she knew it would not do her any good. Staying seated on the bed, she wasn't going to let him get to her. A music box on a stand next to the bed started to play. The melody sounded familiar. It was an eerie song and she slammed the box closed.

"What do you want?" She yelled at him.

"Just you Alexandra." He said.

His voice had become solid. He could have been standing right next to her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

She knew before he even answered, "Adaro."

His name came out in a hiss.

"Show yourself." She demanded.

"I'd rather you show yourself, Alexandra." He sneered.

As soon as he said the words, she heard the sound of tearing fabric. Seconds later, she realized her shirt was coming apart at the seams. She clutched at it, but it was if invisible hands, strong and rough, were pulling against her wrists. The force knocked her back and pinned her arms down to the bed.

Her shirt was nothing more than shredded pieces of cloth.

She could feel his hands all over her, but could see nothing. Fear overwhelmed her and she choked on the scream that was building in her throat. Think, Alex think. She could smell him. He smelled of salt water and something rotten. She gagged. Flooding the room would not work. His power came from water the same as hers.

Invisible hands raised the hem of her skirt. Moving it up over her knees and inching up her thighs. Her skin felt wet where he had touched her, the same way it would if you had wiped a damp cloth over your skin. She closed her eyes and concentrated, imagined every single drop of water evaporating out of the air. She would suffocate him.

It did not feel like it was working at first, but she kept pulling all the water towards her with her mind. He began to gasp and call her name with a raspy voice. He screamed in outrage just before she woke up. Sweat covered her from head to toe. Her clothes were intact and nothing in the room seemed out of place.

She gave herself a few moments to calm down and changed into dry clothing. Drinking a cup of tea, she waited for Evangeline and Ryhan to get back. When they came in, she noticed that Ryhan was smiling and had wildflowers strewn throughout her hair. Alex wondered silently if Komorea had gotten a hold of her.

It was the first time that she had seen Ryhan happy since they met and felt guilty for ruining her good mood. Alex explained what happened, every painful detail.

"I don't understand. He came in to your dream?" Ryhan asked.

"No. It was as if he pulled me in to his. It isn't something I have ever experienced before. Evangeline?" Alex asked.

Evangeline shook her head, "I haven't either, not like that. I don't know of anyone who can pull someone who is awake in to their dreams."

"Great, so now what the hell do we do?" Ryhan asked angrily.

"I don't know." Alex said, afraid there was nothing they could do.

"Perhaps we should speak with Alta about this?" Evangeline suggested.

Alex just nodded in agreement. Maybe Alta would know more about how to stop Adaro. They certainly did seem to know a lot about dreams. Ryhan did not seem too pleased with the idea, but then she was never happy about anything. They sat in silence for a while before deciding they should head to the Great Hall. She did not know if she could bear having Adaro invade her mind again and hoped Alta would have the answers they were looking for.

# Chapter Fifteen

## Truths Revealed

Alex had grown tired of repeating herself. She had spent most of the evening explaining what had happened with Adaro. Evangeline and Ryhan had helped to fill in the details of events that happened before she had met up with them. Alta seemed concerned and willing to help, but Alex got the feeling that she believed there was more than what she was telling her.

She felt agitated, which was unlike her. That thought made her wonder what they had done with Thad. She had not seen him since they had arrived in Ferrentri.

"Where is Thad being kept?" Alex asked curiously.

"He is still being questioned for information. We have learned a great deal from him, but there is still more that he is withholding. He is not being harmed, if that is your concern." Alta answered curtly.

It was the first time Alex had heard her speak that wasn't polite or controlled. She just nodded in response. Thad really was not her concern, she mostly just wanted someone to blame for her miserable attitude. Evangeline and Alta spoke quietly to themselves while she paced the room. It wasn't as large and decorative as the main entry room, but it had a flair of its own.

A large bookshelf spanned an entire wall from floor to ceiling. It was crammed full. Not one space available for anything new. She imagined an elderly elf taking care of the books, deciding which volumes to pull down in order put something new in its stead. Running her fingertips along the spines as she marched back and forth was comforting.

Suddenly a cold shiver ran through her and as quickly as it came, it was gone again. She stopped at the end of the wall and admired a large painting that depicted some sort of flowering willow tree in bold sunset colors. Every time she stopped at the painting, she noticed something new. That time it was a small animal of some kind, perhaps a squirrel, peeking out through the branches.

Turning around and walking back the other way, casually running her fingers down the line of books, she felt a sudden chill come and dissipate again. She briefly heard Alta say something about dream walking as she continued her slow methodical pace. It made her feel better to do something with her body. She knew that Alta wanted her to reveal a detail that would connect everything.

Something that would make more sense, but she was not hiding anything. It was clear from the moment that Alex had met Adaro he desired her. Even before he exposed his true nature to her, he had expressed his interest. She was grateful that the king of Aurora had never consented to any of Adaro's marriage proposals.

They would not have forced the marriage, but to disagree with the king would have made living in Aurora very difficult. Also, Adaro's interest in her did not explain why he had went into Ryhan's dreams. No longer lost in her own thoughts, Alex felt the chilling sensation again.

Pausing, she glanced at the book she was currently touching. Pulling her hand away the cold left her. Touching the book again made her shiver hard. It felt like ice rubbed up and down her spine. She pulled it off the shelf. It was old and tattered and looked as if several of the pages had fallen out and been randomly stuffed back in.

The longer she held the book the less cold she felt. In fact, she was starting to feel quite warm. Written in another language, she could not read the title. She opened it anyway and flipped to a page randomly. It was an illustration of a beautiful elf woman. She was lying on a bed made of grass. Her head thrown and her back arched in passion.

There was a man kneeling over her, only the drawing of him was not solid, you could see through him. Alex assumed that he was some sort of spirit or projection. She flipped farther in to the book and found another illustration. The same woman was kneeling before another group of elves, tears shown on her face and it looked as if she were pleading with the others.

The ghostly man was in the corner of the room, unseen by anyone. He looked angry. Alex flipped again, the woman was in her bed again, that time in pain, and she was giving birth. The man was standing by, looking at the baby eagerly. The pictures did not sit right with her. They felt wrong in some way.

"That is the story of Lelona. It is a very sad tale." Alta said quietly.

"What happened to her?" Alex asked.

"She was seduced by a man, who broke her heart." Alta responded sadly.

Alex said nothing, only thought of the pictures she had seen. It didn't seem like a simple broken heart. She opened to the page of the man looking at the baby.

"Who is this man?" She asked.

"He was an incubus. His name was Abeteth." Alta hesitated when she said his name.

Motioning to the books still in their place, she went on, "There are a great many tragic tales on these shelves. It is interesting that you would pick that book you hold in your hands now."

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Lelona fell in love with Abeteth, bore a child to him, without ever being in his presence physically." Alta explained.

"I'm not sure that I understand." Alex said confused.

"He was an incubus. They feed off your desire and longing and eventually devour your soul. However, they have no real body. They cannot exist in our realm the way that we do." Alta said.

"So then how did she have his child?" Alex asked.

"He would come to her...in her dreams." Alta said.

Alex's heart dropped into her stomach. She tried hard to swallow the huge lump forming in her throat. It could not be possible. How could it be possible? She vaguely remembered the picture of the baby. Had it been a boy?

She shook the thought out of her head. Jumping to conclusions would not help her keep a level head. She needed to focus and be sure, what she was thinking was real.

"What happened to the baby?" She asked.

"Lelona left us when the child was barely a year old. The clans of our people thought that raising a child of his nature would end badly for us. So they sent him away." Alta said sadly.

"Where did they send him?" Alex asked a little more eagerly than she had meant to.

"To live with a distant relative of his mothers. She was married to a merrowman." Alta said as if she were confessing it.

"That baby, what was his name?" Alex asked, still hoping she was wrong.

Alta hesitated, "I'm afraid that you already know his name. Adaro."

Alex thought she might be sick. Feeling the bile rise up and burn her throat, she swallowed it down quickly. She had heard of incubi before, but had never heard of them having children. Everything that was wrong with Adaro made sense to her now. So many questions ran through her head.

Is this what Alta had been trying to get at the whole time. Why had she not just told them about him? How could they even protect themselves from someone like him? What was his connection with Axiom? She sat down on an oversized cushion positioned near the table they had been sitting at before.

Half incubus, half elf. There was no telling what kind of power he probably had. It did not surprise her that Axiom would want someone like Adaro doing favors for him.

Giving Alta a pleading look, she asked, "What can we do?"

Pursing her lips Alta appeared to be giving the question great thought.

She finally answered, "It is unclear to me right now, there are a great many things happening right now, I am torn and unable to focus properly."

Evangeline placed her hand on Alta's shoulder to comfort her, "Please Alta, tell us what is going on."

Alta motioned for them to join her at the table once again. They obliged, with anxiety written over all their faces. Alex realized she was still clutching the dilapidated book and placed it on the table in front of her. Unsure why, she felt the need to keep it close, as if it may yet have secrets it would reveal to her. She folded her arms over one another and waited quite impatiently for Alta to begin.

Alta's smooth and enchanting voice began, "Many months ago, we sent several of our best scouts out into the world, hoping they would be able to gather information on Axiom and his plans. It had been becoming abundantly clear that he has been using dark magic.

"It has taken its toll on the world around us, especially closest to where he resides. Yet we still don't know what he is doing, why he is using that magic. The only information we have gathered is the movement of his armies. Ships patrol the coast of every island now. Several legions of his centermerge soldiers are on all three islands.

"We fear the worst, that the Great War that was prophesized is about to be fulfilled. There are smaller parties of soldiers that seem to be looking for someone. I think it's safe to say that we all know who that would be."

Alta paused for a moment and looked at each of them with sadness in her eyes, then continued on, "I do not think it will be safe for you to travel far from here without getting caught."

Alex was surprised when Evangeline interrupted. "We can't leave without Lillian."

"That is the other matter at hand." Alta said worried.

They sat in silence waiting for her to continue.

"Lillian should have returned by now. I didn't want to worry you when you arrived, but now I fear something may have happened to them." She said.

It was impossible to tell from Alta's manner of speaking just how worried they should be. Or what they should be worried about most for that matter. Alex had asked what they were supposed to do with all the information they received, and Alta had suggested they take some time to eat and rest. When they stepped outside the first light of morning was starting to come up over the trees.

Chill from the night still lingered and Alex wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. It wasn't until she sat down on her bed that she realized she had brought the book with her. Someone had obviously spent a lot of time with the book, or else it would not been in such a dire condition she thought. Running her hands over the cover, she desperately wished she could read the strange language.

There was something in it. She felt it in her gut, some sort of clue that could help fight against Adaro. Alta was far too busy to help translate. Perhaps Fello would be interested in helping her. She yawned and placed the book under her pillow. Taking extra care to center and put up mental guards to protect herself, she silently wished for a dreamless sleep.

Her head hurt thinking about the many unanswered questions. They still had a long way to go to reach Bastriean and they were not even sure what their role was going to be in the events that were unfolding. When Alex thought about all the power that Adaro and Axiom must possess, it made her feel small and insignificant. Her last thought before sleep finally took her, was that she hoped the council was not as clueless as the three of them were.

# Chapter Sixteen

## Unexpected Deliverance

A dreamless sleep should have been a blessing. Unfortunately, Alex had woken up after a few short hours and her mind would not let her fall back asleep. After tossing back and forth, for what seemed like an eternity, she gave up and decided not to let the day go to waste. Adaro was not going to just sit around and wait for her to defeat him.

Splashing cold water on her face, she felt her muddled senses clear and she became more alert. She filled the rest of the basin and soaked a cloth, washing over the important parts. Finished, she picked up the small bowl to toss the water out and was startled when she saw an image flicker across the top of it.

Placing it back down on the stand, she sighed. Glad that she had not dropped it, she leaned over it hesitantly, afraid of what it might show. She stood there perplexed. There was nothing. Only a few ripples showed that there had been any disturbance. Shaking it off, she dressed quickly and set out to find Fello. Sometimes weird things happened. It did not always mean there was a force of evil out to get her she reminded herself.

It didn't take long for her to spot Fello. He was sharing a bowl of berries with a young boy when she approached him. They greeted each other warmly. The little boy grabbed the rest of the berries and left them sitting outside a small shop.

"Would you happen to be busy today?" Alex asked.

"Alta has cleared my schedule to assist the three of you in any way that I can." Fello explained.

Smiling she replied, "Great! I need your help with something."

He looked at her expectantly, she was about to show him the book and then became aware of the bustling village around them.

"Is there somewhere a little more private we could go?" She asked hopefully.

Smiling he motioned for her to follow him. He stopped a few times on the way, grabbing a large basket and shoving a few things in to it, and then he picked up the pace. It wasn't difficult to keep up with him, but she noticed how far they were from the city and wondered aloud where they were going.

"Almost there." He said.

They stopped at a large clearing. It was beautiful, full of golden grass and wildflowers. A large willow tree sat alone in the middle of the field. They made their way to it and spread a blanket on the ground.

"Private enough?" Fello asked amused.

"I'd say so." She laughed, then added, "Are we still protected here?"

He nodded, "Yes, I would never take you outside of the city's enchantments."

Relief settled over her. She pulled out the battered book and laid it in front of him. His reaction was difficult to judge, he looked a bit angry, but mostly surprised.

"You shouldn't have taken this from the Great Hall." He said bluntly.

"It wasn't intentional. I did not even realize I still had it, until I had already gotten to my room. This is very important. I need to know what it says." She explained.

He hung his head in his hands for a while and she was afraid that he was going to refuse.

"The incubus in the tale is no longer alive. I don't see why it is of any importance now." He stated.

"He may be dead, but his child is very much alive, and he has decided that he wants me. For whatever reason, and I do not know how to fight him. I didn't even know it was possible for an incubus to procreate. How do you fight something so magical, half elf half incubus?" She knew she sounded as desperate as she felt.

Fello stared at her, contemplating, for a long while, "I will help you, but I don't think the information you are looking for is in that book."

Alex started to protest and he stopped her, "This is a tragic story, there are truths and there are lies. One of the elders of the city wrote that. You only have one side of the story unfolded in this book. A condemnation of a woman, seduced by an evil spirit.

"She received no help from her own kind. A woman who had no choice in giving birth to a monster's child, and then was forced to give her baby away. Our community shunned her when they should have helped her. Set to live out the rest of her days alone."

Alex was surprised at the pain and anger in his voice. It was as if he knew the woman personally.

She must have looked confused because Fello confessed, "Her name was Lelona, and she was my betrothed."

It was hard to remember that the elves were much older than they looked. She had never asked Fello how old he was. Unsure of how to respond, she remembered something he had said about Lelona living the rest of her days alone.

"Is she alive?" Alex asked.

"Yes. She lives alone in the woods, far from the city." He replied sadly.

"Alta implied that she had died some time ago." She said.

"They would rather her stay forgotten, than remember the mistakes they made." He replied.

"Can we go see her?" Alex asked.

Fello looked at her as if what she asked were impossible. "No."

"Please, she must know something that would help me." Alex begged.

"Even if she did, she doesn't trust anyone. Especially me." Fello exclaimed.

"Why? Did you turn your back on her as well?" Alex regretted it as soon as she said it.

Enraged, Fello yelled, more out of frustration than at her, "NO. I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED ENOUGH TO HELP HER!"

He calmed a little and despair filled his voice, "Even after she told me she loved Abeteth. Even after his demon child ripped open her womb and she almost died. They wanted to kill it. I convinced them to let her give it away, to save her from killing herself out of grief.

"Even after all of it, I still wanted her. I wanted to make her happy. I thought she would just need some time to heal, but then I found out she was still letting him come to her. After all that, she still allowed him to ravage and feed off her soul. I could not understand it. I knew the only way that she would really be free is if I killed him.

"So that's what I did. It was not easy, and it took me a long time. By the time I freed her of him she was so weak and frail. Barely alive. When I told her, what I had done, she screamed at me and told me she would never forgive me. I tried so many times to see her over the years, but still she turns me away.

"I still take her supplies now and then, but I only leave them at her door. I think she still waits for him to return to her." Fello said nothing more, just sat in silence.

The pain on his face looked fresh, as if he had just lived those memories all over again. She did not want to push him, but she needed more information. Intuition went hand in hand with the gifts she possessed. It was not a power per se, but it was something that she used quite often and most of the time unintentionally.

Sort of like the way that some people sensed someone was staring at them. She reached for it, to get a sense of where Fello was. Allowing herself to connect with him, she felt a wave of anger wash over her, followed by intense sadness. It was overwhelming at first, but she pushed it aside and went deeper.

Grief over the love that was lost between them. She moved past that as well. She needed to get to the bottom, the root of his feelings. There it was, nestled between a bit of self-pity and resentment...hope. He still had hope that one day she would love him again. Why else would he continue to help her? That was her ticket in.

"I can only imagine what it must be like, to watch the woman you love fall prey to a fiend like Abeteth. To be rejected repeatedly. I do not know how you killed him, but in her mind, she must feel connected to him still. I can help you sever that connection. Take me to her and I can help her forget him." Alex said calmly.

She could see the hope come alive in his eyes. He was hesitant, she wanted to insist, but she knew he needed to agree on his own. Patience was difficult for her, but she mustered the strength to stay quiet.

Finally, he gave in, "Okay, we can try. I don't know if she will let us in, but we can try."

If there were ever a time for her powers to work correctly, that would be it. Unsure if she could really get through to Lelona, Alex began to feel anxious. She wanted to talk about how Fello killed the incubus, but she knew he was not going to help her until she did what she promised.

They reached a small hut built against the side of a large oak tree. Then again, it could have been made of that very tree. Most of the homes of the elves seemed to be an extension of the trees themselves. Whatever made it up was dilapidated and rotting. It did not even look habitable.

"Are you sure this is where she lives? This place looks old and abandoned." Alex said unsure.

He just nodded and approached the hut slowly. Catching a small shimmer out of the corner of her eye, Alex called out to Fello but it was too late. He walked into the force field before she could stop him. Alex just barely caught him before he collapsed to the ground completely.

Laying his head in her lap, she felt relieved when he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Yeah, she's definitely here." He winced, then shouted, "Lelona, please come out. This is Alexandra. She understands about Abeteth, and can help you."

At first, there was no response, then the wooden door creaked open and a small fragile woman stepped out. She looked nothing like the pictures in the book. Long stringy grey hair fell around the woman's face, and as she hobbled closer, Alex noticed that she leaned on a cane. That could not be Lelona.

She stopped a few feet away from them, obviously depending on the force field for protection. Fello leaned against Alex as they stood.

"You shouldn't have come here." The old woman said.

Her voice was sad and weak, but did not sound like the voice of an old woman.

"Lelona please..." Fello said as he stretched his arms out toward her.

He stopped when the woman stood straight and motioned to the invisible field between them with her cane.

"I will speak with her. Alone." Lelona said and retreated in to the hut.

Something about the woman didn't sit right with Alex, but Fello motioned for her to go inside.

"What and get fried like you did? No thanks." She exclaimed.

He huffed impatiently, "She invited you in, so you can go through the barrier."

Nervously, Alex inched forward. When she was about a foot from the door, she relaxed slightly and hesitated before entering. Jars of herbs lined the shelf on the wall to the immediate right of the entrance. Leafy stalks filled the pots placed on either side of the doorway.

Alex had noticed the same type of plants in the yard just outside the hut. They gave off a strong odor, spicy and sweet, with a bitter after note.

"It's fennel." Lelona said as if that explained everything.

She motioned for Alex to sit down at a small table. As she made her way over, Alex observed the rest of the one room home. A fireplace took up an entire wall, with the table positioned right in front of it, a bed tucked away hidden in the back corner behind another bookshelf. There was small circular window, but Alex was not sure what good it did, seeing, as it was not any bigger than the size of her head.

Positioning herself across the table from Lelona, Alex sat in silence, unsure of what to say or where to begin. The woman stared at her intently. Now that she was closer, Alex could see more of her. She was still quite beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. Dark circles sat under her bright green eyes, and her full lips were pale and absent of color, but there were remnants of her beauty underneath her deteriorating shell.

"So Fello has told you of our past has he?" Lelona smirked, "That I am a poor victim of a lascivious Incubus?"

Alex nodded, unsure of what she was getting at.

"The only thing I am victim of, is my own lust." She added harshly.

"I don't understand? You act as if you were to blame." Alex said.

"Oh I was. When Abeteth first came to me, I'll admit I was a bit frightened. Then, he gave me pleasure I had never known. Showed me what was really inside of me. When I began to yearn for his visits, he came less often. That is what they do you know, incubi, they twist you up inside and make your desire for them unbearable.

"They have more power over you that way. I found a way to summon him, and he was angry with me. He said that it was not my place to summon him, that I did not have the power to control him. Oh, but I was smarter than he was. I found his hydria. He couldn't refuse me after that." Lelona paused.

Her mannerism had changed, her eyes were unfocused and distant, and her speech had become more passionate and manic. Alex was not sure if she should ask was a hydria was, or let her finish her story.

Before she could say anything, Lelona continued on, "When Fello walked in on us one night, I had no choice but to tell him that I no longer loved him. He did not understand what I had with Abeteth. How could he? By the time, I was with child the council had already found out about him. I pleaded and begged for their mercy, but they shunned me, afraid of the power that my unborn child would possess.

"They wanted to kill him, but sweet Fello convinced them not to. I sent him to live with my cousin, who was also a sorceress. I knew she would make sure that my son grew into powerful magic. I was weak from the constant interludes, because even though I controlled Abeteth, our lovemaking still drained me little by little.

"Fello didn't understand. When he stole the hydria and killed Abeteth, he thought he was freeing me. It only made me hate him." She stopped, as if there was nothing else to say.

It wasn't how Alex had imagined the conversation would go.

"I guess...that there is nothing I can do for you then." Alex said reluctantly.

She stood and headed toward the door.

Lelona reached for her hand, "Wait!"

Alex turned back to her.

"Perhaps there is something I can do for you. Take this. It should keep him at bay for now." She untied a string from around her neck and handed it to Alex.

It had a large oval locket attached that was obviously stuffed full of something.

"It is a talisman. It will protect you from my son. For now. I may have chosen my fate, but you have yet to decide yours." Lelona said oddly.

Could she trust her? There was only one way to find out. Placing the locket around her neck, she stood there and waited. When nothing happened, Alex thanked her and left. The walk back to the city was long and draining.

"What is a hydria?" She asked.

"It is an item, which houses their soul." Fello explained. "They cannot take on physical bodies, so they must place their soul inside of something else."

"Do you think Adaro has one, a hydria? Even though he does have a body?" Alex asked.

"I think that he would want to ensure that if something happened to his body, he could come back. So my guess would be, yes." He answered, a bit distracted by something.

"How do you find it?" Alex asked.

He shook his head, "I got lucky, I found Abeteth's by accident. It could be anything, a crystal, a trinket, or necklace of some sort."

She was closer than she had been to figuring out how to get rid of Adaro, but she still had much to contemplate. Fello asked her again what Lelona had said to her, but did not want to accept what Alex told him. He headed back towards Lelona's once they reached the outskirts of the village. She tried to call him back, but it was obvious she could do nothing to convince him.

People would believe what they wanted to believe she supposed. An orange skyline welcomed her back just as she reached the guesthouse. Fatigue washed over her quickly and she felt the same pull that she had the last time Adaro had pulled her into one of his dreams. Panicked she ran to her room quickly and tried to concentrate on staying awake. She failed and fell into a deep sleep.

She was drenched when she awoke, and ran to the great hall to speak with Alta. There was some sort of meeting taking place, but she did not care about interrupting it.

"Alexandra? What is the meaning of this?" Alta asked surprised and a bit angry.

"I was pulled into another dream" She started to explain, before Alta interrupted her.

"That is hardly an excuse to barge in here, we are discussing important events. Leave us." She waved her away and several armed female elves stepped toward Alex.

"But it wasn't Adaro!" Alex said.

"It was Lillian!"

# Part Four

### Lillian

## Chapter Seventeen

## Animal Instincts

The night air was getting colder by the second. Nothing looked familiar. Even the trees, that had a tendency to blend, looked strange and foreign. They hung over, as if they were too weak to stand on their own. She looked around and realized the rest of the world skewed in much the same way. Birds were starting their morning call not far off from where she was.

Sitting up, she concentrated hard, her head swimming. It became obvious to her that they drugged her. Reaching out with her mind, she tried to get a sense of her location from the birds, but her attempts were futile. She could barely keep herself awake. Normally she could connect with any animal near her.

Whatever they gave her rendered her power practically useless. Two armed guards stood not far from her. They paced back and forth unaware that she had woken. There were six guards all together and she wondered where the other four went. Probably to sleep. They had been walking for almost three days straight. She was not sure where they were going, but it felt like they had been walking in circles.

Lillian didn't know what kind of person could stay awake for days at a time, but they had certainly expected her to. They had only stopped because she had nearly passed out from exhaustion. After her third attempt at escape, they started killing off the rest of her party. It was either a threat of what they would do to her, or a way to torture her.

Either way she had stayed put after that. They did not speak to her, so she had no idea what they even wanted from her. Her mission had not been easy, but it was a simple enough objective. Travel to the Forgotten Forest and retrieve an herb that her clan needed. Entering the Forgotten Forest was risky.

It had gotten its name because of the fact that most who ventured in to its depth forgot where they were, why they were there and sometimes even who they were. It was easy enough to find, a dense fog surrounded the entirety of it. Lillian's connection to the earth made her immune to the forests compulsion.

Therefore, she traveled there quite often for rare plants or herbs that the village might need. However, the men captured her before she could reach the protection of the fog. Her world was spinning and she needed to figure out how she was going to get out of the mess she was in, and fast. There had to be something around her that could help clear her head.

Trying to focus, she shifted her eyes around, scanning the area for anything that might be useful. Not too far off, she spotted a ring of mushrooms around the base of a tree. She closed her eyes, trying to will herself enough energy to reach it before the guards reached her. Her best chance was probably going to be to roll over instead of crawling.

When both the guards had their backs turned to her, she prayed silently that her body do what she needed it to. She swung her knees hard to give herself enough momentum to get going and rolled three times before slamming in to the trunk of the tree. Her whole body reeled from the hard impact, but she had to hurry.

Propping herself up on her elbows, she started pulling out mushrooms from the ground, turning them over and checking the caps.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" One of the guards shouted.

Frantic, she kept pulling, he was only a few feet away, and she knew he would close in on her in a matter of seconds. Finally, she spotted a black and blue beetle on the underside of the mushroom. Ideally, she would have ground up the beetle and made a tea. Obviously, that was not an option so she shoved it in her mouth, along with the mushroom, just before the guard grabbed her by the ankle.

"You stay where I put you." He growled.

He jerked her hard and dragged her across the ground. She screamed, not because she was scared or thought he would let go of her, but more as a reflex. Stopping where he had originally put her, he grabbed her arms and tried to make her sit up. Lillian resisted, she scratched at his face and managed to draw blood.

Instinctively he put his hand to his face to assess the damage. She took the window of those few seconds to wriggle free of his grasp and tried to stand up, hoping the beetle had worked its magic. Too soon. Her legs collapsed and she fell hard, hitting her forearm on a large root that was sticking up from the ground.

"Bitch!" He screamed.

She managed to get on to her hands and knees before he was on her again. Grabbing a handful of her brown hair, he yanked her onto her back hard. He dragged her back to the spot he had told her to stay and shoved her back hard against the tree.

"I suggest you stay put, or I won't be as nice next time." He said menacingly before he nodded to the other guard and stormed off.

Leaning her head back against the tree, she took a moment to evaluate her situation. Eating the Elder beetle was helping, but not as fast as she liked. The world no longer spun and she could focus and think better, but her body still would not cooperate. She lifted her arm, trying her best to wipe away the dirt and rocks that were embedded in her skin.

Swollen and bruised it would need care soon. It was going to take some time for the drug to clear her system. Until then she reminded herself she needed to rest and conserve her energy.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind clear. She called out in her mind to Alta, hoping just as she had the night before that she might reach her through dream walking. She was not particularly good at it. She spent most of her time on refining the gifts she had with animals and earth magic.

Communicating with animals had always come naturally. She did not even have to practice. It was not as if she could talk to them, at least not in the same way that people spoke to one another. It was more of an instinctual and emotion based language. Growing things was simple, depending on what it was she was manipulating.

Small plants, like flowers, barely required effort. A tree, on the other hand, took much more energy and concentration. She had recently begun land shaping, creating hills and valleys. Perhaps one day she would be able to create mountains and rivers. Alta had insisted she learn to dream walk for her own protection, but she was never very good at it.

Maybe because of her connection to the earth, entering such an ethereal plane was too difficult for her. Whatever the reason, she sure wished that she were better at it now. She had thought that she had reached Alta before, but if she had, it was extremely brief. Feeling the weight of her tether to the world lessen, she concentrated on Alta, willing herself to enter her thoughts.

Feeling a presence, someone's mind was allowing her to merge, but her sense of relief was short-lived. It was not Alta's mind she found. Whomever it was felt oddly familiar, but strange at the same time. She was about to pull away when someone called out to her.

"Lillian, you are safe here." A voice said.

She looked around trying to force a picture to come. Several seconds passed and she found herself in a bare room with only a table and chairs. It must have been all her mind could muster.

"I don't have much time. Who are you?" She asked the mystery woman.

"My name is Alex, we are looking for you. Help us find you." She said.

"I don't know how." Lillian responded.

Alex calmly said, "Anything will help."

Lillian thought for a while.

She was not sure what information she could give her that would help to locate her, "I don't even know where I am. Everything looks familiar and wrong at the same time."

"That's okay, just think, did you pass a stream or an odd tree, anything that might be recognizable to someone?" Alex asked.

"No. No there's nothing." She replied frustrated and losing hope.

How could they ever find her if she was in the middle of a bunch of trees? Just then, an image of a specific tree came to mind. She had fallen on some large raised roots. Perhaps she could use her powers and lift them up more.

"There might be something, but it's a long shot." She said anxiously.

"I'm listening." Alex said willingly.

Forcefully opening her eyes, she woke with a start. They didn't have much time to speak. Lillian was not able to stay connected for very long. She just hoped that the plan they came up with worked. Steading herself, she placed her hands by her sides, palms against the base of the tree she leaned on.

Using every ounce of energy she could muster she willed the tree to listen to her command. To stretch out its roots and lift them from the ground. She only needed one, just one root to do her bidding. Imaging it growing long, searching out Ferrentri. Winding throughout the forest like a vegetal snake.

It was a slow process, but she kept at it, until she no longer had the energy to maintain. She did not know how long she had worked her magic, or if it would even help, but the sun was well up over the trees and she knew they would expect her to move soon. Fatigue won out and she drifted away with her last bit of hope going out to Alex.

"What the hell is going on?" A frantic voice called out.

Lillian recognized the voice as the guard who attacked her. She looked around and could barely see anything. A hot thick cloud of steam had enveloped the entire area and she could barely see a few inches in front of her. Fear started to overwhelm her, she was about to call out, but then stopped herself.

If there was ever a time she could escape, it was in that moment. Hesitant to run into the strange fog blind she took a few moments to work up the courage. Feeling much more alert, she was certain that most of the drug they had given her was gone. She stood easily and moved as normally as ever.

Reaching out her arms in front of her she concentrated on the forest around her, allowing her earth senses to guide her and keep her from running in to anything. She heard several of the guards cry out, some in confusion and others in pain. Trying hard not to break her focus, she did her best to ignore the others, even when they seemed close enough that they may find her.

After wandering around aimlessly, she began to think that the fog was thinning a bit. Stunned that they did not intercept her, she quickened her pace and made it into a small clearing. She could see clearly and was shocked to see Alex and another girl with long fiery hair standing not far from her.

They were facing one another, palms raised as if they were about to touch and Lillian could see flashes of fire and water. The fog had come from them. It was amazing. She had never seen anything like it. They noticed her and Alex gave her a small smile and a wink before turning back to the other girl and focusing.

Alta stood not far from them and Lillian was half way across the clearing before she even realized that she was running toward them. Alta smiled at her and opened her arms as if to embrace her, but before she reached her a looked of fear crossed Alta's face. A strong hand grabbed Lillian's hurt arm. She cried out in pain. The same guard from before had caught up to her and gripped her wrist so hard she thought he might break it.

He was about to say something but stopped in the middle of a word. Releasing her arm, he clutched at his chest. It looked as if he were gasping for air. Falling to his knees he looked just behind Lillian, she turned and followed his gaze. They were both staring at a stunning petite blonde girl.

"Right now, your heart is beating so slowly, that soon it won't be able to pump enough blood through your body." She whispered calmly.

His eyes widened and he shook his head as if pleading for her to stop.

"I don't want to kill you, but I will if I must." The girl said sadly.

The guard shook his head more violently.

"You are going to sleep now." She said.

He passed out and collapsed on the ground. The girl looked sad and Lillian thought she might have even seen her brush a tear from her eye.

"Is he dead?" Lillian asked.

"No. He will wake up with one hell of a headache though." The girl replied.

"Come. Let's go, before the rest of them find us." Alta demanded.

Lillian was not about to argue, there would be time for questions later. She acknowledged a few elves that she did not recognize with a quite nod. They picked up the man and carried him off toward the village before she could protest. She reminded herself that he probably had useful information and tried her best to put the image of him attacking her out of her mind.

# Chapter Eighteen

## Unfolded

It was a short walk back to the village. If she had to guess, her captures had been looking for a way in to the city when they stumbled upon her party. Once safely back in the village she willed the large tree root that served her well, back into the earth. The last thing they needed was a trail that led the rest of her captures right into Ferrentri.

Alta suggested she take some time to rest before she explained what happened. Lillian agreed and joined the other three girls in their guesthouse. There was something so familiar about them, even though she had never met any of them. She knew about the prophecy and their connection of course.

Alta had been very clear that one day she would join them on a very important quest. Nevertheless, it was strange to feel so connected to strangers. The four of them sat at the round wooden table in silence. They studied each other. Lillian contemplated their similarities and differences.

They all had the same sapphire eyes. Only little flecks of color that surrounded their pupils showed any dissimilarity. Evangeline had the most amazing violet flecks. It looked as if there were small pieces of amethyst embedded in her eyes. Ryhan's red flecks looked like tiny embers burning deep inside her soul. If you stared at Alexandra's eyes for too long the Aquamarine spots seemed to ebb and flow like waves on the shore, as if she carried the spirit of the sea in her eyes.

The deep brown that muddied the blue of her eyes did not seem quite as brilliant when compared to theirs. It was the exact same color as her hair. She felt quite plain all of a sudden and wondered if they could sense her withdraw from them at all. Ryhan seemed to understand and was the first to break the increasingly awkward silence.

"Those were soldiers of the Centermerge. I recognized their uniforms."

Evangeline replied, "I agree. It is worse than we thought, we must leave soon."

"I don't understand. Why would the Centermerge be looking for Ferrentri?" Lillian asked.

"Because Axiom knows we are here." Alex said gravely.

Evangeline nodded, "She's right. Lillian, did you notice anything odd, besides the men who captured you?"

Considering the events that took place she replied, "Odd? I am not sure. Most of it is a blur."

"The ravens?" Ryhan asked Evangeline, and she nodded in reply.

"Ravens?" Asked Alex.

"Mentis and Memoria, Axioms familiar spies." Ryhan spat.

A vision of two very large black ravens came to Lillian, "Now I understand. I saw them before anyone attacked. I tried to read them, but they were blank, empty."

The others looked at her, confusion written all over their faces.

Lillian thought for a moment and then tried her best to elaborate, "Every living creature, from animal to plant to insect, has some sort of thought pattern. Though different with every species, I can usually read that pattern. It is how I am able to communicate with animals, make things grow, shape the land. But those birds, they put out no pattern. Actually, it was the opposite. They were voids, as if they absorbed the thoughts around them."

"We should tell Alta, find out what that soldier knows, and then get the hell out of here before more of them show up." Ryhan said harshly.

Lillian had only known her for a few hours, but she could tell that there was a lot under the surface of Ryhan's brash exterior. The four of their strength and connection grew by the minute and she could not imagine what it would be like when the five of them finally united. However, Ryhan had her guard up and Lillian was sure that was going to cause a few problems for them.

They made their way to the Great Hall and spoke to Alta. She confirmed their theory about the Centermerge, but could not get anything out of the soldier they captured.

"Perhaps, the four of you could try questioning him." Alta suggested.

They agreed and approached the man tied to a chair in front of them. His injuries were obvious, and Lillian blanched at the thought of him being tortured, even if he had deserved it for the way he attacked her. Joining hands, Evangeline had guided their powers, so that they were all in harmony. Each of their energies flowing into and through one another.

Evangeline did not even ask him anything, just started probing his mind, searching through his memories as if she was flipping through a picture book. The urge to resist that barrage of images was difficult to ignore. It was alien and disturbing to feel someone else's thoughts inside her own mind. Yet she let them come and go, staying calm and open to the power they were sharing.

Moments of his life laid out before them, most irrelevant and useless. The day he left home and his abusive father behind to join the army. A beautiful young woman breaking his heart. Woman after woman used by him. Taking his anger out on young kids that reminded him of himself. Pride at being handpicked to join the Centermerge.

The first time he killed a man in battle. The first time he killed a man for sport. Then more kills. Death after death, some out of necessity, and others for his own enjoyment. Getting orders to capture and return with any of the five of them. It went on repeatedly. When they were finished he sat there, face slack and eyes glazed over.

Alta stared at them, unsure of what had happened and had the man taken away.

He came around and looked confused, "Wha...what is going on? Where am I? I...I don't know what has happened. I don't know who I am."

He started crying hysterically, "Someone please help me, and tell me who I am."

Lillian could hear him shouting as they dragged him away and to another room down the hall. When Lillian would try to remember what happened it seemed a tad distant, it was there in her memory but was just out of reach, in the same way that she would try to recall a recent dream. The only thing she was sure of was that the four of them did something to the man that she had never seen before.

Alta cleared her throat and cautiously asked, "What did you do to him?"

Evangeline looked scared, "We just wanted to find out what he knew. I didn't know that he would lose everything we took."

Pursing her lips Alta said carefully, "Perhaps it will come back with time."

Then added, "Together you are stronger than I would have thought, you must go to Victoria and get to the council. Ava can help you learn to control your powers together, hopefully before anything worse than this happens."

Lillian reached out and placed her hand on Evangeline's shoulder, knowing it gave her little comfort, and then turned to Alta, "It's another week's journey to Volcaringuard, perhaps five days if we only stop at night to rest. How are we going to get there and to Bastriean in two days?"

"You must fold the earth." Alta said offhandedly.

They all looked at her and Lillian scoffed, "Oh yes, just fold the earth. No big deal."

Alta said nothing, just stared at her blankly.

"You're serious?" She asked astounded.

"It is the only way." Alta exclaimed.

"No. No way. I cannot. I won't." Lillian had to resist the urge to stamp her foot.

She knew that she sounded like a stubborn child, but earth folding was dangerous magic. They could end up in the middle of the ocean, or stuck inside a mountain. She had only tried it a handful of times, with help, and had never even come close to where she intended.

"I know that I am new to all this, but could someone please tell me what folding the earth means?" Ryhan said impatiently.

"She will simply displace the earth beneath you. One moment you are here, the next you will be at the destination you seek." Alta explained.

"Except it's not SIMPLE at all! We could end up anywhere or stuck anywhere. I haven't even come close to mastering that kind of magic." Lillian said, pleadingly.

"Look at what the four of you just accomplished. Together you can do it. Have a little faith." Alta retorted.

Evangeline looked at her and said, "Lillian we trust you, and I have every confidence that you can do this. Let us help. We don't really have any other choice. We need to get there fast."

Ryhan and Alex nodded their heads and they linked hands, Evangeline joined them and reached out for hers. Hesitant, Lillian accepted. The four of them stood, hand in hand, facing one another. She opened her mind and allowed the power of the others to merge with her own. Concentrating hard, she imagined their destination.

The image of Volcaringuard formed in her mind. She pictured the earth moving beneath them, falling away bit by bit taking them to their target. Her stomach did a few flips and she felt extremely light headed. The world around her blurred as if in motion and became still again. Just as she felt solid ground beneath her again, her feet gave away and she was falling.

A scream escaped her lungs before she even understood what was happening. Ryhan reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her back on to a small ledge. They were not in Volcaringuard. They were on the side of the mountain just outside of the city. She looked down and immediately wished she had not. They were so high up that all she could see was cloud formations beneath them, no land.

"Well this is just great. Now what do we do?" Ryhan asked her.

All Lillian could do was shrug her shoulders and ask, "I don't suppose any of you have ever climbed a mountain?"

They were in big trouble and she didn't think she had enough energy left to shape the earth after her horrible attempt at folding it. Not only were they stuck, but also the temperature was dropping by the minute. She did the only thing she could think to do, "HEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP."

# Chapter Nineteen

## Luck of the Dragons

"HEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!" Lillian yelled.

"What the hell are you doing? We are on the side of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere. Who's going to hear you?" Ryhan screamed at her.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Lillian asked her.

Ryhan paused a moment and then yelled, "Heeeeelllllppp!"

They both yelled until their voices were hoarse and neither of them saw much point in continuing. She was not sure how they were going to get out of their mess. There was barely enough room for them to stand and they huddled close to keep warm.

Lillian had suggested Ryhan make a fire, but there really was not room. The best she could do is hold a small flame in her hand, but it didn't stand much of a chance against the wind that was beating their backs. It was impossible to tell how long they had been standing up there. The air was thin and left her feeling light headed. Difficult situations had never caused her to falter before, but their situation was getting grimmer by the second.

If they did not plummet to the ground, they would surely freeze to death. A small cave might have been enough to keep them alive, for the night at least, but she was not sure if she should attempt creating one. Trying something was better than nothing was and she started focusing her energy when she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

It flitted by quickly and she could barely make out a bit of color. Whatever it was, it seemed too large to be a bird.

"Did any of you see that?" She asked the others.

"See what?" Alex asked curiously.

"It was an animal or something." Lillian said hesitantly, suddenly doubting what she saw.

The others looked at her with confusion and started looking around. Just outside of her vision, she saw something fly by again.

"There." She said and pointed in the direction it went.

They looked and shook their heads when they saw nothing. She was beginning to think that she was losing her mind. Several minutes passed and nothing happened. Deciding not to let the mysterious object distract her any longer, she focused on growing the ledge they were standing on. When it was about four and a half feet wide, she collapsed on to her knees.

"My energy is really depleted, I don't know if I'll be able to make the cave." Lillian said exhausted.

"It must be the thin air and cold, its taking more energy just to keep our bodies going." Evangeline said.

"Here, let us help you." Alex took her hand and grabbed Evangeline as well, nodding at Ryhan to do the same.

Ryhan hesitated but followed their lead and took their hands. Lillian felt their energy meld in to hers, she felt stronger, but not by much. They were growing weak too and she tried not to think about what might happen to them. It took a bit longer than normal and the best she could manage was a small three-foot hollow in the snow and rock.

It was not much, but it at least got them out of the wind and gave them a moment to think about something other than staying warm. They sat down closely, linking arms and leaning against the back wall. It was warmer, but only by a few degrees.

"So what now?" Ryhan asked.

"Now, we take turns resting and conserving our energy, and in the morning we figure out how to get down from this mountain." Evangeline said with authority, then added, "You all sleep first, and I'll keep watch."

Lillian had been having a strange dream about bats flying above the ocean and weird sea snakes that jumped out of the water and ate the bats, when she woke. She was thankful to leave that dream; it was creepier than she cared to deal with at that moment. Glancing at the others, she realized that Evangeline had also dozed off. Shifting up a bit, she made herself more alert, when something caught her eye.

Just outside the cave there was something perched on the ledge. The sun was setting so it was difficult to make out what it was. It looked to be about the size of a child, maybe four feet in height. The creature had to be what she had saw earlier, and it definitely was not a bird. Careful not to wake her, she leaned Ryhan against Evangeline, and crawled toward the animal to get a better look.

Its back was toward her and she did not want to startle it. There were colorful scales on its back. Easing closer, she reached out her hand to touch it but hesitated.

_Do not be afraid_.

She pulled her hand back. The creature had spoken to her, through telepathy, she was sure of it. At that moment, it turned to face her. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Its eyes were round and brilliant, a light grey that glistened like melting ice. Its head reminded her of a large lizard, but instead of rough scales, its skin was soft and sinewy.

The small hairs that covered its skin were a peachy taupe color. It sat upright, resting on its hind legs, its front legs on the ground in front of it balancing its upper body. It reminded her instantly of the way that a dog might sit, or even a squirrel. Its hind paws were very flat with five long toes, each with a long curved claw.

Its front paws looked more like small hands with four fingers and a thumb, but they also had sharp claws at the end. It reached out its hand to her and revealed a large wing like appendage. A thin membrane formed the surface of the 'wing' and ran from the tip of the outer digits, uniting the forelimb with the body.

A beautiful and brightly colored pattern with shades of gold and deep purples made up the inside of the wing. It was apparent that the creature was an exceptional climber and even better glider. Amazed she almost forgot that it had extended its hand to her. She reached out and touched its small palm with hers. A rush of images flowed through her head.

"You're a dragon!" Lillian exclaimed.

It was as if all the images she had seen made her understand who and what the creature was.

_My name is Kalinth_.

"I am Lillian. You speak through telepathy. Can you see what is in my mind as well?"

_I know what you are thinking and feeling, however, human emotion is difficult for dragons to process. Your intentions and actions are often very different. It is easy to misjudged humans because of that_.

"May I touch you?"

Kalinth paused for a moment, and then answered. _You may_.

After closer examination, Lillian realized that the colored pattern of her wings was actually tiny soft and pigmented scales. Much in the same way as a butterfly.

"Can you breathe fire?" She asked excitedly.

Instead of answering with words, Kalinth arched her head back and took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. Lillian was not sure if she should move or stand very still. When she exhaled, a warm dense cloud erupted from her mouth.

"That's like what Ryhan and Alex do together." She said.

_It is very convenient for concealing yourself. We dragons can also manipulate the wind. We do not fly exactly, we glide, but our abilities make us very fast and agile in the sky_.

"Well I certainly wish that we had your ability. I have no idea how we are going to get down from here."

_You do not need to go down. You need to climb up. Volcaringuard is just over the next ridge_.

"But how will we-." Lillian stopped when Kalinth made a strange face. It took her a moment to realize she was smiling.

A moment later, several more dragons glided down and rested next to Kalinth. They varied in color, some black with silvery patterned wings, others white with blue and green markings. Among them was a young girl about her age, wide eyed and full of energy. The girl smiled at her as she ran her hand through her short blonde hair.

Cut close to her head in the back, she had long sweeping bangs in the front and a feather tied in to her hair, it was purple with a golden tip. She was wearing tight fitting leather pants and a leather vest over long sleeves. Fur lined boots were laced up to her knees. Lillian found herself wishing for similar warm clothes.

"Victoria?" Lillian took a guess.

"Yep, that would be me!" She exclaimed.

"But how did you know we were here?" Lillian asked.

"I heard someone screaming for help. Sound bounces off these mountains like a ball. So I sent my friends here to scout out your location. Good thing we found you when we did, you all look like you are about froze up here." Victoria said amused.

Lillian was not one to get angry very easily, but Victoria's flippant attitude really irked her. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty for getting them into the mess to begin with, but at that moment, she just wanted to get out of it.

"Think we should wake them up?" Victoria giggled, and then walked over to the others.

She shook them hard and Lillian was about to protest, but Ryhan beat her to the punch.

"What? Who the hell are you?" Ryhan asked cautiously.

She knew there was a reason she liked Ryhan, she thought to herself. Lillian quickly filled them in, telling them as much as she could about the dragons and about Victoria. Not that there was much to tell on the later subject. The girl just falls from the sky as if it is nothing and wakes everyone up like they were just taking an afternoon nap.

Who did she think she was? Everyone said their quick hellos, and gave a short introduction. Lillian noticed that Alex was especially quiet and made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Okay, so everyone ready?" Victoria asked.

"Ready for?" Lillian asked her warily.

"To climb of course. There is a dragon for each of you. They agreed to help transport you all to the top, but you'll have to walk from there." Victoria said.

As if they should all just hop on a dragon like they had done it their whole life.

"How exactly do we do that?" Lillian asked.

Victoria reached into a satchel she had brought and pulled out four harnesses. She showed them how to put them on, and then demonstrated how they worked. Two long straps went around the shoulders and legs of the dragon and connected in the middle of its back. There were two small pegs to stand on and two circular straps that looped around your wrists.

She was at least a head taller, if not more, than the dragon. Therefore, she had to position herself in a crunched up way. With her wrists through the straps, her knees by her elbows and her feet pushing down hard onto the pegs, Lillian closed her eyes and hoped that Kalinth could carry her weight the whole way up.

It was not as bad as she thought it would be. Besides the fear of falling at any moment to her death, the dragons climbed with ease and they reached the top without incident. She thanked Kalinth before she wandered off with the other dragons.

"What a thrill huh?" Victoria said as she nudged her with her elbow.

Lillian just glared at her.

Victoria did not wait for a response, "Okay then, just follow me everyone. Volcaringuard is just a short distance, then we will get you all warmed up with some food in your belly."

They all followed her, silently. Lillian was not sure if it was because they were in shock or just trying to find the energy to continue on, but no one said a word. Which hardly mattered since Victoria rarely stopped talking. She chattered on idly about how great it was to fly with dragons and how she could not believe they were not excited about it.

Lillian found herself concentrating more on the sound of her footsteps then Victoria's voice. After everything that had happened to her in the last week, she was ready for a soft bed.

# Chapter Twenty

## Born From the Ash

The small village of Volcaringuard was nothing like Lillian had imagined it would be. She was not even sure what she had imagined it might look like, but what lay before her exceeded anything she could have dreamed. A huge tower of stone rose above her. It sat in the center of a tall stone wall. The only way past the wall was an iron gate that sat just beneath the tower.

"For a town on top of a mountain, it sure is heavily guarded." Lillian thought aloud.

"Perhaps that is why is hasn't been attacked in nearly a century." Victoria replied.

Nothing else was said and silence once again filled the space between the five of them. Which was all right by Lillian. It was not that she didn't like Victoria. She did not even know her, but something about her irritated Lillian. Maybe it was the fact that she was cold and hungry and needed sleep badly. She tugged at her thick braid, something she often did for comfort. It helped sooth her when she needed calming.

As they approached the large gate, she observed the two guards stationed outside. They were older men with bushy grey beards. One of the men nodded and gave her a toothy smile. She thought he was probably old enough to have been her grandfather. They greeted Victoria warmly, and made a joke about seeing her on the ground. The five of them passed through without a second glance.

Lillian stopped and stared in awe at the village that lay before her. Every single building was made of stone. Stone so smooth and shaped so finely you would have thought someone had melted it and molded it with their hands. The whole of the village could not have been more than a mile. It sat neatly in a small valley at the top of the mountain and looked as if it had sprung up from the earth its self.

Directly in the center was a large building that reminded her of the Great Hall in Ferrentri. It was a simple square shape with pillars in the front. Intricate carvings decorated the pillars, along with its enormous stone doors. To the left of the building were rows of housing. Each house made up of stone bricks, of varying color, layered in such a way that her eyes sort of dance over them pleasantly.

To the far right were fields, but she could not tell what was being grown. The earth was dark, the way it is when freshly plowed. In fact, she could smell the newly upturned earth lingering in the air. Suddenly she was itching to get her hands dirty, to help something grow and bring life into the world. Behind the large stone building was a town square in which carts and small shops had set up and displayed their goods.

There were not many people out, but she suspected that was probably because the sun was completely behind the horizon and torches led their way. Victoria led them to a large home and a grey haired beauty came out to great them. It was obvious the woman had worked hard all her life, but her beauty never faded.

"This is Gail, she will provide you with a place to sleep tonight, and anything else you may need. I will be back in the morning and then we will discuss what our plans are next." Victoria said.

"Wait. Where will you stay?" Alex asked.

It was the first thing Lillian had heard her say all evening.

"I have some things to attend to with the dragons. Then I will retire to my house with my mother." Victoria said.

"May I come with you?" Alex asked, then blushed and added, "To see the dragons I mean, not to your house."

Victoria agreed pleasantly and bid the rest of them goodnight.

Gail was a wonderful host and fed them each a steaming bowl of stew before showing them to their rooms. There were two extra rooms, two beds to a room. Ryhan chose to bunk with Evangeline, which gave Lillian some time to herself. She was not entirely sure she wanted to be alone and hoped that sleep would find her quickly. It did. She slept like a rock, so hard that she had not even noticed Alex come in later that night.

When she awoke the next morning, she felt like she had slept a hundred years. After a bath and a big breakfast, she felt like a new person. The four of them exchanged small talk with Gail around the kitchen table and patiently waited for Victoria to return. They did not have to wait long.

"So who is up for a tour?" Victoria asked as she entered the room.

Lillian was in the middle of a conversation with Alex, who stared at Victoria with a huge grin. Alex was all but glowing. Victoria returned her smile and gave her a tiny wink before glancing around at everyone else. Lillian felt like she had to pick her jaw up off the floor and wondered if anyone else could see what was happening between them.

Ryhan rolled her eyes and looked annoyed as usual, so that wasn't really any indication that she could see what was going on. However, Lillian caught Evangeline's eye as she gave her a small nod of the head. She was a bit relieved that she was not just making things up in her mind.

"I'm not sure we should be wasting time with a tour, shouldn't we be leaving?" Ryhan asked.

Victoria responded understandingly, "I know we don't have much time. I knew who you were before I even laid eyes on the four of you. The closer I got to you, the more I could sense you and feel your energy.

"It was like it was reaching out for me. Now that we are all here together, I feel stronger than ever. I agree, we should leave as soon as possible, but my mother wants to speak with you before we do anything."

"Then let's go see her." Ryhan said impatiently.

"Unfortunately she is in a very important meeting with our town council right now, but we can meet with her later for lunch. So for now, why don't I show you around?" Victoria said.

Ryhan looked as if she might agree, until Alex spoke, "You all have to come see the dragons it is amazing, you won't believe what else there is."

Ryhan mumbled something about ridiculously wasting time and said she would rather stay in. Victoria pleaded with her until she agreed reluctantly. Victoria pointed out things she thought interesting as the five of them walked through town. Lillian wondered aloud what they grew in the field.

Victoria had told her mostly tubers, cabbage and onions, they were easy to grow at their altitude. She really wanted to go help in the field but the others insisted that they stick together. The large building at the front of the town was in fact a great hall as she had suspected. The town square was bustling with lots of people laughing and trading goods.

It was strange to see so many people that were obviously happy look so stony faced. There was a seriousness about them all that made Victoria's carefree demeanor stand out. Everyone in town seemed to love her though. Every time they turned a corner, there was another person to greet her with a smile.

At the back of the town, there was a large rock formation. It stretched so high that when she stood at the base of it and looked up, she felt dizzy. Victoria led them through an opening in the face of the rock wall.

"Where are we going?" Lillian asked.

It was dark and she could barely see anything.

Victoria replied, "You'll see, wait one moment."

Lillian heard some rustling and Victoria said, "Ryhan, you mind?"

A moment later, a torch blazed in front of her. They followed her up a long stone staircase. It would twist or turn every now and then, but for the most part, it just went up steeply. She did not have much time to think about anything other than the ache in her thighs and the burn in her lungs.

Sensing the same discomfort in the others around her however, made her feel a tad better. Reaching the landing, she rested her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths before looking around. They were in an enormous round room. Large open archways lined the top half of the room, allowing sunlight to stream in from every angle. Equally, sized arches lined the bottom half of the room, however they did not go through to the outside. Several dragons exited the arched rooms to greet Victoria. Circling the girls in curiosity, Lillian counted fifteen, but there could have been more. A plume of dark purple and glints of gold caught her eye. It was the same type of feather that Victoria had tied in her hair. She noticed how still Alex had gotten and took a good look around her.

Not only were there dragons, but just as many bird like creatures. The birds stood about three feet tall and had a long tail. Their feathers were varying shades of purple and all had a shiny gold tip. Yet they looked soft like fur.

Lillian must have looked stunned, or confused because Victoria began to speak. "These are the Phoenix."

Lillian could say nothing except, "They are beautiful."

_Aye, they are. Though not as kind as dragons_. Kalinth's voice rang through her mind.

"Can everyone hear you?" Lillian asked.

_Yes, at this time I am communicating with you all_.

The other creatures seemed to have gotten bored with them and busied themselves with other things while Kalinth stayed to talk with the five of them.

"Can the Phoenix speak with us telepathically, as you do?" Lillian asked.

_It is very difficult, mostly they can communicate with humans through pictures or images, but even then, it is not always clear what is being said_.

Victoria said excitedly, "Kalinth, why don't you tell them the story of the first Phoenix and Dragon?"

Kalinth agreed.

They sat in a circle around a warm fire that Ryhan made and waited patiently for her to begin. Sitting peacefully together, it was the first time that Lillian had experienced the surge of power between them. It was like there was a continuous flow of energy that connected them.

She found herself wondering what abilities they might gain when they really had the time to start training together. Feeling the presence of Kalinth in her mind, Lillian quieted her own thoughts to listen.

Long ago...before man had come to Watreon. When the old country was still one land and not three. Back when the elves and the 'long gone' Fae still ravaged the land with war. The great Behemoth Mountain shed a tear for his land, and in that tear was born a dragon. The dragon's name has long been forgotten and is now only known as The First Born.

The First Born inherited her father's love for the land as well as the sky, for the great Behemoth's home was land and sky, and she went out into the world to heal the injustices done to their land. Only it was too late. The war, which was fought with great magic, had torn open the earth and left it in ruin.

The elves and Fae ended the war with no victor, for their numbers were so few there was none left to fight it. They each went in to hiding to rebuild their race, but sadly, only the elves would rise again. Many years passed and The First Born was alone. After so much time alone, she grew sad and her despair eventually consumed her.

In desperation for a companion, she breathed all the fire out of her until there was none left and out of the fire rose the first Phoenix. Since he was created with her last breath of fire, no dragon ever born after could breathe fire. But the phoenix could and the flame did not burn either of them.

_They lived a long time, watching civilizations grow and fall. When at last it was the Phoenix time to die, he embraced his love and then burst into flames. Out of his ashes rose a baby dragon. Dragons are born out of the ashes of the phoenix and phoenix are born from the breath of the dragon. So it has been since the days of The First Born and so it shall be forever more_.

Kalinth paused for reflection. It was a beautiful story, sad, but beautiful.

"Are all phoenix male?" Lillian asked her.

_And all dragons female_. Kalinth answered.

Lillian was about to ask another question, when her grumbling stomach interrupted her. Victoria chuckled and said they should head back to town for some lunch before meeting with her mother. Lillian gave the majestic creatures before her another look, she hoped she would be able to see them again one day.

# Chapter Twenty One

## Disobeying Mother

Victoria's mother was clearly not a woman anyone would want to cross. She took seriousness to a completely new level. Lillian shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Recalling the lovely lunch, prepared by Gail, she smiled to herself. Pleasant chatter had filled the room. It had felt like ages since Lillian was able to relax and enjoy someone's company.

They laughed as they told stories from their childhood, though no one could top Alex's story that had involved an octopus, a box of banana's and a very nervous Merrow prince. The five of them even practiced a little of their magic together. Though short lived, it came to them easy. Lillian had created two small rocks, rounded on one side and flat on the other.

Evangeline used her powers to raise them in the air so that the flat sides of the stones faced each other. Ryhan made a small flame on the round side of one stone, and Alex pooled water on the round side of the other. Victoria created a whorl wind around the stones. They all watched in amazement as the fire and water created an intricate swirly pattern around the stones.

The sound of the front door opening startled them and the two stones dropped down onto the table. Nothing but silence had filled the air from the moment that Stallia entered the room. Gail had cleaned up swiftly and left just as quickly. Victoria had risen and given up her seat to her mother.

The tension was inescapable, though Lillian was not sure what had created it, she had an inkling that it had to do with their presence in Volcaringuard.

"Mother...I kn-" Victoria had started, before her mother held her hand up to stop her.

Lillian was surprised at how obedient Victoria was. Around her mother, she seemed more like a timid girl than the vibrant and energetic person Lillian had first met. Stallia's presence filled the room. She looked like the type of person who demanded attention. Lillian compared her to her daughter. There were several similarities.

They had the same dirty blonde hair, cut short, no fuss. Their eyes shared the same shape, though Stallia had dull brown eyes. The same petite yet muscular bodies. Yet that was where the similarities ended. Though they both commanded attention, Stallia's personality was nothing like her daughters. She was calculating, brutally honest, and a bit too harsh for Lillian's liking.

"Victoria is not leaving Volcaringuard." Stallia said forcefully.

"Mother, please-" Victoria's mother raised her hand to stop her.

Taking her time to look at each of the girls Stallia proceeded, "When I went to that place, in Bastriean, to meet with the council...I agreed to come here, so that Victoria would be safe. I gave up my husband and my life, to protect hers. Now you sit here, barely even grown, and you want to take her to go fight some predestined war that you know nothing about. It is ludicrous. I won't allow it."

Stallia stood and headed for the door when Victoria shouted, "This isn't even up for discussion?"

"What is to discuss? A group of little girls who think playing with magic is a frivolous thing? People DIE in war Victoria. Open your eyes and grow up." Stallia finished with a slam of the door.

Lillian watched helplessly as Victoria ran out the back door. Alex followed her. It was clear they all wanted to do the same, but Evangeline had said they should give the two of them some time alone. Gail entered the room again. Lillian wasn't sure where she had been hiding, but it was clear from her face that she had been eavesdropping.

She watched as Gail busied herself and went on with small talk, even though no one was really paying her any attention. Absent-mindedly Lillian picked up one of the stones of the table and began fiddling with it. It felt different in her hands. It was no longer smooth. The surface of the rounded side had little ridges.

She flipped it over and looked at it closely. At first glance, it did not appear to be any different, but then she noticed a strange pattern engraved in the stone. It had four arms that swirled outward from the center. In the middle of the arms was a small figure that looped twice. She was about to ask Evangeline if she had ever seen anything like it, when Gail snatched the stone from her hand.

"Heavens child, do you know what this is?" Gail asked.

"No actually, I was just about to ask if anyone did." Lillian replied.

Ryhan picked up the other stone and studied it carefully before she asked, "Did we do this?"

"We must have, they were just normal stones before we practiced our magic." Evangeline said.

"Oh goodness, but do you know what you've created?" Gail asked enthused.

"Why don't you tell us Gail?" Ryhan snapped.

"It's a jogard." Gail said, as if that explained everything.

They must have looked confused as ever because Gail went on, "A jogard. An item that you store power in. It could be anything really, a book or a weapon, they are very rare and very difficult to make. The elves used them mostly, in amulets and such, for protection. This is a very valuable item you got yourselves here."

Lillian took the stone back from Gail. She studied it closely again, running her thumb over the simple pattern etched in it. It did feel somewhat electric in her hand and heavier than it should be. Gail stared at the stone in her hand, and Lillian found herself wondering what kind of woman Gail was beneath the surface. It was obvious that she was more than a simple tavern owner.

"I don't understand. If there are jogards out there in the world, why are there not more people using them? I've never even heard of one before." Lillian said.

"Well they can only be used by the person who created them, or a person to whom they are given willingly. There are not many magic users in the world anymore, with time the jogards became forgotten or useless. If you were to find one you wouldn't even know, it would just seem like a normal object." Gail explained.

Gail left them alone again and the three of them passed the stones back and forth contemplating what advantage it might give them in the future. Regardless, they had pressing matters to consider, Lillian reminded herself.

"So now what do we do? Sneak away? Leave Victoria behind?" Lillian asked sullenly.

"We can't leave her, we are stronger with her, and we need her." Evangeline said.

Ryhan asked, "Then how do we get her to leave with Stallia being so adamant that she's staying?"

"I think we might have a solution to that." Alex chimed in.

Lillian glanced toward the back door. Victoria was standing next to Alex and she greeted them with a small smirk. They followed Victoria through town and Lillian thought they were heading back up to the dragon's keep. However, they walked past the entrance to it.

Victoria led them to the edge of the town. They reached a dead end and with nowhere left for them to go, Lillian glanced at the others in confusion. Victoria found a small opening between the stone walls and motioned for them to follow her. Lillian did not mind the tight squeeze, but she could tell it made Ryhan nervous from her rapid breathing. The sides of the path got smaller before getting bigger again and at times they were moving sideways with their front's and backs touching stone.

Finally, they emptied into a small round clearing with a steep stone staircase that ran up the rest of the peak. Moving as quickly as they could manage, they all stopped and caught their breath when they reached the top. When she felt relatively normal again, Lillian took in her surroundings. There was not much to see other than a woven basket that was large enough for all of them to stand in, and some sort of cloth on the ground next to it.

Victoria smiled at them and ran to the basket. Lifting the cloth in her hands, Lillian noticed several wooden rods in various places. It resembled a set of stiff wings. The winged item attached to the basket with several heavy ropes and Lillian watched in dismay as she realized what Victoria wanted them to do.

No sooner than she had come to the conclusion that Victoria expected them to sail through the air in the basket, did she demonstrate exactly that notion by using her powers to make the basket hover slightly.

"No way. No." Lillian protested.

"Oh come on Lilly, it's our only option. I figure with all our powers, but especially mine and Evangeline's, we can steer this baby and sail right into Bastriean by tomorrow." Victoria said.

"There is a reason why my element is earth. I like to stay on the ground where I can feel the power of the earth." Lillian cried, and then added. "And don't call me Lilly."

"Lillian," Evangeline spoke calmly, "We are running out of time. We were supposed to be to Bastriean by tomorrow, we will already be late, and who knows how long it would take us to procure a ship and sail there."

"Not to mention all the Centermerge soldiers monitoring the boarders and coasts." Ryhan added.

"This really is the only way." Said Alex.

Lillian thought they were all crazy. They were going to die if they got in that thing she was sure of it, but they were right. Options were limited and time was not on their side. Nodding her head in agreement, she slowly climbed into the basket. As they lifted into the air, the basket heaved and she squeezed her eyes closed.

Trying to remember to breathe was proving a challenge as she gasped every time they hit an air current. Victoria tried to explain to her that it was normal, that they would rise and fall with the air currents, similar to a ship in the sea. Lillian did not find the information comforting. It wasn't long before Victoria and Evangeline grew tired from using their power.

Victoria obviously did not anticipate how much energy it would require to maintain their vessel for extended periods. The others took turns giving some of their energy to them, but after a few hours, they were all exhausted. Victoria took them lower, below the clouds occasionally to see if they could spot land. Finally, they saw the coast a few hundred feet away.

Something shifted the basket and Lillian lost her balance. Falling into the side, it tilted hard. A scream escaped her lips as fear coursed through her. She felt hands on her arms, though she could not see who helped her back into the center of the basket. All she could see was the image that burned in her mind. The sea, hundreds of feet below her, and her body crashing in to it.

"Ssshhh, it's okay. You're safe now." Someone said trying to calm her.

It was not working. The basket shifted again, harder that time, but everyone was able to brace themselves.

"What the hell is going on?" Ryhan shouted.

Just then, a shrill noise filled the air and sent chills down her spine. Lillian saw a large black raven swoop by and screech loudly. She tried again to read the bird, but could not connect. The other raven joined the first and she was shocked when the both of them rammed the side of the basket. Lurching forward, unable to brace herself, Lillian fell to the floor of the basket.

"We need to do something." She yelled.

"Like what?" Ryhan shrieked at her.

"I don't know. Blow them out of the sky!" Lillian suggested.

Ryhan looked as if she were contemplating her recommendation. Lillian knew they were all tired, and it would require a lot of energy to use any of their powers.

Defeat washed over Ryhan's face, "I can't. I can't summon anything."

One of the ravens moved above the winged structure out of view, while the other rammed them hard again.

"Keep trying!" Lillian shouted.

Ryhan concentrated and Lillian racked her brain on how to help. Tearing sounds filled her head, their make shift wings were being shredded by the raven. They were falling. Fast. They were going to crash. Suddenly Lillian remembered the stones she had shoved in her bag. Fumbling, she grabbed them and shoved one in to Ryhan's hand and the other to Victoria.

"NOW!" She screamed at them.

A loud clap and a blinding light overwhelmed her senses. She watched the ravens fall toward the ground, spiraling down to the chilly water below. Their feathers singed and their beaked charred. Ryhan had summoned a lightning bolt. She wondered if Ryhan even knew she could do that. Victoria had done her best to keep them level as they fell, but they hit the ground hard.

Blood filled her mouth as she tumbled out of the basket and bit down on her tongue. Rolling several feet from the crash site, she finally came to a stop when she hit a large bolder, knocking her head against it as she did. The world went black for a few seconds. Those few brief moments seemed like hours. She tried to sit up, but everything spun and she laid back down.

Assessing the damage kept her calm. Broken ribs were a given, but she thought she may have also broken her hip. Her tongue was still bleeding and she guessed that she had bit clean through it. Everything hurt. EVERYTHING. She heard someone moaning not far from her. Ryhan stumbled over and asked her if she was okay. Lillian tried to answer, but couldn't make any words come out.

Staring at Ryhan, unable to utter a single word, she hoped that she would understand.

She seemed to because she ran off right before she said, "I'll go find Evangeline."

Death had never really scared her. Even when she was afraid of getting in the crazy flying vessel Victoria had created, it was not really fear of dying. It was fear of pain. Pain like she was in at that moment. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall silently. Wherever they had landed, it was cold. The chill settled in to her bones and made her shiver.

Exhaustion took over and she felt herself give in to the peace of sleep. Her pain lessened a bit and she breathed a little easier.

"Oh no you don't." Someone scolded her.

It had to be Evangeline. She opened her eyes to confirm her calculation and shut them again.

"I'm not losing you, not today sweetie." Evangeline told her.

Losing her? What did she mean by that? Lillian did not care. She just wanted to sleep. Searing hot pain coursed through her body as she felt bones crack and move back in to place. If she hadn't already had her eyes closed the pain she was feeling would have blinded her. When Evangeline finished, she slumped down against the bolder.

It must have depleted her completely. Lillian felt wonderful though, not a single stich of pain remained.

"Thank you." She said. It was all she could manage. What did you say to someone who probably just saved your life?

Evangeline smiled in response.

Lillian took a moment to evaluate their surroundings. They were on the beach not far from a heavily wooded area. The basket was farther down. Clearly, it tossed her farther than she guessed when they crashed.

"Where are Victoria and Alex?" She asked.

"I don't know. We couldn't find them." Ryhan replied.

Lillian noticed the dried blood on Ryhan's head, but there was no wound. Evangeline must have gotten to her first.

"Should we search for them or wait by the basket?" Ryhan asked.

"I think we are exposed out here, we need to get under some cover. Maybe those trees?" Lillian suggested.

They agreed with her. Ryhan and Lillian each took one of Evangeline's arms and helped her into the woods. The sun was beyond the horizon and light was fading fast. Ryhan debated on making a fire. If the Centermerge saw the smoke they would find them, but so would Victoria and Alex. In the end, Lillian told her to go ahead.

They should at least stay warm while they figured out what to do next. Once Evangeline had some of her strength back, they all agreed to take turns keeping watch. Lillian would take the second watch so she settled into the ground and tried her hardest to get some sleep.

It was difficult, and she was finally about to surrender to her dreams when she heard a piercing scream. Not even a scream. It sounded more like a wail or cry, and it was close. Silence hung in the air as they waited for something to happen, and Lillian jumped when the cry pierced the night again. It did not sound like an animal, but it definitely did not sound human either.

When they heard the cry a third time there was no need for words, they all got up and started running. She had no idea where they were running to, and she didn't care, so long as they were moving away from that sound. Lillian did not need her eyes to see where she was going. She could sense the forest around her. She also sensed death and a lot of it. As she stopped to catch her breath, she realized that the others were no longer behind her.

Calling out for them, she ran back the way she came but could not find them. Frantic she ran all the way back to their small campsite and found nothing. The fire sizzled softly and the ground was still wet where someone doused it with water. Calling out for them again, she heard something in the woods in front of her.

Turning around, she ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction and slammed hard into something solid. She felt arms reach around her and realized that a man stood before her. He gripped her hard and started to drag her away. She screamed and he covered her mouth with his hand. Biting down hard, salty blood filled her mouth. She tried to spit it out but his hand stayed firmly in place and she had no choice but to swallow it.

Bile rose in her throat and she thought she might choke on her own vomit if he did not release her soon. Using every bit of her strength, she raised the roots of a tree behind him and tore away from his loosening grip as he fell backwards. Taking off as fast as she could, she did not wait around to see how quickly he recovered.

The next few seconds that passed seemed like hours. Just when she thought she had escaped him, something worse crossed her path. A creature jumped down from a tree branch above her and knocked her onto her back. Scrambling to get up it grabbed her by the legs and climbed on top of her. Sitting on her chest it looked down on her with a fierce hunger in its crimson eyes.

She had never seen anything so vicious. It looked as though at one time it may have been human or possibly an elf. Its body covered in dirt and dried blood with only a few scraps of cloth covering its genitals. The thought to bed crossed her mind, but she was almost positive that it would not understand her, and if it did, it would not care.

It sniffed her and hissed, showing a row of razor sharp teeth that looked intentionally filled into points. It leaned close and licked her face and she screamed. It screamed back at her. Suddenly it sniffed the air and looked around. Hopping off her it grabbed a fistful of her hair and started to drag her back into the thickness of the woods. Patches of her hair ripped loose from her scalp and she screamed at the burning sensation.

Kicking her feet and putting up as much resistance as she could, she only felt slightly relieved when the man from before leapt out of nowhere and wrestled the creature to the ground. Taking advantage of her moment of freedom Lillian stood and ran, willing her feet to take her far away from them. She was not sure who the mystery man was, but she did not want to stick around and find out. A guttural shriek sounded behind her and she quickened her pace.

The man caught up to her and she stopped and faced him. She was about to tell him she wasn't afraid of him when he raised his hand to hit her over the head with something, she wasn't sure what it is was because as soon as it made contact darkness surrounded her.

# Part Five

### Victoria

## Chapter Twenty Two

## Remnants of Soul

Victoria had never been in water. Well, aside from the washtub and the stream that ran along the outside of the village. The ocean was very different from a small stream that you can stand over with one foot on either side. The ocean swallowed you up. It tried to pull you to its depths with its enchanting song of the sea. She was not sure how long she could hold her breath.

Spending most of her time in the air, she had become accustom to the changes in pressure and the shortness of breath that would happen occasionally. That was much easier than feeling the weight of the water press in on her. Her body felt like the air inside her was ready to burst out. Flailing as she was trying to reach the surface, her heart raced with fear.

She was failing miserably. With every awkward stroke, she felt as though she were sinking further. A hand reached out for hers and as soon as it touched her, she knew it was Alex. Peace washed over her and knew that she would be okay. Alex helped her up and when they broke the surface of the water Victoria gave a great yelp.

Air had never felt so good in her lungs. She wrapped her arms around Alex and they sunk back under the water for a moment and surfaced again. Alex laughed and shook her head as they headed toward the shore. It was slow going, but Victoria felt like she was getting the hang of swimming.

At least she could keep her head above water on her own, that had to count for something. They crawled on to the sandy beach and sat for a moment. Victoria leaned back on to her forearms with her feet stretched out in front of her.

"Well, look at you." She said to Alex. "Dry as a plant in the dessert."

Alex just giggled a little and said, "Just a little perk of having a water element for power."

She gave Victoria a wink.

Victoria's stomach did a few flips.

Motioning to her wet clothes she said, "Mind helping a girl out?"

"Sure." Alex said with a smile.

Victoria's breath hitched a little when Alex leaned in closer. She smelled like wind, salt, and something sensual, like hundreds of fluttering untamed lilies. It was intoxicating. She thought she could sit there all day and just languish in that smell. Their eyes met and slowly Alex touched Victoria's lips with her own.

It was not hurried. There was passion just under the surface, buried deep, waiting for excavation like some lost ancient treasure. Victoria kissed her back, running her hands through Alex's silky black mane. She had wanted to do that since the first time she saw her. Their kiss deepened.

Alex ran her fingers down Victoria's arm, they were cold, and left a chilly trail of bumps. She didn't mind though, it was invigorating to feel the cold from her fingers against the heat of her skin. She wanted more of her, but too soon, Alex pulled away.

Giving her a flash of a smile Alex said, "Any more complaints?"

Victoria took a moment to examine herself. She was dry. Every bit of her, even her satchel that somehow managed to stay around her, was dry.

"Nice work. Thank you." She said.

"Maybe we should look for the others." Alex suggested.

"I think you are probably right." Victoria said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before jumping up and brushing the sand off herself.

It took them a while to find the basket. They feel into the ocean long before the others crashed on the shore. They found the basket, but nothing else. Victoria noticed some blood on a bolder nearby, but nothing that would indicate a struggle.

Observing some woods not far from where they were she looked at Alex and said, "I think they went into the woods, probably to make camp, it's getting pretty dark."

Alex agreed and they headed for the woods. Just before they reached the beginning of the tree line, she heard a scream. It was unlike anything she had heard before. It was scary and she did not scare often.

"What the hell was that?" Alex asked.

"I don't know, but we have to find them. What if they are in danger?" Victoria replied.

Alex nodded and took her hand, "Let's go."

Everything in her wanted to run the other way. Those screams were not natural and she definitely did not want to meet whomever or whatever was making them. The strange scream seemed to be getting farther away. Then she heard one that was a lot closer, only it was most certainly one of the other girls. It did not take them long to find the campsite the others were using. Oddly, water soaked the ground, someone intentionally put out the fire.

"What now?" Victoria asked.

Alex threw her hands up, unsure.

"They can't have gotten far, we'll find them." Victoria said, more to herself than to Alex.

They headed deeper into the woods. Leaves littered the ground and it was nearly impossible to walk quietly. Anyone would have been able to hear them coming.

"Look at this." Alex pointed to the ground.

There was a trail of drag marks through the leaves and dirt. Someone had dragged a body through that area, and recently. Following the trail was difficult, as their only light was the moon. Even that did not help much under the trees. Finally, they stumbled into a small clearing.

There was a tiny hut, that shown a dim glow through its one window. Victoria motioned for Alex to stay where she was, then crept closer to the hut. Trappings hung just outside the door, over a low hanging tree limb. She nearly screamed when she stepped onto a pile of bones under the window. Gathering her wits, she took a deep breath and peeked in.

A large man sat a table with his back to her. His clothes appeared dirty and tattered. She was not able to see much of the room, but she thought she could make out the shape of a person on a cot. The sound of snapping branches made her jump. Alerted to the sound, the man turned toward the window. Victoria ducked quickly, hoping he did not see her.

Glancing over at Alex, she gave her a questioning look. Alex shook her head and then pointed across the clearing. Someone was stumbling out of the woods. It was Ryhan. Victoria waved at her to get down, but it was too late. The man marched out the door and straight for her.

"Stop!" Victoria yelled.

Alex ran out of her hiding spot and stood next to Victoria. The man stopped moving toward Ryhan and turned towards them. His long beard matted with food and grime, fell down to the middle of his chest and he looked as though the concept of a bath was foreign to him. She wanted to run, but she knew she needed to get inside his hut. Trying as hard as she could to use their connection she willed Ryhan to go into the hut.

Instead, Ryhan screamed and ran straight at the man, jumping on his back. Ryhan's eyes were glowing with rage, a brilliant deep blue with bright red flecks burning like flames.

"Ryhan no!" Victoria screamed, but it was too late.

Ryhan burst into flames while she still had a hold of the man.

He cried out in agony.

Victoria took Alex's hand and concentrated, Victoria trying to draw all the air out of the flame and Alex flooding them with water. Ryhan's anger was too strong. Her power blazed through everything they threw at her. Doing the only other thing she could think of, Victoria began to pull all the air from Ryhan's lungs. Several moments later, the fire died out and Ryhan looked at Victoria with pain in her eyes.

Victoria released her. Ryhan took deep ragged breaths. The man moaned. She could not believe that he was still alive. Half his face was charred and oozing burns covered his chest and arms.

"Ryhan what have you done?" Alex shouted at her.

"Seriously? What have I done? He was going to kill us, just like he did Lillian! I saw him drag her off into the woods and followed him here. You should be thanking me." Ryhan screamed back at her.

Victoria could see the rage building in Ryhan's eyes again, "Lillian's not dead. She's inside."

They both turned and looked at her, "At least I think she is. There is someone knocked out in there."

The three of them ran inside quickly. Evangeline was sitting on the edge of the cot looking as if she were about to be sick.

"Evangeline, I'm so glad you are okay." Alex said and embraced her.

Evangeline returned her affection with minimal effort.

"What's wrong?" Ryhan asked.

"I...I can feel..." Evangeline gasped and then stuck her head out the window and vomited.

"I can feel him, his pain. It excruciating."

"I'm going to kill him." Ryhan said angrily.

Evangeline stopped her, "No, Ryhan, it's not what you think."

Victoria watched as Evangeline stood and walked outside. She knelt down next to the man and wept.

"I'm too weak." Evangeline said.

Wiping her tears from her face, she began to rub them on his wounds. Her sobbing continued for ages and every now and then, she would wipe her tears and rub them onto the man. Victoria had no idea what Evangeline was doing, but she seemed so distraught that she did not want to disturb her. After a while, the man stopped moaning and began to lie still.

Victoria was sure that he had finally died, when he sat up violently and screamed. She ran towards Evangeline, but she motioned for her to stop, so she did. He looked around and then at Evangeline. His wounds were gone, only faint pink marks and burned clothing left evidence of what had took place. She had to look twice and thought for sure the night was playing tricks on her.

Sure enough, he was sitting there, dazed, unsure of what had happened to him. The man began to sob and Evangeline wrapped her arms around him and let him weep. They eventually convinced him to get up and move inside. Alex lit a small lamp while Ryhan sat in silence in the corner. Victoria did not know what was going on with her, but at that moment, Ryhan looked to be in a place where no one could reach her.

Evangeline gave the man a drink of water. He spilt a little, and dribbled down his chin. He looked much different with his beard burned away. Almost familiar. Evangeline boiled water and began to clean the man with hot rags, soothing him and asking questions.

"What is your name?"

He looked at her, opening his mouth and closing it again before finally uttering, "Ayden."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him. He did bare some resemblance to the king.

"Have you lived here long Ayden?" Evangeline asked softly, ignoring the obvious.

He shook his head, "I move from time to time. Never staying in one place too long. But I keep to these woods."

"What horrors do these woods hold?" Evangeline asked.

"The Wendigo." He said with a shudder.

Evangeline proceeded carefully, "I've never heard of the Wendigo before. Did they take Lillian?"

Victoria admired her strength. Evangeline knew exactly how to keep him calm and still get information out of him.

"Yes." He said sadly. "I tried to help her, but she fought me and they took her."

"How do we get her back?" Ryhan asked angrily.

Ayden leaned out from the shadow and into the light, His eyes were remarkable, a pale violet that reflected the light intensely.

He said, "You don't."

At that moment, the room went into chaos. Ryhan tried attacking Ayden again. Alex screamed at Ryhan. Evangeline threw herself between him and the others while also asking him to stay calm and seated. Their voices so loud and grating, she could hardly think.

Victoria covered her ears and yelled, "Stop!"

A huge gust of wind forced the door open and blew through the hut. It did what she intended. Everyone quieted and sat back down.

"Now, why don't we give the man a chance to explain what these Wendigo creatures are?" Victoria demanded.

They all sat silently waiting for Ayden to speak.

Eyeing them all curiously he began, "The Wendigo are nothing to trifle with. You are in the forest of Bastrioph, where no one dares to venture and it is because of those creatures. They are cannibals. They eat the flesh to become more like gods. Vicious does not even begin to describe them. They are savage with no regard for life.

"Sometimes you will find them living in small groups, but they fight and eat each other, there is no allegiance. Even when they mate and have children, the children rarely make it into adulthood because their parents eat them. They are clever, but also feral. I have never heard them communicate through speech, only grunts and gestures, and of course, the screeches you heard before. Like I said, you don't get her back. She has probably already become dinner."

Victoria had a hard time wrapping her mind around creatures like those that he was describing. She could not just sit there and dismiss Lillian's death as if she was nothing the way Ayden was.

"No. We will find her. We need to know for sure whether they have done something to her. If you want to sit here in your shack and be the coward that you obviously are, then be my guest. Or you could put your clearly extensive knowledge of these beasts to good use and help us." She said.

Ayden looked at her amused.

Ryhan scoffed, "He won't help us." Ryhan got closer to him and continued, "We know who you are, prince Ayden. You let everyone believe you were dead, and now we find you hiding in this grovel amongst savages. For what? Look at you. You're pathetic!"

Ryhan threw her hands up and yelled at everyone and no one, "This is the prince of light that is supposed to rally the troops and take back the throne? It is ridiculous. He won't even fight for one girl."

Ayden stood up angrily and growled, "Fine, it's your death wish."

Victoria was not sure if she wanted to scold or applaud Ryhan. It did not matter, what she had said worked. He had thrust what few weapons he had into their hands and marched out of the hut. She held an axe with a long handle between her hands, it felt heavy and awkward, but hopefully it would do some damage if needed.

They followed him silently through the thick woods until they reached another clearing. The stench of rotting flesh wafted through the air. Victoria gaged and tried to hold her breath. Blood soaked dirt softened their footsteps, but left clearly visible tracks in their place. Bones of various sizes littered the ground in small piles. Raccoons, deer, and even birds lay half-eaten and decomposing on the ground. It was clear that the Wendigo did not discriminate and would eat whatever creature they could find.

Ayden placed his finger over his lips and pointed to the far side of the field. A group of six Wendigo was huddled together, pounding their fists into the ground and growling angrily at something in front of them. Heaving a sigh of relief, Victoria smiled at the others and pointed out what she saw. Lillian had shaped the earth, and made herself a cage of rock.

They could not get to her, but neither could the Wendigo. One of the savages sniffed the wind and turned toward her suddenly. Victoria did not even have time to react before he was on top of her. She thrust the handle of the axe between them and tried to shove him off. Snarling at her, he gnashed his sharp pointy stubs of teeth. His eyes were blood red and his strength was incredible.

Trying again to force him off, he pushed back hard and lunged at her face. Something sailed through the air towards them. It was not until the knife made a sickening thunk sound, that she realized Ayden threw it. The blade lodged solidly into the creatures ear and hot blood dripped down onto her face. Thrusting the creature off her, she stood shot Ayden an appreciative glance and waited for another to attack. The other Wendigo were circling them, about to charge.

They could not stand there and deliberate, Victoria took Ryhan's hand, and the others joined. Just as the creatures leapt to attack, Victoria sent a huge force of wind to knock them back. They fell to the ground confused. Taking advantage of the few seconds of reprieve Ryhan created a massive fireball. Angrily the wendigo recovered quickly and ran at them. Evangeline used her power to whip the fireball around, surrounding them in a circular motion. Victoria created a whorl wind to keep the momentum going.

The fireball grew in width and height and they were safe, enclosed in a swirling wall of fire. A brave wendigo attempted to reach through the flames and screeched out in pain as he pulled his charred hand back and clutched it to his chest. In that moment, Lillian burst from her rock haven. The Wendigo were confused, but followed their instincts and ran toward the available meal and away from the wall of fire.

Lillian closed her eyes and raised her hands slightly. Slowly moving them farther apart, the ground vibrated violently. Victoria struggled to keep her balance as the ground shook aggressively beneath her. Small cracks formed in the ground and she watched in astonishment, as they grew larger until the earth crumbed open. The wendigo focused on the savory morsel in front of them, noticed too late. Just as they were about to reach her, they fell into the opening with loud screeching noises. One of the creatures managed to grab hold to the side of the hole and pulled itself up and over the edge. Lillian reacted quickly and kicked the creature hard. It lost its grip and frantically searched for something to grasp.

Finding nothing, a look of success crossed its face when it latched onto Lillian's leg and knocked her hard onto the ground.

"No!" Someone shouted, though Victoria was not sure who had broken the silence of the intense scene she was witnessing.

Dragging her down with it, Lillian kicked at its face several times before it released her. Scrambling away from the edge her chest heaved as she caught her breath. Victoria could not tell how deep the cavern went, but it was apparently enough to keep anyone from crawling back out. Lillian stood with her arms out wide and her eyes closed. Bringing her hands together slowly, she closed the earth and trapped the wendigo inside.

Evangeline, Ryhan, and Victoria released the fiery whirlwind and a small breeze swept over them. They stood in silence, unsure of what to make of the event, before finally running to embrace Lillian. Reuniting with her increased the power of their connection and Victoria felt stronger. Ayden stared at them, his jaw hanging open slightly.

He was wary, but approached them anyway, "What the hell did I just witness?"

Victoria laughed and said, "Don't you know? We are the daughters of the sapphire star! And apparently we are going to help you get your throne back!"

# Chapter Twenty Three

## Reaching an End

Returning to the small hut was not her favorite idea, but they needed to rest and to regroup. Victoria volunteered to take the first watch. Dawn would approach in a few hours. Watching the sunrise from the top of the mountain was her favorite part of the day. She was not on top of a mountain and she could not see much of the sky through the trees, but it was a ritual of sorts for her and gave her time to clear her thoughts. It was not long before Evangeline came to join her.

"Can't sleep?" Victoria asked.

Evangeline shook her head, smiled weakly, and sat down on the top step of the porch.

"Feel like talking?" Victoria asked.

Evangeline waited a moment, took a deep breath, and then shook her head again.

"That's okay, silence is good." Victoria commented.

Evangeline laughed a little, "Really? From the way you chatter I would think it makes you uncomfortable."

Sitting down next to her Victoria retorted, "Not at all. Well around people yes, I am never sure what to say so sometimes I ramble. However, when I am in the air with the dragons and phoenix, there is no need for words. Everything is instinctual. Silence is comforting then."

Evangeline seemed as though she liked that thought and rested her arms across her knees before blurting out, "I think he's my father."

Caught off guard, Victoria had to take a moment to process what she was telling her. Ayden, she must have been talking about Ayden. Yikes, she could not imagine coming to that conclusion. Time had really done a number on the gruff man inside, and that was probably the last person she would want for a father.

"It's okay. I know you must think I am crazy. But his eyes Victoria. I've only ever seen one other person, besides myself, with eyes like that and that was my brother Gavin." Evangeline explained.

"I believe you. Are you going to say anything to him?" Victoria asked trying to be supportive.

"I don't know. I mean that man is nothing like the tales told about him. Maybe I should just take some time to get to know him." Evangeline said.

Victoria nodded in agreement and let the silence fill the air once more. When the sun was well over the trees, Ryhan came to relieve her, and she had never been more ready for sleep. The hut was tiny and they had accommodated everyone by moving the table outside. That had not offered much room, they were practically laying on top of one another, but they made due.

Ayden slept in his cot and Lillian and Alex lay on the floor. The spot behind Alex was open and Victoria laid down next to her, wrapping her arm over her waist, gently as not to wake her. Alex took hold of her hand and pulled her closer. Within seconds she was out, and dreaming.

Uneasiness filled her. It wasn't her dream and she could feel that something was not right. She was in a sleeping chamber. Romantic decorations littered the room. Lush blankets and a mountain of pillows lay on the bed. Silky fabrics draped the wall and candles flickered their dim light, casting strange shadows across the ceiling. She walked over to the only door in the room.

Trying to open it was like trying to move a tree. It would not budge. Hearing voices outside, she pressed her back against the wall just as the door swung open. Thankfully, she stayed hidden from view, blocked by the door she had just tried opening, which apparently was not so hard to do.

Reminding herself that it could be charmed, she concentrated on the people conversing.

"He can't keep me here. I have to wake up some time." Alex said frantically.

"We'll see." A rough voice responded before slamming the door.

Victoria watched as Alex ran over and flopped onto the bed, screaming into one of the pillows.

"Do you feel better now?" Victoria asked, trying to make light of the situation.

Startled at first, Alex moved away from her, and then ran into her arms sobbing, "This talisman was supposed to protect me, but it doesn't work. At least not the way it's supposed to."

It was not the first time Victoria had notice the necklace that hung around Alex's neck. She kept it tucked under her shirt most of the time, so Victoria had never gotten a good look at it. Adaro was not a secret. Alex had shared everything with her. Well, as much as she could in the short time they had known each other. She had not realize how serious it was, Alex didn't put much weight in her story, perhaps it was to keep her from worrying.

"Tell me how it's supposed to work." Victoria said.

"It is supposed to keep him from doing this." She said exasperated, motioning to the room around them.

Raising her eyebrow, Victoria asked for a better explanation.

"It is supposed to stop him from coming into my dreams, or bringing me into his. Still, here I am, every night."

"Does he come to you? Do you see him or talk to him?" Victoria asked curiously.

"No. That guard brings me here, but I do not see Adaro. I think he is torturing me, or trying to drive me crazy." Alex cried.

"Or...he can't come. Maybe the talisman is working, and he's just trying to find a way around it." Victoria thought it was clever. Sick, but clever.

"So what do I do?" Alex asked and looked at her as if she could save her. A look made her feel confident and afraid at the same time.

"Just ride it out until we can find his hydari or whatever it was that you called that thing." Victoria told her.

With a bit of a laugh Alex responded, "Hydria. An item holds his soul. I do not really understand it much myself, but we have to find it. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

They sat down on the bed and Victoria put her arms around Alex. She should have been scared or sad for her. However, in that moment Victoria's desire for Alex was overwhelming. It was impossible to hide her feelings from Alex because her power of intuition was incredible. Intuition aside their connection went beyond the physical and Alex could often tell what she was thinking or feeling before she ever had the chance to say it.

Clearly sensing her desires, Alex pulled away. Victoria felt slightly embarrassed at the thought that she made Alex feel uncomfortable. Before she could apologize, Alex pushed her onto her back and straddled her. Confused by her actions, Victoria started to protest, but a wave a desire washed over her again when Alex leaned down and kissed her. Unlike their first kiss, there was nothing slow about it. Heat flushed her skin and the feel of Alex's body against hers overpowered everything else.

The only thing she could think of, or want, was to be closer and to feel more of her.

Shifting her weight, she rolled their entwined bodies and lay on top of Alex. Pieces of clothing came off one by one and they were both nearly naked when a nagging thought crossed her mind. Victoria wanted to wait to have sex. Her first time was important to her. The sudden urgency to throw away her convictions seemed strange.

She stopped for a moment and Alex sat up quickly and asked, "What's wrong?"

The thought left just as quickly as it had come and she looked at Alex, more beautiful than she had ever seen her, leaning back on her elbows and waiting for Victoria.

"Nothing. I had a thought, but it must have been nothing." She said.

Wanting to finish what they had started, she leaned back down and kissed Alex's neck. The tiny gasps of pleasure that escaped Alex's mouth fueled her desire. Something was not right. The craving was real and she wanted her, but it was as if they could not control themselves.

She stopped, "Does something feel off to you?"

Alex looked hurt, "What do you mean?"

Grabbing her face between her palms Victoria looked her in the eye, "Not with you. That is not what I meant. I want you, believe me I want you."

"I want you too." Alex said pulling Victoria closer.

Giving in, she melted into Alex before pushing her away again, "No, think about it. What if this room is enchanted? On the other hand, maybe it is just the bed. Stand up."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, while giving her a smoldering look.

Victoria jumped off the bed quickly, pulling Alex with her. Immediately she felt different. The desire was still there, but it did not overwhelm her senses. Reaching for their clothes, they stood apart from each other, unsure of what had just happened and afraid that touching might start it all over again.

"Whoa." Victoria could not manage to say anything else.

Alex just nodded in agreement.

She waited for her breathing to return to normal and her heart to slow before saying, "So it was definitely the bed."

"At least now I know how he planned to seduce me. Do you think it would have worked?" Alex asked.

"I don't know, it seemed to only intensify the desire I have for you, not create it." Victoria answered.

Alex smiled shyly.

Victoria added, "If he ever does show up, just stay off the bed to be sure."

Alex opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Victoria closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them, she was in the small hut and everyone was awake chatting quietly. Alex still laid next to her and she smiled at her warmly. Smiling back, she sat up and stretched her sore limbs. An ache that felt nice.

"You two slept a long time. We were just about to wake you." Evangeline said.

Victoria looked at Alex just as she blushed. Fortunately, she was the only one who noticed. Ayden had made a pot of oats and tore off a piece of bread from his last loaf for each of them. It was bland, but it was food.

They packed up what little they had and left the small hut behind shortly after they finished eating. According to Ayden, there were only flat plains in the distance between Bastrioph and the entrance to Bastriean. Their journey was relatively easy, aside from stopping at a stream for water and to wash away what grime they could, they reached the mountains of Bastriean before nightfall.

The closer they got to their destination the antsier Ayden became. When they reached the base of the mountains he declared that he had done his duty by helping them that far and that he was returning to his hut. Ryhan glared at him and looked like she was about to spew a string of insults his way when Evangeline pulled him aside and spoke to him softly. Victoria could not hear what she said, but whatever it was seemed to calm him.

"So how do we get in?" She asked.

Three small mountain ranges that formed an almost perfect triangle, kept Bastriean safely hidden from the outside world. It offered great protection, but difficulty traveling there. They stood just outside where two of the ranges met.

"There should be a passage somewhere. We just have to find it." Ayden replied.

Ryhan looked annoyed, "Oh that's it huh? I thought you'd been here before your highness."

"It was years ago, before my brother took over and when my father was still alive, and it was the only time." Ayden replied angrily.

"Geez Ryhan, cut him some slack." Alex said.

"Now I get to hear it from you? Nice, make my day why don't you?" Ryhan said sarcastically.

"Oh give it a rest. Just because you are miserable, doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else." Alex snapped.

Victoria was surprised at her, Alex was usually more mindful of the feelings of others. Ryhan had seemed rather annoyed when Victoria and Alex were around each other, and often kept her distance. Alex had confided that it was because Ryhan longed for someone she missed terribly.

Evangeline had done her best to keep everyone in the loop, and had briefly touched on the relationship between Gavin and Ryhan, but left out most of the details out of respect for Ryhan. Stepping between Alex, Ryhan, and Ayden, Victoria looked back and forth between them.

"That is enough. Look how far we have come, how far the two of you have come. We are almost there, can you please keep in mind what our task is and not worry so much about the other stuff." She pleaded.

They both agreed and Victoria accepted a silent thank you from Evangeline before adding, "Lillian, do you think you can sense where the entrance is?"

"I can try," She replied.

They all waited patiently while she walked around the large hills of rock and dirt. Lillian stopped in front of a small patch of blue and grey stone.

"It's here." She said. "It requires sacrifice. Does anyone have a knife?"

Ayden handed her a long serrated blade and she thanked him. Pricking the tip of her finger, Lillian smeared the blood on the wall and stepped back. It surprised Victoria to see the same symbol they created on the jogard, painted on the stone in Lillian's blood. Moments later the symbol started to glow, faintly at first and then more brightly.

Finally, the symbol flashed brilliantly then faded and the stones crumbled and fell in small pieces to the ground.

"Nice work." Victoria exclaimed as they headed into the dark tunnel that lay before them.

It was not the first time she had to feel her way through a dark tunnel and it probably would not be her last. Navigating was not even that difficult. It stretched out fairly straight at a slight incline. Minutes later, they were out in fresh air and looking pleased with each other.

"Drop your weapons and kneel." Someone shouted.

Thinking it must be a joke Victoria looked around curiously.

"I said kneel." The voice demanded again.

"Great. Just great." Ryhan muttered as she knelt on the ground.

Victoria followed her, as did the rest of them. A dashing man stood before them. He carried a long sword on his hip and a crossbow in his hands. Confidence exuded from him and he held himself with a seriousness that dared any of them to challenge him.

Victoria wasn't surprised when Ryhan smarted off. "This is crap. Do you have any idea what we have been through to get here?"

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" He asked forcefully.

"Do YOU?" Ryhan replied angrily.

The man hardly looked fazed at her sarcastic banter and was about to reply when another voice sounded behind him, "That's enough, Lord Byron."

"Yes my lady." He said and bowed slightly.

Victoria did not even think she could describe the woman if someone had asked her to. She was mesmerizing. Smiling warmly at them all, the woman focused her gaze on Ayden.

Her voice was melodious when she spoke, "Ayden, it is good to know you are well. We have all worried for you."

He replied, "My lady Ava, I did not mean for you to fret. I did what I had to."

"Hush. What is past is past. Let us start anew." She said, and then added, "You are all weary from your travels. Come, warm your bones, and fill your bellies, for we have much to discuss."

No one said a word and followed her willingly. Victoria was not sure how it had escaped her notice before, but a large castle loomed ahead of them. It was massive and would take days. Weeks even, to explore all the rooms it had to offer. As they approached the entrance, Victoria felt a little hesitant. Thoughts of turning back and returning to her mother crossed her mind.

Glancing at Ayden she thought of how he had lived his life over the past years and she decided that she would rather be brave and face what was coming with them, then hide out alone. She took Alex's hand and ventured into the castle, reassured by the connection and power she felt between them.

# Chapter Twenty Four

## Training Day

Victoria had never been inside a castle before, but it was exactly as how she imagined one would look. Tall stone walls and drafty rooms filled corridor after corridor. Each room they passed seemed bigger than the next. When they stopped at the kitchen, her eyes grew big and her stomach rumbled. It was enormous and filled with people.

Several men bustled in, wearing similar grey tunics. They greeted them kindly, then picked up several trays and bustled out just as quickly. Women dashed around carrying away dirty pots and replacing them with clean ones. Whatever they were cooking smelled fantastic.

Ava led them to a round table large enough to accommodate all seven of them. A plump man strolled over and spat out a list of things he had available for them to eat. Most of it was things she had never heard of before and so she settled for a roasted turkey leg and hot tomato soup. A loaf of fresh bread accompanied her meal and it crackled divinely when she sliced in to it.

Enjoying it immensely, she sopped up the last of the soup with a piece of bread and pushed her bowl away in embarrassment. The others joked at her ability to eat so quickly. After they had all finished, and their plates cleared away, Ava showed them to their rooms. Ayden left the group first as his room resided in a different location than theirs did.

As they came to another long hall of rooms, Evangeline spoke to Ava, "Is there a room that is big enough for all of us perhaps?"

Ava laughed angelically and paused in front of a large wooden door.

Opening it, she motioned for them to enter. Inside the huge room were five, four-poster beds. Each one made of ebony, and carved with the most intricate patterns. Placed to one side of the room in a half circle, the beds left the rest of the room open and filled with beautiful items. Victoria wandered the room and examined things randomly. There was a small chaise placed at the end of every bed, each one a different pattern or color.

A vanity equipped with girly things sat neatly tucked away in a corner. A gigantic wardrobe full of clothes sat open as if waiting for them. Scenic paintings covered the walls, and her eye fell on one that was different from the numerous landscapes that hung. It was a depiction of five pregnant women, standing in front of the castle under the night sky, while a blue star was falling over them.

She thought she recognized one of them.

"That's your mother, there." Ava said behind her, pointing at the woman on the far left.

It was a remarkable resemblance. She recognized her mother's stern face and platinum hair even though it was much longer. The other girls ventured over and admired the painting as Ava pointed out whose mother was where. Victoria remembered that aside from herself and Ryhan, none of the others had ever met their mothers. Suddenly feeling bad for the way she left her mother, she thought she ought to find a way to get a message to her and let her know that she was all right.

"You're mothers wanted to sleep together as well. They were inseparable. Your bond was evident, even then." Ava said to them.

Thinking back on everything that had happened and the things they had done, there was no denying their power was great, but she was not convinced their bond was as strong as Ava implied. Lillian acted as if she could barely stand her, and Ryhan and Alex were constantly fighting. Evangeline got tired of keeping everyone calm and levelheaded. If their bond was so great, Victoria thought it should be easier to be around one another. Perhaps that would come with time.

"Through that door is a washroom, the tub is filled and ready for whomever would like to use it. Just ring the bell when you need fresh water and someone will be happy to oblige." Ava said, then added, "Get a good night's rest, tomorrow morning you start training with me."

With that, she left them, not allowing a chance for them to ask any questions.

"This is Amazing!" Alex said excitedly.

Ryhan huffed and went to the washroom.

"Well that was rude, she didn't even ask if anyone minded that she went first." Alex said.

"Alex please." Evangeline pleaded.

"Sorry Angel, just tired I guess." Alex said with a wink.

Victoria watched her closely as Alex flopped down on a bed and motioned for her to join.

She raised her eyebrow and laughed, "You sure that's such a good idea?"

Alex laughed with her, "I'll keep my distance."

Victoria joined her, laying down in the opposite direction. Their heads lay next to each other and Victoria swung her feet gently over the side of the bed. Resting her hands on her stomach, she felt her tense muscles relax.

"This is nice," Alex said to her.

She nodded in agreement.

It was nice, for that moment. She had an unsettling feeling that it would be the last night they were able to relax for a while.

Alex rolled on her side and leaned on her elbow, resting her head on her hand, "I want to talk to you about something."

Victoria rolled over and assumed the same position, face to face she joked. "It's that I smell isn't it?"

Alex burst out laughing. "No, it isn't that you smell." She leaned in closer and sniffed then added, "Well you kind of do, maybe you should take the next bath."

Victoria chuckled then regained her composure and brushed Alex's hair back behind her ear, "Okay, I'm listening."

"Until recently, I never knew that I could have feelings...what I mean is, I didn't know that the feelings that I had were okay. Meeting you and feeling what I feel has been amazing. It has made this whole journey seem like less of a nightmare. Made my nightmares more bearable anyway. We have been through so much already, and I have only known you a few days, yet I feel like I have known you my whole life." She paused and Victoria tried to say something but then she continued.

"What happened in our dream, in Adaro's dream, I didn't even know I could feel that way about someone. It was incredible, but I am a virgin, and I want my first time to be when and how I choose, not because of a spell. I guess I just wanted to let you know that, so that if something like that happens again, we don't do something that we might regret later." She blurted out the last bit as fast as she could and her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Can I speak now?" Victoria joked, and then continued without waiting for a response. "I don't even have to say out loud how I feel about you, because I know that you can sense it. I used to think flying through the air was an adventure, then I met you and my life has been one non-stop adventure. It has been scary and amazing, because you are amazing. I cannot wait to get to know you more, even if it seems, as if I have known you forever. The passion we shared in that dream was extraordinary, but I agree with you. I want my first time to be with the only person I will ever be with. It would be a bad idea to rush something so significant." Victoria said.

Alex smiled and leaned in, giving her a small peck on the lips.

Ryhan exited the washroom. "I rang the bell for whoever is going next."

"Guess that would be me." Victoria joked.

There was a small knock, opening the door she was surprised to see a small child standing there.

"You need assistance?" The boy asked. Only it was not a boy, it was a little man.

"FARWEN!" Ryhan called excitedly.

Victoria stepped aside as Ryhan rushed over to greet him with a hug.

"You know each other?" Victoria asked.

It was the first time she had seen Ryhan show any emotions outside her normal range of contempt and sarcasm.

"I met Farwen shortly after leaving Resteir. He was a great comfort to me." She explained, then turned to Farwen, and asked, "How is Roger? Have you kept in contact with him?"

Farwen answered timidly. "I am afraid I do not know. I lost contact with him a few days ago."

Ryhan looked down at her feet, a wave of emotions crossed her face, and then it went blank.

"Who is Roger?" Lillian asked.

Ryhan turned to her angrily. "Why don't you mind your own business LILLY." And stormed out of the room.

Victoria started to follow her but Evangeline stopped her and said she would take care of it. Farwen drew another bath and Victoria took her time, relaxing in the hot water. It was nice to get clean. She had done her best to wash when they stopped at the stream, but dried wendigo blood still covered her in places. When she finished a layer of grime floated on top of the muddy red water. She exited the washroom to find not only were Ryhan and Evangeline back, but Farwen had also stayed and was catching Ryhan up on things that had happened since they parted.

She did not want to eavesdrop, but everyone else seemed to be listening intently, so she took a seat on the bed next to Alex and attended quietly.

"When I left Roger at the Centermerge stronghold, I gave him a small trinket called a mirror stone. The small flat pebble looks like glass and projects your image to whomever had the match. It allowed him to communicate with me briefly when needed. He would contact me every other day and let me know what was happening in the city and with the soldiers.

"Axiom had been ordering more coastal guards, hunting parties and had posters of Evangeline and Ryhan at every post in Corafeldon. When the hunting parties returned so quickly, Roger thought that they found their targets. Instead, new posters of Alexandra and Lillian went up and the hunters continued their search.

"Recruiting became brutal. Volunteers were no longer enough. Soldiers went from village to village taking any able-bodied man above the age of fifteen. The last I had heard, Axiom was building his army and preparing ships. That was three days ago." Farwen said.

"Is he coming here? I didn't think we'd have to fight so soon." Lillian said sounding panicked.

"I don't know. I do not think he has much information on what goes on here. It would be unwise of him to bring an army not knowing what to expect." Farwen said, trying to comfort her.

"He knew about Alex and Lillian." Ryhan exclaimed.

"Mentis and Memoria can only report what they've seen or what they have heard. He knows of you all yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean he knows about your bond and all you can do." Farwen said.

"If they saw any of the things we have done since finding each other, then Axiom knows about our powers." Victoria added.

"Well we don't have to worry about those damn birds anymore." Ryhan said smugly.

"I would still keep watch. Axiom has many spies in many forms." Farwen warned.

"Yeah, like your buddy Thad?" Ryhan asked.

Farwen looked shocked.

"You don't know?" Ryhan asked, surprised.

He shook his head sadly, as she told him what happened on Doctemptha.

He sighed. "Thad was a good friend of mine. It is dark times indeed if he could be swayed to Axioms side."

"How do we prepare, when he knows more than we do?" Victoria asked, changing the subject.

"Train with Ava, and trust that you will be able to defeat him." Farwen said simply.

After drawing another bath, he bid them goodnight when Alex said she would take care of the rest. It was a lot to take in. Her mother's voice echoed in her head, 'People die in War, open your eyes, and grow up.' Shaking away her feelings of doubt, she climbed into bed. Questioning her decisions was not going to change the fact that Axiom was evil and it was up to them to help stop him. She just needed to believe in the faith that other people had in them.

Ava woke them before the sun rose the next morning. Victoria hadn't noticed that Alex had climbed into bed with her during the night until waking and finding her arm draped over her waist. Ava was not dressed in the flowing robes from the night before. Tight fitting pants and a simple tunic along with a leather vest did nothing to mar her beauty. Her long white hair fell in two braids on either side of her head and bits of leather string fastened the ends. Victoria dressed quickly after finding similarly fashioned clothes in their wardrobe.

She was used to wearing men's clothing, she could not even remember the last time she wore a dress, but the others looked a bit uncomfortable. With the exception of Alex, who looked stunning, which should not have surprised her. After eating a quick breakfast, they followed Ava to a large field behind the castle. It was broken into four quadrants with a large circle outlined in stone residing in the middle.

"This is where I will expect you every morning at dawn." Ava said sternly.

It was strange to hear a voice so melodic yet so forceful.

"Consider this your first home, and your bed chambers your second. It is imperative that you learn to harness your powers, individually and combined." She said.

"Each of you will practice your elemental powers in your quadrant. This center circle is for the sword and the sword alone. Do not think of using your powers while in it, for it is protected magically, and you will regret it if you do." Ava said then nodded to a group of people waiting on the side.

They each moved into one of the open spaces and motioned for the girls to join them. Victoria recognized Lord Byron from the night before. He took his place in the center. Apparently, she was not the only one who had seen him, because Ryhan mumbled something about having to work with a jerk.

Victoria moved into one of the squares and faced her tutor. She looked to be of elfish descent but was much smaller than the tall tribes of Ferrentri was. The woman's petite stature was comparable to her own.

"I am Villa." The woman said, "We have much to learn from each other I think."

Victoria was not sure what else she could learn about her powers. She already knew how to manipulate the wind and pull the air from space. As if sensing her doubt, Villa smiled at her slyly before disappearing into a cloud of mist. It happened so fast that she could hardly believe what she had just witnessed.

A cool breeze swept over her and then Villa called out from behind her, "Do you believe me now?"

"How did you do that?" Victoria asked.

"It is called Air Mimicry, it is difficult to learn, but once mastered can be very useful in combat. Observe." Villa called over a man that was watching from afar.

They began sparring. His large muscles flexed rigidly with each movement. Towering over her, he stood almost a quarter of her height taller. Victoria thought the match would end quickly. Villa did not stand a chance against the brute. Just as things started to get interesting and the man moved in closer to take her down, Villa grabbed his arm, transformed into mist and reappeared behind him. Flat on his back, his limbs flailed in the air as he lay on the ground. It happened as fast as lightning. Villa had pulled his arm through his legs and flipped him onto his back in a fraction of a second.

"Okay, you have to show me how to do that!" Victoria said excitedly.

Villa dismissed the man and they got to work. After a couple hours, all Victoria had managed to do was sweat and get frustrated.

"It will come to you, just imagine your intention and you will make it happen." Villa said encouragingly.

Grabbing some water and a handful of dried meat, she sat on the side of the field and observed how the others were doing. Focused so intently on her own teaching, she forgot that they were undergoing the same rigorous training. Evangeline sat next to her and watched the others intensely.

To their right Alex was busy with a woman called Nerei.

Water flooded their quadrant and they sloshed through it frantically. They would each create a creature out of water and then send them toward each other, the goal being that one of the creatures would destroy the other. Alex looked tired and she relented, ready to take a break when Nerei's water rabbit ate her water snake.

Alex joined Victoria and Evangeline and they watched Lillian together. A man named Herne stood before her, his green skin and large antlers the only suggestion that he was not human. They were in a fierce battle and Lillian appeared to be winning. At first, Herne took the advantage trapped her in a thick binding of vines. Grabbing the creeping plant and pulling forcefully, the vines turned to dust as they broke away from her body. As she moved toward him, he lobbed a large rock toward her.

She reached out and touched it before it hit her and sand fell around her in its place. Sand quickly piled up around them as he launched several more large rocks her way. Raising her arms Lillian created a small hole just beneath him just as she did with the wendigo. He fell into it and then conceded. She helped him up by raising the earth back to its former shape and they began again with Lillian taking the offensive.

Victoria thought that perhaps Lillian was stronger than any one of them. At the very least, she seemed to have a better grasp at what her powers could do. Meanwhile, Ryhan was not doing as well as Lillian. It was her turn in the center ring for sword training and Victoria could see that she was getting angrier by the minute.

"Lord Byron seems to be pushing her hard. He might regret that." She said to no one in particular.

"Oh hush, the circle is protected remember. She can't hurt him." Evangeline said.

Alex laughed. "I wouldn't count on that."

A worried look crossed Evangeline's face and Victoria was puzzled. Surely, she was not worried about Ryhan. They all knew that girl could protect herself. They watched as Lord Byron struck blow after blow and Ryhan was unable to deflect any of them. Suddenly, Ryhan screamed in frustration and dropped her sword, lunging at him. He pushed her away, but it was too late. Fire exploded around them. Surprisingly it vanished as quickly as it had come.

Ryhan looked confused at first and then furious. Growling, she exited the circle and stormed off toward the castle. Evangeline stood and Victoria expected her to go after Ryhan, but instead she headed toward Lord Byron. Victoria shot a glance at Alex to see if she saw the same thing, and Alex shrugged her shoulders in response. Ava told them all to rest while she went and calmed Ryhan. When she returned they would work in pairs while the fifth girl trained with the sword.

Alex had taken Victoria's hand in hers, and as Ava made her way toward the castle to find Ryhan a flash of worry settled over her, a mixture of doubt and fear.

"What was that?" Victoria asked Alex.

"You could feel that?" Alex asked.

Victoria nodded.

"That was what Ava was feeling about Ryhan. That was not good." Alex said sadly.

After nearly an hour, Ryhan stomped back onto the training field, glaring at Lord Byron as she took her spot in her quadrant. She and Lillian worked together creating flaming blobs of earth that they launched at Herne and a strange looking man.

Victoria had not caught his name, because she and Alex were busy training with Villa and Nerei. They had managed to summon rain clouds and even a small tornado that dissipated shortly after it formed. Evangeline took Victoria's place. It was her turn with Lord Byron. She could not help but notice the twinge of disappointment that hung in the air around Evangeline. Stepping into the stone circle, Victoria felt lighter and heavier at the same time. The charm around the circle disconnected her from her power and she did not like it.

Before she could say so, Lord Byron raised his sword and struck out at her. Reflexes sharp, she parried his blow and thrust his sword back at his chest. He gave her a sly smile and his grey eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Have you trained with a sword before?" He asked as he lunged and she deflected another blow.

"There were a few guards in Volcaringuard that fenced for sport. I like to learn new things." Victoria responded and ducked as he swung his sword over her head.

Her body low she drove her shoulder into his stomach and knocked him off balance. She had hoped to knock him over. He was much more solid than she had anticipated and paid for her miscalculation when he brought the hilt of his sword down on her shoulder and she fell to the ground. As his sword came close to her face, she rolled to the side and jumped to her feet quickly.

On it went, for nearly an hour, until both of them were gasping for breath and the entire training yard watched them with wide eyes. She did not believe in giving up and would not concede. Not that day or any other day. Raising her sword, he anticipated her attack and moved to side allowing her to fall. Tucking her head, she rolled back on to her feet and turned to face him.

She was about to attack again when Ava interrupted and told them that was enough for the day. Victoria sighed gratefully, she was not sure how much longer she would have been able to keep it up, but found comfort in the fact that Lord Byron looked just as relieved.

# Chapter Twenty Five

## Unexpected Visitors

When they finished training for the day, Ava told them to clean up and dress nicely for their meeting with the council after dinner. After bathing, Victoria rifled through the wardrobe. She could not find anything formal except dresses. There was no way she was wearing a dress. Not only would she feel awkward in a dress, but also she would look awkward. Finally giving up she slipped on a simple grey dress with sliver stitching.

When Ryhan saw her, she laughed. "You aren't really going to let them stuff you into a dress are you?"

Victoria was not in the mood to deal with her snarky remarks and ignored her.

Ryhan sighed heavily and took her by the hand. "Come on, I have an idea."

They left the room and rounded several corners before stopping in front of a door that looked vaguely familiar. Ryhan knocked loudly and Ayden answered. He took one look at Ryhan and shut the door again.

"Very funny." She said loudly. "Victoria here needs a favor."

He cracked the door slightly. "You can come in, so long as you keep your hands and your powers to yourself."

Ryhan raised her hands in the air mocking him. "No touchy. I got it."

Ayden's room was about half the size of theirs and decorated much more simply. There was a single bed, a wardrobe, and a stand with a washbasin and pitcher. There were no pretty drapes or lovely paintings, just stone walls and floors. She wondered why he resided in such poor accommodations. He was a prince after all. Perhaps he had lost his favor with the council by showing up alive and clearly not dead or imprisoned.

It did beg to question the stories involving his death. Everyone believed he was poisoned, imprisoned, or even killed by Axiom in his brother's quest for power. Undoubtedly, he was alive and not poisoned to death. She was about to ask him to clarify, when he spoke.

"So, what is it that I can do for you ladies?" He asked as he leaned against the wall.

"She needs something nice to wear." Ryhan said.

He stared at her, uncertain of the point.

"You know. Something that's not a dress." Ryhan explained with a smirk.

Ayden studied Victoria, eyeing the silver dress that draped awkwardly over her figure. "It's not that bad."

"Are you kidding?" Victoria asked.

"Alright, I see your point. But why did you come to me? Nothing meant for me will fit you. You barely reach my shoulder." He said apologetically.

He was right, why would Ryhan take her there, his clothes would hang off her.

"So, tell me Ayden, why haven't we seen you on the training grounds?" Ryhan asked him.

Victoria realized why Ryhan brought her there. He would not have let Ryhan in alone. She needed Victoria.

He stared at them blankly.

Ryhan continued. "It would stand to reason, that if you are supposed to take back your throne then you would be fighting along with us right?"

"Look, I don't know what your problem is with me. I helped you with the wendigo and I brought you here. What more do you want?" He asked, pushing off the wall and opening the door in annoyance.

Ryhan ignored his not so subtle suggestion that they leave and raised her voice. "I want you to start telling the truth!"

Victoria did not like where the conversation was going, it was never good when Ryhan got angry. She grabbed her arm and tried to get her to leave, but Ryhan brushed her off.

"Why would Axiom say you were on your way to him?" Ryhan asked flatly.

"I don't know. My brother is delusional. He stopped making sense long before he took the throne." Ayden said.

"I don't believe you." Ryhan said.

"I'm not hiding anything." He stated.

"The hell you aren't." She spat back, then added, "You spent the last how many years in that creepy forest? After alleged rumors, that Axiom poisoned you. Everyone thought you were dead. Or stuck in some hole of a prison."

"How is that any concern of yours?" He was getting angry.

"Are you serious? You have no idea what it is like out there. Most of Corafeldon is dried up and wasting away into nothing. I don't know what kind of power he has, but from the looks of the land, what he has done in his attempt to gain it should scare us all. Guards patrol non-stop, ripping apart families and forcing boys to join the centermerge. People cannot survive in their homes any longer and seek shelter in cities that are full of criminals and disease. My family is out there somewhere and I do not even know if they are alive.

"So yes it is a concern of mine, as well as everyone else in Watreon. Stop being so damn selfish, hiding away in your room like a coward, and DO SOMETHING!" Ryhan screamed then left slamming the door behind her.

Victoria and Ayden stood a while longer in an awkward silence. When Ayden finally suggested she seek out Farwen's help with clothes, the look of anger left him and in its place a look of shame. Hesitating, she wondered briefly if she should comfort him, before leaving silently. Walking in circles, she cursed under her breath as she tried to find her way back to their room. Ryhan was waiting for her around one of the corners she swore she had just passed.

"What the hell was that about?" She asked.

"What? He needs to know that he has to step up. He has got his head stuck so far up his own butt that he has not even realized that Evangeline is probably his daughter. I don't know about you, but I am being put through hell, and for what? So that miserable man in there can become our future? No thank you." Ryhan said passionately.

Victoria could see her point. She had her own doubts about him, but she was not sure that barging in on him and yelling at him would help.

"What has been going on with you?" Victoria asked concerned.

Sighing Ryhan said, "I'm not sure. I just feel all twisted up inside about so many things. A few weeks ago, my life was completely different. I did not know about any of this. It makes me angry, and my anger hurts people. Which makes me angry all over again. Also... I miss Gavin. I miss him a lot, but some things just don't add up now that I have had time to think."

"Like what?" Victoria asked.

"Well firstly, he supposedly trained with Samhelia. Ya know, the seer who started this whole mess. But why? Why would he train with her? And where the heck is she? Also, the way that he left, it just bothers me. He said he had things to do to help our cause. If that were true then why isn't he here? He should have been here." Ryhan said frustrated.

Unsure of what to say, Victoria joked. "All this time we just thought you were a jerk."

Ryhan laughed.

Victoria threw an arm over her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll just add it to the list of all the other things we have to figure out."

Ryhan nodded and thanked her for listening. When they returned to the room, Victoria rang the bell. Farwen appeared almost instantly.

"What can I help you with my lady?" He asked.

Victoria merely held out the dress and winced.

"Ah." Farwen responded.

He snapped his fingers and a neatly folded pile of clothes appeared in his hands.

"I think these should do nicely."

"Thank you." She responded as he handed them to her.

"If that's all, I'll be on my way, lots to do you know." He disappeared with a small pop before she could utter another word.

She pulled on the clothes and admired herself in the mirror. Farwen had exceeded her expectations. She wore a short, sleeveless, pale blue tunic with embellished designs of clouds and dragons. When she moved, the clouds and dragons looked as though they soared through the sky. It fit her snugly, unlike the usual loose fitting that tunics typically had.

A silver belt fastened neatly at her waist and she wore a sheer white long sleeved shirt under the tunic that flowed open at her elbows. Her pants were just a shade darker than the blue of her tunic. A pair of flat silver shoes slipped on easily and completed her outfit.

Lillian wore a dark green dress that reminded her of the forest. Evangeline looked lovely in a light purple dress that brought out the violet in her eyes. Ryhan looked smoldering in a red dress so dark it almost looked black. Alex was radiant in a pale aqua dress the color of the sea. When they stood next to each other, it looked as if the sky were touching the ocean. It was remarkable.

Their dinner was similar to that of the night before and they finished it quickly, famished from their day of training. After dinner, Ava led them down a hall and into a tunnel deep below the castle grounds. They stopped outside a large gold and burgundy door. Farwen stood by the door patiently awaiting their arrival.

"Farwen would you mind?" Ava spoke to him gently.

"Right away." He paused and looked them over. "It's like looking into the past." He said before opening the door and leading them into a large room.

Large was an understatement, the room they stood in was enormous. The ceiling went on forever and lanterns floated in the sky above them. There was a group of people sitting at a curved table shaped like an upside down U. A large man sat in the center with six people on either side of him.

He wore purple robes and a funny hat and stood as they entered showing a long white beard that flowed to his belly.

They took their place in the center of the U shaped table while Ava introduced them, "Garrel may I present to you, the daughters of the Sapphire Star, Ryhan, Evangeline, Alexandra, Lillian, and Victoria."

Ava moved behind them so that Garrel could get a better look at them.

"This is what you bring me, a bunch of silly girls?" Garrel's voice boomed.

"Silly girl is hardly an accurate description Garrel. They are very powerful. I have witnessed firsthand what they can do." Ava argued.

"As have I." Ayden added.

Everyone one turned to look at him. Victoria had not noticed him enter and from the surprised looks on the faces around her, neither had anyone else. Evangeline beamed with pride and Ryhan smiled at Victoria as she stuck her thumb toward Ayden, as if to say 'hey check it out'.

Garrel fussed with the floppy hat on top of his head and shouted, "What is the meaning of this? You dare come in here and interrupt our council. We will deal with you later."

Ayden smiled at him. "I'm sorry, aren't I the leader you have all been waiting on? Aren't I supposed to fulfill some sort of prophecy?"

Garrel said nothing.

"Then shouldn't my experience and opinions matter?" Ayden glanced at everyone in the room, waiting for someone to challenge his statements.

Victoria noticed a few nod here and there and was surprised when Garrel uttered, "Very well, go on."

Ayden was about to continue when the door burst open and Lord Byron entered.

Garrel huffed in irritation. "Now what?"

"Forgive me my lord, but we have found him. He was just outside the stronghold." Lord Byron said with a short bow.

"Oh, well." He threw his hands up in the air indicating just how peeved he was. "We might as well get this all done with at once. Bring him in."

Lord Byron motioned to the guard at the door and two more entered guiding a young man by his shoulders. His wrists were restrained, however he had a look about him as though they would not hold him if he really wanted to escape. Victoria noticed his violet eyes as soon as he entered the light.

"GAVIN!" Ryhan shouted and ran to him.

He lifted his arms so she could embrace him and put them back down around her. They kissed passionately and Victoria did not know if she should look away or demand they stop.

Garrel did demand it. "That is enough!"

Several guards pulled them apart and Ryhan started to fight. Ava whispered something in her ear and Ryhan calmed down a little, but kept switching between angry glances at Garrel and longing looks at Gavin. Victoria was not sure how much more confusing the night could get, that was, until they began questioning Gavin.

"You were expected back here nearly a month ago. Care to explain where you've been?" Garrel asked him.

"I have been with Axiom." He said flatly.

Several people gasped and Ryhan stopping struggling against the guard, looking at Gavin with betrayal and confusion in her eyes.

"And you dare come back here?" Garrel boomed.

"I came to inform you." Gavin said cautiously.

"Of what?" Garrel demanded.

"That you are under attack." He said.

No one moved. No one even made a sound. It was as if time went in slow motion. Victoria knew something was about to happen, she could feel it in the air. She reached for Alex, pulling her to the ground and under the table. The entire room quaked and rocks rained down around them. She watched as everyone scrambled out of their seats and tried to take cover.

Evangeline and Lillian joined them under the table. Lillian asked what was happening. Victoria had no answer for her. Glancing at Evangeline, she realized that Ryhan was not with them, she didn't see her anywhere. Before she could vocalize her concern the far side of the room collapsed and she realized that their only way out was just blocked.

Looking up she noticed a hole in the slanted ceiling and a massive eye peering in at them.

"What is that?" Victoria yelled, pointing at the eye.

It blinked and then moved away. For a moment, all she could see was the night sky and the stars that burned brightly. It would have been beautiful if not for the giant foot that was coming towards them.

"Giants!" Lillian screamed. "Quick, get as flat against the wall as you can."

They made it to the stone wall just before a monstrous foot came down on top of the table.

"What do we do?" Alex asked her.

It was a split second decision and she knew they would only have one chance to get it right. "Jump!"

Confused they followed her lead as she jumped and grabbed ahold of the foot as it raised back up and out of the ceiling. She landed on top of what she guessed was a toe and held on to its course black hair as she leaned over and helped, using a bit of her power to aid them.

There was not really anything to grip and she worried that they might fall.

When they were through the hole, she told them to jump once more and she used a gush of air to help them land softly in a patch of grass. They had to find weapons, and Ryhan.

"Lillian, what do you know about Giants?" She asked.

"They are pretty much indestructible." Lillian said.

"Great! Think. There has to be something, anything." Victoria pleaded.

"Fire, they hate fire." Lillian said.

"Come on, we have to find Ryhan." Victoria said. She only hoped they weren't too late.

# Chapter Twenty Six

## Beating the Odds

She had counted six giants in all. Six! It was not an army, but the fact there were so many working together was incredible. They were solitary creatures by nature, and tried to remain away from villages and towns. If too many of them lived together, they tended to fight and create a big mess of their surroundings. A giant sighting was a rare occurrence and Victoria had only heard of one herself.

A giant named Miff that passed by Volcaringuard and politely asked if he could borrow some yarn for flossing, before proceeding to eat most of the sheep in the village. If it had not been for the dragons and phoenix, he probably would have eaten them all. Gail told the story with such enthusiasm and joy at scaring the all the children of the village, that each year the story became more and more exaggerated.

Finally, when Miff had started biting the heads off children and feeding them to the sheep, Victoria had heard enough to ignore Gail each time she told it. Shaken out of her momentary daze, Victoria listened to Lillian shout out her confusion about the attack.

"This makes no sense. Giants aren't usually violent unless provoked." Lillian said.

"Well let's deal with the 'why' later and figure out what we do right now." Victoria said.

They ducked behind a wall that was still intact to contemplate their next move. She had just realized that they were in the large training field behind the castle. There was nothing beyond it except steep mountain ridges. A small vegetable garden smashed beyond recognition lay to the right and they would only find more rock if they passed it. Stables stood to the left, though she was not sure how useful horses would be at that moment. Beyond the stables, a small flower garden sat untouched from the chaos around them, nothing useful there. There was no way around to the front. Large iron gates secured both sides of the castle and stretched all the way out to the mountain rocks that protected them. They would have to go through the castle. She did not like the idea, but they were running out of time and Ryhan could be in danger.

Looking at Lillian, "Can you sense how the structure of the castle effects the earth?"

"I'm not sure. I've never tried anything like that." Lillian said.

"Even if she could what would be the point of something like that?" Alex asked.

Victoria responded, "To see if the tunnel we took is the only one, or if there are more. If there is more than one—"

"Then perhaps we could find which way Gavin took Ryhan." Evangeline finished her thought.

Victoria nodded, and then asked slowly, "You think he took her?"

The others just stared at her, unsure of how to respond. She could tell they were all wondering if Ryhan went willingly.

Finally, Evangeline said, "He must have."

Never had three words been full of more hope than what Evangeline had just spoke. The thought of Ryhan betraying them was too much for her to bear. They needed each other, at that moment more than ever before. Victoria squeezed her hand and nodded at Lillian to try.

Lillian closed her eyes and Victoria could feel Evangeline's power flow through her, it was working its magic and making Lillian's power stronger. If Lillian could do what she was asking of her, she did not have the chance to find out. Thunderous footsteps knocked them to the ground.

A giant was close, and there was not much cover. If it attacked, they would have no chance against it. It was an ugly thing. Pale grey skin hung in loose folds all over its body. Moss and dirt clung in large patches and seemed to grow right out of its skin. It was bald, naked, and didn't seem to care about either. The giant sniffed the air and made a weird grunt.

Victoria was not sure what Evangeline was up to, but she told them all to be as still as possible and not to make any noise. The giant bent down and eyed the spot in which they stood very suspiciously. Sniffing again, it grew confused. Angrily it began swatting its large hand around and knocked Alex over before catching Evangeline in its hand.

Laughing with victory it started smacking its lips. Clearly, Evangeline looked like a tasty treat. Victoria started shouting and hoped she could distract it long enough to figure out what she was going to do next. It did not even look at her. She tried everything, even using her powers, but nothing she did phased it. It was not until Alex screamed something about its ugly mother that it even looked their way.

Growling, it started moving toward them, but stopped and looked terribly frightened before a large flaming arrow landed right between its eyes. Immediately it dropped Evangeline and Victoria did her best to soften the fall. It started smacking its own face trying to put out the fire. In the process, it tripped over its own feet and fell hard to the ground.

"Come on!" A man shouted.

She turned and saw Lord Byron standing behind them.

"This way." He said and motioned toward the castle.

They did not argue. Following him, they sprinted into the closest door and did not stop until he told them it was okay. Victoria wondered for a moment if he was working with Gavin. After all, he knew about the giant's weakness. He was also protecting them, so it seemed the wiser decision to trust him.

As she was catching her breath, Victoria watched in surprise as Evangeline stepped forward and flung her arms around Lord Byron. He stiffened then relaxed a bit, but did not return her embrace.

"You saved my life." Evangeline said to him warmly.

It looked as if a smile wanted break through his tough exterior, but he straightened. "My job is to protect you. All of you."

Evangeline took several steps away from him. "Do you know if there is more than one tunnel that runs under these grounds?"

"There are many, the castle is full of secret passages in and out. They are enchanted though, someone of great magical skill would still have trouble breaking through our wards." He answered.

"We think that Gavin took Ryhan and escaped into the tunnels." Victoria told him.

"Aye, I tried to follow them. I made it through before the ceiling collapsed and cut off the exit, but it was dark and I lost them quickly." He said.

Victoria thought a moment. "Is there somewhere that all the tunnels meet? Or a place they eventually end outside the castle grounds?"

"There is another pass into Bastriean. It is rarely used, as it is difficult to pass through on foot. One of the tunnels leads there. The rest mostly circle back around to other places on the grounds." Lord Byron said.

"Take us there." Victoria demanded.

He nodded hesitantly.

"What is it?" She asked.

He shifted, "It's just that there are giants wreaking havoc all over. Something needs to be done about them."

"Ryhan has the power of fire, she can help us, but we need to find her." Victoria responded.

"What happens in the mean time? More of the inhabitants of this castle die?" He asked gravely.

Victoria looked around at them all. Screams echoed in from outside and she wondered how many had already perished. She was torn. Saving the people that needed their help would not be worth it if they lost Ryhan.

"What would you have us do? Lose Ryhan?" She asked him sadly.

He looked at her with sympathy. "I would have you do what you think is right."

She thought for a moment. "Alright, this is what we will do. Lord Byron, you tell me how to get to the pass and Alex will come with me. You stay with Lillian and Evangeline and help however you can."

"It's too risky to split up, our powers are stronger together." Evangeline said.

Victoria looked at her. "It is the only way. Both need our efforts, yet neither can be ignored."

Evangeline nodded and hugged her briefly before heading out towards the field with Lord Byron and Lillian at her side. Victoria took Alex's hand and led her to the front of the castle. There were safer options than going after Gavin, but she wanted Alex where she could see her, instead of worrying about what might have been happening to her.

They ran as fast as they could, halting when they realized that a giant was blocking the entrance to the pass, they were looking for.

"What now?" Alex asked.

"We need a distraction." Victoria said.

Alex huffed, "I am open to suggestions."

Victoria was not sure. She did not want to put either of them at risk, but they needed to do something fast. She was beginning to think that the grueling day of training they had was exactly what they needed more of.

Just then, she had a thought. "The creatures you were making during training, do you think you could summon something bigger?"

Alex looked at her as if she was crazy. "Maybe. How big?"

She carefully told her what she wanted her to do. It was risky and they only had one chance to get it right. Victoria walked out slowly, standing as far back from the giant as she could.

"Hey, you hungry? Why don't you come get yourself a little snack?" She said nervously as she teased it.

It took a step toward her and licked its lips.

"Well what are you waiting for?"

It lunged forward and wrapped its big hands around her.

It screamed in frustration as it opened its empty hands. She had finally gotten it right and used the power of mimicry. A huge sense of pride washed over her, but she quickly reminded herself that they still had work to do.

She reappeared behind it, and taunted. "Guess I'm faster than your usual dinner!"

It turned and reached for her as she disappeared again.

Reappearing farther away from the pass, she yelled. "What do you normally eat? Snails?"

It growled and ran after her.

Repeating the process a few more times, Alex was able to sneak behind him unnoticed and into the pass, he was guarding. Hoping that Alex would not let her down, she reappeared a little closer. She was just out of arms reach when another giant appeared behind her. It looked much different from the others.

Victoria knew it was because Alex was using her power to create the creature out of water. The thing almost looked real. The only thing that gave it away was the sheen on its skin and the ripples that waved over its body every time it moved. The water giant reached down and picked Victoria up in its slimy hand.

The other giant growled angrily. In one quick movement, the water giant put Victoria in its mouth and swallowed. She used her mimicry power and reappeared next to Alex just as the real giant crashed into the water giant. Water exploded around it as Alex released her power.

The giant looked around confused and Victoria motioned to Alex to hurry along farther down the path before it came back and found them. It was difficult terrain, but they managed to get far enough away to feel safe enough to pause.

"I can't believe that worked." Alex said excitedly.

"Me either, but we can celebrate later, we need to hurry." Victoria said and she wrung out her wet clothes.

Alex laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah, I bet you are." Victoria laughed with her.

Alex leaned in and kissed her and Victoria returned the embrace passionately. It might be the last chance she had to kiss her like that. Breathless, she pulled away and gazed into Alex's eyes. She would never get tired of staring into the depths of the ocean that lie there.

"If something happens—"

"No." Alex stopped her, and then added, "No goodbyes. We are going to find Ryhan. Everything will work out."

Victoria nodded and took her hand.

As they set off to find Ryhan, Victoria hoped that when they found her she was still on their side.

# Chapter Twenty Seven

## Win Some, Lose Many

### Ryhan

"Stop!" She yelled again.

Finally, Gavin let go of her arm and paused. He looked into her eyes and for a moment, she melted the way she had when they first met.

"We are almost there, we need to keep going." He said to her gently.

"Where are we going? You haven't told me anything and you expect me to just follow you?" Ryhan asked angrily.

Gavin sighed impatiently. "You have no idea about anything Ryhan. You've been lied to, about so many things. I'm taking you to someone who can help you see the truth."

He took her arm again and she allowed him to lead her.

"Who is it you are taking me to?" She asked.

"Axiom." Gavin said.

Jerking her arm from his grasp, she put as much space between them as she could. "Axiom? You can't be serious?"

He moved toward her and she backed away again.

"You aren't scared of me are you?" Gavin asked sadly.

"I don't know what to think. Is that really where you have been all this time?" She asked.

It was nearly impossible to keep her cool. When he had announced that they were under attack, she had tried to convince herself that she had not heard him correctly. That her mind was playing tricks on her. It had become clear to her it was true, but she did not understand why. When he had spoken about Axiom before, she could feel the hate Gavin had for him and what he had done to their land.

"I told you, they have things twisted." He yelled pointing in the direction of the stronghold.

"You are the one that's twisted, I see that now." Ryhan screamed with tears in her eyes.

Gavin reached for her and took her face in his hands. "I would never hurt you, never. Please just come with me, give him a chance to explain his side of things."

"Do you really think he would spare me just because you claim to love me?" She asked.

"He won't hurt you, I wouldn't let him. I'd protect you with my life." Gavin said.

"And he'd kill me before you had the chance to sacrifice it." Ryhan spat.

Gavin stepped back and looked her up and down. "Do you have no trust left in your heart for me?"

"Not if you can't tell me more than what you've told me." Ryhan said.

"I can take you by force you know." Gavin said angrily.

She scoffed. "You could try."

He took a step towards her and she stepped back as her body lit ablaze. Stepping toward her again, she went to step back and hit rock. He had her cornered, but it did not matter. If he touched her, he would burn. If he was scared of the flames, he did not let on.

Reaching out he grabbed her face again. She closed her eyes and waited for him to start screaming. No screams came. He wasn't burning. When she opened her eyes, he was smiling at her. A tiny wave of relief washed over her. She might not trust him, but she still loved him and she was not sure if she could let anything bad happen to him. Instinctively she leaned into his hand and released the flames.

She whispered. "This isn't fair. You were supposed to come back to me."

"I did. I came back FOR you. To help you. Why can't you believe that?" Gavin pleaded.

She stared at him, unsure of what to say.

Taking a deep breath, he asked. "Ayden is alive. Doesn't that make you at all suspicious?"

"Of Ayden, perhaps, but that doesn't change anything that Axiom has done." Ryhan said.

"But that's just it, Axiom has been accused of poisoning him, holding him prisoner and worse yet no one knows what really happened. No one knows that Axiom is not the dark prince everyone thinks he is. It is really Ayden. He made it look like Axiom tried to kill him and then disappeared, to the forest of Bastrioph of all places. You have been there; you have seen what an evil place that is. How is it he has survived all these years if he didn't have some serious magic of his own?" Gavin asked.

Shifting uncomfortably Ryhan took in what he said. Nothing he said seemed far off from the initial feelings she had about Ayden. She had not trusted him. Hell, she had tried to kill him. Was she really supposed to believe that Axiom was good?

She shook her head. "No Gavin, there are too many things that Axiom has done that can't be excused."

"I know how you feel right now. I felt the same way when I was first brought to him. But after listening to him and letting him explain, he was only doing what he must to protect us all from Ayden. The five of you were hidden away from him. He thought he would have to do it on his own. That is why he has been collecting and growing his power." Gavin said.

Confusion took place of anger and Ryhan leaned against the rock wall and sighed. What was she supposed to do? She could not leave the others. Gavin leaned in to kiss her, and she let him. The same fiery passion they shared before took over and Ryhan felt all her senses leave her. There was no Axiom or Ayden. There was no magical council or powers she didn't even want. There was only him and their kiss and it was a fine thing to surrender to.

"I love you and I would never allow you to be hurt. Please come with me." He begged her.

Ryhan couldn't argue.

She had been longing for him for weeks and now that he was finally in front of her, she could not bear to be away from him for even a moment.

"Okay, I'll come with you. But you have to promise that I will be free to leave when I choose." Ryhan said.

He nodded in agreement and took her hand.

She followed him up the rough path and into a small clearing. They must have been moving up an incline because she could see the castle below her. There were still giants wandering about aimlessly and for a second she wondered if she was doing the right thing. How could she go with him when innocent people were being hurt?

Pausing, she let go of his hand. He turned to her and gave her a questioning look. She was about to express her concern when two great winged horses flew down and landed in front of them. As they stood in front of the horses, she vaguely recalled a story about four brothers who angered a sorceress that cursed them to an eternity in the form of a winged horse serving those of great power.

Caught up in the sight of the creatures she hadn't noticed the woman sitting on top of the larger horse.

"Gavin, time is short, we need to go now. Get her on Threxor and let's move." The mysterious woman said forcefully.

She was beautiful and held herself in a way that reminded Ryhan of Alex. Confident that she was wanted and wanted by many. Ryhan took a step back. Gavin climbed on to the dark horse and reached out his hand for her. She looked at him and then glanced at the woman. She may be desirable, but Ryhan could see the desperation in her eyes.

It was clear she would do anything to get Ryhan to come back with them, the woman's face concealed nothing, and her face said danger.

"Patience Lorelei." Gavin snapped at her, and then concerned he turned back to Ryhan. "Ryhan?"

"Ryhan!" Someone yelled from behind her.

Turning quickly she saw Victoria and Alex approaching them, as fast as the path would allow.

Gavin held his hand out to her again. "Ryhan, they don't want you to be happy. They don't want us together and will say anything to keep you here and under their control."

"That's not true, they care about me." Ryhan said.

"Do they?" He asked, and then added, "Is that why they are always telling you what you can and can't do. Always restricting how you use your power. They don't understand the fire that burns inside of you, I do."

"Ryhan don't you dare! Don't you dare go with him!" Alex shouted.

"See, they know how much you love me, yet they want to keep us apart." Gavin said.

Ryhan reached for his hand, as a gust of air pushed her away from him, and she fell to the ground hard. Victoria had just used her powers against her, again. Gavin was right. They would never understand her. If Victoria had been away from Alex she would stop at nothing to reunite with her, yet they expected Ryhan to let him go. They did not care about her feelings.

There was still a good distance between them. Ryhan threw up a wall of fire and ran to Gavin. She took his hand and climbed on to the large steed. Alex doused the fire quickly and they closed in on them.

"Ryhan don't do this, we need you!" Victoria yelled.

"And I need him." Ryhan said angrily with a hint of sadness.

Victoria used her power again to try and knock her off the horse, Ryhan was sure of it. She felt her tap into the power, but nothing happened.

Gavin laughed. "You forget. I was born under the sapphire star as well."

Ryhan knew what he meant. He had blocked their power as he had done to her before. It bothered her, but still she had made her choice and she grabbed ahold of him tightly as they lifted off the ground. Rising into the air was rough, but flying through it was smooth and incredible.

Threxor was an incredible beast, and danced magnificently through the air. Looking back at the castle, she thought of everything she had been through and a bit of sadness crept over her. Her habit of living for others ended the moment she chose him. Hoping that she made the right decision no longer mattered. Following her heart was the only choice she could make that was her own.

### Alexandra

"What the hell just happened?" Alex asked Victoria.

"I am not sure. Did you feel that too?" Victoria asked her.

Alex nodded. "It was like I couldn't use my powers. They were still there, but out of reach somehow. How is that possible?"

"I think Ryhan's little boyfriend has more powers than he let on." Victoria said.

Alex contemplated for a moment. "Evangeline said his power was similar to hers right? She can help us control our powers because her powers come from the root of everything. What if he can control our powers too, and can completely block or turn ours off?"

"I don't know, maybe that's what it is. We can speculate later, we need to get back to the others." Victoria said.

Alex agreed.

She stepped closer to the edge of the clearing. It was a small cliff overlooking the grounds of the castle.

Wrapping her arm around her gently, Victoria whispered in her ear. "Close your eyes and hold on."

Doing as she said a light, floating sensation overwhelmed her, and before she knew it, they were back on the ground.

"You are awfully handy to have around." Alex joked.

Victoria laughed and grabbed her hand leading her toward the castle. Thunderous footsteps boomed behind them.

"Our friend is back." Victoria said.

Alex was afraid to look. "What do we do?"

"You think he'll fall for the same thing twice?" Victoria asked.

Shrugging her shoulders was the only response she could muster. They had seconds to think of a plan before it was on top of them. She was about to suggest running faster when a rain of fire arrows soared above them. Few of them reached their target but it was enough to slow it down. Running faster she thought her lungs might explode. It would not matter if they reached the castle, the giant could probably smash its way through it.

They needed a plan. Reaching the gates, she found Lillian and Evangeline each with a bow in their hands, readying two more arrows they signaled to the group of archers behind them. They loosed the arrows and retreated behind the gate.

"No Lillian wait, I have an idea." Alex said, and then added, "I need you to make a hole or a crater, something big enough to cover his head."

"It won't work, giants are earth creatures, and he'll just break free of any earth trap I use." Lillian said.

"Yes, but can he swim?" Alex asked.

Lillian smiled and shook her head.

"Oh you are a genius." Victoria exclaimed and kissed her on the cheek.

The four of them stood together, arms linked, as Lillian created a wide deep hole in the earth. The giant looked as if he was going to run right into it and then leapt at the last minute. He landed just on the other side of it and then gave a proud roar as he moved toward them again. Pausing as a loud crackling noise rose up from beneath him. He looked down at his feet and then let out a yell as the earth collapsed under him.

Alex got to work filling the void with water, as soon as he fell. She had never summoned so much before, it was using a lot of her energy, but she felt Evangeline there in her mind slowly fueling Alex's power with hers. When water nearly filled the hole, she stopped and watched the giant thrash around. Victoria stepped in and did one better by creating a whirlpool. Within minutes, the giant stopped struggling against the water and went limp. Lillian returned the earth to its previous state, swallowing the giant up in the process.

Alex felt saddened by the giant's outcome. Guilt for killing another creature pained her. Relaxing slightly, she wiped away a tear.

"Don't get comfortable, we still have to help Lord Byron with the others. We took out another with fire and scared two of them off, there are still two left back there." Evangeline explained.

Alex followed the others. With Victoria's hand in her own, she felt safe even in the midst of battle. She thought for a moment that maybe she understood why Ryhan chose Gavin. It was hard to imagine losing Victoria. She supposed she would do whatever she could to hold on to her. That moment she knew there was no going back and jerked Victoria to a halt.

She turned to Alex confused. "Alex wha-"

She was silenced her with a kiss. Putting every ounce of what she was feeling into that kiss, Alex knew that Victoria would understand.

Stopping Alex looked at her desperately. "I am so scared. I am scared that if we were in the same position as Ryhan that I would choose you over the world. That I would forgo the well-being of every person who depends on us, just to have you by my side. I am scared that we may not survive this war and that I might lose you. I am scared because...I love you. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love someone. I know we do not have time for this, but I had to tell you. I couldn't wait a second longer."

"I love you too." Victoria said, then added, "And I'm scared too, but we'll make it through this, so don't give me any more goodbye speeches. Okay?"

Alex nodded and they raced off to catch up with the others. As they ran hand in hand, all the fears she had ever had about the kind of love they shared fell away.

### Lillian

Living with the elves had given Lillian a life of rich culture and endless knowledge of legendary beings. Though much was unknown about the giants, she hoped she knew enough to keep them all alive. There were many creatures in the world of Watreon that could practice magic. Elves, sorcerers, witch, gnomes, the list went on and on, and each of those creatures drew their magic from one element or another.

The giants however, were made of the earth, and were resistant to most magic. With their naturally armored skin, it was like shooting arrows at rock walls. It did not do any good. Lillian stood just outside the training field and assessed the damage. The outer buildings lay in rubble and bodies strewn about on the ground motionless. Lord Byron called a few orders and fire lit up the night sky.

It seemed like it had been ages since they had gotten all dressed up in their gowns and had a lovely dinner. The sun had just started to set when the attack first began, now the sky was black and filled with smoke from burning giant skin and buildings that had caught fire. She ran her hand down the bodice of her gown. The fabric was dirty and ripped in several places. She wondered what life would be like after that night.

An unexpected crash of someone tossed into a wall beside her snapped her out of her silent contemplation. Joining Evangeline next to Lord Byron, a thought suddenly occurred to her. The giants were from the earth, with Evangeline's help, she should be able to use her magic against them. Evangeline turned to her quickly as if she knew what she was thinking and took her hand.

They moved forward toward the closest giant and Lillian stepped in front of Evangeline, while she placed her hands on her shoulders. Raising her arms above her head, she concentrated. The giant moved closer and reached down for her but stop mid movement. It stood, frozen in place, fighting against her magic and it was strong.

She was not sure she would have the strength to continue when she felt her energy renewed by Alex and Victoria's presence. Reaching deep inside the giant she imagined the center of it turning to stone, and then spreading to every organ, and then to every limb until it was nothing but an oversized ugly statue.

When she was finished, the other giant turned just in time to see its comrade crack and turn to dust. It cried out in rage and lumbered toward them, stopping when Lillian took ahold of it just as she had done the other. It looked frightened and she released it, knowing she would not have the energy to do it again. The giant had obviously wised up, because it ran in the opposite direction, climbing over the ridges of the mountain and disappearing into the night.

Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground in exhaustion. It was over. Well at least that part was over. Her powers may not have always worked the way that she wanted, but they had never failed her. She was grateful that she had been trained so well by the elves and able to put that training to use.

"That was amazing Lilly." Alex said enthusiastically.

She was especially grateful to have the other daughters, who were like sisters to her, as irritating as they could be sometimes.

"Thank you." Lillian said with a smile, and then added, "Don't call me Lilly."

### Victoria

It was nice to take a moment to relax, even if they were sitting in a field full of debris and floating giant dust. She was not sure how she was going to explain what happened with Ryhan. She was not even entirely sure what had happened. All she knew is that Ryhan left willingly, and now they were one daughter short. What would that mean for them now?

Right on cue, Evangeline leaned close. "Where is Ryhan?"

It took less time than she imagined explaining how they found Ryhan and that she had chosen to leave with Gavin.

She watched as Evangeline hung her head in contemplation. "It was her choice to make, and she chose it."

"So what do we do now?" Lillian asked.

"We go find her and drag her ass back here?" Victoria offered.

"No, it would do no good. She will have to decide for herself what is right and wrong now. I only hope that when the time comes she joins us and completes our power again." Evangeline said.

"We may have bigger problems." Victoria said reluctantly.

"How so?" Evangeline asked.

Victoria explained what Gavin had said about being born under the sapphire star and how he had stopped them from using their powers.

If her brother's betrayal hurt her in any way, Evangeline did not show it. "I had a feeling he was hiding something, I knew there was more to his power than he was letting on. I saw him use it on Ryhan when they first came to me."

"If he can just block our powers like that, how can we fight him?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know. I need to find Ava and speak with her. There are many things that don't feel right about this." Evangeline stood and headed inside the castle.

Victoria sighed as Alex leaned into her. There was no easy road ahead of them. So many questions left unanswered, so many things left unexplained. She looked around the field and wondered if Ryhan could see the damage done by the giants, if she would feel differently about her decision. How could she possibly trust someone who unleashed giants upon them?

Alex interrupted Victoria's thoughts. "Come on, there is so much work to do, let's see where we can help."

She nodded in agreement.

There certainly was a lot of work. She was not even sure where they would begin. Whole buildings reduced to piles of rubble. Huge holes scattered the ground where the tunnels had collapsed from the weight of the giant's. Lillian walked with them and Victoria knew that that would not be the end for them. They would rebuild, they would carry on, and they would defeat Axiom one way or another.

### Evangeline

As she rounded another corner of a hall she did not recognize, Evangeline finally lost it. Sobbing hysterically, she let it all go. She spent most of her time poised and in control of her emotions, trying to be strong for the others. After all her power was the base, the glue that kept them all together. At that moment, she could no longer be the pillar of strength she had spent so much time convincing the others she was.

At that moment, she was a sister and a friend hurt by the treachery of people she trusted. She also grieved for the loss of every life in Bastriean. Every one of those poor souls' pain and suffering echoed inside her. There were so many she wanted to help and probably could have if she had more time and more power. The sound of footsteps approaching startled her and she did her best to wipe away the evidence of her tears.

"Evangeline? What are you doing up here?" Lord Byron asked.

"Looking for Ava. I seem to have gotten lost." Evangeline said, then asked, "What are you doing up here?"

He shifted slightly. "I was looking for you. I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I'm just fine. I could use some help finding Ava though, if you don't mind."

He looked as if he wanted to say something more but then decided on, "Gladly."

They walked for a while before finally finding Ava in large room just off the kitchen newly dedicated to helping the wounded. Evangeline tried to speak with her, but there were too many people that needed attention. She set to work, healing when she could and giving comfort when she couldn't.

When they finished tending most everyone, Ava motioned for her to follow. She took a seat at the kitchen table while Ava made tea and she explained everything that had happened up until that point. They sat quietly and sipped their tea. The hot liquid warmed her insides and she suddenly felt completely drained.

Ava took hold of her hand and looked her in the eye, "I am not sure how to proceed after this, but I know we must. I will consult with Samhelia and find out if she has any insight into this mess. Just hold on to that faith of yours, we all need it."

Evangeline nodded, unsure of what else she could say. There would be enough talking in the days to come. The quiet was comforting. Ava stood and bid her goodnight and Evangeline called out to her before she left the room.

"One more thing. Is Ayden my father?" She asked.

Ava walked back toward her and spoke gently. "I do not know. Genevieve, your mother, was very secretive about the identity of your father."

"But my eyes—"Evangeline started to say.

"Yes I know. I have only seen that remarkable trait in one line of men. Axiom and Ayden both share the same violet eyes as you and your brother Gavin. As did the old king and his father and his father's father, and so on. It has been passed down to every male in the family line. I find it strange that you are the only female to inherit the trait. It is entirely possible that Ayden is your father, but just as possible that Axiom is. Only they know the truth." Ava said sadly.

Feeling winded, as if kicked in the gut, she sat back down unsure of what to make of the news. It could not be true. Axiom could not be her father. It had to be Ayden It just had to be. Surely, Axiom would have already claimed them as his own, knowing what power they possessed. Ava left her to her own thoughts and Evangeline was grateful. Just when she had her thoughts under control, Ayden walked in. He stopped when he saw her and seemed unsure of what to do next.

"How are you holding up?" He mumbled.

"Are you my father?" She blurted out before she lost the nerve.

His eyes widened.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He started to say and then stopped.

"I don't know. I really do not. We both loved her and she had no ties to either of us. I was blinded by my princely duty and told her I would never marry her. Axiom was blinded by his lust and only wanted to consume her. My father sent her away and we never saw her again. I never loved another." He said reluctantly.

He left her alone after several minutes of silence passed between them. What was she to do with the information? She decided it did not matter. All that mattered was stopping Axiom. He had already taken Gavin and Ryhan. She wouldn't let him have anyone else. Time for grieving had past and there would be no more tears shed from her eyes.

The war had just started and she knew there would be more bloodshed, more loss. She was not sure what Axiom had planned next. All she knew is that she would figure out how to stop him, or die trying.

### The End

# Author's Note

Thank you for reading Fated Volition. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer, subscribe to my newsletter, or check out my website. I enjoy hearing from all my fans and cannot wait to hear from you too!

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A.L. Meinhold

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# Bonus Chapter

### Roger

Pain seared between his shoulder blades, his bare skin still broken from the last thrashing.

A cold and sharp female voice called out. "Again."

Tightening his muscles, Roger braced for the next lash. The leather whished through the air and cracked loudly when it connected with its target. Biting down on his tongue, he suppressed the scream waiting to escape his lips, and then steadied himself once more.

Irritated, the woman stepped closer and repeated herself with force. "Again."

Gripping the chains shackled to his wrists, Roger tensed in anticipation. The whip sliced open his flesh. Hot blood rolled down his back and dripped to the floor.

"Again." The woman shouted.

Roger stifled a scream as the whip added another laceration to his back.

"Again."

Roger's legs collapsed beneath him.

"Again."

Knees barely reaching the ground as he dangled from the chains attached to the ceiling.

"Again."

A soft moan escaped him.

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

Throwing his head back, unable to contain himself, he screamed in agony. His entire back felt like one large open wound. Stepping into his view, the blonde woman revealed herself.

"I knew we would break you eventually." A man said, out of his sight.

Smirking the woman leaned close to him, resting her hands on her thighs. The scent of something familiar overwhelmed him. It was earthy and powerful, whatever it was. Fighting to keep conscious, he spat at her. Expecting her to step back in disgust, she surprised him when she leaned close enough to feel her breath on his face.

Her voice was low and barely above a whisper. "If you think this is bad, you should know that it can get a whole lot worse."

She licked at the air in front of his lips before standing. Reaching into the bodice of her corset, she pulled out a small vial from the crevice of her breasts.

"This will make you feel much better." She said as she uncorked the vial and waited for him to open his mouth.

Clenching his lips shut, he shook his head.

"Tsk Tsk Tsk. Such a naughty boy. I supposed we will have to do it my way." Grabbing a handful of his hair, she jerked his head backward so hard that he was sure she had torn his scalp.

His mouth opened instinctually as he gasped in pain. The pain in his back subsided almost instantly as she poured the oily liquid down his throat. After several minutes, he felt refreshed and almost normal. Gaining the ability to stand, he pulled on the chains and waited for the lashing to begin again. He lost count on how many days had passed, but each day was the same. She oversaw his torture and then healed him, repeatedly. It was a game to her, one that had no rules, and one that she was winning.

Staring into the woman's cold silver eyes Roger spoke to her for the first time. "How long do you think you can keep this up Lorelei?"

She angered at the sound of her name and grabbed his chin firmly. "Who do you think you are to call me by name?"

"That's enough Lorelei." The man said again.

Releasing him, she stepped back and glared at the man with contempt.

The soft pad of leather boots approached him slowly. Taking his time, the man walked aimlessly around the room as he spoke.

"There will come a time, when you hate me for sparing your life." He paused, as if he wanted Roger to comprehend what he was telling him, before continuing. "A time when your entire miserable existence will wish you had died here today."

Roger shifted, trying to get a better look at the man speaking to him, with no success. He always stayed just outside Roger's line of vision.

"Why don't you face me, instead of cowering behind a woman?" Roger spat.

Taking his bait, the man stepped out of the shadows and sneered. "You have no idea of the things I'm capable."

Roger had been certain of the man's identity, until he revealed himself. He thought for sure that Axiom had been the one overseeing his beatings, but the man standing before him looked nothing like the king. His dark hair and olive skin glistened as if wet and there was a look of hunger in his eye. A hunger that he was not sure could ever be satisfied.

"Why don't you tell me?" Roger asked, hoping to anger him. If he was angry, he might slip up and divulge something.

"Perhaps, next time you fall asleep I'll show you." The man hissed as he circled around Roger.

Roger furrowed his brows and tried to follow the man as he moved. "Who are you?"

He laughed. "I am the nightmare you cannot forget, yet don't remember."

"Speak plain!" Roger shouted.

"I tire of this. You are such a bore Adaro." Lorelei feigned a yawn.

Adaro growled and snatched her arm. "How dare you?"

"How dare I what?" She challenged him.

"When Axiom hears of this-" He started.

She laughed. "When Axiom hears of what? You think he cares what you have to say. You are a nuisance, nothing more."

"Without me he couldn't dream walk. Without me, she would be out of his reach. Don't kid yourself. We both know who he really needs." Adaro snarled at her.

Jerking her arm from his clutch, she scowled at him. "I give him things you cannot. You serve a purpose. For now." She didn't wait for him to respond and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I am not sure, but I don't think she cares for you much." Roger smarted.

Adaro sneered and called for the guard that handled the lashings.

"I better hear the steady crack of that whip until I return or I'll turn it on you!" Adaro jeered at the guard and left Roger to his thrashing. Roger held on as long as he could before screaming out in pain. The sound of Ryhan's voice carried through the air before he passed out, clearly delirious from torment.
