 
# The Moirean Tapestry

# Book 1: Gods' Masks

Tara K. Young

Published by Myriad Maia at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Tara Kristen Young

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

## Introduction

Look at your life.

Seriously look at your life, examining every aspect of what it is to be you. Starting with the present makes the most sense. Are you employed, a student, or simply travelling through life? Are you married, divorced, or single? What are all the relationships you currently have in your life? What do these mean to you and say about you?

As you begin to consider why your life has reached this particular configuration, it is not long before you are forced to go back in time. Maybe only a few months at first; back to when you got that job or failed that test. Maybe you have been greatly impacted recently – or not so recently – by a death... or many. Even if your life has seemed uneventful, there is something crucial you will notice. Whatever the direct impetus for your position at this moment, you must go back further because what enabled you to get that job, your education or connections, is really the beginning. Is it not?

Of course not. You still have to go back further to how you got that education or those connections. What choices brought you to where you are now? Were they all your choices or were you affected by those of another? Follow every event in your life back through the evolution of decisions and events that made it happen. Eventually, you will end up at your own birth.

However, your life path did not start there. It started when your parents conceived you whether by choice, accident, or violence. But even that was a series of decisions. Soon, you have to go through all of your parents' choices and then their parents' and so on until you come to the beginning.

Is such a thing possible? Can you truly go back to the very beginning, the beginning of everything, the universe itself?

To be honest, I don't know and I have been here a very, very long time.

What this exercise should demonstrate to you is how interconnected we all are, even with a tiny insect on a planet circling the furthest sun from wherever you are. It should also show how truly complex that interconnectedness is. If we cannot see every choice and decision back to the beginning, how can we truly make any informed choices for the future?

Millennia ago, when I thought I was wise and powerful and knew more than any around me, I thought I had enough knowledge to make such decisions; not only for myself but also for many, many people. I was far too naïve to realize the repercussions of my actions.

I did not realize that I was no different than all those who surrounded me: completely in the dark and obsessed.

Many people paid for my actions and continue to do so. No doubt, the shock waves of my choices will reverberate through the universe until the end of time, just like those of everyone else.

The story of these choices is hard to tell. My role is not a noble one. Perhaps the best way to tell this story is to share the tales of those involved. From their lives, you can judge me.

Where does it truly begin: the creation of a people, the birth of a truce, an ultimate betrayal? Perhaps I will start in the middle, or maybe it is the very end.

## Chapter 1

Altruvia ran down the grassy hill, her silver skirts blown against her legs and her blue cloak billowing behind her. She laughed as she repeatedly changed her direction – left, right, and sharply left again – in an attempt to foil her pursuer. As she neared the bottom, she could feel the distance close between them within a blink and pulled her arms in, bracing herself for the onslaught.

Graiylin swiftly encircled her wasit with his arms and tackled her to the ground. Using the power of his will, he pushed up slightly at the last moment to prevent a hard fall. He pulled her body into his, encasing her to protect her further from harm. All the while, she giggled in his ear.

Within a moment of their landing, Altruvia smacked him on the arm, squealing, "Get up, Graiylin. You don't play fair!"

He pushed himself onto an elbow so that he could look at her. He smiled. "I always play fair. You just don't understand my rules," he said.

She laughed at his playfulness as he brushed aside the single brown lock that graced her golden hair. It was many moments after her own laughter had subsided that Altruvia realized he had become serious. The late afternoon sun lit his face in gold, making him appear more serene than solemn. His brown hair glowed and looked tantalizingly soft in the light. As she stared at him, Altruvia felt the dancing air currents brush the skin of her left hand, which was resting upon his forearm.

She let out a lazy breath and looked into his eyes. "What shall we do now?" she said.

He smiled again, obviously not distracted from his quiet thoughts. "Perhaps I could tickle you some more?" he teased.

"Don't you ever tire of such things?" she asked with mock fatigue.

"Of course not." He rested his head on her shoulder.

For many moments, they lay in the warmth of the sun, listening to the coltish wind teasing the grass. Their reverie was broken by their names being called in the distance. They pretended not to hear at first, hoping the intruder would go away. They knew who it was and had no desire to be dragged back to reality. It was not until they saw Syinnella's form, garbed in her usual light grey robes, crest the slope of the hill that they acknowledged the calls. Even then, it was only because Syinnella could see them.

Graiylin hopped onto his feet and helped Altruvia stand before addressing the woman. "Ho, Syinnella! Do you need us?"

She was yelling, but the distance and the steadily increasing wind rendered her reply quiet. "Your father and mother want you to return home. You both must get dressed for the presentation."

"I had happily forgotten about that," Altruvia scowled as she wiped off her skirt.

Graiylin held out his hand. "At least, it is only our presence that is requested," he said. "We will have other days to lie in the sun. We should be returning soon anyway."

Altruvia placed her hand in his and smiled as they walked back to the palace.

The Palace of Tryailla was almost immeasurable in size and was the only one upon the planet. Though they had shed their animal forms to take human ones early in their long history, the people were known as the Cats. They, like many cats, were a solitary people. There were no villages or large urban centres, only a smattering of homes throughout the countryside. Each dwelling was as different as its inhabitants. Some were large, ornate structures while others were small and sometimes nothing more than sparse caves. Some were attached to farms; others deep within old forests. Whatever the people wanted, they had, for Tryailla always provided.

Due to the widely dispersed population, the palace provided a permanent home for those connected to the royal family and lodgings to those who used it as a political and religious centre. Temples to each element, each divinity, each power, made up the structure. There were no stone walls for fortification; no moat or gate to mar the beauty of the palace. Only an iridescent dome could faintly be seen protecting their home. Altruvia and Graiylin had heard of such places needing much more defences but could not imagine such a life themselves.

As they ascended the stairs to the grand archway that stood before the large entrance, Altruvia closed her eyes and breathed in the feeling that was her home. She knew it would be her last sense of serenity until the end of the evening. She did not have to open her eyes to know they had passed through the arch and Graiylin's squeeze of her hand was enough to tell her they would soon be parted to prepare for the festivities.

Opening her eyes, Altruvia saw the many prismatic orbs flying about with decorations that still needed to be placed within the great hall: large bundles of delicate and vibrant flowers, beautiful crystal garlands of every colour, marble water urns, and gold and silver plates. The hall was semi-circular in shape with several giant, carved wood doors along the curved side. Each door had been decorated with aspects of different magical elements. One door was carved with ornate flames while another was carved with ocean waves. Some were adorned with symbolism from several elements at once.

Between two of the doors at the widest part of the circle was an enormous fireplace that was intended for ritual works but often was only a beautiful addition to the décor. The stone of the mantel gave the impression of changing shape naturally into various figures. There were Tryaillans in their bipedal form and in their cat form. There were wolves, dragons, hawks, and animals that no one in Tryailla had ever seen in memory. The figures danced together. Some of the figures simply held hands with others and some appeared to be involved in more erotic forms of dance. No one had ever had such carving skill in Tryailla's known history. The fireplace itself was thought to be as old as the palace, which was known to have been built at the founding of Tryailla. How long ago that was, no one knew.

At the far end of the hall was the high board upon which two thrones stood. They appeared to have been made by the same artisan as the fireplace. On the top of the back of these thrones, only catlike beings danced together. Females danced on one while the males danced on the other. Each throne had one cat figure that had large wings. For comfort, an embroidered silver cushion had been placed on one chair; a gold on the other.

In the very centre of the room, the tiles on the floor changed hue slightly to make the pattern of a five-pointed star within a circle. This locus often played a pivotal role in group rituals.

Syinnella's twin sister, Myrienella, walked over the star to take Graiylin's hand. If Altruvia did not know both women so well, she would never have been able to tell them apart. It did not help that they both insisted on dressing the same way and wearing their hair in the same fashion, matronly pinned on top of their heads.

As Graiylin was escorted from the hall, his expression was one of remorse. Their afternoon play was something neither of them had wanted to leave.

Syinnella grasped Altruvia's chin between her thumb and forefinger and glared at her. "We will never get you ready if you don't stop mooning over your brother."

Altruvia forced herself not to roll her eyes, which was difficult, as the premature end to her fun had now put her in a sardonic mood. "Where do you want me to go, Syinnella?"

She let go of Altruvia's face and stepped back. "To your wash room. After your rolling around in the grass, I am sure you are far from clean."

As Altruvia sulked off, Syinella added, "Do not look so depressed. If you are presentable enough to attend the party, you will get to dance with your brother."

Altruvia's wash room was large by any person's standards. A great hall with high ceilings painted in gold and silver murals, it housed a large, shallow bathing pool with several small fountains. The fountains, with their spiralling and playful carvings of the wind dancing with stone waves, created the soundes of several tiny waterfalls. In the middle of the pool stood a stone sentinel in the form of a tall, nude, voluptuously-proportioned woman with her arms stretched above her head and her palms touching. This was their sacred symbol for it was said that she was the guardian of Tryailla's people.

Plush lavender couches lined the walkway around the pool. On the largest wall, floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a balcony overlooking the flower gardens and distant mountain valleys. This oasis had always made the prefect retreat at times of needed introspection.

Within moments of entering the room, Altruvia was greeted by the prismatic orbs under Syinella's command. They removed the royal blue cloak of velvet and folded it neatly before setting it aside. As Altruvia began to remove her earrings, necklace and cuffs, two of the spheres unbuttoned the back of her silver dress. A third orb took her jewellery and placed the items in a wooden box before transporting them to the adjoining sleeping chamber.

It was not until Altruvia stood nude that she realized there was an unusual chill to the air. She turned her gaze to the windows to observe the approaching weather. The sun had recently set and the sky was clear. She shrugged her shoulders, reasoning that the temperature was simply falling with the coming of a cloudless night.

As she ran a soapy cloth along her arm, she continued to feel uneasy. Another chill swept through the room, bringing with it the feeling of unwelcome eyes fixated upon her. Although she had always had Syinella nearby as she bathed, she had never had a similarly uncomfortable feeling. Looking around, she saw that all appeared normal as Syinella directed the orbs in preparing her party clothes. A moment passed, and with a final breeze, the sensation was gone. She pushed her uneasiness aside and waded to the edge of the pool where she joined Syinnella who welcomed her with a large, soft towel. The woman wrapped it around Altruvia's shoulders and guided her to her clothes.

* * *

Graiylin threw his overshirt to the side as he entered his room. He had decided to make the process of getting ready for the party as fast and as painless as possible. All the while, Meryinella rattled off his clothing options for the evening. He barely heard her.

She knew he would wear whatever fancied him at the moment, but she had always had a nearly obsessive need for order and protocol, so she continued.

As Graiylin removed his deer leather boots, she informed him that his bath was ready. Unlike his sister, Graiylin insisted upon baths with hot water. His chamber had a door that led to a wash room with a bathing pool similar to his sister's, but he never used it. The water was – at its very best – lukewarm. How Altruvia could ever tolerate bathing in such cold water, let alone enjoy it, he never knew. As a result, a large bathing tub had been made for him so that it could be filled with steaming water.

He bathed thoroughly but quickly. Taking the towel that Myrienalla had left for him, he dried himself quickly and wrapped the towel around himself before heading back to his chamber to dress.

Knowing Graiylin had ignored Myrienella's prattling, Kwinnen, his best friend who often acted like his butler, had laid Graiylin's best clothes out and stood silently but wavering slightly as he waited for him to inspect them. The black-haired Kwinnen was a tall thin man of many moods. He was often very jovial and a great confidant for Graiylin, however, he had his quiet, contemplative moments as well. His moods were often unpredictable.

They had met when, several years prior, Kwinnen had visited the palace in hopes of becoming a religious ascetic in one of the elemental temples. Although he had quickly determined that a barren religious life was not compatible with his personality, he had remained living in the palace. Despite the upcoming festivities, he was now acting quite austere, but as Graiylin looked at his apparel, he suspected Kwinnen had already had a long night and day of revelry. Raising an eyebrow at him, Graiylin received a restrained smirk in response.

Graiylin perused the clothing selection and decided upon black pants and a black tunic shirt with stars embroidered in thin silver thread. Over his simple outfit, he planned to wear his large, sleeved cloak. It was made of deep red velvet with the outlines of suns embroidered in thin, braided, gold thread. The lining, cuffs, and collar were made of gold satin. It was his favourite garment, as the boldness of it was tempered by its elegance. His outfit was completed by his black leather boots and the chain of linked suns, the symbol of his station, which rested around his shoulders.

While performing a last inspection of himself in a large mirror, a draft drifted through the chamber. The suddenness of it caused Graiylin to start and examine his surroundings. Only Myrienella and Kwinnen were present, but he was sure he had sensed someone else. He looked at Meryinella, then Kwinnen. "Did either of you sense that?" he asked.

Meryinella shook her head. "I felt only a draft," she said.

Kwinnen looked somewhat less at ease. "I can't be sure of what I felt, but it wasn't benign."

Graiylin stretched his senses, attempting to find more of the out-of-place energy. Sensing nothing, he decided to relax but was determined not to slacken his guard lest it return.

"It is gone now," he announced, "and we have other things to occupy our time right now."

After finishing his grooming, Graiylin walked to the great hall. Kwinnen had muttered something about making himself presentable for the 'ladies' before leaving him alone. The guests had yet to arrive, but were expected shortly. Orbs flew about in a controlled chaos, putting the finishing touches on the décor and the settings for the dinner; adding a silk tapestry here, a silver goblet there. In one corner, he saw his mother who was guiding them.

She was a tall and slender woman. In fact, both his parents were easily the tallest people in all of Tryailla. They were also the most beautiful. Her long brown hair cascaded in gentle waves and curls around her narrow, hourglass-shaped body. She moved with a regal nature that not only could not be taught but also was rarely gifted at birth. However, her grace spoke of a powerful dominance beneath, which prevented anyone, even his own father at times, from being able to go against her. Yet, the woman could be the most gentle any had ever known.

She looked up to see Graiylin walking towards her. Her violet eyes became more vibrant, if that were possible, upon seeing her son. She walked to meet him and wrapped a slender arm around his shoulders and squeezed them. His head was pulled into her shoulder, as he was more than a head shorter than she was. She looked down and smiled at him before speaking. "You look handsome tonight. Are you ready for the party?"

Graiylin shrugged, "I suppose I am as ready as anyone is to eat too much and celebrate into hours when we would all normally be sleeping. Where is Altruvia?"

"Only you could make festivities sound like skulduggery. I suppose Altruvia is still getting ready. You will probably not see her until most of the guests have arrived. In fact, you are ready quite early. As you can see," she motioned to her simple silver dress, "I have yet to ready myself. I should go to that now. Your father is probably wondering where I am. He left to dress quite some time ago." With a hug, she parted.

Alone in the hall, Graiylin had no distractions to prevent him from concentrating on the uneasy feelings he had had in his chamber. He wanted to go to Altruvia's room to see if she were alright but logic and protocol prevented him. If anything were wrong, his mother would have known, being connected to all beings in Tryailla. He would also not be permitted near her chamber during the preparation period. It was considered a sacred ritual. However relaxing and casual it often was, it was not to be interrupted. He would have to wait until she arrived at the party.

He walked to the grand arch and leaned against it as he looked out over the trail of lights making their way to the palace. The dotted line of lanterns swayed with the movement of the poles on which they were carried. Only a hint of lightened sky remained on the horizon. The three moons overhead and the lanterns of the guests were quickly becoming the only light outside of the ever-glowing palace barrier.

As the guests later mingled with goblets and treats in their hands, Graiylin looked impatiently around the hall. Men and women garbed in their finest fabrics and adorned with their most impressive jewels set the hall aglow. The light of the candles and fires reflected off so many jewels that the room itself appeared to sparkle. Tryaillans had always had a weakness for anything that sparkled. The gentle music, played by an ad hoc band of guests who had brought instruments, had an ethereal mood and would have made the scene feel much more like divine inspiration if it had not been muffled by the hum of chattering.

He looked up at the high board and saw his most awaited guest. On the steps to the side of the high board, Altruvia had stopped upon entering the room. Syinnella was fixing her skirts one last time before leaving to join the festivities herself. Altruvia's dress was magnificent in a form-fitting iridescent white. The neckline rested off her shoulders and the sleeves were tailored to her arm. Her skirt flared out from her hips, upon which rested a chain of silver and blue moons. The end of the chain dangled in front of her skirt catching the light as the fabric underneath melted and tautened with her movements. Over her dress, she wore an open vest-cloak that flowed to the floor and behind her. The outer fabric was a silver-blue satin with silver moons embroidered in patterns of the most intricate constellations upon it. The white satin cuffs to oversized armholes that hung at her sides matched the wide collar, the fold of which continued to the floor. Her neck was graced by five sapphire gems embedded in silver and linked by a delicate chain. Matching earrings dangled from her ears, occasionally brushing her neck as she moved her head to take in the scene and greet passing guests. Adding to her beauty was her hair, the top of which was pulled back and secured by a chain that dipped across her forehead. Another sapphire gem dangled in the middle. The rest of her hair had been brushed straight and fell loose down her back.

As Graiylin admired her in all her magnificence, he noted her warmth and elegance in greeting those who stopped to say hello. Although she was not as elegant as her mother, no one would ever have imagined describing Altruvia as awkward. If her mother had the finest elegance of any god, Altruvia had the finest elegance of any cat.

Graiylin chose not to wait any longer and walked briskly to the steps of the high board. Standing to his sister's side, he placed her hand atop his and apologized to the guests who had stopped to greet her.

"I am sorry to remove your fine hostess," he said, "But I must speak with her. Excuse us." He led her from the high board to the edge of the crowd. "You look wonderful," he said as his gaze inspected her form.

She smiled. "You have to say that. You are my betrothed." She glanced around the room before addressing him again. "Did you feel it?" She asked seriously.

"Yes," he replied, "But the question is what it is."

She shook her head. "It felt like either the energy of intent or a spell itself, but it felt strange, corrupted somehow."

"Basically, we don't know if someone was trying something or if they are thinking of trying something," He was caught in his own thoughts.

"It is more a question of time than deed," she continued. "If someone has intent that strong, it would take much to change his mind from committing the act. If he was doing a spell, the deed has been done but it seems to have been a deed of observation. Either way, something bad is planned for the future. We need to be on guard for it." She now turned from Graiylin and looked around the room as if searching for the culprit.

"Do you think something will happen at the party tonight?" He asked her since she appeared to have a deeper knowledge of it than he.

Without looking at him, she said, "Perhaps. I don't know but it is possible something will happen. I still don't feel the strong imminent threat of a deed that sinister. Perhaps something could begin to take motion but I doubt we need to fear attack tonight. But beware of watchful eyes."

Kwinnen suddenly appeared as if he had popped into existence between them, leaning on Graiylin's shoulder. He was obviously inebriated. "Why'dyou look so-serious?" he slurred.

"I could have sworn that you were helping me get ready not long ago." Graiylin replied. "You weren't that drunk. When did you find the time to drink so much?"

Raising his free hand, Kwinnen showed a nearly empty goblet. "I'm not drunk. This is my first cup." He waved the vessel around dismissively. "But that doesn't matter. I've got an idea I wanted to share with you." He finished the last of his liquid before continuing, "Now, not all of us are such natural talents at Spirit Step as you are, my friend." Kwinnen nudged Graiylin in the ribs with his mug.

"I'm not so good at it," Graiylin admitted. "I can't do it beyond a few feet at a time."

Kwinnen pulled back and looked at him as if he had had an epiphany, "Ah, but what if you could?"

Pulling back had reduced Kwinnen's stability, and now he wobbled slightly from side to side. Altruvia tried to hide a snicker behind her hand while Graiylin reached out to help steady his friend.

"Why don't we go sit down?" he suggested.

Just then, a curvaceous woman with dark red hair walked by, causing Kwinnen to falter slightly again as he watched her. All thoughts of what he had wanted to say had evaporated as quickly as his drink.

"Are you going to be alright?" Graiylin asked with quite a bit of mirth.

Muttering incoherently about something having come up, Kwinnen thrust his cup into Graiylin's chest and wandered after the woman.

As the official festivities were about to begin, Tryailla stood before the thrones, her husband, Gorynd, sitting behind her. He was a large man in all respects but he was not fat. He was tall with thick, muscular limbs and dark colouring. His skin was richly tanned and his hair black. His eyes looked from a distance to be black as well but were simply a darker violet than Tryailla's. He wore a silver tunic and a black overcoat that matched the style of Graiylin's. Any who had not met him would have thought him a rough man, but he was kind and good-natured. Tryailla now wore a dress of gold, which appeared simple at first sight because the intricate embroidery was so subtle. The twists and turns of thread resembled the dance of a fire and her dress gave the illusion that it was made of just that as the fabric swayed and reflected the light with her movements. She raised her arms to call attention to the hall. The music faded and all became quiet.

"My friends," she began, "I thank you for joining us on this honourable occasion." She paused before continuing, "Before memory, our ancestors roamed our home. Their pads could caress the most delicate grass or crush it beneath their power. We knew nothing but survival and, for a time, it suited us well. But when we learned more of ourselves and discovered abilities once thought impossible, we built Tryailla so that it would be as it is today. We want for nothing and live peacefully. It is a good life.

"To ensure this good life, five new mages have been chosen, one for each element and the power that accompanies them. They will safeguard our wellbeing so that we will never again revert to the days of unknowing. Our hearts have searched the land to find those best suited to the position. Although there are many with skill and many with the proper intent, it is only these five who have proven they are worthy. Tonight marks the beginning of their dedication to their own elements for the rest of their lives. Until they all embody these energies, they shall serve us as mages. I shall now call upon these five."

The crowd stirred as all waited in tangible anticipation for the reveal of the successful candidates. Only Tryailla ever knew their identities, but the presentation fed curiosity in such a way as to peak it and confuse it to think it had been satisfied. In truth, they would never be seen by anyone, even each other.

The mages were the only people in all of Tryailla who did not have final say about their path. Those who served the palace, such as Syinella and Myrienella, did so because they enjoyed the task. Their greatest happiness came from helping others. Those who preferred to farm did so, not for food but for joy. If any began to dislike their work, they moved on to other things. The mages, however, were too important to the survival of the people to be chosen or ignored due simply to the vicissitudes of the heart.

As the guests waited, the doorways to the five elemental wings were opened. In each, there stood a single person, garbed in a loose robe of that element's colour: green, yellow, red, blue, and purple. Their large hoods masked their faces.

"I call upon the mage of earth," Tryailla's voice was now echoing loudly through the hall, yet it lost none of its softness.

The mage wearing green walked methodically forward and, once he was before the high board, turned to face Tryailla. He knelt on one knee and waited as Tryailla held her hands to the sky to manifest a green medallion of an inverted triangle with a horizontal line through it. She placed the talisman around his neck and bid him leave. Out of respect, he backed away three steps, staying bowed, before turning to walk to his place in the wing of earth. This process was repeated for air, fire, and water. Each was given a different medallion. Air received a yellow, upright triangle with a horizontal line through it; Fire, a red triangle with no line; Water, a blue inverted triangle. Finally, Spirit was called to the board.

As the figure knelt, a flash of sight hit Altruvia causing her to stumble backwards and place a hand on the nearest person before comprehending fully what she saw. Kwinnen, who was the person she had used for support, asked if everything was all right. She nodded but nervously turned back to her original vision.

She saw the mage of spirit with no hood. No others seemed to be able to see this, but Altruvia could see it more clearly than the reality of what happened before her. The mage of spirit was a girl only a year or two younger than she. She had long brown hair with the front pulled back and secured much in the same manner as Altruvia's. The girl might simply have been focused but she appeared solemn as Tryailla performed the rite of spirit.

Spirit received no medallion, as it had no symbol. Instead, Tryailla blew into her cupped hands before placing them over the centre of the girl's chest. She had instilled a prayer to aid the girl's work and devotion as spirit.

After the initiation, the feast began under the guardianship of the five mages who stood like ancient and immovable stone statues at their posts in the doorways of the elemental wings. Tryailla and Gorynd sat at the high board where their plates of food awaited them. For the rest of the guests, the food was placed along the centre of the long tables that lined the hall and all helped themselves. Altruvia and Graiylin sat together at the centre of the table next to the large fire, which bathed them in warmth.

Tryailla watched her children as she spoke barely above a whisper to her husband. "We are lucky," she said.

Gorynd finished drinking from his goblet before looking at their children. "They are beautiful children and will succeed."

"More than that," she hinted in that omnipotent tone that came so naturally.

He raised an eyebrow to which she replied, "We are lucky that they love each other. We will never need to coax them. They could have hated each other and what would have happened then?"

Gorynd understood but could not resist a joke, "We'd give them to a farmer who wanted the labour and try again." His wife flashed him a look that he knew too well was not as venomous as it probably appeared. He reached out with a large hand and rubbed her back to prove he was in good spirits and meant her no disrespect. She returned to her food.

"When shall they marry?" he asked her.

Without looking at him, she replied, "They are far from ready for that. Love is one thing but you know as well as I do that they are not ready for the responsibility of taking our places. When their magic has matured, then we will marry them. Until then, they will have to be content with their playful games."

"Good. I'm not ready to give all this up yet," Gorynd teased again.

After many had filled themselves, more musicians took up their instruments, increasing the music's volume and tempo so that the other guests could dance. Everyone was enjoying the festivities.

After initial difficulty involving a slap across the face, Kwinnen was now enjoying a conversation with the redheaded woman. Myrianella and Syinnella had met another set of twins who had asked them to dance. Altruvia clapped her hands together to the music and smiled as she watched the dancers. Graiylin wrapped his arm around her waist and observed silently.

Suddenly the music changed to a familiar slow and rhythmic tune. With this signal, all the guests, including Altruvia and Graiylin turned to the high board. Tryailla and Gorynd waited for the right moment to descend the steps. Together, they walked with the even beat towards the centre of the hall. As they passed by Altruvia and Graiylin's table, Tryailla turned to them with hands outstretched, offering one to each of them. They stood and climbed over the table. Altruvia held one of her mother's and one of Graiylin's hands. Gorynd took his wife's and began to walk the circumference of the dance floor. As they moved, Graiylin took the hand of the person nearest him. The progression continued until all the guests were holding hands and walking to the beat of the music around the circle. The music gained speed and Gorynd matched his pace with its tempo. They travelled the circle three times before he began to spiral towards the centre of the room. As the music became faster and faster, Gorynd, in turn, began to run. He gripped his wife's hand more tightly, ensuring that she would keep his pace. As the music climaxed, Gorynd reached the centre and turned abruptly to wrap his arms around his wife. As she crashed into him, they met in a kiss and the energy of the circle reached its peak. A column of white light enveloped them and reached up beyond the ceiling into the universe. Only the faintest outline of their embracing forms could be seen in the column. All the guests, who had known enough to slow down right before the culmination, shielded their eyes from the emanation. Altruvia and Graiylin watched in awe. The width of the column began to diminish until the thin remnants melted like a viscous metallic liquid into the ground. Tryailla and Gorynd's kiss came to a natural conclusion at the same moment. Gorynd turned to his guests.

"My fine friends, I thank you for coming to our home this evening. Please stay and enjoy the rest of the festivities. My wife and I, however, shall retire for the evening. Good night."

Quickly the jovial murmurs of the crowd returned to a full roar of conversation and celebration. Fast-paced jigs were played and many danced to the beats. Fruits, nuts, cheeses, breads, and sweets were magically replenished on the tables by the orbs. The drink pitchers simply never emptied.

Altruvia took Graiylin's hand. "I'm wide awake," she said, "Let's dance a bit." She led him into the middle of the crowd of people already dancing. Turning to him, she put her hand on his forearm as they began. Their feet moved quickly and the fabric of their outfits billowed and whipped with their swift movements: spins, twists, jumps, and the odd instance of showing off with Spirit Step by Graiylin, who was only encouraged by the nearby hoots from Kwinnen.

Altruvia felt herself getting warmer. Within moments, she was sweating. Within a few more moments, she realized the heat of her body was unnaturally continuing to rise. The music of the hall and the noises of the guests gradually became quieter and quieter until she could hear nothing. She looked around the hall frantically as Graiylin continued to lead her in a dance. Her vision became blurry, the guests around her now only a kaleidoscope of colour. As the world began to dematerialize before her eyes, she turned to Graiylin and tried to tell him something was wrong. He never heard her.

He reached out and caught her just before she hit the floor. He had not realized what was happening until the last moment. As the guests around him began to notice, there were quiet gasps and murmurings. The music trailed off mid-line as each musician realized something was amiss.

Graiylin held Altruvia in his arms and looked at her face. He tried to wake her but she did not move. Then he noticed the atmosphere in the hall change. It became heavy as though he were now suspended in a thick, stagnant fluid. As fast as he could, he lifted Altruvia into his arms and began carrying her from the hall. As he did, he yelled, "Mages!"

Immediately, the mages combined their powers to search the hall and protect the innocent guests inside it. Syinnella ran to Graiylin's side as he left, heading towards Altruvia's chambers. Myrianella and Kwinnen remained behind to regain order.

"What has happened?" Syinella asked, concerned.

"Fetch my mother," is all he would give in reply. Syinnella left him to seek Tryailla, who would no doubt already be on her way.

Graiylin burst into Altruvia's chambers and headed straight for her bedroom. He gently set her down in her bed and covered her. He then closed his eyes and enveloped the room in a purple, five-pointed star. As one last precaution, he raised his index fingers and thumbs to make a triangle in front of his forehead. Looking through it, he scanned the room and, upon sensing no unfamiliar energies, let himself relax as he waited for his mother to arrive.

Syinnella opened the door and allowed Tryailla to walk by her. She had obviously hurried, as her pace had not slowed when she entered the room. She stopped abruptly at the foot of the bed and looked at her unconscious daughter.

For the first time in Graiylin's life, he heard real anger in his mother's voice. "She has been marked," she scowled.

"By whom?" Graiylin asked. He had never heard of being marked before.

"Someone with more power than wisdom, obviously." She was biting back her words.

"Why would she be 'marked'?" Graiylin continued to probe.

Now his mother looked at him for the first time since entering the room. "This is mine to deal with," she said. "You are not to get involved."

This night was one of many firsts. Tryailla had never excluded her children from magical workings. Graiylin was almost too wounded to wonder why... almost.

"Fetch your father for me," she said abruptly. "I must stay. She cannot be left unprotected."

"But I have already..."

"Go!" She commanded.

In shock, Graiylin turned to leave the room. As he neared the door, he heard his mother call his name. He turned to her again to see her expression had softened to the one he knew most.

"Trust me," she implored.

Although he was still greatly concerned and confused, her simple plea of trust was enough to heal his ego. He left to retrieve his father.

Graiylin walked back the way he had come until he reached a short corridor to the side that opened to wide steps leading to the second level of the palace. He approached the giant oak doors of his parents' chamber and waited. A moment went by before his father's voice gave him permission to enter.

His father was sitting in a large chair by the fire, staring at the flames as if studying them. He looked up at his son and smiled reassuringly.

"She will be fine," he offered in comfort.

"Mother wants you to come," Graiylin told him. "She is concerned."

The large man stood slowly and walked towards the door, stopping at Graiylin and putting a hand on his shoulder. "She is upset, not concerned. This can be handled."

Noting his father's careful language, Graiylin had no hopes of learning anything from him, but he asked anyway. "What is being 'marked'?"

Although his father's gaze was one of compassion, he would not help Graiylin. "It is something we can remedy. Why don't you go to your chambers? You could do with some sleep."

"I had hoped that I could sit with Altruvia through the night," he requested.

His father smiled and put an arm around him as he led him from the room and down the hall. "Try to get some sleep. Your mother and I will need to be alone with your sister. Give us some time." He paused. "I will fetch you when we are finished. You can sit with her then."

Tryailla's words came back to Graiylin. "Trust Me." He decided he had no other choice in the matter and agreed to do as his father instructed, although he was not convinced that he would be able to sleep. At the bottom of the large steps, the two men parted ways, Graiylin heading away from the person he most wanted to protect.

* * *

Tryailla was pacing the floor of her daughter's room when her husband arrived, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"What is the matter?" he asked.

Tryailla did not stop pacing but looked at him. "You know what is the matter."

"This is easily fixed."

Now she stopped. She gave Syinella an instructive look to leave and close the doors behind her. When they were alone, she said, "Obviously it is not."

He raised an eyebrow again. Tryailla took his hand and led him to his daughter's side. She placed his palm on her forehead. "Feel that?" she asked.

It was all he could do not to recoil because of the revulsion that entered him. Looking at his wife with near terror, he did not need to speak.

"I have tried to rid her of it," she explained. "It will not leave and worse is the signature."

"Perhaps we simply need both of us to try at the same time," he reasoned but knowing her response.

"No. This is deeper than that. Did you not feel the signature?"

"But how can this be? Both? It makes no sense."

She shook her head, trying to understand herself. "I don't know how and that is what scares me most of all. But I do know what this means. They are coming and they are coming for her."

"But that would mean all-out war. They would never be so foolish."

"Unless there were something to increase their confidence. Something must have changed for them to dare challenge us."

"We need to find out what that is."

"And we need to prepare for war with the Wolves and the Dragons."

## Chapter 2

Graiylin had been pacing his room, venting his frustrations to Kwinnen about the night's events. For his part, Kwinnen was equally confused and could offer not much more than supportive vocalisations. Just as Graiylin had dropped onto his bed in frustration, there was a knock at his door. Not giving Kwinnen time to respond, he sprang out of bed and ran to the door. When he opened it, Syinnella was looking back at him.

"Your mother has requested you come sit with your sister for the rest of the night."

At Kwinnen's insistence, the three of them returned to Altruvia's room together. Tryailla's face plainly expressed her concern for the situation.

"Is everything going to be alright?" Graiylin asked her.

He had specifically asked in the future tense and not the present so that she could not evade his curiosity. Though he knew she had never lied and never would, he had suspected there were times she had omitted some information. Before he had always assumed any omissions unimportant, now he trusted nothing.

"I hope so," was all she could bring herself to confess.

"I need you to sit with her until I return," she continued. "I have some matters to attend to and I do not feel comfortable leaving her alone."

That his mother felt the usual powerful protections were not enough told him that she feared a very strong magical threat. He then noticed his father was not there. "Where is father?" he asked.

"I sent him to fetch the mages. I am on my way to join them." She gave him a hug saying, "Be safe," before leaving the room.

Only a few short minutes later, he was looking over at his unconscious sister and wondering what had really transpired. He walked to her bedside and sat in the chair next to it. Kwinnen followed suit as he flopped into a chair on the other side to settle in for a long night. Taking her hand in his, Graiylin tried to will her back to health. Her finger twitched but nothing more.

* * *

Altruvia called out in the darkness but heard only her own voice echoing back to her. She could see nothing except herself. Although she was perfectly illuminated, there was no other light. It was a void.

Frantically, she tried to feel her way through the blackness, but she felt nothing on her palms or beneath her feet. She began to sob, as she feared she would be condemned to this existence. Nothingness, blackness ... nothing as far as she could see.

Wiping away her tears, she looked ahead of her and imagined she saw a dot of light in the distance. It grew in size slightly and with it, she felt – ever so faintly – Graiylin's energy. She ran to it, crying out to him, trying to let him know where she was, wherever that may be.

The dot faded and she remained alone in the void.

* * *

Tryailla entered the great hall that had since been emptied and sealed but for the five mages and her husband, who stood in a circle around the star in the centre of the hall. She took her place next to Gorynd and addressed the mages.

"What was in the hall during the incident?" She asked.

Without words, the mages combined their energies to manifest in the centre of the circle a visual representation of their thoughts. Their illustration appeared normal until everything disappeared into darkness.

"Nothing," she repeated perplexed. "How could a void be used as a magical weapon?"

"Not a weapon," her husband interjected. "A cloak. They reversed a cloak of invisibility. Instead of wrapping themselves in it, they wrapped her in it."

An invisibility cloak was intended to hide a user's own energies to appear as a non-threat to any in the surrounding area. In the process, it blocked the user's ability to sense or affect the energies of any others. It was rarely used for this reason and even then only as a weak form of protection. It was this aspect that confused Tryailla the most.

She said, "But then why were the mages unable to see the energy of the one wielding it? They wouldn't have been able to use one and still manipulate such magic."

"I don't know," he said quietly.

She turned to the mages again. "You have searched the palace. Did you find any evidence of the attacker?"

None.

"Since the culprit or culprits managed to hide themselves, we have no way of knowing if they are still here," she growled.

"I have a feeling that doesn't matter at the moment," Gorynd replied. "Marking someone to be claimed hasn't been done in thousands of years. Even then, our ancestors viewed it as a vile practice to violate someone in such a way. The perpetrator is obviously not restricted by normal taboos. At least, we know how they marked her. We can reverse the effects of it for the time being, although the mark itself may be more difficult to handle."

Tryailla nodded in agreement. "Husband, go to Altruvia's room and remove that cloak. I have some other matters I wish to take care of and should do so promptly." She turned to the mages. "As of now, you are all to patrol the palace until I say otherwise."

Gorynd stood and kissed his wife's head gently before leaving for Altruvia's chambers. After he was gone, she summoned an orb out of nothing and whispered to it to have the chief architect meet her in her receiving chambers.

Later that night, the chief architect, who was a wizened man older than most Cats, fidgeted slightly as he waited for Tryailla to speak. She sat across from him in front of the fire. For several minutes, she had been thinking and had not yet told him why he had been summoned. After a few more tense moments, she looked at him and took a breath.

"I have a task for you," she said, "but only you and your three most trusted apprentices are to complete it. You must not tell anyone, even them, the purpose, only the form they must make. They must be sworn to secrecy. They can tell people what they wish so long as it is not the truth about this project."

She could see that the architect was very surprised because he had never been asked to construct anything in such circumstances, but he knew better than to ask questions. Tryailla had the habit of revealing only what she wanted to share. If she wished to share a piece of knowledge, she would tell without coaxing.

"I will tell no one," he promised slowly after a moment of consideration.

"You are to construct a gazebo in the centre of the gardens below my daughter's chambers," she paused.

She saw his surprise as this obviously could not be all there was. Such a task could not possibly be sensitive.

"This gazebo," she continued, "must appear solid in structure. There must be no architectural detail, down to the smallest crack, that makes it appear as anything else. However, it must also be able to open in such a way that it is pulled apart."

"I am not sure of your meaning, lady," the architect confessed.

"The gazebo is simply an illusion. Below the gazebo, I need you to construct a shaft. In the shaft, you will place this." She held her hand up, palm facing the ceiling. Upon it, she formed an illustration made of energy: a woman with arms stretched above her head, large breasts and hips, and a spiral on her abdomen. The architect's eyes focused upon the spiral and he recoiled.

"Lady, we have not needed any such things in centuries," he stammered.

She sighed, "No, we have not. Nor do we need any more than one. It need hold only two people. Do you understand my desire to keep this secret?"

"Yes, of course," he replied.

"Good. I must also stress that you and I are the only ones who know of this. My husband and the mages do not know. Gorynd will inevitably sense it but you must never discuss this with him. There must be no chance of any hearing about this. The moment you leave this room tonight, you will not discuss this with anyone, even me. Your apprentices may only know of the gazebo and the shaft. The rest you must do yourself and in secret. I know I ask much of you, but I would not if I had any other choice."

With a slight hesitation, he straightened himself in his seat but looked down for several moments before replying. "After all these years of silence, they are coming. Aren't they?" He asked.

She took a moment of reflection before responding. "It looks as though they may but I sincerely hope they do not."

* * *

Gorynd quietly shut the chamber door behind him. Graiylin and Kwinnen had both fallen asleep but Graiylin was still clasping Altruvia's hand. Shaking him gently, Gorynd woke his son.

"I have good news," he said. "We can heal your sister."

Graiylin's eyes, which had been foggy from sleep, immediately cleared and brightened. Kwinnen also began to wake and become alert.

They both watched as Gorynd turned to Altruvia and placed his right palm upon her forehead. He searched for the cloak. Upon finding its film of energy, he used great force to pull with his own. He ripped it from her before absorbing the energy and transforming it within himself. He knelt to place his left palm on the ground to release the new energy into the ground. Within moments, Altruvia was waking. She turned to her father and brother and smiled thankfully. Graiylin appeared to hold back tears, for his eyes glistened but his posture remained rigid. He was unable to hold back a hug. He squeezed her as though he had not seen her in years.

## Chapter 3

"We can't keep ignoring it," Tryailla ranted.

She had been discussing with Gorynd, who now stood in deep thought, the events of Altruvia's marking. It had been over two months since it had happened and there had been no sign of further attacks or infiltrations. Nevertheless, the mark remained and every moment Tryailla could sense it made her more irate.

Now, she stood at the top of the palace steps next to one side of the grand archway. She leaned forward with her hands pressed into the stone as she tried to channel her frustration into the rock. She turned and could see Graiylin, Altruvia, and Kwinnen walking through the fields below, with Syinnella following behind.

Although their defences did not appear to have changed, Tryailla had spent the last few months making many changes to the structural integrity of the barriers. The mages had been keeping watch non-stop and she could tell they were aging faster than any of their predecessors. She had wanted to let them rest but she had fallen into a state of fear from which she could not escape. She was not accustomed to functioning with so many gaps in her information. Knowing the mages were keeping watch was one of her few comforts.

Despite the new changes to the barriers and the vigilance of the community in general, they were not safe. She did not know why the Dragons and Wolves had switched to the offensive. This made her uneasy as it prevented her from accurately being able to choose the next form of action. Now she was discussing the options with her husband, who was content to act as though nothing had happened.

"If we ignore what happened, we will be caught off guard," She reiterated.

"I am not suggesting we forget entirely as to neglect our defences, but we know nothing of what is to happen. We do not have enough information to make an offensive manoeuvre. If we continue to sit here in fear, Tryailla will die and take its people with it. You must realize this." Despite Gorynd's pensive mood, he was becoming easily agitated. "If you do not find a way to let this go, you will make everything wither."

She flashed him a venomous look. "I do not like your accusatory tone, Gorynd."

His gaze softened at his wife's offense. He walked to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I did not mean to offend," he said. "But I am concerned for all of us."

"Then what do you propose we do?" She asked mockingly.

He was quiet for a moment as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "We have one option," he said. "Something we have not tried before."

She examined his features for some sign of a confidence she did not have herself. "But what can work?" she asked.

His eyes burned into hers as he sent her his thoughts. The Rite. Her eyes grew wide.

He spoke aloud again, "If we do this, we can go back to our lives of peace, knowing that we can use this the moment it is needed."

She nodded in agreement and looked down at her children who were now seated together on a hill.

* * *

Altruvia pensively ran her palm over the tips of the blades of grass as she sat on the hill. After they had tired of walking, Graiylin had suggested they sit and talk.

"Have they still said nothing to you?" he asked, concerned.

She looked towards the palace and knew her mother was watching them from the steps even though it was too far to see the features of the silhouette leaning against the arch. "She is scared," she said.

Graiylin sighed. "But what is it? Surely we should know if it is something so horrible as to unnerve our mother."

Kwinnen wriggled as if he had been attacked by prickling chills down his spine and said, "Anything that can upset your mother is nothing I want near." Syinella nodded in grave agreement.

Altruvia fought back tears. She hated discussing what had happened because it scared her as much as it did her mother. She could still feel the violation of the mark swimming in her own energies. It disgusted her and there was not a moment it did not torment her. Any mention of what had happened further twisted and roiled her insides. "Perhaps she does not know or she does not want to give it power?" she reasoned.

Graiylin scoffed, "She knows more than she's saying."

"That's nothing new," Kwinnen added.

Altruvia leaned into Graiylin and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Let's not talk about such things," she said. "I just want to sit here and enjoy the nice weather."

The pain in her voice was obvious and Graiylin began to stroke her hair in comfort.

Kwinnen looked uncomfortably at Syinella and, without words, they appeared to agree that they should continue walking to leave Graiylin and Altruvia alone. After they had gone, it was several minutes before either of them spoke. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Graiylin broke the silence.

"What if we go exploring in the woods tomorrow?" he suggested to cheer her up.

She had always loved going to the woods. She squeezed his sides and smiled. "That would be nice," she said quietly. "Let's bring a lunch and stay out all day."

The next morning, Altruvia dressed in a dark green, tunic dress over a light green chemise for their journey to the woods. Syinnella braided her hair to keep it out of the way and had added gold and silver ribbon that would sparkle in the sun.

After hearing about Graiylin and Altruvia's plans, Syinnella and Meryinella insisted upon assembling the picnic themselves. They had both been worried that the siblings had been depressed and felt such an excursion would lift their spirits.

Tryailla, however, had not been happy with the idea of the two wandering alone under the circumstances. It took much begging from Graiylin before she relented. She did not inform him, however, that she had instructed the spirit mage to watch them throughout the day.

As Syinnella was adorning Altruvia with gold earrings, there was a knock. Graiylin opened the large door and peaked inside. He held up the sack containing the food for the picnic that Meryinella had given him and smiled.

"You did not have to dress up for me," he said.

Syinnella rolled her eyes. "Sometimes," she said superiorly, "A woman makes herself beautiful to lift her own spirits not just those of a man."

Altruvia giggled at the scolding, causing Graiylin to feign disgust. "You do not have to laugh at me, sister."

"But it's fun," she retorted.

"Ha!" He scoffed. "Maybe for you. However, I believe that a walk in the woods would be much more fun than sitting here making conversation at my expense." He held out a hand. She smiled and graciously took it as she stood.

They left the palace behind and walked to the forest of the North. Although the day was warm and sunny, the woods were chilled by the shade from the dense foliage. Despite this, their surroundings remained lively. Birds could be heard singing in the trees everywhere they went. As Graiylin helped Altruvia over a fallen log, they saw a small squirrel scurry inside.

The longer they worked their way through the brush, the more Altruvia found herself relaxing. Her muscles began to loosen and she felt a wave of contentment wash over her. She was glad Graiylin had suggested it. She had forgotten how therapeutic it could be.

He stopped and listened attentively.

"What is it?" she asked.

He was silent a moment more before turning to her. "Don't you hear it? There is a waterfall nearby. It sounds like a small one, so we can't be too far." He took her hand as he began to walk towards the sound.

The closer they were to the sound of water, the quieter the forest became. Altruvia began to strain to hear any hint of a bird's song but soon also found she became less concerned the more they walked. A calm permeated the woods and she could feel Graiylin's energy change as he too sensed it. He squeezed her hand gently, as he was sure they were upon the source of the sound. They were compelled to find it and would have had no strength to deny this desire.

They broke out of the trees into a clearing. As Graiylin had suspected, there was a small waterfall in the centre. The water sparkled in the sunlight.

"It's beautiful," Altruvia said happily. "I wish we had found this when we were younger. We could have come here all the time."

Graiylin sensed something. "That's odd."

"What?"

"There is a barrier around this spot."

Altruvia raised a brow. "What kind of barrier?"

"A spirit barrier of our family. I wonder how long this has been here."

Altruvia expanded her senses until she too were touching the ancient energies with her mind. "It feels strong."

Graiylin turned to her and smiled. "It isn't anything menacing," he said. "We can mention it when we get home. For now, why don't we take advantage of this spot for our meal?"

They sat on the grassy earth and began to lay between them the fruits, breads, cheeses, and sweets that Syinnella and Meryinella had prepared. Altruvia immediately took a bunch of grapes and began to pop them into her mouth, one by one. Graiylin instead chose some dried figs.

"How do you think things would have gone, if everything were normal?" he asked between figs.

Altruvia laughed. "I would like to know what you mean by normal."

He smiled and bowed his head uncharacteristically shyly. "I mean, if nothing had gone wrong the night of the party."

"Life would have continued on as usual."

"Do you think we would be married?" he probed.

She looked at him without smiling but there was a glint in her eye. "I don't think mother would have accepted that yet."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Maybe she doesn't want to lose her children yet. Maybe she doesn't feel we are ready for that kind of responsibility."

"Do you think we are?"

She sat and watched the waterfall for many moments. "I think she is right that we are not ready for the same responsibility she has to the people. But I do think you and I are ready for the responsibility to each other."

"Unfortunately, custom has seen the two intertwined," he said dryly.

She placed her hand over his and gave him a sympathetic look. "It is only the ceremony of one that is intertwined with the responsibility of the other. No one could expect us to hold back love for the sake of ceremony."

He smiled and looked at the food between them. "I guess we should eat before we start walking again."

"Let's eat, but I think I would rather spend the day here," she said. "It is so beautiful."

He agreed and, when they had eaten all they could, he packed the remaining snacks into the sack and set it aside. He lay down in the grass, placed his hands under his head and closed his eyes. He heard Altruvia walk over to the water and put her feet in. He opened an eye to see that she was sitting on the bank, letting her feet hang freely in the water. He closed his eyes again and after listening to the slow rhythm of his own breathing for many moments, fell asleep.

He thought he awoke some time later to the sound of splashing. The stillness of the air and the golden quality of the light made him consider that he might be dreaming but the tangible quality to his surroundings was too vivid.

He sat up to see Altruvia wading in the water. She was now clad only in her chemise and had since taken out her hair. There was a faraway look in her eyes as she was attempting to splash the water onto her graceful arms. The uncontrolled spray hit her chemise as well. The wet cloth clung to her breasts and hips but was pulled away from her legs by the stream. The sun illuminated her hair so that it looked as if it really was spun gold, making her lock of brown more distinct. Her entire body seemed to vibrate and she appeared more like the depictions of water spirits that adorned the Hall of Water than a human.

Without realizing it, Graiylin had gotten to his feet and was walking to the stream. He stepped into the water so that he was in front of her. She looked up at him but her eyes were still vacant. Both his hands grasped her neck to pull her into a kiss.

As though she had been expecting it, she sank into him to return it. He pulled her closer, not understanding why but knowing that somehow their proximity was still not enough. She was running out of breath but unable to break their connection, terrified to the core of her being that her world would shatter if she did.

They continued their foreplay as if they were expert lovers, already intimately aware of every detail of each other's bodies and movements. As their hands moved to do things they had never before experienced they did not notice the new sensations, only that they needed so much more at that very moment and any delay would result in death or insanity.

Somehow, they had ended up on the grass, lying next to each other with no scrap of cloth between them. As they continued their lovemaking, Graiylin was vaguely aware of kneeling beside her and reaching down to pull her into a seated position in his lap. With the air of well-practiced skill, she wrapped her legs and arms around his body and pressed against his chest. Graiylin covered her mouth with his and breathed slowly and deeply into her mouth as she inhaled his breath. She exhaled as he inhaled hers. They continued to share breath as their energies mingled and grew until the barrier around the clearing could barely contain them.

Still embracing, Graiylin had the foggy notion that they were falling towards the earth.

It was late afternoon before Graiylin awoke, feeling as though he had spent the night drinking with Kwinnen. Altruvia still slept beside him. He remained on his side, listening to her breathing for many moments. What they had just experienced was a foggy memory of which he could barely make any sense. How had it happened? Why did it happen? What exactly did they do? He loved her but this was beyond anything he had expected or understood.

A small bit of colour between the fingers of his left hand caught his eye. His hand was resting on the ground and the earth beneath it felt moister than it should have. He lifted his hand to see flowers where it had been resting. He had not noticed them before but thought nothing of them; still busy pondering what had happened.

He decided to get up and, as he did so, his hand moved along the ground. Flowers instantly grew into full bloom at every spot he touched. Jumping back, he blinked repeatedly to make sure his eyes were not tricking him. Altruvia stirred slightly but did not wake.

Leaning forward, Graiylin reached out with his right hand to pick one of the flowers. Immediately, the flower, along with all the others wilted and withered. He dropped the remnants of the flower as if it were something truly disgusting that had stung him. He examined his palms, expecting to find the answers of the universe within them. He looked over to the now dead flowers and then back to his palms. He thought about how the flowers had so easily grown at his touch. With these thoughts, his left hand began to vibrate as though it could not easily contain this lively energy. Puzzled, he decided to try thinking of the death of the flowers. His right hand now hummed with intense energy, but this time it felt as though his hand could not drink enough of the surrounding world.

Kneeling down, he touched the earth with his left hand and thought of his life force. As before, flowers sprouted and bloomed beneath his touch. With the same hand, he thought of death – nothing. With his right, he thought of death and the flowers wilted. He thought of life – nothing. Looking at the waterfall, he decided to experiment. He walked to the water and discovered he could control it. He used his right hand and was able to stop the flow completely. With the spray of the falls gone, he quickly became hot under the bright sun. As he thought this, a cool breeze blew through the clearing.

"It cannot be," he whispered to himself.

Immediately, he wanted to experiment with fire but could find none. Occurring to him that he was being silly, he held up his left palm and concentrated on it. A ball of fire erupted from his hand, burning his skin. He immediately put the flames out and began to laugh, not noticing his singed hand.

Altruvia began to wake at his noise. Pushing herself onto one elbow, she groggily asked him what was the matter. He ran up to her and held out his palms. Upon seeing his burn, she became instantly concerned.

"That is nothing," he said. "I must show you something." Before he could pull away, she was holding his injured hand in hers.

"We really must tend to this," she said. "It looks serious."

"Kiss it better if you must, but I really must show you something," he said dismissively.

Realizing he was not in pain, she laughed at his behaviour and kissed his hand mockingly. To both their astonishment, his hand began to heal; not completely but any pain he had felt was gone entirely.

"You too?" he gasped.

"What? What are you talking about?"

He pointed to the waterfall. When he was sure she had realized it was dried up, he willed the flow to begin again. As the water rushed over the rocks, she looked at him, entirely confused. He laughed and decided a more obvious example was needed. He ran around her in a circle, touching his left hand to the earth as he did so. A ring of flowers bloomed where he trailed his fingers.

He knelt down in front of her. "I can do it. I can control all of them. Every element." He took her hands. "You began to heal me. Perhaps that means you can do it too. Think of the flowers. Think of life."

She concentrated but nothing happened.

He was puzzled. "How did you heal me then?"

For many moments, she sat in thought then she jumped up and ran to the trees. Finding a jagged rock, she ripped it across the skin of her arm. She immediately began to bleed but did not seem to notice. Running back to Graiylin, she looked into his eyes. "Heal me."

Copying her example, he kissed her arm. Nothing. He thought of life and touched her wound. It began to heal very slowly but she could still feel the sting of the cut. She pulled the wound to her lips and blew on it. Immediately it finished healing and the pain vanished.

Further exploring this new gift, she took her sharp rock and ran to the nearest tree. She used the rock to score a hole in the bark. She suddenly felt as though she had committed an atrocity, and felt the pain and offense of the tree. She told Graiylin to heal it. The scar disappeared but the trees pain and offence did not. She blew on the bark where she had made her incision and immediately the tree felt as though nothing had happened to it.

She smiled at Graiylin. "You have control of the physical elements," she explained. "It appears I have control of spirit. Together we have all five."

"We must return home and tell our parents," Graiylin said excitedly as he began hurriedly to dress.

## Chapter 4

It was midday when Tryailla heard the shrieks and murmurs of concern ripple through the palace. She scanned the thoughts of those around her but was unable to grasp anything clearly. The only images that were not confused made no sense to her, but she gathered enough to know she should run to the grand archway.

Despite the hour, a shadow fell across the palace. Tryailla looked to the sky. Chariot ships of the wolves and dragons began to materialize above them. The rectangular vessels with their curved fronts, many visible levels, and clear-domed tops caused a pit to form in her stomach. The sensation increased as she watched the sky that had been clear suddenly fill with the enemy: one, then another, and yet more still. They were making themselves visible and her stomach sank, as she realized they had mastered ultimate invisibility. Their method of entrance was deliberate. They wanted her to know what she was up against.

Gorynd walked to her side. "They are not attacking," he observed. "They would have started by now, if that was the intent."

She looked at him, not convinced. "They are definitely trying to intimidate us."

"Where is Altruvia?" he asked, remembering the reason they feared such an attack.

"She is with Graiylin in the woods. Perhaps we are fortunate. Their timing to be away from the palace may work in our favour."

"That depends upon what these creatures have planned," he replied, looking out at the looming ships. After a moment, he pointed. "Look."

Tryailla followed his finger to the largest ship with the unmistakable claw carvings of the wolves on its base. From it, a mini chariot descended towards the planet's surface.

"They are sending a messenger to negotiate," he said.

"Obviously a formality," his wife scoffed.

"No," he insisted. "If they truly were confident enough to attack us, they would have by now. They are trying to trick us because they want something."

"Yes: my daughter."

The wolves and dragons did wish to negotiate, as their messenger had explained. In the late afternoon, their envoys, one from each tribe, stood before Tryailla and Gorynd, who sat upon their thrones in the great hall. Tryailla remained almost motionless as she evaluated the representatives before her. Her face was as stone; not the slightest twitch or frown to show her discontent. Gorynd was much more relaxed as he was quite amused by these people.

Tryailla became slightly relieved as she noticed that they had at least chosen to appear in a presentable form. It was common knowledge amongst the races of shape shifters that the Cats were the most adept. What the others did not know, however, was that the Cats did not need to revert to their animalistic forms at all anymore and could remain human even when asleep. Many of her own people did not know reverting was possible, going their entire lives as humans owing to the insights of her ancestors. Most knew of their true forms only through the old fables told at spiritual gatherings. The Dragons and the Wolves, however, had often struggled to perfect their changes to the same degree and she knew that they still had to revert for sleep or to recover from illness and injury. It appeared now that the two who had been sent to stand before her knew something of the art of change as they both appeared as fully human as she.

The representative from the wolves, Insil, was a large man. He towered above his dragon companion, Liamon, who was much shorter than most of the adult inhabitants of Tryailla. Insil had ginger hair and matching beard. His dark green eyes had no love in them. Tryailla found his arrogance almost palpable, making her mouth feel dry and her eyes slimy at the sight of him. He wore a black cape and tunic and carried himself as though he felt it added to his attempts of intimidation. To the rulers of Tryailla, it made him appear as an adolescent trying to show strength and ability he did not possess.

Liamon was not much better but he had a certain naïveté that made his sliminess more from his obvious lack of bathing than his personality. His black hair and beard looked as though they had not been washed in weeks. Strangely, his nearly black eyes made him appear more vulnerable, not intimidating or mysterious. His brown tunic and hunched shoulders made it look like Insil's beleaguered manservant rather than his fellow diplomat.

After this visual inspection, Tryailla found the pair comical and tiring at the same time. Still feeling Gorynd's amusement, she was pleased that at least one of them was enjoying the display. Finally, she spoke, deliberately keeping a stern tone, "What do you want?"

Insil looked at Liamon before speaking as though he thought their intent had been obvious. "We have come to negotiate your surrender," he said.

Tryailla scoffed. "You have never wanted our surrender; you have wanted to see our destruction for millennia, since the reign of the Alpha Iogrevard. Do you know why that has not happened?" She paused to glare at them. "Because, despite your desires, you have had no ability to reinforce your goals."

Insil's annoyance became apparent, but he was not surprised. "You will find that we have many more abilities than you have seen previously."

"You will need more than illusions to impress me," she said.

Insil looked around the hall, noticing Meryinella by one of the large doors. He raised his hand in her direction and began to clench his fist. As he did so, Meryinella reached for her throat and began to gasp. Falling to her knees, she reached out and pleaded with her eyes for Tryailla to help her. Immediately Tryailla sent her energy to block Insil's attack. Her spell had no effect, and the woman fell to the floor dead.

Tryailla jumped to her feet in outrage. "You have committed an act of war!"

Insil acted unconcerned. "If you have not noticed, we have already declared war. Agree to our terms and no more need die."

Gorynd spoke, "This goes beyond your usual petty jealousies of us. You have a purpose or you would not care about negotiations. Why have you not simply tried to wipe us out? What do you want?"

Smiling slyly, Insil answered, "We want Altruvia."

Gorynd reached for Tryailla's arm to stop her inevitable outburst. She shot him a stabbing glare but he looked at her sympathetically before returning his attention to Insil. "You must realize that we would never give over our daughter."

Insil's gaze grew dark. "We have already marked her as ours. You must honour the ancient ways and relent. If you do not, we will slaughter your race."

"You will try," Gorynd replied. "Why do you want her?"

Irritated, Insil looked at Liamon again, who now nodded to him, obviously agreeing to share their information.

"Some time ago, it came to our attention," Insil began, "that your daughter is a key. It is said that when your son marries your daughter, she will give him great power. Not only will he be able to control all the elements but he will have dominion over them. We want this power she holds."

Tryailla was taken aback. "You fools. You do not understand this power. You have no comprehension of what it is or how to control it. If you did, you would know enough not to be here. If you knew anything, you would know that what you seek does not exist."

Now Liamon spoke. "It does exist," he insisted, "And we will kill your people until you give it to us."

Tryailla was unable to control her anger. "Idiots! If we had such a power, do you think you would be able to attack us so easily?"

"We did not say you had it," Insil said. "Your daughter holds it. It would have passed to your son once they had coupled. We intend to take Altruvia and mate her with one of our own."

"You are monsters!" Tryailla's voice boomed. The structure of the hall vibrated with her outrage. "You are fools and both your races are abominations. What stupidity has possessed you to think that I would give my daughter to you so that you can rape her to satisfy your own ambitions?"

Liamon spoke calmly, "Doing so will ensure peace. If you violate the ancient creed's law regarding a mark, we are entitled to execute you all. Surrender her willingly and we will leave you alone."

"Yes, until you have gained this ultimate power that you seek and return to destroy us because you could not do it now," she ranted. "You are both fools, seeking a treasure you do not understand. As I have said, if you knew, you would know you cannot have it. It isn't possible."

She was telling the truth, but she knew they did not believe her. They would try to kill them all and take Altruvia by force either way. Her mind searched for a way to safety. Having only a few short moments, her plan was not the best but it would work. "I will make a deal with you," she proposed in a voice calmer than she had expected. She worried the sudden change would reveal she was up to something. "If Altruvia knowingly and willingly agrees to go with you to give you this power, you may have it. However, if she does not, you will never have it. It is bound! It cannot be unleashed unless she is willing and has all knowledge of the circumstances."

Insil pulled himself up tall in his rage and spat at her feet.

While she did not appreciate the disgusting display, Tryailla was pleased to see that now he knew what she had done before them all. She had made her condition a spell and, whether they ever succeeded in capturing Altruvia, it would not matter. It was not Tryailla's conditions they had to meet, it was those of the spell. As those conditions did not violate those of the mark itself, their efforts had come to nothing. They could claim ownership using the mark, but then what? A person could be forced and broken. A spell held true. Unless they were able to win over Altruvia, they would fail.

"These are my conditions," Tryailla commanded. "Agree to them or leave."

"It does not matter, if we agree," Insil seethed. "You have made it so that we have no choice. You will regret this."

Tryailla was now smug. "Somehow I doubt that." She smiled sweetly, amused that she had so easily gained the upper hand. All her worrying of the past months seemed pointless now.

"What is going on here?"

All turned to see Graiylin with Altruvia by his side.

Tryailla felt almost dizzy as her son's aura was vibrating an intense gold. She looked to Insil and Liamon and was relieved that they appeared unable to see it. She turned back to her son, struggling to remain calm in his presence. She had never witnessed such an overwhelming energy. It touched the depths of her soul and, if she had not been so determined to hide it, would have evoked beautiful sobs of a joy she could not have consciously understood. She wanted to collapse before him and worship him. Yet, somehow, he was still her son.

"We have visitors from the wolves and dragons," she motioned to the pair before her with what she hoped was a steady hand. "We are in the middle of negotiations."

"Negotiating what?" he demanded. His question was so intense to her that she wanted to cower before him, but miraculously stood her ground.

"They want Altruvia," she said.

His fists visibly clenched and she saw his aura roil like fire. He walked up to Insil so that he was only a few inches in front of him. He looked him in the eye, causing Insil to flinch involuntarily but visibly.

"What makes you think that you can have her?" he demanded.

"We are to have her, if she agrees," Insil replied, not at all with the same arrogance of his arrival.

Altruvia stepped forward. "If I agree to what?" she asked curiously.

Insil stepped back, confounded, and looked at Liamon before turning to her again. "You are Altruvia?"

"Yes. I am Altruvia. What is this agreement that you need?"

Tryailla was puzzled. If they had marked her, why did they not know her? She looked at her daughter and was shocked. The mark was gone. Graiylin's presence had been so strong that she had not noticed. Keeping this realization to herself, she answered her daughter's question.

"They want you to agree to mate with one of their own." Knowing her daughter's answer and seeing how uncomfortable Insil appeared in Graiylin's presence, Tryailla began to share her husband's degree of amusement for the situation.

Altruvia was caught off guard and obviously disgusted. "Why would I ever agree to such a thing?"

Insil shifted his gaze rapidly from each person to the next as saw the situation falling apart. Mustering all of his composure, he walked to Altruvia and took her hand. He kissed it before addressing her. "Lady..." he was unable to continue.

Graiylin pushed between them. "You will stay away from her," he ordered. "If it is her agreement you need, you obviously have not been given it."

"This is ridiculous," Insil vented.

"I have felt that way since the moment you arrived," Gorynd added from his chair. He was now openly laughing at the two intruders though it was not as carefree as it had been when they arrived. He gave the briefest of glances to the dead woman on the floor.

Liamon addressed Tryailla, "We must at least be given the chance to convince her."

"I gave you my condition," Tryailla stated. "You have your answer. Now leave my home."

Insil and Liamon looked at each other helplessly.

"Leave," Graiylin commanded.

Liamon turned to Altruvia. "We will convince you," he said quietly before following Insil who stormed from the hall.

Tryailla collapsed in her chair and began to laugh. She looked at Gorynd with relief.

"What is so funny?" Graiylin demanded.

Tryailla regained herself. "They are fools, Graiylin. They don't know what they are looking for," she said.

"As you can see by their triumphant exit," Gorynd added, "it isn't much for us to worry about."

* * *

Listening to their relief, Graiylin turned and saw Meryinella's body on the floor. He was calm outwardly, but his aura began to glow a more intense gold again. Slowly, he walked to her lifeless form and knelt over her. Placing his hand on her forehead, he thought of the flowers he had brought to life. Nothing happened. Pushing his very soul through his hand, he did not relent until he heard the intake of breath into Meryinella's lungs. With this sound, he rested all his weight on his knee and panted heavily. Unlike with the plants, this effort made him dizzy, but the moment was quickly passing.

Altruvia knelt next to Myrianella, sensing what would come. Myrianella looked at the two of them, all knowing of what had transpired. She began to sob into Altruvia's lap. The fear of what had happened was too much as she descended into hysterics. Altruvia stroked her hair, speaking soothing words and using her newfound ability to remove the woman's trauma.

Leaving Altruvia to soothe Meryinella, Graiylin stood and walked to his mother. "What are we going to do about those vermin?" He growled.

Tryailla pulled her awestruck face from the scene to look at him. "Graiylin, go to your chambers. I will come and talk with you, alone." Joining Altruvia, she placed a soothing hand on Meryinella's shoulder and added, "But first, Altruvia and I will take Myrianella to her sister."

## Chapter 5

By the time Myrienella was with Syinella, all negativity of the evening's events was gone. Myrienella fully remembered what had happened but it no longer bothered her. It was as if it had happened to someone else and that person's memories had been given to her.

Tryailla instructed Altruvia to return to her chambers as she explained to Syinella what had happened in the hall. Altruvia was lounging on a couch on her balcony when her mother finally came to join her. The sun had since set and a distinct chill began to descend upon the palace. Tryailla saw that her daughter was not bothered by the cold, despite her light attire. She had since changed into an evening dress comprised of a light blue silk tunic and a dark blue robe that she had left open. She looked up upon hearing her mother step onto the balcony and gave a warm smile.

"What is the state of things?" she asked remorsefully.

Tryailla walked to the edge of the balcony and put her hands upon the stone railing. "It appears we are going to war," she said calmly. Looking up at the sky, she took comfort at the three moons hanging above. Then she looked at Altruvia. "What did the two of you do?"

Altruvia looked shy at first. "We don't really know. It wasn't intentional ... It was like a dream because we felt like we had a choice but that we couldn't do anything else at the same time. We were in control but entirely not in control of what was happening."

Tryailla sat next to her but turned her body to face her. "You coupled, didn't you?"

"Yes," Altruvia said quietly.

Smiling slightly, Tryailla touched her daughter's leg in comfort. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, this is precisely what was meant to happen between you some day. This is just a bit sooner than planned. But, I must know, what happened? I need you to tell me everything because the results are far too complex for it to have been simple and accidental passion. Tell me every detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant."

Altruvia shared the events of the day with her mother and described what had happened. At first Tryailla processed every thought analytically. By the end, she was in a state of disbelief.

"I do not know how you two have done it," she explained, "But you have unknowingly completed the Great Rite. It is a ritual of purification and blending. You have shared your energies with each other, taking what you needed to complete your own sequencing. You both must truly be complements. Your father and I are not as complementary. In the process, the purification cured you of the mark. And..." She paused and became deflated.

"Mother, what is it?" Altruvia asked.

"And you and your brother have come to your destinies."

"What could be wrong about that?"

"It wasn't time. You needed to grow more and gain more wisdom, especially Graiylin. As he is now, his control will not be where it should," She thought for a moment more. "However, I am impressed that he controlled himself before those fools this evening. If he already knew what he was capable of and held back, I think that bodes well for his future. Perhaps I have not given him enough credit." She sighed. "At least I hope I haven't."

"What about me?" Altruvia broke in. "I do not understand what it means to have this new power. I guessed at it only because of what Graiylin was able to do."

Tryailla smiled and patted her knee. "You have already healed and I am thrilled that it has come so easily. However, your real power will be unleashed when you learn the skills to cope with them. Having the power over spirit means that you control the magic of the mind, of thoughts and emotions. This works to our advantage."

"What does any of that mean?"

"You can heal because you can feel the pain and the cause of pain. Knowing the problem, you can fix it with your energy. You can also read minds. Without thinking and without notice, you knew to comfort Myrianella," she stated simply. "But be careful, I say that you must learn because using this gift without skill could drive you to madness. There are strange things in the minds of others."

"You can read minds," Altruvia said.

"In a way," her mother replied. "With your father, I am certainly telepathic when I need to be. It is more difficult with those to whom I have less of a connection. Remember, I said that your father and I were not as complementary. The use of the Great Rite for us increased our abilities but did not have the same effect as it did for you. I have some gifts from each element, as does your father, but neither of us has all. I may be able to speak without words to Gorynd, but I am unable to break the barriers of the wolves and dragons to determine their plans."

"Would I be able to?" she asked hopefully.

Tryailla thought for a moment before speaking again. "I think someday you will. Unfortunately, that is a gift we would need in the present." She gave her daughter a reassuring smile. "Do not think on it too much. We are still able to fight them. I have some matters to attend to and should go talk to your brother. He is still quite upset about what happened in the hall." Tryailla gave her a hug and left.

She walked swiftly through the long temple of the spirit mage. Her steps echoed off the high stone walls and buttressed ceiling. Given the late hour, she was not surprised to see that all those who served the spirit temple, except for the mage herself, had left for their beds. Only a few of the torches remained lit along the way to the altar.

Although Tryailla's steps would have announced her arrival at the stairs below the large, violet, silk-covered table, the mage who stood before it did not turn to look at her. The mage had her hands placed above a bowl that was currently emanating a fragrant smoke in large, dancing swirls. The only sounds in the temple now were the burning torches and the mutterings of the mage as she chanted under her breath.

Once Tryailla knew the chant to be complete, she addressed the mage.

"I asked you to watch over them today. What did you see and why did you not intervene?"

The mage turned around and inclined her head like an animal sniffing the wind before using both her hands to remove the hood of her cloak. Her vibrant violet eyes locked onto Tryailla's. As always, they held a deep sadness.

"I saw nothing that warranted my interference. I observed them walking. They began to sense the hidden waterfall and followed its energy," she said as simply as if they were discussing the weather.

"As far as I know," Tryailla began, speaking more to herself than the mage, "No one but Gorynd and I have ever found that clearing. How did they manage to stumble upon it so easily?"

The mage was slightly taken aback and amused simultaneously. "You do not know?"

Tryailla smiled, "I am not omnipotent. Some things still remain a mystery even to me."

"I had assumed you knew," said the mage, "Because it was the creation of the first of your lineage. Millennia ago when your people came into being, the first of your ancestors created that place as a haven for all the kin who would come after him. Any of his descendents would easily be drawn there if they ventured near enough."

The mage then saw something that no one had ever seen before and would never see again: Tryailla completely bewildered. She had no idea how the mage could know such a thing. She did not know even though the rulers of Tryailla were always told the complete known history of their people when they came to power.

Smiling in a consoling sort of way, the mage explained. "The energies in the barrier told me. It was the intent that created it that made this history known to me."

Tryailla was finally able to find her voice. "I always knew you were the most gifted mage our people would ever have; such a young child to have so much wisdom and control of her gifts. However, I am still confused, why did Graiylin and Altruvia perform the Great Rite? It is like it was the clearing that led them into it, yet, that couldn't have been part of the intent. Gorynd and I never had such an experience there."

"I cannot answer that," replied the mage. "I can share with you the energy I felt at the time."

Reaching out her hands, the mage offered them to Tryailla. As they linked, the vibrations of what the mage had witnessed transferred to her. Tryailla examined every curve, texture, and taste of them.

"Intoxication?" she whispered. "But, from what?"

The mage stared at her with an unreadable expression. "I have no more to share with you," she replied.

Tryailla nodded and thanked the woman before leaving for Graiylin's chambers. Graiylin was pacing his apartments when she arrived.

"Graiylin, you need to calm down. Myrienella is fine and we do not need to worry about Altruvia," she said as she entered and walked up to him.

He stopped and glared at her. "Do not need to worry? They want to steal her away to use her like some breeding animal."

"They can't touch her," she insisted. "Even if they tried, they wouldn't get what they want."

"But they are too stupid to understand that!" he shouted. "She is mine and I am hers. They cannot take her away from me. I won't let them!"

She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You are right that they cannot take her away from you. They may try but they will fail. Her powers have been bound until she gives them freely and with all knowledge of the circumstances. Ironically, that happened before the negotiations ever began. It does not matter what they try now."

Calming slightly, Graiylin looked solemnly into her eyes. "I fear for her. Especially after what happened today, I know how much I need her. This cannot end the way they want it to. And despite the fact that what they want can never happen, they will try and I fear for the pain they will cause Altruvia in the process."

Although she agreed with him, she refused to support his negativity, especially given his newfound abilities. "You need to keep control of that fear and anger. You are feeling more intensely than most could comprehend. Your love is more than most will ever hope to experience. If you cannot control this, you could accidentally harm Altruvia more than they could ever do. You have an amazing power but now you must also have enough wisdom not to destroy yourself or do the same to those you love."

"I should get rid of them and be done with it," he remarked sourly.

"No!" Tryailla commanded. "That is precisely what I fear. You have been born to this only a few hours ago. How can you hope to understand the possible repercussions that could result from your actions? There are always unknown variables that come into play. Having wisdom means knowing when to hold back from action based upon only possibilities."She hugged him again. "You are a wonderful person. Please, consider what I have said and do not act rashly." With these final words, she left him alone.

* * *

Lying in bed, Altruvia was unable to sleep. She continued to think of all that had happened in the day and, more troubling, what her mother had said. What were the wolves and dragons planning? She considered what her mother told her about reading minds and also what she had heard could happen in a war. Finally, she came to a decision.

Sitting up, she closed her eyes and began to focus on the thought of the ships overhead. She tried to concentrate on Insil and Liamon as they were the only two with whom she was familiar. Her mind stumbled as if she had mentally tripped over a distraction. Turning her attention to the obstacle, she could sense only a slight hum. It was a small black cylinder. Trying to touch it mentally, her mind suddenly sped through an image of the ships materializing and dematerializing in the sky. She pulled back and was sitting in her bed once more. What she had seen confused her and she felt no more able to help. Then she realized she had not read anyone's mind.

* * *

"That Graiylin sent shivers down my spine," Insil said with a visible shake of his body. "And I am sick of having to work with this vermin," He growled as he looked over at Liamon, but his statement was addressed to his superior, Shinga, the alpha-female.

She was a large woman with a commanding presence. Her manipulative abilities were such that her demeanour could switch from rugged authority to pleasing elegance. She always wore elaborate dresses and jewellery to emphasize her station and the black curls of her hair were usually swept up onto her head and held by whatever headdress she had chosen for the day. Today it was a crown of silver wolf claws and diamonds. Her dress was a shimmering blue, which contrasted sharply with the dark interior of the head chariot ship.

She placed a silver fang she had been admiring into a hidden pocket in the folds of her skirt and turned to Liamon with an apologetic look. "Forgive him, Liamon. He does not mean to attack you. He is frustrated."

Her sweet tone did not deceive Liamon, who knew she could be more hateful than Insil and would be if their relations were not already diplomatically strained.

"Watch yourself, Insil," she commanded, "We are not in the position to insult the help of friends."

"Help, bah! He was no help in those negotiations. He was too stupid to realize she had woven a spell to thwart us."

She retained her composure but gave a warning tone. "In your recounting of the events, I do not remember hearing that you did anything to stop it."

He returned a glare that she pretended not to notice. She turned to Liamon again, "Liamon, please return to the dragons and request an audience for the wolves with Cayinth and Draemar. This condition has worked in our favour."

Liamon nodded and left for the head dragon chariot.

Not much later, he entered the main hall of the dragon ship. Cayinth and Draemar sat in thrones at the end. They were the princess and prince of the dragons. In recent years, the king, known as the Draigo, had not come close to such messy affairs as the diplomacy of war. He was a warrior, as all dragons were, but had no taste for inter-species politics anymore. His daughter and her husband always acted as his representatives in such matters, even when Cayinth nursed a young child in the middle of negotiations. She was an interesting woman with a stranger history given her status. Despite being the daughter and only heir to the Draigo and despite the wolves and dragons always having had precarious relations, she was half wolf. Her mother had married the Draigo during the beginnings of their attempted truce, hoping it would reinforce relations between the two species. Although the dragons were willing to accept her, the wolves were disgusted by the interbreeding. When Cayinth was a small child, a band of wolf extremists abducted her mother and executed her.

The government of the wolves tracked down the culprits and made examples of them. It was obvious to all involved that this was nothing more than an effort to keep their needed ally. They had no hope of overcoming the cats of Tryailla without the help of the dragons. However, the rumours that the government had planned the assassination itself were rampant among the people of both species. Nevertheless, the Draigo was unable to retaliate or drop the alliance without declaring war. Because the wolves had executed the criminals, they were no longer seen to be in the wrong. The Draigo could not retaliate without it being considered unprovoked.

Now, in the hall of the dragons, Cayinth's blond hair was twisted onto the top of her head and fixed by her gold crown. The top of her light red and white dress was pulled aside so that she could nurse the small baby boy in her arms. Her husband, a squarish man, was to her left. He was muscular but 'lean' would not have been used to describe him. His colouring was tanned, his dark skin resembling tough leather and his brown hair was cut close to his head. His dimpled chin, which was his most distinctive feature, was covered in a uniform layer of stubble. He wore a dark read tunic with dark brown hosen. Upon seeing Liamon enter, he raised an eyebrow.

"Have the negotiations brought us good news?" he asked when Liamon had knelt before them.

"We are unsure," he replied. "Shinga requests an audience with you to discuss the results."

Draemar motioned to a servant to his left. "Fetch her." The young man scurried from the hall and Draemar returned his attentions to Liamon. "Perhaps we should hear a telling of what has happened, so that we have something to discuss with that insufferable woman."

Liamon immediately began to tell them what had happened during the negotiations. When he had finished, Draemar sat for a moment, staring into the distance at nothing in particular. He was not known for being a pensive man and his silence probably had more to do with his mood than his thought. Then he leaned into his wife and whispered in her ear. She said nothing in return.

Turning to Liamon again, Draemar spoke, "Retrieve her then. We will convince this girl."

Liamon was confused. "If we bring her here forcibly, will it not be more difficult to convince her to help us?"

"It will be more difficult without being near her," he retorted.

"Should we not wait for Shinga?" Liamon reminded him.

"Oh yes, that wench. I suppose we shall."

## Chapter 6

Graiylin ran his hand along the railing of the gazebo, feeling the energy of the wood pulse through his hand. Having been unable to sleep, he had come to the garden to sort through his thoughts. Kwinnen had offered to give him company, hoping to distract him from his worries, but Graiylin felt he needed solitude and also did not want to deprive his friend of sleep. Besides, Kwinnen saw Graiylin's abilities like a new toy that would be good for impressing women. He did not grasp the seriousness of the situation, sloughing off the wolves and dragons as a minor irritation that would be gone soon.

Alone, Graiylin looked up at the balcony of Altruvia's room, which was in darkness except for the light from the three moons. He sighed before sitting on the ground. For all the power he was able to wield, he was still unable to bring a speedy resolution to the situation. Worst of all, he feared that whether he acted or he did not, those he loved would be harmed.

A warm breeze blew through the garden and it embraced him compassionately. Looking up, he saw his mother standing a few meters away. She waited for him to speak before moving.

"You don't need to be here," he said. "I will be alright."

Now she walked slowly forward. "You worry about matters that have already been resolved."

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to read her face.

"Your father and I have already made the necessary plans. We will be well protected."

"How can you be sure?"

"I cannot but that is why I have made plans that even your father does not know about."

He tried harder to read her gaze. She frowned. "I should not speak this aloud."

"But what is it?"

"Although it is dangerous to say, there is no purpose for it if you do not know."

He was getting frustrated. "Just tell me and stop speaking in riddles."

She smiled slightly as she sat next to him. "I will always speak in riddles. It is what I do." She paused. "I recently had this gazebo built. It is a fine piece of work."

"Mother, please. I do not care about trivial things such as a gazebo."

She shot him a glare. "You should. I am trying to tell you of my plans. Do not interrupt me again. You may wield the greatest power to exist in one being, but I am still your mother."

He bowed his head in apology.

She continued. "I had this commissioned after Altruvia had been marked. Why would I care about such things after that event? Does the timing alone not tell you it is important?"

"I had not thought about it."

"Again, you should have. If our plans do not work, you must remember this gazebo. Come here when you think you have no other options."

"Why?"

"You can sense the elements. Put your hand in the middle of the gazebo floor and tell me what you feel."

He got to his feet and did as she instructed. He felt the wood of the structure but pushed passed it to feel if there was more. His probing energy discovered a hum around something different. He pushed further and searched for a moment more before locking on metals in the shape of their sacred symbol. Looking at his mother, he asked what it was.

"It is a means of escape," she confessed. "It is meant only for you and Altruvia. If you have no other options, come here. It will take you to a place I know is safe. It is not much different from our home and, yet, it is nothing like it. I cannot tell you more than that lest I jeopardize any escape you may need to make."

"How do I work it or guide it?"

She laughed at his pragmatic question. "It is made for this purpose. You simply need your intent to make it work and it will only work for you and Altruvia, no one else. However, you do not need both of your energies for it to work."

"What about you and father?"

Putting a compassionate hand on his, she smiled sadly. "This is not about us. It is about continuing. Our line will always survive but for that to happen you must survive."

"We will," he said as he hugged her.

* * *

Shinga could feel the disapproving stare of Cayinth as she stood before the Dragon princess and prince and it gave her a small measure of entertainment. She knew that Cayinth held her personally responsible for what had happened to her mother. It was purely diplomacy that prevented Cayinth from ripping her heart out before all present. Continuing to glare, Cayinth refused to speak in the presence of wolves. She would communicate with her husband and he would relay her desires. Although this would normally be taken as an insult worthy of war, the wolves were not in the position to deny the aid of the dragons and the dragons knew it.

Under a disapproving aura, Shinga awaited Draemar's request for her to speak. He was waiting unnaturally long to unnerve her. She knew he enjoyed the fact that she relied so heavily upon them. Finally, after he had enjoyed himself long enough, Draemar addressed her.

"Singa," he said, intentionally using the incorrect pronunciation, which meant 'liver' rather than 'destroyer'. "Liamon informs me that you wish to propose a plan to handle this situation."

She scowled at his overt attempt to disrespect her but was unable to accuse him under the circumstances. "Yes, I believe Tryailla's conditions have worked to our advantage," she began. "Her conditions are based purely on the state of her daughter's heart. The heart is an easy thing to manipulate."

Raising a brow, Draemar bid her to explain.

"I believe we should assign an agent to win her heart," she explained. "He would court her and make her fall in love with him. Once she has done that, she will do anything for him willingly. That is how we shall obtain the power."

Draemar scoffed, "There are many faults in your plan. Would you have us choose a dragon or a wolf?"

"I felt it best to choose among the wolves, as we were the initiators of this venture."

"Unacceptable!" he ordered. "It would need to be a dragon, naturally. A wolf can woo only a mangy wolf. But suppose this were not a matter for debate. What if she does not fall in love with any of the people we could choose? The heart is fickle. There is no guarantee. Not to mention it would take too long."

She clenched her fists but did not show her anger on her face. Draemar truly was an idiot. "What do you suggest?" She asked calmly.

He laughed, "We take her now. There are many methods of the mind we can use to break her."

"With respect, I do not believe that a wise course of action," she replied. "This is a delicate matter that must be taken slowly."

"You may think what you like," he almost spat at her. "You do not hold as much weight in this matter as you may wish. Or would you rather the dragons remove their support?"

"Would you rather the wolves revoke the truce?" she said bitterly.

Again he laughed, "Fair point. I shall make you a deal. If my plan does not work, we shall try yours."

Grudgingly, Shinga accepted, as she knew this was the best offer she would receive from this moron.

"Now for the details," he announced. "We shall attack tonight. Five of my men shall go to retrieve her."

Now Insil spoke up, "Do you intend to leave us out of this entirely?"

"Insil, you forget your place," Shinga growled.

"Listen to your mother," Draemar joked. "Her brains will keep you alive longer than yours."

Before Insil could respond, Shinga was already shooting him an intense glare. He bowed his head in apology.

Shinga turned to Draemar again, "If you wish to risk your men in this operation, I will not stop you. However, I do request that at least one of my warriors accompany them to ensure that our interests are still maintained. Is that not fair?"

Draemar leaned close to his wife to confer for the first time in the meeting. Before he spoke again, Shinga could see the faint smile upon Cayinth's face.

"My wife and I agree that this is reasonable," Draemar began. "However, we request that it be Insil who accompanies them."

Shinga smiled and bowed her head. "I agree completely."

"And Liamon shall lead the team," Draemar announced.

All sound in the hall ceased and no one moved. The palpable tension increased as Shinga and Insil stiffened. It was no secret how Insil felt about Liamon. This decision was an intentional poke at the wolves' pride.

"The team will leave as soon as they have assembled," Draemar continued as if the momentary silence were nothing more than a random occurrence. He addressed Insil directly, "You will bring her back here and not back to the wolf ship." There was a threat beneath his words.

Insil looked at Shinga before nodding in agreement to Draemar's terms.

With their plans arranged, Shinga bowed to the dragon royals before leaving the hall to return to her own ship. Insil followed closely behind, scowling.

* * *

Graiylin did not know exactly how long he had slept. After leaving the garden, he did not return to his own chambers but to Altruvia's, where he now rested beside her.

The new energy that flowed within him was something to which he was still adjusting and it prevented a restful sleep. His body hummed and, after some time, he knew he would not calm it by lying in bed. He turned his head to look at Altruvia, who was sound asleep. Kissing her head softly, he quietly pulled himself from the bed and walked to the balcony. He looked at the moons. Judging by the movement in their position since he had first come into the room, he had been resting for only a few minutes. In a weary way, it felt much longer.

Looking back at Altruvia, he felt a conflict of emotions in one moment. He loved her, and having her with him filled him with joy, but he was also terrified at the thought of losing her. As much as he wanted to do everything he could to protect her, his mother's words haunted him. Worse than being unable to protect Altruvia would be causing her pain. Inaction could still affect how events progressed as intensely as action. Letting out a sigh, he decided to take a walk through the palace.

The halls were well lit but quiet, as nothing stirred. When he saw Syinella, her gaze in some other world as she walked down a hallway, he changed direction to meet her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Graiylin asked. Only then did he notice she had been directing an orb carrying a pail of water.

She jumped slightly, startled. When she had calmed, she explained, "I thought some of the purified waters from the mages may be good for Myrianella. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"Since when do you need to apologize?" he replied and they began to walk together. "Especially after what has happened today," he added. "Normally you would be yelling at me to go back to bed and get some sleep."

It was obvious she was trying to hold back sobs as her body quivered. "Why did they choose her?" She looked into his eyes, searching as if he might actually have the answer. "They did not know her," she continued. "She did nothing to them."

He placed an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "She was simply in the wrong place and they are a scourge upon the Universe. They are the two most hateful races known to exist."

"Why won't they leave us alone?" now she did sob, causing Graiylin to hold her closer. He was trying his best to be compassionate but his own teeth were clenching at the answer to her question. Altruvia was the healer of the heart, not him.

"Because their only love is for power. They have none and covet ours. We will stop them," he was not entirely convinced of his words, but he wished he could be. He was still battling his own fear, trying to have trust in the words of his mother.

Now Syinnella pulled away to look at him again. "If anyone can stop them, it is your family," she said, genuinely hopeful. Graiylin could only smile in response but his heart sank. She smiled in return, "Thank you. You have made me feel a little better." She felt better, but he was more concerned than ever.

He had been worrying about his sister this whole time, but it was everyone in Tryailla that counted on him: all the families who were simply trying to go about their daily lives, all the lovers who had only recently learned of each other, all the children who had barely had any chance to live. Everyone had trusted the protection of his family.

After parting ways with Syinella, he began to walk on his own again and found himself in the great hall. Walking to the centre of the hall, he looked at the star in the circle upon the floor. It felt inviting and comforting and he decided to sit upon it, with his legs crossed. Closing his eyes, he tried to silence his mind.

* * *

Altruvia awoke suddenly. She felt as though she had been startled, but she had not moved. There was a strange energy in the room; an underlying mechanical hum that was nearly imperceptible and had not previously been there. She also sensed being watched. Her fear was strong and immediate, but she forced herself to control her breathing. She wanted to observe the situation before revealing that she was awake. Her senses strained to determine what was happening. She could hear the movement of the air around those watching her. She could sense the locations of their eyes. There were five of them surrounding her. Suddenly, as though her fear was a power source, she felt energy pulse through her and she could see the intruders. She recognized Insil and Liamon instantly and realized they did not know she could see them. They were closing in on her and were preparing to attack her all at once, no doubt to silence her. She did the only thing she knew she could. She pulled all of her energy into her core and let it out in a blast as she sat up and screamed Graiylin's name at the same time.

Her attackers were startled, some knocked back, but only for a moment. They pounced on her, grabbing her limbs and holding her down. She tried to fight back but their combined strength was too much. She tried to muster her energy to fight back in any way that she could but her mind was too wild. She was unable to focus anything able to aid her.

Holding an object she did not recognize, Insil came towards her head and tried to put it over her face. It was a mask of some kind and she tried unsuccessfully to move her head around violently to avoid it. However, Insil was unable to complete his task, for one of the men holding her left leg was suddenly thrown across the room.

She took the opportunity to fight; kicking and scratching as best she could. She did not have to fight hard for she realized their attention was now fixed on the doorway. There Graiylin stood, glowing gold, the anger on his face showing his hatred and yet his utmost control.

* * *

"Get away from her," he seethed.

Insil broke from his shock, turned to one of the men, and gave him a signal. The man took a spherical device from his pocket and within a moment was hurling it at Graiylin. Graiylin caught the orb and looked at it. He was confused and by the time he looked back at the bed, Insil had already put the mask over Altruvia's head. As she was now unconscious, Liamon lifted her body over his shoulder. Graiylin reached out to take his life force, but in that same moment, the ball in his other hand began to vibrate. The men watched as it exploded in a flash of light and fire and were shocked to see that Graiylin still stood.

"That should have killed him," one said to the others.

"Forget it," Insil yelled. "We have to go."

It was only a moment before the bomb's effects had dissipated and Graiylin was ready to retaliate, but they were gone. He screamed but it did not help relieve his anger. Spirit Stepping to the grand entrance, he was intent upon destroying the entire fleet that hovered above them. He mustered his energy, determined to release a blast as soon as he saw the first ship.

His eyes focused upon the nearest ship, one of the wolves', and he let forth a blast of fire. The small ship exploded, the debris falling towards the ground. Without hesitation, he sent another blast to another wolf ship, a larger one this time. Then he took the energy from another with his other hand. It fell earthward and exploded upon impact. He began to hear screams coming from the ships and from those around him. Despite this, he did not stop, he would not stop until he had her back.

The ships began to retaliate; firing various weapons at the palace but Graiylin was quick to respond and reinforced the barrier with his own being. None of their weapons would penetrate but his would. He continued his massacre, sending violent force with one hand and taking their energy with the other. The horizon became one of fire and death as he created their destruction.

Knowing they would be defeated, the enemy began to turn about to flee. Graiylin was determined not to lose them. He focused all of his energy and took aim upon one of the largest ships, the Dragon's royal chariot. His hatred consumed him and his energy grew. As he was about to release the blast, he was pulled away. He immediately restrained the energy so he would not send it accidentally to the wrong place. Unfortunately, the reabsorption alone caused some of it to crash down on top of him. He was able to withstand the force, but the figures that had grabbed him were thrown. He turned to see his mother and Kwinnen lying on the floor behind him. Tryailla appeared to have taken the brunt of its force, as she lay motionless, while a groaning Kwinnen attempted to pull himself into a seated position. Graiylin ran to his mother's side and lifted her into his arms.

"Mother!" he called. "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him with great effort, "You will kill her."

"What?" he gasped for breath as he said it, not realizing how winded he had become.

"She is on that ship," she wheezed. "You would have killed her."

He held his mother close, realizing she was right and that he had almost fulfilled her fear in his blind rage. "I am so sorry." He looked up at Kwinnen who mirrored his tragic expression.

"What is going on here?"

Graiylin looked up to see his father standing in one of the doorways. When he saw his wife on the ground, he ran to her.

"Tryailla, what happened to you?" he asked, as he examined her.

"I will be fine, Gorynd," she replied, already sounding stronger. She looked at Graiylin. "We had a little accident."

Graiylin, full of shame, looked at his father. "They have taken Altruvia."

"What?!" his father yelled. It was the first time Graiylin had seen his father lose his composure.

"Graiylin tried to stop them," Kwinnen quickly explained as he motioned towards the entrance.

Gorynd could see the burning shells of the fleet upon the hills. His eyes grew wide as he comprehended what his son had done.

"I failed," Graiylin whispered.

His father patted his arm, having regained himself, "We will get her back." Kwinnen nodded in determined agreement.

Graiylin mimicked the gesture feebly. He was unsure if he believed them but he knew that if they were wrong, he had no reason to continue. He had to believe they were right.

## Chapter 7

Insil and Liamon bowed before Draemar.

"We were successful," Liamon reported. "She is still unconscious in her cell."

"Good," Draemar beamed. "Inform me once she is awake. You are dismissed."

"But, Sir," Liamon began, "What are we to do about the losses?"

Draemar shook off his comment. "That does not matter. Once we get the power from her, we will have our revenge on Tryailla. Now leave."

The two men turned to do as he asked. "Insil," Draemar called after them, "return to your own ship. I don't want wolf stench filling up my halls."

Liamon saw Insil's scowl but also that he seemed eager to oblige.

* * *

Shinga was not as pleased as Draemar to hear of the successful abduction. After hearing Insil's account, she paced her hall.

"They will close her heart from us," she said, "and it is her heart that we need. Those stupid dragons only know of brawling. They know nothing of tactics." She let out a low growl.

Insil sighed. "To be honest, I don't care whose method works. I just want the results. Who would waste their time with a cat otherwise?" He shuddered at the thought.

Shinga looked at him and smiled. "You truly are nothing but a wolf. You are the only child I trust."

Insil raised an eyebrow at her words, obviously not knowing what she had meant by calling him a child but she did not care to enlighten him.

"Their plan will fail," she postulated. "It works to our advantage that it is the dragons attempting to break her. She would be less receptive to us later if we had a hand in it. I want you to remain deliberately distant."

"For what reason?" he asked. "Are we not more likely to lose control if there is not a strong wolf presence involved?"

"We are more likely to win the prize for ourselves in the future," she remarked. "If they torture her, she will be more willing to give us the power when she finds that we are kind to her. We will not have to share it with the dragons, and then we can use it against them."

"How will we get her to give it to us?"

"We will win her heart," Shinga said simply.

"How do we do that?"

She laughed, "You will make her fall in love with you."

Insil recoiled at the thought. "Why would you ask that of me?"

"It is strategy, Insil. Do not look so upset. I trust no one else in this matter. My plan is not for the common soldier. This is intricate political – and emotional – manoeuvring. Besides, you will be the one to get the power if you succeed. Do you not want to be all powerful?"

Now he looked quite interested. She had appealed to his ego and stroked it nicely.

"Perhaps I will consider," he replied but they both knew he would endure it all considering the rewards.

* * *

Liamon sat watching Altruvia as she slept. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic. The affects of the mask would wear off soon and he did not want her to wake alone.

She was beautiful. Her golden hair was interrupted only by a streak of brown. It was more an endearing quality to him than a mar upon her features. He could tell simply by looking at her face that her skin was soft. Her features were gentle and exquisite. The maidservants assigned to her had dressed her in a pale yellow chemise, but he thought back to the naked site of her and smiled to himself.

He hoped Draemar's plan would fail so that he could try to win her. He had known the moment he saw her that he wanted her. He was determined that he would have her eventually, even if she were not a dragon.

Reaching out, he took her hand in his and noticed her long fingers were softer than he had imagined.

Draemar wanted her broken, but Liamon would make sure that he would not be the one to do it.

She stirred slightly, her brow furrowing before she opened her eyes. There was no love in them now, not like when he had seen her with Graiylin. She looked at him and, realizing he was holding her hand, pulled it back violently.

"Do not touch me," she said venomously. She turned her head away from him. "Are we on your ship?" she hissed without looking at him.

"We are on the Dragon's royal chariot," he replied. "We are returning to the dragon's planet, Tatsu."

"Get out," she said icily. "Let me never see the face of a dragon or wolf again."

Her words wounded him, but he complied with her command, not wishing to offend her further.

* * *

Tryailla found Graiylin in Altruvia's room. He was kneeling by the bed and had one of her robes clasped in his hands, his face buried in the fabric. He did not move, but she knew he was crying. She had told him to rest while she and Gorynd discussed the next line of action, but she knew he would not sleep and was not surprised to find him here.

"We have a way to bring her back," she said quietly, not wishing to startle him.

He looked up at her, his eyes red and wet. "What can we do?" he asked.

She walked towards him, "We will need your help. You are the only one who can bring her back."

"What do you wish me to do?" he said, standing and walking to her.

"Come with me."

Graiylin followed his mother to the central hall where his father stood by the star within the circle. The five mages stood at its points. Taking his hand, Tryailla guided him to the centre. She nodded to the others and all took a step inside it. The mages held hands and Graiylin could feel the circle begin to spiral downward. He watched the floor of the hall raise above them as they descended into the shaft. When they were many metres down, he saw the hole above them close, leaving them in darkness for many moments. They were still moving.

Slowly, Graiylin could see a light grow around the edge of the platform. It became brighter and brighter. Finally, the platform emerged from the shaft and he saw that the source of light was a giant ball of electricity, hovering in the middle of a room. He assumed it was a room. There did not appear to be any walls, only blackness that stretched for an unknowable distance.

The platform slowed to a stop. The mages released their hands and all turned to face the orb. Gorynd took Tryailla's hand and the two of them began to walk towards the ball. They observed the energy for many moments, watching the swirling dance of the light within the invisible barrier containing it.

"It should be stable enough," Tryailla said, looking to her husband. He nodded in agreement. Then they turned to face Graiylin, who could make out only their silhouettes against the bright light.

"We had intended this to be for another purpose," Tryailla explained. "Your father and I performed the Great Rite and trapped the energy within this barrier. The energy of such a ritual has never been contained this way and we were unsure of its success. Energy is ever changing; to contain it stifles its very nature. It is a dangerous thing we have done, but we did so for our protection."

Graiylin walked to his parents, "How did you intend this to protect us?" he asked.

"If the wolves and dragons had begun to attack us," she explained. "We would have released it. As the energy came from the love your father and I share, we hoped it would harm any who directed ill intent at us. Cats, and any who sympathized with the cats, would be untouched. Unfortunately, the way the events unfolded, we were unable to use it to protect Altruvia."

"Why have you brought me here now?" he probed.

She looked at Gorynd before responding. "The energy within this sphere is clean of any intent. Your father and I would have directed it as it was released. The way it is now, this sphere is pure and can be used for any purpose. We are going to use it to get Altruvia back."

"How do you intend to do that?" Graiylin asked.

"We aren't the ones who are going to use it," Gorynd replied.

Tryailla touched Graiylin's arm supportively. "You and Altruvia share a link by virtue of your birth, your intimacy, and your love. Altruvia also has a very strong telepathic ability because of your experience in the woods. We are going to use the energy to amplify your connection. With your new abilities and your bond, you are the only one who can do this."

"Communicating telepathically is not going to be enough to save her," Graiylin said bitterly.

"I never said you were going to do that," his mother replied sternly. "I said that we would use the sphere to amplify it. Trying to pursue their ships now would be too slow as well as unwise. They would be prepared to handle anyone following them and have an increased arsenal at their own planets. We need to work from the inside. Using the method I have already explained, we will send you to Altruvia. You will find her and bring her home."

"Even if I were able to teleport myself there using the orb, how would we get back?"

"Unfortunately, you will have to find more physical means to return home. Your body will not be teleported, only your energy. Although you should look real to all around, you will not actually be there. This is advantageous and problematic. It means that you cannot be harmed by physical weapons; however, you can more easily be harmed by magical ones. Be cautious."

"What if we are unable to find a physical way to return?" Graiylin asked.

"You must find some way," Gorynd replied. "This is the only chance we have to get her home swiftly."

Graiylin thought for many moments. He was not trying to decide whether to do it. He had only one choice in the matter. He was considering how to do it and what he may encounter. Finally, he asked when they would begin.

"You must be purified first," his mother said. "You need to be cleansed so that you can easily be absorbed into the orb." She paused, her face sad. "Graiylin, you must maintain control. I do not know what will happen with that much energy if you do not. It very likely could be catastrophic."

* * *

Liamon entered the hall and bowed to Draemar. "She is awake."

"Good!" Draemar exclaimed and stood. "I would like to meet this guest of ours." He turned to his wife. "Will you join me?"

She glared stonily as she walked before him. Turning to face him, she said, "I have no desire to see the poor soul you intend to destroy, Draemar. We were not supposed to lose anyone on this expedition. Wolves are one thing but dragons are very much another. We have lost too many. Like my father, I think I have lost my taste for this." She walked passed him to leave.

"Wife!" he called after her. "What has gotten into you?"

She stopped to look at him briefly, but said nothing before leaving the hall.

* * *

Altruvia looked through the window of the cell, her arms crossed over her chest, deep in thought. Tatsu lay below them and they had begun their final descent to land on the planet. However, she was not idly watching their progress. Since the moment she had awakened, she had been doing all she could to harness her new powers. She no longer had the luxury of going through lessons with her mother. Survival was all that mattered and Altruvia knew her only chance of escape was to hone her advantage. She was still unable to reach a state of telepathy but the strength of her empathy was enough to feign it.

The door opened behind her but she refused to acknowledge any of her captors and instead continued to stare through the window. She heard a gruff man say her name but refused to respond. With her new senses, she could tell that it was the leader and she had offended him, but she did not care.

He stomped up to her and grabbed her shoulders to spin her around. His face was inches from hers. "You better take this situation more seriously," he warned.

She simply starred back at him, her expression unchanging.

"Speak!" he bellowed.

"If you believe that I do not take this situation seriously," she said, "Then you are a fool." She forced herself from his grip to turn from him again. His anger was tangible, but he said nothing for many moments, seemingly ill-prepared for someone defying him in this way.

"You are the fool," he seethed finally, "if you believe that we will simply leave you alone if you do not help us."

Now she willingly turned to face him, nothing but hatred in her eyes. "And you will still not get the power."

Draemar had had enough and grunted before storming from the room.

* * *

Liamon was waiting for him outside the door and had to leap back to avoid Draemar as he barrelled into the corridor.

"She will not help us," Liamon muttered quietly upon seeing the prince's face.

Clenching his fists, Draemar vented his anger. "That brat believes she would die first," he raged, breathing heavily. Then he calmed more suddenly than was natural and smiled. "I will make her wish she had." Without another word or gesture, Draemar left Liamon in the hall.

Liamon felt defeated. This was the only occasion upon which he agreed with the wolves. He was convinced that it had nothing to do with his longing to have her.

Walking to the door, he pressed a button to one side. The door became transparent to him but would appear closed from the inside. He watched her as she stared through the window. The sadness on her face was heartbreaking. He wanted to hold her and convince her that all would be well. He wanted to stroke her golden hair and feel her warmth.

Her voice startled him. "I do not appreciate being watched, Liamon," she said.

He almost fell back. How had she known?

With the same resolute gaze she had shot at Draemar, she walked to the door and stopped with the tip of her nose barely brushing it. "You will never win."

He fumbled for the button to shut the viewer. When he could no longer see her, he let out his breath.

* * *

Garbed in a robe of cloth made from red scales, the Draigo watched from his seat upon the central throne as Draemar walked briskly into the great hall of the palace on Tatsu. He felt weary and dealing with his idiot son was the last way he wanted to spend his afternoon. Looking in the mirror that morning, he was older and there were a few more dark patches of skin on his balding head than he had noticed before.

Upon reaching the foot of the throne, Draemar knelt and looked to the ground.

"Where is my daughter?" the Draigo asked, his voice high and shaking with his age.

"She has gone to her chambers to rest, my Highest Draigo," he responded without looking up.

The man let out a small grunt. "Do not try to flatter me with courtly manners. You know they do not work on me." He did not allow Draemar to respond before continuing. "You have offended my daughter. What have you done that makes her desire to be shut away from the world?"

Draemar now looked into the king's eyes searchingly. "I don't know."

"What happened on your journey?" he asked.

Now Draemar had cause to smile. "We have brought back Tryailla's daughter."

The king raised a brow. "That is the result of your work, but what led to it?"

Apologizing, Draemar retold the events that took place on Tryailla. After hearing the tale, the king sat in thought for many minutes.

"What an idiot for a son I have," he finally said. "Not only are your plans doomed to failure, but you have, no doubt, offended the wolves with your behaviour."

"I do not care about a bunch of mutts," Draemar said angrily.

"Do not challenge my treaties, for doing so is a challenge to me," the king warned, "I am old but I will win." He paused for a few moments until he felt Draemar had calmed. "You should care about the wolves. Our power over them is not as great as you pretend it to be. We may not need their help but we do need their truce. That truce should cause many to hold back their egos."

Draemar scowled, knowing that he had no right to be angrier than the king in regards to the wolves.

"Someday, you will grow up" the king smiled. "Their alpha has come to Tatsu. He was concerned about his interests in this matter. Because of your actions, his fears will appear justified. We will have to rectify this situation."

"When I get the power from Altruvia's daughter," Draemar said, "we can discuss how their interests were violated."

"You won't get it," said the king. "But we will discuss that later. For now, you are to do nothing with that girl. Both sides must agree how to proceed from here."

Draemar bowed again before leaving the hall.

* * *

Graiylin attempted to ignore the cold of the bath as he washed himself. His mother had explained that he would perform his purifications in Altruvia's room so that his cleansed energy would be blessed by hers. It would make any connection easier.

When he had finished washing, he dried himself with a large, soft cloth that had been left for him. He stared at the black robe he was to wear on his walk to the chamber. He touched one of the clasps with his finger and felt the details of the etched metal. As he looked out the window at the sky, his finger continued to play with it absentmindedly. He wondered where in the universe Altruvia was at that moment. Then he thought of her in danger. It sobered him and he quickly wrapped the garment around his shoulders and fastened the clasps. Pulling the large hood over his head so that it shadowed his face, he took a deep breath and opened the large doors. The mages awaited him on the other side. As he walked down the long corridor, they accompanied him in a five-pointed formation. The mage of spirit directly in front of him and the others to his sides.

The hallways were silent but for the sound of their slippers skimming the stone floor. It was not long before they were upon the star in the great hall. He stood in the centre with the mages at the points, as it descended. Its journey to the bottom seemed slower to Graiylin than it had before. His heart was hammering in his chest and nearly Spirit Stepped when he thought of Altruvia. He forced himself to regain his composure. His emotions needed to remain focused. He could not afford to have them become erratic. He had already caused enough trouble.

The ring of light became visible at his feet. Seeing it, he took another deep breath. As he exhaled, the platform broke from the shaft and he was blinded by the large orb. As his eyes adjusted, he began to watch the swirling energies. They moved like a dance; a graceful and chaotic undulation that only emotion could create. Tryailla and Gorynd were waiting for him in front of it. As he walked towards it, the mages separated and circled the area, coming to a stop when they had regained a perfect five-pointed formation.

Smiling at him, his mother spoke. "You are ready for this," she encouraged. "The mages will do their best to ensure the stability of the sphere. Your father and I will be here to oversee your safety." She gave him a hug and Graiylin saw his father smile reassuringly at him.

Tryailla pulled back and pushed Graiylin's hood down. Then she asked him such a simple question for such a complicated, impending task. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

When the Draigo arrived to speak with Cayinth, his daughter was nursing her son. As he entered the room, she smiled in acknowledgement to him before returning her attention to the boy at her breast.

"You are very doting, just like your mother," he recalled, his tone weighted with nostalgia.

Her face turned sour. "I would not remember that would I?" The venom in her tone made him wince.

"Cayinth," he said softly, "What really happened on Tryailla?"

She did not look up at him as she spoke but continued to admire her son. "We retrieved what you wanted."

"I did not want this. I was forced to be involved. Provoking such a race is nothing anyone should be involved in." He walked to a large tapestry of a dragon with its front claws resting on a world in flame. The image gave him longing and sadness of glorious days passed. He breathed deeply to control his emotions.

"That dog has been put in charge of their fleet," he heard his daughter say to his back.

"And is your hatred of her so strong that it has spread to your feelings for your husband?" he asked.

She was confused. "What do you mean?"

He came to sit beside her and smiled at her in reassurance. "I know you well. You avoided joining your husband in my hall."

"He used our position to go against my wishes."

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Seeing the gesture, Cayinth continued. "I agreed with him that we had no chance to succeed if we were unable to get near the girl. When we met with the wolves, he took it too far. He had decided that our methods after capture would be torture. He had not discussed that with me before the meeting. But how could I undermine him in front of that wolf?"

The king sighed deeply. "Your husband is not the wisest of men. He claims he does not know why you are upset and I believe him. Would you like me to handle this matter?"

Cayinth looked offended. "You know I would have handled it myself if it weren't for our audience. You do not need to fight my battles."

Putting his hands up in a defensive gesture, the king conceded. He stood and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Try to rest before the feast. The Alpha will be our dinner guest and we don't need tempers flaring due to exhaustion." He walked to the large doors but turned back to her before leaving. "You should know," he said, "That I have ordered your husband to leave our prisoner alone. We will not be using his plan."

* * *

"If one of our people could woo a wolf, we could woo anything!" shouted Draemar.

"Shut up, Draemar! You are more troublesome as a son than an enemy," the dragon king turned from the prince back to his guest, the Alpha.

The Alpha was the eldest of the wolves and had become so physically weak that much of his body had reverted permanently to the base wolf form. His face was mostly animalistic as was his neck. Only enough of his bipedal form remained to allow him to walk as a human and communicate with others. Due to this weakness, it was rumoured that Insil and Shinga planned to overthrow him but feared his wrath if they failed. Their pursuit of Altruvia's power was, no doubt, motivated by these ends.

Standing behind his right shoulder was his ever-present lieutenant. He was easily the tallest man in the hall. He had a bald head and a pristine face despite all the war scars upon his exposed forearms. His armour, which he never removed in public, was thick leather adorned with utilitarian rivets across the chest. The armour covered his legs except where his calves were protected by large, heavy boots. The protection on his shoulders was hidden under a layer of sheepskin for warmth, as the wolf planet, Dominans, was very cold. Despite the heat of Tatsu, he had apparently refused to remove it. Throughout the evening, his face had been serious and impossible to read.

The feast had not yet begun as the matters of business were so pressing. Since all but Draemar agreed that torture was an imbecilic method to gain Altruvia's cooperation, the hours were spent negotiating which race would handle the peculiar occupation of winning her heart.

The Alpha raised his hand in a gesture to his lieutenant, who immediately presented him with a small cloth. The leader then wiped the drool from his mouth. "With all due respect, Draigo, your dragons have strained our relations in this matter quite far enough. We have been patient in these negotiations. What have we received but incompetence, idiocy, and insults?" Although his speech was intelligible, the clarity of his words was slightly marred by his raspy voice and distorted by his speaking with a wolf jaw.

"I apologize for that, especially for my son," the Draigo responded. Draemar scowled in the corner.

The Alpha might have smirked but no one could be sure. "Apologies lead to little action," he said. "I think a wolf in this position may better repair our relations than a dragon."

"I assure you," began the Draigo, "If Liamon were left in charge of this matter, the interests of all involved would be respected."

"I understand your desire to protect your own interests," replied the Alpha, "but I cannot trust that my interests will be protected by one of yours. I will say this only once more. A wolf will better repair our relations." The threat was clear.

The Draigo let out a small sigh. "You know all too well the position we are in. I will agree to your terms in this matter, but do not think that I will concede in other issues in which you have not been wronged. Which wolf do you choose?"

Shinga, who had thus far been silent, spoke from her place to the right of The Alpha, "I would like to request that Insil be responsible."

The Alpha turned on her and growled. "Are you challenging me?" She immediately averted her gaze saying, "I would never challenge you." The Alpha continued to growl as he glared at her a minute more before returning to his conversation with the dragon king. "I know no better than Insil for this effort ," he stated. He turned back to Shinga and growled low, "That does not mean a compliment to him."

* * *

Altruvia had been taken to a room that was very similar to the cell where she had been kept on the chariot. The closet-sized space had only a bed but unlike her previous holdings, she had no window. The dim mechanical light made her feel ill. Only light from unperverted energy did not give her headaches. The current vibration oscillated at the same frequency as her nausea. Compounding her problems was that Tatsu smelled permanently of brimstone.

Sitting on the bed, she tried to concentrate once again on using her abilities, which were developing much more quickly than she had expected. Quickly, she was able to feel the essences of the two guards outside her door. There were no others but, as she guided her consciousness, she locked upon a similar hum to the one she had sensed that night in her room. A strange mechanical thing, its energy – or, more accurately, void of energy - was isolated to a cylindrical shape. When she tried to explore it further, her link was broken as the sensation of a new person broke into her trance and knocked at the door. It seemed strange that her captors would have learned manners. More out of curiosity than defiance, she said nothing. The knock came again but louder and more deliberate. She felt her brow involuntarily rise as she reached out to feel Draemar's chaotic energy on the other side.

"Come," she commanded after a pause.

The door opened and Draemar entered the room. He appeared calm despite his inner turmoil. He was restraining himself, which was amusing. The quality of his being was now reminiscent of a scolded child, who felt he did not deserve it.

"Our Draigo has informed me that he feels your current accommodations are inadequate. You will come with me." He left the room and Altruvia curiously followed. Did these people know what they were going to do to her?

They walked for many minutes until they came to a strange platform. Draemar stepped onto it and impatiently motioned for her to do so as well. Altruvia could hear the quiet mechanical workings as the platform moved upward. They passed a floor before the platform stopped at the next. Immediately, Draemar began walking down corridors and Altruvia hastened to follow. When they were approaching two large doors, Draemar slowed his pace. He stopped before them and pushed them open. Standing to one side to allow Altruvia to pass, he said simply, "This is where you will stay," before closing the doors after her and leaving to sulk.

She did not need her abilities to know the doors would be sealed. Her new accommodations were spacious and lavish but she was still a prisoner. The high walls of the chamber were adorned with large tapestries of dragon propaganda that fell to just above the floor. The air was completely still but warmer than her previous accommodations due to a large fire in a colossal fireplace. In front of large windows, there were tables and chairs for entertaining.

Altruvia walked to the windows, which were not open to the outside air like in her chambers upon Tryailla but separated the room from the outside world with an artificially created energy barrier. It was only now, looking at these windows, that she knew what time of day it was on the planet. The sun had set recently; a slight glow still on the horizon. A peppering of golden lights showed the sprawling city around the palace. The movement of mini-chariots could be seen dotting the sky. The people on this world were going about their daily lives, completely oblivious or ambivalent to the current events taking place in their government. They obviously placed great importance upon their technology. Nothing was untouched.

Disgusted, Altruvia turned away from the window to see a small door. It led into a sleeping room with a large bed. Although the mechanical lights in her new room were much softer, they were still unnatural and her headache had not eased. Turning off all the lights, she decided to take advantage of her new lodgings and sleep.

Unfortunately, she was unable to relax as she began to think of Graiylin and her home, causing her heart to ache. The possibility of never seeing them again became a spectre that haunted her, taunting her insides as it tried to twist them into a painful, immovable mass. Her fingers clenched around the cloth of the blanket as tears began to accumulate in her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She would not give her enemy any such victory.

Much later, Altruvia awoke to the sound of the door of the main room opening. She listened carefully to the sound of feet brushing against the stone floor. It took her a moment to collect her senses and realize it was Liamon making his way to the sleeping room. She stiffened as she tried to determine his intent but her abilities were still immature and she had trouble focusing them while still groggy. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against the casing. His breathing was slowly rhythmic. When Altruvia had determined he did not intend to act, at least not first, she sat up quickly and stared at him. He jumped back with surprise and looked at her quizzically, fully expecting an explanation, an objurgation, or both. At first, Altruvia had planned to berate him but instead asked him a question, "Is it simply the possibility of this mythical power you seek that is so intriguing?"

"What?" he stumbled before quickly trying to recover himself. "How do you do it? You sleep but we have yet to see you revert to regenerate," he said as he attempted to diffuse her anger. "Is this the cats' magic or your own?"

His nonchalance irritated Altruvia the most. "My people have evolved beyond such base forms. None of us has reverted in memory," she explained irritably. "Is this the entire reason you have stolen me away from my home? Because I do not revert?"

He now was offended as well as apologetic. "Not all of us are interested in being gods."

Altruvia laughed semi-deliriously but stopped as she felt his energy change with that laugh. She recognized this metamorphosis of arousal. It was similar to that in Graiylin but was missing an important element. With this, she became serious again and pierced into his gaze to ensure his discomfort. "If you believe us to be gods, you are a simpler minded race than I ever imagined," she reviled him.

He had taken all the insult he could from her, "I will leave."

* * *

Shinga took a deep breath before entering the main hall of her chariot ship. Insil would protect her interests but he would hold a grudge against her for placing him in this position.

He sat on the steps at the foot of her chair thumbing the end of an old blade. Patience had never been his skill and she knew he had been there, waiting to hear about the negotiations, since she left for the feast many hours earlier. He looked up at her as she approached.

"What shall be done?" he asked gruffly.

"Our interests shall be ensured. You will be the one to court her, allowing us to manipulate the situation to our own ends."

He scowled and Shinga almost laughed at the similarity between him and Draemar. He would definitely never forgive her if she told him that.

"I detest the company of cats," he growled. "I will do it but this power had better be all we think it is."

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "How could there be anything better than becoming a god?"

## Chapter 8

Graiylin's body was weightless as he floated through the white energy of the orb. With the pure light surrounding him, nothing else existed. This new dimension felt like a void. So much vibration caused numbness to any physical sensations.

He swam through the energy, seeking the signature that would connect with him. Altruvia's energy continued to elude him and with each unsuccessful reach of his spirit, he felt more despair. His heart sank faster than he could control it. He tried to force his thoughts to steady but found such a feat insurmountable. His despair had formed its own life and soon the variation he felt was not a connection to his sister, but an instability and chaos that had entered his surroundings.

He began to retch. His body was now too connected to the energies, as he tried to expel anything that might have remained inside him. His muscles began to spasm and contract with excruciating strength. His flesh felt as though it were being flayed from his body. He could not see if it remained intact, as his eyes were involuntarily clenched shut by the stinging of his cornea. When he felt like his body would be quartered by the energy, a rush of release washed over him and he heard orders being frantically yelled all around him. Then all became black.

The gentle breeze of Graiylin's chambers piercing his skin woke him from his faint. He cringed at the acute sensation of rough cloth being drawn across his arm, before opening his eyes to survey his surroundings.

His mother sat next to him. If he had not seen her demeanour, he would not have realized she was gently washing his arm and not scrubbing with all her might.

He now saw that the feeling of his flesh being torn from his skeleton had not entirely been in his mind. Lacerations covered his entire body. The cloth his mother was using was covered in his blood.

"How long have I been unconscious?" he managed to rasp.

His mother looked up at him, her face the epitome of concern.

"Three days. We did not know if you were alive at first. You were a pile of bloody flesh when the mages pulled you from the orb."

His mind involuntarily recalled the painful event. "What happened?" he asked her as much as himself.

"The energy was too unstable. You are lucky we managed to save you at all. We did not realize there was a problem until the second before we pulled you out."

"I remember feeling chaos before it started."

His mother let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I should not have suggested this line of action. You were not ready for such a difficult task. The slightest thought of doubt would have been magnified in such an environment. You can enter only in perfect love and perfect trust."

He looked at her coolly. "Are you saying I caused that?"

Nodding, she continued. "You almost tore yourself apart along with the rest of us. If we had not been there to contain it, you could have been killed and the energy – in that choatic form – would have been released."

"Is everyone else alright?"

"You are the only one who was hurt. We were able to cleanse the energy and the orb remains intact," she paused. "At least until we figure out a way to dismantle it."

He bolted up, ignoring the sudden additional pain. "You can't! I have to try again."

"Graiylin, calm down. Your body is barely holding together," She gently pushed him back into a lying position. "The energy has proved too dangerous. Even though your father and I would be controlling it, we may not be able to prevent it from hurting our own."

"We can't abandon Altruvia. I can find her if I try again."

"You may kill yourself and everyone else if you try again."

He slammed his fists into the bed. "I cannot leave her to be at the mercy of that scum. I have to try."

His mother became stern. "You are being selfish and blind. You have already tried and it was too much. You have no right to risk everyone else's well-being. We will find a way to bring her back. It may simply take longer than expected. We have no choice but to be patient."

"I can't just lie here."

"You don't have much choice. The wounds on your body are extensive; I would doubt very much that you could stand."

"Then what can I do? I feel so helpless!"

Reaching out gently, she began to stroke his hair. "You can get better so that your sister doesn't see you in this sorry state when she gets home."

Graiylin said nothing, staring straight-ahead causing his mother to give a sorrowful smile.

"I will leave you alone for a while and get you some food."

After she left the room, Graiylin questioned himself about what he could do. Remaining prostrate was not an option. Using all of his strength, he began to pull himself out of bed.

The chair his mother had been sitting in would make a good support. With his arms easing the strain on his legs, he clumsily managed to stand. Sheer determination kept him vertical for only a moment before the pain in his muscles yanked him to the floor. He felt the trickle of blood from several of his freshly reopened wounds as he panted into the rug. There was only enough remaining strength to clench his fists and scream as his heart embraced that his mother was right.

* * *

Altruvia rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache that had become an almost-permanent fixture in her life. The pain had eased somewhat over the last few days but remained enough to be tiresome.

"Are you alright?" Insil asked, feigning concern.

Altruvia did not need her empathic ability to know that his words were nothing more than tokens. He had been sent to watch over her and eat with her every day. There was not one of those days in which his emotions matched his face or his words.

"I am fine," she replied tartly. "The lights do not agree with me."

"Perhaps more grauch will sooth you?" He offered a pitcher that sat on the table between them.

She had been given the vile liquid several times and her aversion to it had grown each time. It was apparently a popular drink on Tatsu and Dominans. Why, she had no idea, as its texture could be compared only to rank slug slime. The flavour was not much better. It was the type of horrible concoction that the body remembers and tries harder each time to expel.

"No, thank you," she sneered before staring out the window.

Insil gave an irritated sigh. "I am trying to help you. You could be more gracious."

With all her restraint, she glared at him before saying, "I apologize for not being a magnanimous hostage. Perhaps I should make a formal statement to your alpha to thank him for ripping me from my home against my will? Do you even know what you are going to do with me yet? For a mighty race, I expected some forethought. I suppose having a plan before declaring war is too much bother."

A dark shadow crossed his eyes. For the first time in days, his emotions and his face were in complete unison. The display was short lived as he breathed deeply to compose himself. It was taking all of his concentration.

"I am sorry that you feel we are so villainous," he replied. "Perhaps you will find us to be quite nice people given time."

"You will try, Insil, and you will fail."

Insil refused to take any more abuse. He stood and forced a bow to her before leaving the room.

* * *

Liamon was almost flattened when Insil stormed by him after leaving Altruvia's room. Another day without any progress, obviously. It was no wonder, Liamon thought. No one would fall in love with someone who held such contempt.

Letting out a long sigh, Liamon wished he had been chosen to eat with her. He had tried discreetly to keep watch over her as he had been asked by the Draigo. He would have done so without being instructed. He would have stayed with her every day and night, but he dared not get too close lest the wolves take exception to his surveillance.

For the time being, he could hope only for Insil to fail so that he could take his place and for Altruvia not to feel too much interim pain.

* * *

There he was again. Altruvia sensed Liamon in the hall. His energy was usually the same, a mix of compassion and longing. She had begun to feel sorry for him. His obsession had led to a hole he was convinced she could fill but she only pitied him. She could not and would not give him what he wanted.

Allowing her pity to linger only so long, she returned to her reconnaissance efforts. She had taken every possible moment of Insil's absence to learn about her surroundings, never knowing how long she had before he returned. She needed every possible moment to work on her escape.

Unfortunately, she had not learned much that would help her at the moment. Everyone knew the dragons were a militaristic society and her investigations had emphasized that this would hinder her escape. The palace and the entire surrounding city were astir with soldiers. The floor right below her was always a uniform sea of military thoughts. Through a combination of gazing out her windows and her empathic travels, she had learned there was some kind of hanger for two-man chariot ships in the far side of the palace. Unfortunately, she was unable to discern the exact path to get there. Each time she went exploring, she would eventually stumble upon the same cylindrical metallic hum she had first felt. Whatever purpose this device held, she still could not discern.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the familiar sensations of the surrounding room. As her mental sight became clearer, she guided her thoughts. Today, she decided to explore the portion of the palace in the opposite direction of the chariot hanger.

The usual sensations of military men in casual conversations went by as her mind moved through the structure. She pushed further, putting more energy into her scouting than ever before. She grasped for any information that would aid her escape.

As she passed two entities that felt more powerful than all those surrounding, she paused to probe more deeply. Posturing. Negotiation. Arrogance. She pushed more.

This old lizard won't humour us for long.

Her surprise made her falter momentarily. Her abilities had gotten stronger, but she would congratulate herself later.

How much longer do I have to entertain this drooling animal?

Rest at home? He is trying to get rid of me. Insil needs more time.

I will be dead before that girl loves Insil.

AtI mu lesnast weve hathevem anopliaormotunity.

Their thoughts began to overlap into a jumbled mess. Altruvia tried to listen for several more minutes but was unable to get clear thoughts excluding an isolated word here and there. Her endurance also began to wear thin, forcing her to stop her explorations for the day.

The thoughts she had intruded only confirmed her suspicions about Insil. She had known he had been sent to spend time with her and had suspected it was to win her sympathies. That they wanted her to love him was no surprise. However, the enemy was not so oblivious after all, if she was not the only one on Tatsu to realize this would end in failure.

She smiled to herself at the realization that she had overcome the hurdle to true telepathy. Hopefully, this would not be an isolated incident but it took more out of her than simple empathy. Rising from her chair, she decided to take a nap.

## Chapter 9

Eyeing the spirit mage across the room, Graiylin wondered how there could be a human form, let alone a female one, under the loose robes, but he trusted Altruvia's sight of what lay beneath. The woman had been sent to watch over him after Kwinnen had found him collapsed on the floor. Evidently, he had only confirmed for everyone that he was unable to survive on his own. His new nursemaid would not have been such a bother if she could at least speak with him. Instead, they both remained in silence for hours. The only entertainment was the random shuffling of the various inhabitants and visitors of the palace passing outside his door. Scurry. Shuffle. Silence.

After several more hours, a miraculous reprieve came when Kwinnen entered the room. He saw that Graiylin was awake and smiled at him, but Graiylin could tell there was much pity behind the friendly gesture.

Kwinnen walked to the chair by the bed and sat down. "I thought I could keep you company for a little while."

"Thanks," Graiylin replied. "I was starting to go a little crazy." He gestured at the spirit mage. "Mages don't exactly make for good conversation."

Chuckling, Kwinnen replied, "But they're great listeners."

"There is something I have been meaning to ask you."

Kwinnen raised a brow. "Oh?"

"At the feast two months ago, before all this started, you told me you had come up with a way to Spirit Step over larger distances."

He looked genuinely confused. "Did I? I don't remember that."

"You were pretty drunk." Graiylin sighed, "I supposed you don't remember what that method was, do you?"

Looking at Graiylin very sternly, Kwinnen said, "Let's get a few things straight. Firstly, I never get drunk. Secondly, you wouldn't happen to be asking so you can leave us all in the dust while you get yourself killed trying to save Altruvia?"

"I don't know what I am going to do yet," he lied. "But I do know that I need to get better at all my skills so that when we do figure out what to do, I can help rather than end up bedridden for another week."

"Fair enough," Kwinnen shrugged. "If you want to know, I'll tell you. First, you have to answer me something. How do you Spirit Step in the first place?"

Graiylin mulled it over for a few moments before answering. "I suppose I just think about going faster."

"Do you think about your destination at all?" Kwinnen asked.

"Maybe a little but that really isn't the motivation."

"Ah!" Kwinnen raised a finger indicating one of his frequent epiphanies, "But what if it were?"

Graiylin looked at him incredulously.

"I'll explain," Kwinnen began, "What if it weren't your attempts to go faster that are making it work but your vague notion of where you want to end up? It could explain why you can do it only in short bursts. You aren't going faster, you are cutting out of teleporting too soon because you're not focusing properly."

"Even if you are right, I can't test out your theory now," he gestured to the bed. "I'm a little stuck by the fact that I can barely stand let alone Spirit Step."

"That's fine," his friend replied. "I wouldn't want you to try it now anyway. But, when you're better, we could work on it together."

"Definitely," agreed Graiylin.

"I need to get going," Kwinnen said as he stood.

"Where on earth do you have to be?" Graiylin asked. "You are practically my butler. I am your job. And you just got here!"

Smiling mischievously, Kwinnen leaned in as if he were about to share a particularly scandalous secret. "Yes, but you are not a voluptuous redhead."

Many hours after Kwinnen had run off to find his lady friend, there was a knock at the door. The mage expectedly did not move, leaving Graiylin to call for the visitor to enter.

His father peered around the door before opening it wide and entering the room. After saying a brief hello, he turned to the mage and requested her to leave them for the moment. He then sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I have been told that you are not handling the situation very well. However, I would not need to be told to know that."

Graiylin said nothing causing his father to give a compassionate sigh.

"You have lost someone very dear to you. Your mother and I can understand that. We love Altruvia as well. She is our daughter."

"You don't seem to be having any worries about the situation," Graiylin said more tartly than he had intended.

"That is unfair. You have been bedridden for the last four days. You have not seen what we have been doing or going through. Your mother has not been sleeping because she cannot stop crying. She is a strong woman and would never indulge in tears in front of those who need her strength to give them hope."

For the first time, Graiylin's self-pity began to falter and he felt like a horribly insensitive person.

His father continued. "When your mother and I were children, we went exploring in the woods. We had intended to play by the hidden waterfall. The same one you stumbled upon. It was a favourite spot of ours because we felt safe there. There, we were completely hidden from the world.

"The woods felt strange that day. We did not know at the time that the Mages of our Childhood had died that day. It caused an unsettling atmosphere. The clouds had begun to move in and the wind had become strong. As the storm became more severe, we decided to turn back.

"I rushed through the trees so quickly, the branches ripped at my arms. I was completely bloody. As I emerged from the edge of the trees, I discovered that your mother was no longer with me.

"I paced the length of the trees, calling her name, hoping she would hear me and respond. There was nothing. All became silent. The raging storm made no sound that could make it to my ears.

"Finally, I decided to go back the way I had come through the trees. I was so frantic that I was unable to walk through the brush without difficulty. I tripped, fell into prickly plants, and cut myself more on jagged branches. I was almost crushed when the wind uprooted an old tree causing it to fall where I had been standing. I had to roll out of the way and the tree still managed to hit my foot."

Gorynd laughed quietly to himself. "Thinking back, I really was in a sorry state. At the time, I did not care what happened to me. I could have died in my search and it did not matter to me what that would have meant for everyone around me, even your mother.

"I eventually found her in a sinkhole lying unconscious. Shaking her vigorously, I tried very hard to wake her up. I began to cry, as I did not know if she was breathing.

"Despite my limp and bloody arms and legs, I used all of my strength, which was not much at 11, to pull your mother from the pit. I carried her all the way home, through the horrid trees and the storm. When I entered the hall, I collapsed before anyone could take your mother from me.

"She was healed before the end of the day, having only bumped her head when she had fallen. I took much longer to recover but we were lucky that everything ended well. I tell you this story because I want you to know that I understand what you are going through and that I understand what mistakes you can make when frantic."

Graiylin responded as politely as he could, "I hardly think this compares with a child's adventure in the woods."

"You really can be quite dense sometimes, can't you?" Gorynd replied. "We were children who had no experience with a crisis. I also had no idea what had happened to your mother. You know your enemy. Sometimes one's imagination can create much scarier foes. It was the not knowing and the possibility of not being able to do anything that was the worst feeling of all. Can you honestly tell me that I cannot relate to your situation? That I do not understand the fear of loss?"

"I suppose you can," Graiylin answered remorsefully.

"Son, promise me that you will work with us to find a solution to this problem and not risk more harm to yourself or others. We must all work together to find the best way. There is more going on here than it appears. We still do not know how the wolves and dragons have obtained their new powers or what the extent of them is, so promise me that you will work with us."

Staring straight ahead, Graiylin considered his father's words for many moments. His inability to stand was enough of a hindrance but what his father had shared made any attempts to push himself distasteful. His chest clenched with his combined determination, disappointment, and embarrassment.

"I promise."

* * *

Stroking Insil's hair, Shinga listened to his woes. His head rested in her lap as they sat upon the stairs of her chariot ship's hall. He had been complaining about his assignment. With each new day, he began to want the power of a god less and less.

"Is it honestly that bad?" she asked gently.

Insil growled. "How can you ask me that? Of course it is. I could not imagine a more revolting woman." He stroked her thigh. "She could never be anything like you."

Shinga smiled at his praise. "I don't recall your liking her being a requirement."

"But how can I make her like me when I can barely stand her?"

Sighing, Shinga stopped stroking his hair, nudged him from her lap and walked across the room. "It is obvious that successfully acting has proven quite a challenge for you." She turned and stared at him with such intensity that he almost jumped. "But get one thing perfectly clear, my dear Insil," she walked up to him now and grabbed his chin between her thumb and forefinger so roughly that he winced. "If you do not learn to fake an admiration for that feline brat, then the prophecy will not be fulfilled. If we are not the ones to do it, we will have to mop up the drool of that old mutt for several more centuries." She jolted his face with her fingers, "I will not continue to be below anyone."

She pushed his face away with disgust and walked from the hall.

* * *

Thankfully, Altruvia had yet to see Insil that day. His absence gave her time to hone her skills and explore more of the area.

She had come across several more locations with the familiar cylindrical hum. Her most recent count was nine stations, all at uniform distance from each other. She had also noted that the two concentrations of this energy were in the absolute middle of the palace and its outermost edges. Although she had felt an underlying connective energy among them, she was still unsure if they worked off each other. As for the devices' purpose, she was no closer to knowing what that might be. None of the thoughts she had managed to hear gave any information that would be helpful in enlightening her.

Having just eaten lunch, Altruvia not only was refreshed to begin thought reconnaissance again but also confident that Insil would not make an appearance for quite some time. She sat back in her chair at the table and closed her eyes.

The usual mixture of random and frivolous thoughts passed by her mind. It was like being in a crowd of people at a large party with everyone's conversations combining into a roughly uniform sound. Her days of exploring the energies and thoughts of the palace had created a rough map of the compound in her mind. Her movements soon began to reflect the layout of hallways, not because it was necessary, walls were no barrier for the mind, but it organized her search.

As she continued, she came across a void of thought but for a solitary mind in the centre. With a little extra probing, she was able to determine the thoughts belonged to the Draigo. She paused to listen.

I hope you have forgiven me. Not that I deserve your forgiveness. I cannot bear the thought of you hating me.

For the first time, Altruvia gleaned an image accompanying the verbal thoughts. A beautiful woman, not much older than she, was helping a small girl learn to walk. Her long golden-brown hair was secured in a loose ponytail that billowed in the wind. She wore a gown the colour of the stars. Like her hair, it too was being buffeted by the wild air currents. Around her neck was a pendant of silver in the shape of the wolf crest: the head of a howling wolf beneath a crescent moon that equally resembled a wolf fang.

You did nothing to deserve what we did to you. I would tell those wolves to burn in the volcanoes of Tatsu if given another chance. War be damned. It wasn't worth it.

There were no coherent thoughts for several moments, only the overwhelming sadness and regret of the wrong life lived.

I will not make that mistake again. With more time, I can get you back.

Feeling a newfound determination in him, Altruvia lost her hold on the connection; the endurance of her new abilities still inconsistent.

## Chapter 10

Graiylin jolted awake. The spirit mage was standing over him, her outstretched hands held above his chest. He looked at her, eyes wide, fully intending to ask her what she was doing. As he looked into the darkness of her cloaked face, he found it increasingly difficult to remember words. His chest felt hot. It throbbed as he felt a new entity inside of him, growing out from this spot. As it expanded, feeling like an alien insect crawling out of his chest to ooze over his entire body, his mind lost more and more of a grasp upon reality. He would have lashed out, but his body would no longer respond. Then, he no longer cared.

His body sat up in the bed. The mage stepped back and pulled her hands towards her as though she pulled a string attached to his body. He rose from the bed and stood before her. She turned and walked towards the door. Involuntarily, his body followed while he was now only vaguely aware of what transpired.

They walked the quiet corridors until they came upon the large star in the great hall. Stepping inside the circle, the platform began to descend.

When they emerged into the orb chamber, the mage placed her hands together and, in a low voice, began chanting. Finishing her chant, she guided Graiylin to stand with his back to the orb. With arms stretched at her sides and palms facing out, she slowly raised her arms. As she did so, Graiylin's body began to float towards the orb. Slowly, he was absorbed into its energy. The orb turned black and all movement ceased.

* * *

A break in the familiar hum of technology caused Altruvia to wake. It was still dark outside except for the constant orange glow of the city lights. She was unsure of how long she had slept but felt it could not have been more than a few hours as she felt exhausted and somewhat dizzy. For many moments, she willed herself back to sleep until her senses ran into the reason she had awakened. Sitting bolt upright, she began to wonder if she were still sleeping and simply having a vivid dream, as she saw the dark silhouette of a man at the end of her bed.

She blinked several times expecting the apparition to disappear but it became darker and more defined. She called out to it but received no reply. The body was formless and mute. With apprehension, she reached out with her mind, slowly probing for information about this visitor. As her mind's eye touched the figure, her shock pulled her back into herself. She stared at the form again as she said, "Graiylin?"

The energy of the form oscillated at the name. Her heart leapt. She reached out to his still featureless shape and was not surprised that, like a mirror, he reached back. As their fingers entwined, her mind left the confines of the draconian palace. She now stood in a void, face to face with Graiylin.

"How are you doing this?" she asked him.

He looked at their surroundings, as confused as she. "I don't know. The last thing I remember, I was in my chambers and the spirit mage had her hands on my chest. I was trying to struggle against her but my last thought was that it was futile." He stood in thought for a long moment before continuing. "I don't know what she did to me and I don't know why but I have a feeling it has something to do with a large orb of energy our parents made. How she has managed to control not only me but the energy in that orb is beyond me but she must be trying to help. She got me to you, after all."

"But now what do we do?" Altruvia asked.

"The original plan was for me to use the energy to link to you and help you escape. Mother said my form would appear real to any around but that I would not actually be here. Physical attacks would go through me and I would have certain limitations due to a lack of physical form but I would at least be able to help you find a way to escape. To be honest, I have no idea what to do now," he looked around again. "I am obviously not wandering around like other people."

"You looked like a featureless black form when I saw you," Altruvia explained. "If the mage is doing things differently than you had expected, maybe we are supposed to handle this differently."

Graiylin sighed, "It would have been nice if she had given me a training session and an explanation beforehand. Illustrations would have been very helpful."

Altruvia laughed and looked down at their still clasped hands. "Our current connection began when we held hands. I wonder what will happen if we let go?"

Graiylin thought for a moment. "We would probably not be here talking anymore but I doubt I would wake from this trance. Shall we try it?"

Nodding, Altruvia gave his hand one final squeeze before letting go. She was back in her room and the featureless form remained before her. Still on the bed, she sat back on her feet and contemplated what the spirit mage might have intended they do. Then, more out of curiosity than having come to any great understanding, Altruvia rose from the bed to stand next to the form and stared at it for one last moment before walking into it.

This time, there was no void. Altruvia still stood next to the bed, but she felt very different. Her energy vibrated more strongly and, in a way she could never have hoped to describe, she felt closer to Graiylin than she ever had before.

She surveyed her surroundings as though she had never seen them before and felt a combination of curiosity and disgust that she knew was not her own. Although she was no longer having a conversation with Graiylin as she had been, she was now acutely aware of every thought he had without consciously needing to probe for them.

As though it had been her idea, though she was also keenly aware that it was Graiylin's, she walked to the fireplace in the main room. The fire had long since faded but it was instantly aflame again as she lifted her left hand towards it and concentrated. She did not have to concentrate hard and she felt satisfaction that she knew came from both of them.

With their abilities combined, she knew she would easily be able to overcome any obstacle in an escape effort. As it was still the middle of the night, there seemed no better time to begin and without another hesitation, she walked to the large door.

The two seals were easily removed. With Graiylin's control over earth, the metal bolts willingly melted. With Altruvia's mind, she was easily able to collapse the weak energy barrier.

Once in the hall, she placed her hand on one of the metal walls and felt along the length of it. Sensing the physical elements and combining it with her earlier reconnaissance efforts, it was no challenge to discern the path to the hanger she had previously identified.

As she began to run towards her escape, a massive pain throbbed through her head. She began to hear all the voices of those around the palace. She tried to quiet them, but unlike her previous ventures, these intrusions into the minds of others were not being guided by her intent or control. Graiylin's feelings of concern joined the fray and washed over her. Through the commotion, one scream pierced into her heart and she saw the Draigo holding the bloody body of his wife.

If she had had more control over the situation, she would not have needed to speak but vocalizing her thoughts made it easier for her to communicate with Graiylin above the commotion.

"I need to find him," she said. Feeling the strong wave of apprehension from Graiylin, she continued, "He is not like the others. He seeks our gifts to mend a broken heart. We need to help him." Graiylin was incredulous. "My love," she continued, "It may end the dragon's involvement in this mess, which would end the threat to Tryailla. We need to do this for the sake of our people."

Although wary, he agreed and Altruvia began to concentrate on the heartbreak, allowing it to guide her through the halls of the palace. Despite being the middle of the night, both Altruvia and Graiylin were surprised at how deserted the corridors were. There was no guard to be seen, no servant going about some late night business. Yet, by the thoughts intruding upon Altruvia's consciousness, she knew none in the palace was aware of her escape or her whereabouts. It was as though the energies had simply guided everyone elsewhere.

After much time of walking long corridors, they came to two large iron doors that had been cast with a dragon upon each. On their hind legs, they faced each other, a large orb between them. The orb split as Altruvia pushed on one of the doors. Despite the mammoth size, it gave way easily and silently.

Peering inside, she saw a room many times the size of the one where she had been kept. There were four fireplaces, two on each of the walls to the right and left. All were still burning brightly. More tapestries showing the glory of dragons hung throughout the room. Chairs of all sizes and degrees of ornamentation were scattered throughout, some gathered around the fireplaces and others left haphazardly in the middle of the room. Next to the large doors, was a long credenza upon which sat the myriad collection of keepsakes of an old man. Some of the items looked very valuable, made of silver and gold. Others looked as though they had no worth, such as a small river-worn stone. There were statues and gadgets; many appeared to be broken or tarnished with age. The items had been placed haphazardly upon the credenza as though they were positioned there not for elegant display but simply to be laid down.

The sounds of a tortured sleep drew their attention. On the wall opposite the large doors, there was the largest bed either of them had ever seen.

Altruvia stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. The thoughts of others were mostly drowned as the scene of death replayed itself in the Draigo's nightmare.

As they neared the bed, the distressed form of the Draigo became clearer. He was an old man, frail, gray, and spotted with several darkened patches on his weathered skin. His face was wet with sweat as he tossed and turned with his torture. The faint form of dark dragon scales appeared and faded repeatedly on his arms and neck as he oscillated between wakefulness and sleep.

Frightened of what may happen if she woke him in this state, Altruvia hesitated but the torment in his mind became too much for her and she had to reach out a hand to his shoulder.

"Draigo," she said kindly, putting pressure on his shoulder.

He flinched as he began to wake and the scales faded from his skin entirely. She called to him again with the same gentle tone. Blinking his eyes, he was unsure of what to think of the apparition before him and unsure whether he were still asleep. Then, he realized all too clearly who was standing above him.

"How did you get in here?" he choked out, fear of her expected reprisal choking his words.

Altruvia ignored his question. "Draigo, tell me about your wife. Why do you torture yourself with such memories and why do you think we can help you?"

For many moments, he had no idea what to say. The entire situation was surreal and made very little sense to him. Altruvia tried to put him at ease with a kind smile. "I know you seek the power of gods to rectify the past. I do not know if we can do such a thing but I would like to hear your story."

Now, he unsteadily found his voice, "We have done nothing but take you from your people, hold you prisoner, and plot against you. Why would you help me?"

"Because you, and by that I mean only you and not the others, do not seek grandeur or wealth. You seek to atone for something you have done and you seek this because of a genuine love for another. I can understand genuine love. If you were a bad person, Draigo, you would have attacked me for greed and, I am quite sure, not have held back as long as you have to make a move against my people. You do not want these gifts to wage war.

"You have a vast military. You have placed great emphasis upon technological advancement. Yet, you remain in alliance with the wolves you detest to keep peace. There are many who would not care so much about the lives of their people, especially with such resources at their disposal."

He looked into Altruvia's eyes with a newfound understanding and awe and did not take his eyes from her as he spoke again, a tear falling down his cheek.

"We have wronged you and I am sorry. Whether it was for greed or grief, I have committed a horrible act with this course of action. Please forgive me."

Altruvia smiled kindly again, "You have been forgiven. Please, share with me this story that obviously tortures your mind each night. I cannot give you any power. It does not work that way, which, unfortunately, has not yet been understood by your or the wolves' people. However, I may be able to help somehow."

Strangely, the Draigo understood her words and took a deep breath before beginning his tale.

## Chapter 11

Even my own daughter does not know that this story begins several years before there was any attempt at peace with the wolves. We had been warring longer than I had been alive and not even I know why it started.

The wolves are power hungry and proud and often invade other worlds. We dragons are proud in a different way. We are warlike because we enjoy the nobility and skill of the hunt. Until the wolves, our wars had never been of a personal nature. In most of the wars of our history, we were not the instigators but we have always been happy and even eager to respond to signs of aggression towards us. It was like a game, a friendly match. I doubt all the people we have fought would always agree but all I can give you is a dragon's perspective. It is for this reason that I assume the wolves attacked my people to start the war. However, as I have said, no one actually knows.

My story comes near the end of this particular age of fighting. As I was raised in a militaristic society, I too enjoyed the hunt for much of my young life. However, there comes a time when a warrior grows tired of battle and hopes that the only blood he will again see is in the nostalgic memories he has by the fire. It was when I was beginning to see many of my people grow weary and beginning to feel my own enthusiasm fade, that I come to what is important.

As the young leader of the people, I had the choice of my vessel and my placement in the war. I could have stayed in my palace, allowing others to fight, and none would have challenged me. However, there would also be none who would respect a dragon not taking part in the raging battle. I chose a Serpentine, one of our faster and more difficult to produce vessels. It is one of the few battleships we build that resembles a dragon. When in atmosphere, it is the fastest ship because of its long and thin design. I was always a fighter who excelled at agile tactics than strength of force.

We were patrolling the disputed border territories as such positions usually proved the most interesting. However, the one I had chosen was deathly calm for months on end. Absolutely nothing came our way. There was nothing to do. No variation at which to look, simply nothingness. The longer I was starved for battle, the more I began to question the war. There is no thrill to a hunt that remains unchanged for decades. We were deadlocked and the vastness of space turned that lack of progress into a mental claustrophobia. Voids are a far worse prison than the most secure cell.

Finally, there came a message from one of our other ships that a wolf convoy had managed to elude them, but it would be nearing a position we could get to quite readily. My crew was rabid at the news, which offered a feast to starving men.

Without hesitation, we made our way to the indicated position and had barely seen the ships clearly before the battle lust overtook us. There were six ships and all too quickly only one remained, desperately trying to send a communication of surrender to us.

We are not without compassion and often accept surrender. If an enemy acknowledges your superiority, there is no purpose to carry through with the kill. Therefore, we naturally accepted the surrender.

It was apparent as soon as the prisoners had been brought to our ship that we had attacked a more significant convoy than we ever could have guessed. In the midst of the hardened dogs was the most beautiful and gracious goddess I had ever had the fortune of seeing. No one could mistake from the ornate regalia she wore that she was the female alpha. Even in the hands of a violent enemy, she was serene, showing no fear or worry.

I had her placed in a cell, isolated from the other prisoners. We destroyed their ship, as we had no need for wolf technology. They may be a ruthless enemy, but we have always been technologically superior.

Given the political importance of our charge, I saw to her interrogation myself. I insisted I be left alone to question her. At the time, I had convinced myself that my eagerness was due only to her status and inevitable wealth of knowledge about the wolf attack efforts. I was young and did not yet understand that my enthusiasm to see her alone had nothing to do with military conquest.

Her name was Ashyina and not once during our first meeting did she lose her grace and composure. It was as if she had a much greater wisdom of the universe than anyone else. I saw compassion and yet mirth in her eyes. If it had been anyone else, I would have thought she were laughing at me and retaliated in kind, but this woman – and I still have no idea why – was able to bewitch me. The look in her eyes made me feel like I deserved such pity.

We spoke of many things in that first encounter. She shared much but was also willing to chastise me for asking for information that could harm her people. She would not share any military details that I could use to my advantage and I could not bring myself to press her.

I asked her what a royal convoy was doing in the borderlands. Her gaze truly shone with mirth at my words as I, leader of the dragons, was also in the borderlands. She was kind enough not to point out such an irony and answered my question honestly.

As I came to learn was so characteristic of her, she had insisted she be allowed to patrol the wolf interests in the borderlands to ensure the safety of the people. She ordered the convoy from ravaged planet to ravaged planet to take care of those affected by the fighting. Not once did she think herself above such a task. Quite the contrary, she felt it her duty to care for those who had fought for them. If she had been in charge and not her father, I am sure such a war would never have begun.

With her stories of compassion for her people, I found myself sharing my concerns about my own battle weary society. I am sure any general would have been shocked and terrified at hearing me share such information with an enemy but, as I said, she had bewitched me. I told her how I longed for the conflicts to end and we mused about what a period of peace would be like.

Idealistic and young, we envisioned a paradise that could never be. However, we were not just any people who can only hope for such change. We were the nobility of the two sides. We could easily change the course of our history, or so we thought.

I would have simply called off the war at that moment and been content to make paradise a reality, but that wisdom of hers shone through again and she knew it would not be so easy. Her father would never agree to a truce that was offered by the dragons. He would see such an offer as an admission of inferiority and weakness, using it to encourage the wolf soldiers to increase their efforts to decimate us. There was also no guarantee, no matter how wary my own people might have been, that they would not see such a truce as surrender. We have never surrendered in our history and, as Ashyina informed me, the wolves had never called a truce in theirs.

We began to devise a plan of her escape. I had been careful not to share with any of my men the truth about these interrogations. They did not dare question the lack of information from our sessions when I left each interrogation grumbling murderous words. They were content to believe her a difficult prisoner.

As we were in the borderlands, I had my ship travel near a wolf-allied planet under the pretence that I had finally pulled from her that her convoy had been headed there for a military operation. I had told my men that I did not trust the information and wanted to inspect the situation before calling for reinforcements. She had assured me there was a single outpost manned by only a dozen men on this planet. There would be no need for me to call for reinforcements.

When we got close to the planet, I secretly set one of our fuel convertors to overload. Even if my men were not able to stop it, we would have had enough remaining convertors to limp home for repairs. I then used the distraction to cut the power to her cell. I did not know how but she said that was all she needed and she would be able to get to a vessel on her own. She never did tell me how she made it by the guard, who swore to me later that he had not seen the door open or anyone leave.

She made it to an escape pod and navigated to the planet's surface. We had hoped this would go entirely unnoticed but my men were amongst the best in my army and had no trouble spotting her. However, the commotion from my sabotage attempts luckily prevented any action from being viable. I immediately ordered retreat back to Tatsu. Given the circumstances, no one suspected a thing, at least at the time.

Once at the outpost, it was an easy matter for her to contact her home world for help. She told them the story of our attack, her capture, and her ability to outwit us in her escape. The wolves can be incredibly vain and would easily believe any story in which they appeared superior. It did not matter that they had lost several ships, hundreds of men, and extensive supplies. Her retelling of how easily she had escaped redeemed them in their mythology.

It was almost two years before I heard from her. We knew our plan was a delicate operation but I had begun to worry. Secretly, it was a very difficult time for me. The part of me that trusted her implicitly was devising strategies for raiding the wolf home world to get her out. Then there was the tiny nagging voice that whispered in my ear how untrustworthy she was. I should be preparing for an attack. She was an impeccable actress who seduced delicate information out of me. I should hate her, despise her, want her dead. There was another part of me still, luckily the practical side, that was determined to wait. It reminded me that it was not my move to make regardless of what she was doing. I could not act yet.

For a dragon, lack of action can be torture. Waiting on the word of another when all we know is action and war was the most difficult part... and people were becoming suspicious.

I had not ordered preparations for a large-scale battle in the months since my return. I had not gone out with a raiding party, which, as I explained earlier, would have been out of character. Any strategic orders I gave were simply shuffling our forces around with the odd raid upon cargo vessels. When you shuffle without moving long enough, people begin to notice you have not gone anywhere.

The men who had been on my vessel during her capture began to look at me differently. I could tell their trust was waning. Yet, they did not act on their suspicions – no matter how strong they might have been – because the reprieve from fighting was welcome. Even if no one wanted to admit it, our people were weary. The fighting had continued for too long without rest. They were torn between their fledgling mistrust of me and their desire to recharge before another battle.

Finally, after yet another successful evasion of the council's questions, I returned to my throne to find a messenger surrounded by guards. He was a true wolf, defiant in the face of his enemy, despite the fact that twelve of my men had spear tips at his throat. If he had swallowed too hard, he would have died. I can still recall the strength of his gaze despite the beads of sweat forming on his face.

When I had commanded my men to give more room, he finally gave his message. I could tell that his orders were as difficult for him to carry out as Ashyina and I had anticipated it would be for her people. He brought news of a proposed path for truce. The man was barely able to say the words because of their blasphemy. Wolves should never submit to another race.

I had trouble containing myself upon hearing this message. She had done it and I would be seeing her soon, but I was not supposed to have known that. My acting had to be the best of my life. I pretended to be incredulous, when all I wanted to do was run to this young man and lift him up in an embrace. Telling him that I suspected ulterior motives, I asked what the wolves were offering to secure such an arrangement. When he told me the hand of the female alpha in marriage, my heart leapt. I unfortunately was not able to hide my smile completely but luckily managed to convince everyone present that I was simply amused by such a prospect.

For good measure, I said I would consider the offer and send him back to his people once I had my decision. In the mean time, I had him imprisoned, although I did order that he be treated fairly and without violence or starvation.

It was imperative that everyone believe what Ashyina and I wanted them to believe, so I forced myself to wait another two excruciating days before giving my answer and sending the messenger home with the news that I would marry the mutt if she were pretty enough for me.

I still do not know if she ever heard those exact words and, if so, whether she was offended or understood the ruse. I did sometimes wonder after that, if she kept that insult locked away to use against me some day. Unfortunately, if she did, she did not live long enough to use it.

Almost a year later, she finally arrived on Tatsu along with the male alpha and his retinue. The wedding was the epitome of extravagant ceremony. We wanted to make sure both sides were fully aware of what was happening. The guests made perfectly clear to us what they thought that was.

The wolves glowered through the entire ritual. They were not only disgusted by the prospect but also further outraged that Ashyina appeared pleased with the arrangement. In retrospect, she should have acted more like she was being sent to her doom, even if it had been her suggestion. She had told her father and he, in turn, had told his people that she would be offered as a sacrifice for the good of the people. They argued that the truce was a trick to give them time to plan their final blow without further hindrance. For a sacrifice, Ashyina was not nearly depressed enough. This is what started the rumours.

The dragons were almost apathetic to the event. They had convinced themselves that the wolves asking for a truce was equivalent to admitting defeat. In their minds, we had won a long and tiring war. They did not care who their leader chose for a mate as long as they were not the losers. This unfortunately only exasperated the wolves further. If they had not already felt this to be the case, they did after seeing how my people had interpreted it.

Unfortunately, Ashyina and I were somewhat blinded by our own happiness. We saw the situation but did not comprehend the severity and what that could mean for the future. We were too busy enjoying each other and congratulating ourselves on a successful peace treaty.

The relations between our people always remained strained. We had not brought peace, but a cold war. My generals insisted we remain at the ready. My scientists insisted we increase our military technology. My people never truly believed they were safe from retalitation for our "victory."

I am ashamed to admit that it was not until I was approached one night by a trained assassin that I realized the wolves were plotting.

It was not much more than a year after Ashyina had given birth to our daughter, Cayinth. We had been convinced that a child would solidify the peace between our people. The dragons were accepting of her and continue to be. They see her truly to be a dragon and are willing to overlook her half-wolf parentage. The wolves saw her birth as a further insult to their race. The assassin made the degree of that insult apparent to me.

I had just left the throne room after a late night of governmental matters. As I was walking to my chambers to join Ashyina and Cayinth, a man appeared in front of me. He was completely covered but for an opening for his eyes. To be honest, my first thought was that I was going to die. My life was over and my only regret was that it meant I could no longer ensure the safety of my family. To my surprise, he was not there to kill me, but he taught me that it would not take the end of my life to see my protections around my wife and child crumble.

He was a messenger from the Alpha. The wolves were in such a frenzy over the truce that minor rebellions were becoming commonplace and it was a matter of time before an open revolt broke out. The people's greatest insult was not only having taken part in a truce when their nature was always to prove dominance but also having been betrayed by their own leaders. Ashyina had been branded a traitor by the people and Cayinth the ultimate symbol of that treachery.

The Alpha had been forced to walk a fine diplomatic line, denouncing his daughter and avoiding war at the same time. If he could not contain the situation, he would have to take drastic measures. He could not simply end the treaty and declare a new beginning to the war. It would not go far enough and he did not have confidence that they would gain the upper hand in a second round. At the very least, he knew they would take far too many loses in another confrontation. In this chaos, he had become desperate to find a solution. Even though he officially had to turn his back on his daughter, he claimed he still loved her and did not want to see her harmed. I should have known better than to trust a wolf.

He claimed that his spies had uncovered a fanatical group that wanted to kill both Ashyina and Cayinth. This group was surprisingly resourceful and well connected. There were several military commanders among them and their backing was coming from several different noble families. The Alpha claimed he did not know the head of the organization. Whether that had any truth to it, I did not know.

Unfortunately, he claimed he could not openly arrest the culprits. He did not know who remained on his side and the public opinion was so against his policy of maintaining the truce that he was convinced the fanatics would mount a coup if he tried.

As a result, he had sent this cloaked messenger to propose subterfuge that would allow the treaty to remain intact while hopefully placating his people and undermining the assassination attempt. He wanted Ashyina to stand trial for treason.

If I had had a weapon on me that night, I probably would have cut off that assassin's head for such a suggestion. Being unarmed, I was forced to listen to the entirety of the message and it polluted my mind.

I have often tried to comfort myself since with the idea that this cloaked man had used some kind of drug, device, or even a spell to make me more amenable to the suggestions being put forth. Sadly, I know that was not the case. It was my own stupidity and fear that compromised my judgement and I have paid for it ever since.

The Alpha felt that if Ashyina faced a public tribunal for marrying a dragon, that the people would feel they had not been ignored after all. He also felt that in so doing, the fanatical group would drop their crusade.

I knew that fanatics stop at nothing to have their goals reached and I at least knew enough to realize that simply increasing my own defences would probably not be enough to prevent them from achieving their goal. In my fear, I convinced myself that the Alpha had a sound plan and that it would be the only way to appease them. Unfortunately, my fear also underestimated wolfish politics and the ultimate goals they had in mind.

The Alpha had further reasoned that if we seemingly submitted to a wolf request without a fight, it would demonstrate a peace treaty did not mean they were not dominant. I was to hand my wife willingly over to one of their convoys, which would take her back to her home where she would be treated as a prisoner and placed on trial. The Alpha fully admitted she would have to be found guilty but promised to have her exiled as punishment. She would simply return home to me.

How naïve I was to think that his people, so upset by a mere peace treaty, would not see through such a sentence. However, as I have said before, I was desperate to believe that we could come out of this situation unscathed. I agreed to it all!

I should never have taken part in their treachery. I should have restarted the war. I should have realized that there was no way to win. A true dragon would have realized that and understood the honour in fighting to the death. I was more wolf than dragon that day and I will live with that forever.

In my stupidity, I convinced Ashyina that it was a good plan. That was not difficult as she had agreed the moment she felt it could possibly help her people. I convinced myself that it would allow us to be together in peace for the rest of our lives.

Rather than sleep during those weeks before the transfer to the convoy, I would lie awake fantasizing of what those wonderful days would bring. No more worrying that the end to our happiness would come. We would grow old together and watch Cayinth become a woman. The warrior in me was dead, but how much I needed him.

The day of the transfer, I found Ashyina waiting for her transport holding Cayinth. I asked her why she had Cayinth with her. I had assumed that in such a dangerous situation, she would stay with me. Ashyina likewise had assumed that it was only natural for Cayinth to stay with her mother. We had an argument about it and were yelling so ferociously at each other that Cayinth began to cry. This made us take pause and, unable to endure Cayinth's pain from our fighting, I left. That was the last time I saw my wife.

The Alpha's great plans for having his daughter returned to me through exile had no opportunity. Before the convoy ever reached their planet, it was attacked by the fanatical group. It was barely able to send a distress call before my wife and the entire crew were slaughtered.

My own men had been instructed to monitor all communications while Ashyina was in transit. They picked up the message and immediately informed me. My guilt was immediate. My love and fear combined with my desire for repentance because of my stupidity briefly woke the warrior within me for one last battle. I took our fastest serpentine with the best men I could find and we set off for the convoy.

I will never forget how desolate it seemed when we arrived. The main ship was all that remained. The others had been destroyed trying to defend it. Now it was simply a black void in a backdrop of stars.

Boarding it, I made sure I led the team as we scoured the entire ship looking for survivors. None of the crew remained alive. I did notice that there were too few bodies to have been manning the ship. Several of the crew were part of the fanatical group and had ensured their plans were successful.

When we reached the holding cell, I realized I had not been breathing but knowing that did not help any air to come. The door was open. As I flashed my light into the room, I saw an overturned chair and the body of Ashyina on the floor behind it.

If I had thought I was breathless before, it was nothing compared to when I saw this. It was like air was nothing and everything to me at the same time. I did not run to her. Not wanting to believe my eyes, I delayed the tangible confirmation of her death by walking as slowly as I could. Eventually, I reached the chair and pushed it aside just as slowly. I knelt down and stroked her hair. It was as soft as I had remembered it but this made this scene only more alien and grotesque to me. As I looked at her mutilated body, I saw a small hand coming out from underneath it.

The fingers were moving. I could not believe it. Suddenly, I was no longer moving slowly. Everything became fast and blurred. I moved my wife's body to find my daughter, semi-unconscious but alive. She had minor cuts to her body but nothing she would not heal from. The attackers had believed her dead but had been too hurried in their escape to check.

I picked up my daughter and held her as close to me as possible. Her tiny body was surprisingly warm and I felt her small fingers grasp my cloak as I rushed her back to the Serpentine. It was not until one of our healers asked me to set her down so that she could be examined that I realized how much my hands had begun to shake.

I cannot fully express what I felt at that moment. There was an overwhelming gratitude for the life of my daughter at the same time that my world had ended with the death of my wife, and I knew my guilt would never leave me again. The adrenaline made me feel all these emotions like thousands of needles being pressed against each nerve along my skin. It seared me and only confirmed for me that I would rather be numb for the rest of my life.

As my people began to learn of what had happened, they formed their own theories about the events. We had not told them of the plan, hoping that Ashyina would already have returned before the story of her trial had reached them. Now, they spoke of abduction and inevitable treachery by the wolves. They still do not know that it was part of a plan to which their own leader agreed. I still do not know how much I was duped on that occasion. The Alpha sent his secret messenger once more to inform me of his sadness and that he had never imagined it would have ended as it did. I have trouble believing that both of us were that supremely arrogant and stupid. Perhaps we were, but I have never trusted him since. At the same time, we became somehow united in grief. It is what has allowed us to remain civil even if we despise each other inwardly.

Unfortunately, because I too was involved in the agenda, I cannot console myself with blaming only him. My fault in what happened continues to haunt me and my only wish is that Ashyina would not hate me for it, if she still existed. I treated her no better than a prize to be used in bargaining. It does not matter how much I love her. I truly betrayed her.

Because of these events, the last moment I was a dragon warrior was the moment I had to rush my child to safety. I had made too many mistakes and my decisions had cost too much. I withdrew from politics as much as I dared and have spent the rest of my life trying to repent by avoiding conflict and hating myself for the loss of my Ashyina.

Now you know why a prophecy that indicated powers that could resurrect her was so seductive to me. This has once again proven that my judgement should never be trusted. Please forgive me.

## Chapter 12

Altruvia said nothing for many moments. Her face was streaked with the tears that had fallen, as she listened to the tragic past of the dragon leader. Graiylin's presence felt like a commiserating hug, as he too was saddened by the story he had just heard. Finally, after taking a deep, steadying breath, Altruvia spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I wish that we could help you fix this," she said.

"We?" the Draigo asked but Altruvia continued as though she had not heard.

"Unfortunately, we cannot undo the past and, as far as I am aware, we cannot raise the dead that have departed so long ago. There is nothing left of your wife but memories and that is too little even for us to work with."

The Draigo continued to look at her as though she were speaking an incomprehensible language. Reaching out to place a consoling hand on his shoulder, she smiled warmly. She watched as he felt the strong warmth that made him feel content with his life flow through him. She continued, "I will say that I believe you have been too hard on yourself. You did not lie to your wife and she too agreed to the plan. Yes, you were naïve and arrogant. Most of us are and few of us outgrow it. Your actions might have been wrong but you tried to learn from them."

He began to protest, "But by imprisoning you, I have shown I have not..."

"You have learned," Altruvia said simply. "Otherwise you would not have shared this story with me to ask for my forgiveness."

With her last words, she increased the pressure on his shoulder and more warmth flowed through him.

"Please," he said, "Return to your home. I will inform everyone that we are releasing you and arrange for your transport in the morning. The cats will from now on be considered friends of the dragons."

Shaking her head, Altruvia continued to speak softly, "Even if your story shows that subterfuge is doomed, it also shows that bald action cannot be taken without a war. I know how to get to your ships. I can get there and escape without you ever being blamed."

Despite her efforts to heal the man's soul, he now had a frantic look in his eye as he reached up and grabbed her arm. "But it isn't that easy. I have to tell you about our technology before you can..."

At that moment, Altruvia felt the searing heat and wind of something flying passed her ear. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, a large silver wolf fang was protruding from the Draigo's forehead. His lifeless eyes strayed from her as his body fell. Whirling around to face the door, Altruvia saw Shinga, smiling with one hand on her hip.

"I had a feeling you would end up here," she drawled. She looked at the Draigo's lifeless body. "Like most of you brats, that old fool never did know much about the events around him."

Altruvia followed her gaze to look at his body one last time, aware of Graiylin's urge to act in the back of her mind but determined to keep his help at bay for the moment.

"You have restarted the war between your people," she said to Shinga, who scoffed in response.

"Do you think I care?" She sauntered into the room, taking a leisurely look at the Draigo's various belongings and obviously not afraid of Altruvia in the slightest.

"I've wanted to kill that old coot for decades," she continued conversationally.

"Why?" Altruvia probed as she too began to edge her way around the room, towards the doorway.

Shinga noticed and stopped her perusal to look Altruvia in the eye. "I don't like the way dragons smell." Her tone was acidic and her gaze indicated she did not much like the smell of cats either. "Now, why don't you be a good little kitten and come with me."

"Do you still honestly think you can trick me into liking Insil?" Altruvia asked exasperatedly.

Narrowing her eyes, Shinga laughed without mirth. "Do you honestly think I believe that is possible?"

Altruvia did not know what to say. Shinga's motivations were truly a mystery to her and an attempt to probe the wolf's mind proved fruitless. It might have been because Altruvia was unable to put all her concentration into the task, but it felt more like Shinga had been able to block her intrusion.

Shinga sneered. "You are more of a problem than I had anticipated." She rolled the fang between her thumb and forefinger. "But I shall be taking care of that soon. Now, come with me or I will have to skin little kitty."

Although Altruvia had never met Shinga before, from what she had gleaned from Insil's mind, this was not the same Shinga that he knew. This Shinga was as full of herself but more deranged. Pushing a little harder, Altruvia was still unable to gain any more insight from Shinga's mind into this strange behaviour. To her horror, Shinga seemed not only to notice but also to have expected it.

"Now, now," she said. "We won't be having any of that." Her eyes narrowed. "You really are a rude little girl for invading people's minds like that. Didn't your mother ever teach you about respecting the privacy of others?"

Now Shinga realized that her words had frozen Altruvia to the spot, she returned to her perusal of the belongings in the room. Altruvia could feel Graiylin's agitation growing but he did not say or attempt to do anything. He was now sizing up this new opponent. This woman had powers far beyond anything they had expected of any of their enemies and there was no telling if any of their abilities would be an advantage against her.

As Shinga continued to poke and prod the dragon leader's possessions, the room remained silent but for the crackling of the fires, which became louder and louder, almost deafening, the longer the adversaries went without speaking.

Unable to remain standing without acting any longer, Altruvia saw an opportunity while Shinga's back was turned to extend slowly and carefully a foot towards the doorway. She had not even placed her full weight upon it before Shinga whirled around, her eyes blazing.

"Are you really that stupid, little kitty?" She spat.

Altruvia remained motionless, absurdly in mid step, staring.

Smirking, Shinga answered herself, "I suppose you are." She began to play with the silver fang between her fingers again and gave one last look at the many objects she had been examining, "I had hoped that old lizard would have had some interesting toys but I guess he was more useless than even I knew," she gave a large, heaving sigh before looking back at Altruvia. "Time to go, kitty."

"Go where?" Altruvia asked, genuinely interested, as they appeared to be at a stalemate in their current situation.

Shinga began to walk towards Altruvia. "We are going back to my ship and, after that, it is none of your business. Now, you and your brother, there," she pointed at Altruvia's head, "will come quietly or I may have to deem you no longer useful."

Altruvia had never truly understood what it meant to have one's blood go cold before this moment. She could feel the tickling of its flow slow to a halt. All breath was taken from her; her mouth went dry; and her heart jumped into her throat where it ceased all blood flow throughout her body. She was sure that she had become a cold, stiff corpse in a few short seconds.

The blood draining from her face had obviously been noticeable. Shinga began to laugh at Altruvia's expression. "You didn't realize I knew?" her laughter became a maniacal cackle. "You really are a dumb kitty." In a terrifying second, Shinga's laughter abruptly ceased and all mirth left her face. She looked murderous and strangely perplexed. When she spoke, her voice had a hint of fear within it, "I don't think I like kitty."

Graiylin was as confused as Altruvia by this sudden shift in tone but noticed Shinga was distracted for the first time. He guided Altruvia's energies and together they summoned a wind to pull a heavy-looking, silver dragon statue from amongst the examined possessions across the room. Shinga noticed something was amiss just in time to turn and take the brunt of the attack in the face. Her body crumpled to the floor.

Altruvia ran to the Draigo and knelt beside his body, pulling the fang from his head. Despite the cool looking silver of which it was made, the fang seared Altruvia's skin and she threw it aside in shock. Immediately she and Graiylin attempted to revive the slain man. She placed one palm upon the wound on his forehead and the other upon his chest. They both poured all they could give into the man's body. The wound did not heal and he did not stir. In desperation, they gave more and more, almost sapping their own beings of life, but there was no change. They were forced to relent. The Draigo was dead.

It was not until Graiylin spoke in Altruvia's mind that she came back to herself. "Let's heal your hand at least and then try to get out of here before that nightmare wakes up."

Altruvia nodded needlessly before blowing on her hand to heal it. There was no change. The burn made by the fang remained blistered, red, and still searingly painful.

"I don't understand it," Altruvia spoke in a shaking whisper of disbelief. "Have we lost our abilities so easily?"

Altruvia felt Graiylin use his mind to help one of the fires grow and she felt the increased heat as it obeyed his command.

"No," he said. "We were able to move that statue and manipulate the elements even without using our hands. There is something strange about that fang. Pick it up. We will have to take it with us to find out how it works so that we can heal you."

Altruvia grabbed and tore away a portion of the Draigo's bedding. Carefully, she used it to pick up the fang and wrapped the cloth around it. As she climbed to her feet, the fang became hot in her hands as it began to burn through the cloth. She dropped the weapon just in time to avoid being burned by a newly exposed portion of the metal.

Graiylin noticed before she did that there was another possibly helpful item in the room. "Over among all that stuff Shinga was looking at," he said, "There is a box that would be big enough to hold it. That might work. The fang is not burning the floor. It seems to burn only when you are holding it. The box may give a big enough space between your energies so that doesn't happen."

Altruvia agreed and walked over to the box. She opened it to find a square of tattered and slightly burned cloth. Grabbing it, she used it to protect her fingers as she lifted the fang swiftly into the container. She let the cloth fall on top of it before she closed the lid and secured it.

Giving a quick look at Shinga to make sure she had not stirred, Altruvia headed for the door so that they could finally attempt to escape. Quietly and carefully, she peered around the edge of the open door into the corridor. Extending her mind, she could tell that the hallways were as deserted as before. Apparently, Shinga had been the only one to discover Altruvia's absence.

As she made her way through the palace, the random thoughts of those around her began to intrude upon her mind again. At first, tuning them out was as difficult as before. The headache had returned and along with the still searing pain in her hand, which was now clutched around the small box, she had great difficulty concentrating. However, the longer they walked, the more increasingly skilled at brushing away the distractions she became. Now, her mind batted at them like irritating flies until one thought made her take pause because she had not only heard it in her mind but also in her ears. It was not until this moment that she realized how dangerously distracting the random thoughts could be. She had had no warning that she was so close to other people.

Graiylin's mind edged her awareness towards a recessed doorway nearby, where she quickly took refuge.

She had heard the thought "I have been looking everywhere for you" because a man had spoken it to another. They were in the junction of two hallways nearby and had now stopped to talk.

"I summoned you hours ago," a gruff, slurred voice barked.

"My apologies, Alpha." A man had replied. Altruvia attempted to break into his thoughts but for some reason could not.

"You don't even bother to make explanations for your absence?" Despite this comment, the Alpha did not seem to care at this moment what this other individual had been up to, for he continued to speak. "I have a job for you."

"What do you wish me to do?" the man asked.

"Insil is turning out to be as much of a spectacular failure as we had anticipated. I need you to go..." There was a pause after which the Alpha sounded agitated. "Not here. Return with me to my ship and we will discuss it there. You can also give me a full report as to your whereabouts this evening. I am quite interested to know where you could have gone to have evaded Minron."

To Altruvia's relief, the men's footsteps continued to move farther away. She waited until the silence pounded in her ears before taking her focus off her immediate surroundings to survey the rest of their route. It was clear of all people, and the only perceivable sound was the mechanical hum she had come to acquaint with the small cylindrical voids. The thoughts of others had died away now.

"We are almost at the hangar," she said in her mind. "It won't take long and there doesn't appear to be anyone around."

Graiylin was suspicious. "This is all a little strange. For a warlike people, they really don't seem to have many guards around."

"Would you rather go back to my cell to have a drink?"

"Alright, alright." Graiylin responded defensively. "I see your point, but we should be careful."

Altruvia had a playful retort but forced herself to bite it back, forgetting that Graiylin was sharing her mind and talking was not necessary.

"I heard that," he replied with an equal amount of mirth.

Despite their suspicions, the route to the hangar was indeed empty and they met no resistance.

The hangar itself could have housed thousands of Tryaillan homes and it was filled with many different types of ships. As the Draigo had said, only one type resembled any kind of dragon. There was only one serpentine and, despite the vastness of the hanger, it took up a full quarter of it along one side.

There were dozens of single-man fighters. These were shaped like a clamshell and made of some kind of armour that looked iridescent. The rest of the hangar was filled with chariots, mostly of the two-seated variety.

"I wonder what the Draigo was going to tell us about their technology," Graiylin wondered as they began to walk towards one of the fighters. Before Altruvia could respond, she suddenly sensed another familiar presence in the room. She spun around to see Liamon lowering his hand from a black cylindrical pendant that hung around his neck.

"Do you plan to return home?" he asked in a melancholy tone.

"Of course I do," Altruvia shot back. "Why would I stay here?" She understood the look on Liamon's face all too well. "You are living in a fantasy, Liamon. What you wish does not exist and never will."

He heaved a sigh, "If you would give me a chance, if you gave me time..."

"No," she reviled him. "What you have made up in your head is not love, Liamon. It is a one-sided obsession. You do not love me. You love what you wish you could have in your life and for some reason have decided to project that onto me. But it is a lie."

He was hurt and a little angry. "I do love you. You may not love me yet, but I love you."

She shook her head. "Keeping me from my family would never have entered your mind if you did."

"I never wanted to abduct you!" He pleaded. "Do you think I would honestly agree to any of this?"

"If I remember correctly, you were in the party that abducted me in the first place and I have not seen you do anything to help me escape. Stop being delusional."

Her insult did not appear to have struck. He looked resolute now and walked towards her with determination, but he made no attempt to attack.

"Let me prove it to you then."

Altruvia took a step backward. "What?"

"I'll help you escape. You would not be able to escape from here without a dragon's help anyway. You can either trust me, accepting that I am not lying about how I feel or you can remain on Tatsu to insult me. Either way I will try to help you. You just have to decide if you are going to take it."

She surveyed him for a moment before responding. "The Draigo said there is something about your technology I need to know before I can use it. What do I need to know?"

Thrilled to have her trust, Liamon giddily began to explain. He pointed to the black cylinder lying upon the shirt at his throat as he spoke. "This is one of the keys to our latest technology. I'm not sure how it was developed, but, overnight, all our technology was based upon it." He grasped it in his hand and, to Altruvia's astonishment, he disappeared. A moment later, he reappeared and was no longer grasping it. "It has to touch bare skin to do that for a person. We managed to make larger ones that can cloak our ships. I am not a scientist, so I don't know how they work, just that they do. We have large ones all over the palace and the city to cloak the entire planet if we need to. Our new ships require the pilot to be wearing one for them to work. We usually place them under our shirts if we want to use them and keep them on the outside if we don't."

He took the necklace from around his neck and held it out for Altruvia to take. She mistakenly clasped the pendant with her fingers and immediately felt the odd vibration travel through her. She looked down at her hands and was surprised to see that they were still there.

"I thought I was supposed to be invisible?" she asked, letting go of it again.

"You were" Liamon replied. "I can't see you and no one else would be able to either. Even your family didn't notice when we used it." Seeing Altruvia's consternation, he quickly returned to the instruction, "You will always be able to see yourself."

"How is that possible?"

"I told you, I don't know." He sounded a little impatient. "That is only one thing they can do. As I said, you will need it to use one of the ships. If you don't have one, they won't work."

"Do I need to do anything special with it for it to work the ship?"

"No, just wear it. The ship will know. And don't worry about the hangar door. It isn't a problem."

Securing the box momentarily between her knees, Altruvia tied the necklace around her neck. The pendant rested against the bare flesh of her sternum and she could feel the vibration indicating she was invisible again.

"Thank you, Liamon." She said. "I hope you can be happy some day."

She turned and walked to one of the ships as he said, "Don't worry. I know I will."

As she stood next to the ship, it opened like a clamshell to reveal a moulded seat that appeared to be made of something organic. When she felt it with her hand, it felt smooth and hard. She sat down and the clam closed. The sensation of sitting in this small vessel was claustrophobic and uncomfortable. In her peripheral vision, the entire ship looked semi-transparent, but wherever she looked head on, it was completely transparent and clear. She could easily see all around her as she turned her head. There did not appear to be any instruments.

"Too bad that guy couldn't be enough help to tell us how to fly this thing," Graiylin said agitatedly.

"Be patient." Altruvia replied. The working of the vessel had something to do with the stone but all she had to do was wear it. She turned her head to the hangar door and wondered how she could get the ship to it. With this thought, the vessel lifted off the ground and began to turn.

"You don't suppose it is telepathically based?" Graiylin asked.

Without answering, Altruvia thought about wanting to go faster. Immediately, the vessel responded and began to accelerate. As they approached the door more and more rapidly, Altruvia began to wonder what exactly Liamon had meant by the door not being a problem. It was not opening or disappearing no matter how much she willed it to do so. Faster and faster, she approached it. Her heart jumped back into her throat and her stomach flipped into a tight knot, as she was convinced she was going to hit the obstruction at full speed.

"Maybe you should stop it until we figure this door thing out," Graiylin suggested with as much worry as she was feeling.

She thought of Liamon's words again and she knew he would not pretend to help her only to have her unceremoniously kill herself. He longed for her too much. As much as she wanted to stop the ship, she forced herself to trust it. At this terrifying moment, she realized she had waited too long anyway and it would have been too late to try. Before she could realize what was happening, they emerged from the hangar. They had seamlessly glided through the door as though they had emerged from the surface of water.

With a renewed sense of confidence, she guided the fighter into space, now concentrating on Graiylin and the source of his energy to guide her home.

## Chapter 13

The journey home was proving to be uneventful. All Altruvia could see were the peppering of stars but it was too dark to see anything else. She did not know where they were exactly, only that they were alone. Liamon appeared to have held true to his word not to alert anyone to her escape. Shinga, it appeared, had not had a chance to pursue them. Altruvia and Graiylin were unsure what would happen when Shinga regained consciousness or when the Draigo's body was discovered. They did not know if they would soon find themselves flanked by ships, simply destroyed with one quick shot, or left completely alone. If Graiylin had not been inside her head, she probably would have passed out from boredom.

"You realize they will blame you for killing him," Graiylin said. "We took the fang and it would be believable enough that you did it."

Altruvia sighed. "I know. It will be convenient to blame me and Shinga will be able to continue in whatever she is plotting." She shuddered at the recollection of the insanity in Shinga's eyes. "I have no idea what that is anymore. In any of the conversations she had with Insil, at least the ones he thought about enough for me to see, she always acted like her goal was to overthrow the Alpha. After what happened, it doesn't make sense that that would be her only goal."

"I wish I could say that we have escaped and it doesn't matter anymore, but she doesn't seem like one to stop easily and she obviously wanted to use us for something."

After thinking about it for a few moments, Altruvia responded, "Perhaps, but she also didn't seem too averse to 'deeming us no longer useful.' I guess it depends on exactly what she had planned for us and if it is worth tracking us down again."

"Or how much she holds a grudge," replied Graiylin who was remembering the blow to the face they had delivered with the statue. After a moment, he spoke again, "How long do you suppose it will take for you to get back? I can feel you getting closer but can't tell how far you are."

"It took at least a day to get there in that big ship," Altruvia replied. "I don't know how fast this little thing is compared to it, so I'm not sure." She let out an involuntary yawn.

"Well, you should probably try to sleep," Graiylin replied. "It may help pass the time and since you don't have any food, it might help curb any hunger."

"Can I fly this thing while I'm asleep?" she asked more to herself but Graiylin still gave his thoughts.

"That's a good question ... I have an idea. Make sure you aren't trying to guide it at all. Take your mind off it entirely."

Altruvia closed her eyes and tried to think of other things, like a Tryaillan feast. It was not difficult to take her mind from the navigation as her body simply wanted to surrender and was begging her to surrender.

"Great!" Graiylin interrupted her involuntary descent into slumber. "I can guide it too. I think it is a little different for me than for you but it's working. At any rate, nothing strange has happened and I can still feel you getting closer. I'll take care of this while you rest."

Altruvia barely understood what he was saying as she already felt herself being pulled quite forcefully into sleep. Her adrenaline had ceased flowing despite the impending threat of pursuit. Her body was relaxing despite the foreign quarters. All she could do was melt into the luxurious sensation of every muscle letting go.

She felt she had not slept at all when the voice broke into her consciousness, a woman's deep, silky voice that was gentle but strong in a way that was not to be contradicted. It was not until Altruvia jerked her head up and looked around that she realized she must still be asleep and the voice was a dream, not an external person who had awakened her.

She was surrounded by blackness but not the kind of void that had imprisoned her before. Somehow, this blackness was much lighter. It felt simply like she was in a featureless room that she could leave at any moment ... if only she could find the door.

"Don't" the voice repeated.

It was only when Altruvia tried to hear the voice better that she noticed a strange energy. It vibrated at the same frequency in which the voice was conversing. Although she had heard the "Don't" quite clearly, she now realized much more was being said, but it was being cancelled out by this unknown hum. It was as though two people were talking at the same time, both at the same volume and pacing, so that only some of the words from either party were making it to her ears. She tried harder to hear the message but gleaned only a few more random words and phrases: Tryailla, death, must understand. The last clear thing Altruvia heard before both voices fell silent was "They are coming." Instantly she was pulled from her sleep and was back in the fighter. She looked around frantically.

"What's wrong?" Graiylin asked. He apparently had not noticed anything had changed and was languidly continuing to pilot the craft.

"They have found us," She explained while continuing to search space for the presence of the pursuers. With her naked eyes she could see nothing but now she felt them approaching and knew that she should be able to see them.

Noticing her thoughts, Graiylin suggested, "Perhaps they are cloaked as we are."

"But how have they found us? We need to get home, fast."

"We don't fully understand this technology. That little lesson we were given didn't exactly explain all the nuances," He replied with some irritation.

All too suddenly, a dragon chariot and Shinga's all-too-recognizable ship became visible, one on either side of them. Within moments, a voice they did not recognize spoke to them from within the fighter itself.

"This is the dragon deputy commander. You are wanted for the murder of the Draigo. Navigate your ship to the chariot and prepare to be taken into custody."

Altruvia immediately tried to determine their likelihood of escape. It was very slim. They obviously had ways that she did not understand of tracking their own vessels. It was also very unlikely that she would be able to outrun them and, if she tried, they might decide simply to destroy her.

Before she could determine how to respond, Shinga's ship opened fire. Astonishingly, it did not fire upon them but upon the dragon chariot. The strikes had been carefully aimed and the chariot had been caught completely by surprise. Within seconds, there was nothing left of it but debris.

"I say we run," Graiylin suggested with as much calm as if he had been offering her a drink. "I doubt Shinga is going to show us more mercy than that."

As though she had been party to their conversation, Shinga's voice now rang within the ship. The hint of the derangement they had encountered before was still in her voice, but there was also much more restraint, as she was trying to exercise more control.

"I wouldn't do that. Now where is she, kitty?" Shinga demanded.

Graiylin and Altruvia were confused but as Shinga remained silent Altruvia responded. "Who is 'she'?"

"You are making me very angry today," Shinga growled. "I don't know how you are able to hide it from me but you MUST KNOW WHERE SHE IS!"

They sat stunned, not knowing what to do next or how to placate Shinga in the slightest.

"If you will not be useful to me, I will just have to find them myself," Shinga snorted, Then I shall no longer need you except to make you pay for your insult." She said no more and they knew they were now awaiting the worst.

"We have no choice," Graiylin said. "We have to run."

"We can't outrun her and she'll kill us if we try." Altruvia was beside herself. Their end had come.

It now felt as though Graiylin were in deep thought for many seconds. "Spirit Step," he said finally.

"What? We can't use that to make the fighter go faster. I don't think it works that way."

"I'm not talking about the ship," He said impatiently but before he could continue, Altruvia interrupted.

"Graiylin, we are still subjected to space even if we use Spirit Stepping. We would be killed instantly."

"Just listen to me," he exclaimed, frustrated. "Kwinnen tried to explain this to me. I thought he was crazy and have never had a change to try it but he might be right and it could save us. He thought that Spirit Step was the basis for teleportation. If I could change my focus from going faster simply to being at my destination, then he thinks I could teleport."

At this point, Shinga's ship was moving closer to them. They had figured she would simply destroy them unceremoniously as she did the wolf chariot, but obviously, she had something more devious in mind. They had been very naïve to believe any action she interpreted as an insult would have been punished with something quick like death.

"Graiylin, I don't know," Altruvia said. What if it only partially worked and they ended up killing themselves? With their minds so close, Graiylin knew full well what her worries were.

"Then we die on our terms and most likely quickly," he reasoned. "Would you rather take your chances with that psychopath?"

"Fine," Altruvia replied. "Let's try it."

Instantly, Altruvia could feel Graiylin concentrating on the chamber in which he knew himself to be. He concentrated on her body as if it were his own. He concentrated on both as if they were simply one being that had been split and needed to be brought together. With the extra energy that the sphere had given all of their efforts of the evening, it felt strangely simple. As he concentrated, she closed her eyes and gripped the box containing the fang tighter, waiting for something to happen.

Within seconds, Altruvia felt as though her body had become completely liquid. She tried to open her eyes to see what was happening, but she no longer had eyes to open. She could feel only the sensations that now consumed her. Then, as though every particle of her being began to float like a gas and spread out, she was everywhere and nowhere at once. Suddenly, it all reversed far more quickly than she had anticipated. Parts of her fought the return to physical form, longingly trying to hold on to their new freedom. As they fought the call to return, parts of her had begun to scream in excruciating pain, demanding the return to the whole or death. She could respond to nothing and only allow whatever was to happen. Finally, like a lightning strike and a thunderclap, every part of her being relented and slapped back together.

Her body felt seared and raw as it smacked the stone floor after falling from the orb. As the pain slowly receded, she began to realize that she could hear Graiylin panting next to her. She knew without trying that the pain to open her eyes would be almost unbearable but she had to find out where she now was.

The surrounding chamber was one she did not recognize except for a brief glimpse from Graiylin's mind. It was large and dark with only a dim light. She was not able to move her body yet, but, as she was on her side, she could see above her a large black orb. There were streaks of light on it that made it look cracked and its vibration was very unpleasant. There was a flicker of movement across the room. She saw the unhooded spirit mage looking at them. Her expression was cross yet resigned. Then, she was suddenly gone altogether.

Graiylin was now trying to get to his knees. He was still panting but now more from the effort of enduring the pain that she knew he too was feeling than from exertion. She could see in the dim light the glistening of blood on his body. He looked as though he had received a prolonged session of lashing. He grimaced as he slowly moved his limbs to put himself into a seated position.

"Are you alright?" he groaned.

"As well as you are." The skin on her lips felt dry and it cracked as she moved them.

Graiylin gave a sharp intake of breath as he moved his hand from supporting himself to rest his forearms over his knees. "I don't know whether I should thank Kwinnen for that idea or kill him."

"Did it work?" Altruvia asked, as she was still confused as to where exactly they had ended up.

"Yeah, it worked." Graiylin replied, looking around. "This is the secret chamber under the great hall."

The black orb above them gave a quake and several more cracks carved their paths into the surface. Graiylin cursed under his breath upon seeing this.

Altruvia was now beginning to feel that she could endure the pain enough to move. As she moved to push herself into a seated position, she noticed she was still clutching the box containing the fang.

"What is it?" she asked Graiylin as she moved. Not understanding what the orb was, she was not yet concerned and asked more from idle curiosity to take her mind off the pain.

"This is very very bad," he said. "You need to reach out and call mother here."

"Why?" She set the box down next to her and started to examine her hands. They indeed appeared much like Graiylin's body but no new blood was flowing and the pain was continuing to recede.

Graiylin became stern. "You need to do it now. Mother and father told me that they don't know what would happen with this much uncontained energy. It could be catastrophic. We need their help!"

With his tone, she now understood the severity of the situation. Immediately, her mind went out to their parents. Due to their proximity as well as their familial closeness, the connection was nearly instant. She could tell she had awakened them and that they had had no idea of the evening's events.

"They're coming as fast as they can," she shared with Graiylin.

The orb gave another ominous rumble.

With great effort, Graiylin got to his feet. He wobbled slightly before successfully pulling himself upright. "I don't think I would be able to contain it even on a good day." He looked down at his body as though confirming to himself that his current state definitely did not classify this as a good day.

"We could always ask it not to blow up," Altruvia said with a half-hearted smirk as she too attempted to stand. Before righting herself completely, she picked up the box. She could not explain why she did not want to let go of it even for short periods.

Graiylin gave a small chuckle that spoke of exhaustion. "Yeah. We could always just say, 'Please, Giant Orb of Death, would you mind not destroying every living thing today?' I think the key would be the please."

"Are you two delirious?!" Tryailla had arrived with Gorynd and she had obviously heard their conversation. She stormed up to Graiylin, surveyed his body, and copied this procedure with Altruvia.

"I thought you promised not to go against our wishes?" She said angrily as she also surveyed the now almost constantly rumbling orb.

Altruvia stepped in, "He did. I think it was the spirit mage. She was here when we got back."

Stepping backwards as if having received a particularly shocking and hard blow, Tryailla put her hand to her chest as if to steady herself. "No," she whispered. "She wouldn't have. Why would she... And without my knowing..."

"I think we should discuss this later," Gorynd was contemplating every crack that appeared on the orb. "We cannot contain this and the energy has become strange and perverted. I cannot recognize some of the signatures in these fissures that have opened."

Tryailla came back to herself and looked sternly at Graiylin and Altruvia. "It no longer matters how this happened. You must get to the gazebo."

Graiylin's eyes grew wide as he comprehended what this command meant. "No, there must be some way we can fix this!"

Shaking her head, Tryailla placed a hand on each of them and began to guide them to the platform to return to the great hall. "You're home is no longer Tryailla. You must carry on. Hurry. We will try to keep you protected while you get to a safe distance.

"But mother," Graiylin protested, "We just teleported. We could save everyone."

She shook her head, "You cannot. You did so using the energy in the orb." She looked him up and down once more, "And obviously even then it could have killed you. The orb cannot be touched now and you cannot use it yourself let alone to help your entire people. Go, you must go!"

Although they had been talking only a few moments, the state of the orb had degraded substantially. The dullest village idiot would have known catastrophe was imminent.

Graiylin and Altruvia wanted to give their parents one last hug, but Tryailla shook her head and urged them to leave. It was an empty goodbye. It had come before its time and they knew they would feel cheated once they had reached safety. Now, they ran.

Graiylin lead Altruvia to the gazebo. It was almost dawn and no one had encountered them in the palace. The garden was deserted and silent. It was strange to know that such a peaceful place was so close to disaster.

Placing his hand upon one of the posts of the gazebo, Graiylin closed his eyes and thought of the ship. Immediately the gazebo began to split and open, showing a shaft beneath. The ship within rose above the ground and hovered like a watchful guardian waiting to perform its fated task.

As Graiylin and Altruvia walked towards it, the woman's form split open as though there were a hinge at the top of her hands. They stood close together and the vessel moved to enclose them within it. Once closed, it began to move in a spiral. The spiral became smaller and smaller as the ship spun faster and faster and then it too, like the mage, was gone.

Within moments, so was Tryailla. Graiylin, Altruvia, and no other living being would ever be able to return. There was no fire or loud explosion. There were no screams of pain and anguish as its inhabitants were maimed by destruction. There was no ceremony or climactic event to herald the end of an age.

Tryailla had been the beacon of utopia for so many people. The inhabitants enjoyed their monarchy because their monarchy took care of them. They were fed and kept healthy and able to pursue their dreams. They were the envy of many in the universe and now they were gone.

## Chapter 14

That was how I destroyed an entire people. Of all those in the universe, they were probably amongst the least deserving of such a fate. In my arrogance, I had thought my interventions would help but who can really know what will happen?

All I felt I could do from that moment on was try to stop Shinga and to make reparations for what I had done. You would think I would have learned my lesson but this story is far from over and I was far from becoming wiser.

End of Part I

## Part II: Earth

17,000 Years Ago

## Chapter 15

The waning moon remained high despite the approaching dawn. It grew fainter and fainter as a young man watched its slow movement across the cold sky. As he sat on the rocky dunes overlooking his village of partially sunken tents on a floodplain of the Nile, the adolescent boy wrapped his arms around himself.

He had been unable to sleep. A strange uneasy feeling had awakened him and kept him awake through discomfort. Apparently, he was not the only one as two of the women were up unusually early to perform the morning tasks of stoking the fire for cooking breakfast and grinding the tough grains that would make part of the meal.

By her short stature and bulging belly, he thought one of the women was his older sister but was too far away to be sure. She was the shortest adult woman in the village and, to her irritation, he teased her for it regularly. However, she would take her revenge by pointing out how thin he was and make fun of his overly large feet. In recent months, he had learned to hold back from such banter, however, as she was pregnant and had begun to take serious offense to his light-hearted insults.

He watched as she placed wood and dried plants on the fire. The day before, many birds had curiously converged upon the river and they had managed to snare several. In fact, they had killed more than they could eat at the evening meal and now the two women were preparing the remaining birds to be cooked over the fire.

They had not expected such an event of birds swarming en masse on the flood plain. They often did not come until the beginning or end of the flooding season; eager to feed on the fish that accompanied the waters. The river had been unkind to them this year and they had yet to see the waters rise as expected.

A third person came out of one of the tents carrying a long pole. Although he could not make out the face from his distance, the time of day and the rod indicated it was one of his non-blood brothers, who had taken it upon himself to do a morning patrol of the surrounding region every day. As a precaution, he always took his favourite spear with him on his walks.

The young man turned his attention back to the moon. The gods were still watching. It was never a good sign when the gods needed to keep watch and they had had enough bad news this year.

The young man had just decided to abandon his place upon the dune when he jumped nearly out of his skin as he saw the brightest star of his life in the northern sky. It had appeared suddenly and, though very small, the brilliance rivalled the sun at midday. He began to run down the side of the dune, towards the women and his brother, calling to them and pointing at the light that was growing ever larger. As they all looked, they saw that it was making its way earthward.

Their alarm had begun to wake the others of the village, who were now poking their heads sleepily out of their tents. There were murmurs and shouts of shock and fear as more and more of them watched the light, wondering and fearing what it meant.

It took forever to descend. It travelled west of them as it continued to come closer and closer to the ground. Just before it was about to hit the earth, some of the people instinctively cringed while others stood in awe, wanting to witness whatever major event was obviously about to happen.

It crashed into the earth. The explosion of the collision was almost deafening and the ground shook beneath their feet. After the sound and vibrations had dissipated, a bright glow remained. It appeared to be two or three days walk to where it had fallen.

What could have caused such an event? What were the gods doing? Did they send this?

The few dozen villagers assembled around the fire in the centre of their grouping of tents. The young man's sister and her companion, who he now saw was the chief's wife, had long forgotten the birds they had been plucking, which now lay abandoned and half-feathered by the fire. All were murmuring about what this could mean. It was not until the chief, a large man with muscular arms and a strangely shaped bulge protruding from his abdomen, raised his dark, tanned hands for silence that the voices ceased.

He said that whatever the falling star was they must investigate and called for volunteers to join him in venturing into the desert to find it.

The desert usually meant death but the young man felt drawn to this falling star. He wanted nothing more than to know exactly what it was and, going against his palpable fear, he stepped forward to be the first to join the group of volunteers. Only three others followed him in volunteering not counting the chief, who was also one of his many surrogate fathers.

Two of the other volunteers were his non-blood brothers. They were twins and with their short black hair, turned up noses, and overly large lips, they looked nearly identical except one of them had a perpetual smirk and the other, the self-made patrolman, a scowl.

The third volunteer was his father's best friend. He was a very tall, thin man with pockmarked skin on both his cheeks and a thin, hard line for a mouth. His eyes perpetually glistened for seemingly no reason, which had always made him appear more morose than he really was. The year before, the young man's blood-father had contracted a fever after sustaining a large gash in his leg from a fishing accident. It had surprised them all that he died from the injury. Infection could cause death but his father had been a very strong man his entire life and was not prone to illness. The young man's blood-mother had died giving birth to him. Therefore, while all the elder tribesmen and women had raised him as their son, this man, who had been particularly close to his blood-father, had taken it especially seriously to mentor the young man. He suspected it was because he had volunteered that his father's friend had chosen to come along. The young man knew this man would no doubt be keeping a keen eye on him.

The villagers who would stay behind quickly pilfered their nearly empty storage baskets for dried fish and grains. They filled containers made of hartebeest hide with water from the river. The travellers were given flint and some of the dried acacia branches from near the river as well as a smaller vessel of animal fat. They were given hides to help endure the cold nights. Each one of them now carried a spear with a quartz head. The supplies they had might not be enough but they would be unable to carry more. With their limited rations, they set off immediately in the direction of the still glowing location on the horizon. The walk would be long.

They sang the tunes of their ancestors to keep their spirits up and discussed their theories about the phenomenon they were attempting to investigate. They never could be completely at ease for when the sun was at its zenith, the glow in the distance remained perfectly discernible through the glare and their sweat.

As they sat around their campfire at night, they continued to chat jovially as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened but each man kept one eye on the glow. They were inexplicably drawn to it but as their discovery of the source loomed nearer and nearer, their pragmatic caution became more and more pronounced. None voiced his fear to his comrades. There was no need. They were all afraid and they knew that each of the others felt exactly the same way.

On the final morning of their journey, they could feel the ground constantly trembling beneath their feet. It resonated in a completely unfamiliar way to them. The power of it drew them closer. They could not break free and run now, even if they had wanted to. The strength was too much. It made them feel ill as their bodies could barely take this relentless reverberation and the young man fell to his knees and vomited. The others did not stop to concern themselves with him; even his fathers could not spare a glance in his direction. They pressed onward as he himself climbed to his feet, vomit still on his chin, and followed them.

Late in the day, their trance was broken abruptly as they arrived at the site of the impact. A large crater had been formed in the sand that strangely was now covered with lush green grass and freshly blooming flowers. There were puddles of water in various locations among the grass. This oasis could have been there for hundreds of years.

In the centre of the crater were large chunks of some kind of iridescent stone that, when it had been whole, looked to have been carved into the shape of a woman, but it was what lay among this wreckage that had broken the travellers from their trance.

Two bodies of the tallest people they had ever seen in their lives lay unconscious. Both were badly injured and yet, surprisingly, not mortally. One, who appeared to be male, was not clothed at all while the other was covered by an impressive garment of abundant cloth. However, it was their strangest features of all that had astounded the men.

The two people looked mostly human except for catlike faces and hands that were more like elongated five-digit paws. Their fur was a rich brown except for the long human-like hair that grew from the female's head. It was more brilliant and golden than the sun-kissed sand except for one streak of brown.

* * *

Taking the initiative, the chief began to walk down the sides of the crater towards the wounded pair and he beckoned to his companions to follow him. Although he did not mention this, he noticed that the closer he came to the two bodies, the better he felt and the less the foreign vibrations in the ground affected him.

At the edge of the crater, the strange heads of these creatures had been obvious and the abnormal characteristics had kept them all mesmerized. It was not until the chief knelt next to the woman that he noticed her paw or hand – whatever it might have been – was resting on top of a strange container. It was similar in shape to some of the baskets their people used daily but the edges were precisely straight to a degree he had never before seen. The material of this container was some kind of wood, similar to the palm of which they were accustomed. The grain was a deep, rich red-brown with subtle black highlights.

Slowly, he reached out to pick up this new curiosity. The moment his fingertips brushed the wood, he pulled them back violently. The skin that had been exposed to it was burned. Carefully and with much trepidation, he touched the woman's paw, the underside of which was badly burned as well. When touching her did not scald him, he cautiously turned the paw to look at the soft pads on the other side. These were stranger to look at because the shape of the pads was more like a finger than the rounded shape found on a paw. It looked as though these beings were part cat and part monkey.

For many more moments, he stared at the strange pair, unable to determine what he should think. The others stood at his back as if he were a peacock and they the feathers in his opened tail. He had no conclusion to share but turned to give his instructions. They all pulled back simultaneously as though the feathers had retracted.

"We will make camp here tonight," he said as he looked around at the lush grass and the water. "Tomorrow we will return home."

The young man gestured to the pair, "And what about them?" he asked with trepidation.

"We will do with them what we would do for anyone in this situation," he replied. "We will try our best to care for them through the night and return with them to the village. Perhaps if we can help them regain consciousness, we will learn what all this means." With his final words, his eyes returned to the box that had burned him.

The men tried to clear an area for a fire but in each attempt, the plants grew faster than their efforts. It did not escape their notice that the pattern of regrowth radiated outward as though the male were the centre of it. They did not speak of this observation but exchanged quick glances. In the end, they were able to start a fire by covering a patch of the grass with sand from the surrounding desert.

After managing to move the two people closer to the fire, the group nibbled on some of their remaining rations. The chief pretended to eat as much as the others but he had realized they had enough for only one more day and wanted to keep as much as possible. As he slowly and excessively chewed on the only mouthful he dared take, he looked over at their new charges.

He had not expected to find people, let alone strange beings with animal heads, at the end of this journey. When they had set out, he also had not been convinced he would be returning home, but now, was determined that they must find a way given what they had found.

As he continued to stare at the bodies, a strange fact caught his eye. There were fewer cuts on the forms than he had seen when they first arrived. Walking over to them, he examined their flesh more intently to look for injuries he had noted earlier. Many of them were gone. There were now only minor lacerations remaining. This pair confused him more and more.

Walking back to the fire, the austere twin asked if he should keep watch through the night. As these people were unknown to them and they had the paws and possibly the fangs of predators, the chief was afraid of what might happen to whomever was the first to confront them. He casually told the man to rest, as he did not feel much like sleeping anyway.

Indeed, he had too many thoughts spinning around in his mind and fully intended to be the one to keep watch; just as he had fully intended to splash water on his face to stay awake long after his friends fell asleep; just as he had fully intended to keep himself from relaxing by sitting in an awkward position far enough from the fire to prevent being comfortably warm; just as he had intended not to close his eyes for more than a few seconds to gain his second wind...

A tickle on his cheek accompanied by an odd lyrical sound woke him suddenly. His eyes did not focus immediately and when they did, he was sure he must still have been dreaming. A beautiful, pale-skinned woman with long blond hair with a brown streak was looking into his face. She wore a beautiful garment, which, despite all its cloth, appeared that an outer layer had been ripped free. As she peered into his face, he could not have mistaken her concern. She opened her mouth and he soon realized the lyrical sound was her speech. He did not understand what she said but she seemed to be asking him a question. He stared at her, flabbergasted.

She spoke again to someone behind her. He looked around her to see a tall man bent over the boy who had accompanied them. He was wearing a makeshift covering around his waist that looked to have been made from the missing portion of the woman's clothing. This man seemed genuinely intrigued by the boy.

The woman took the chief's hand and placed it on her own, which was badly burnt, as she slowly spoke. It could have been a single word or an entire phrase but he could not tell. Even if he could have gleaned her meaning, he could not have hoped to have pronounced the word himself. She spoke by vocalizing like a song the rapid flicking of her tongue between her teeth in different ways and engaged her lips very little. The effect was strangely like the flow of a gentle stream and he had no idea how she had managed it.

She gestured towards the tall man and spoke again with the same even tone. He still could not get her meaning and she compassionately understood his confusion. She helped him stand, walked towards the fire, and began a conversation with the other.

The chief looked to where the bodies had been and was not surprised to see that they were gone. The garments, hair, and stature of these two people were the same as the beings they had stumbled upon earlier but now they appeared as human as he.

He looked to the sky and saw that dawn would soon arrive. Should they return to the village? Would they have enough rations to get them home? What did these people want and what did all of this mean?

With his thoughts, the woman turned to him and gave a reassuring smile. It made him uncomfortable. She seemed to know too easily what he was feeling.

She spoke to her companion who then walked up to the chief and smiled before kneeling and placing a hand upon the ground. At his feet grew bushes of varieties he had never seen. Their broad, silky, soft leaves grew before his eyes and every time he blinked, they bore more bright purple berries and dark red nuts than before. Once the bushes were up to the chief's chest, the man stood, picked some berries and nuts with his hand and held them out for him to take. To be sure his message was interpreted correctly, he also took some berries and nuts for himself and began to eat them.

With trepidation, the chief placed a berry on his tongue. The vibrant flavour sent chills down his spine as he felt his taste buds begin a dance in celebration. The man seemed to know his reaction and smiled kindly. At the very least, these people were not dangerous.

* * *

Graiylin turned to Altruvia, "I hope we've made a friend," he said.

"We may not be able to speak to each other," she replied, "But he is a good man," her eyes fell to the strange growth on his abdomen, "but unfortunately is of a race without skilled healers."

"Why don't you heal him," Graiylin suggested. "It could help prove to him that we would like to help."

"I fully intend to but I would like to wait until he trusts us a bit more. I really don't want to traumatize him in my efforts to heal him and I don't want to have to use magic to make him like us."

Graiylin and Altruvia did not bother trying to communicate with the chief for anything that was not necessary. They kept to themselves as they picked some berries and nuts, and sat by the fire to eat them. They had much to discuss that made the inability of these men to understand their language an asset for the time being.

"Our home is gone isn't it?" Graiylin asked Altruvia, knowing he was going to receive only confirmation but hoping there was a small chance she would have some idea how their home could still exist.

"I feel nothing of it left." She whispered as though her mind were back at the distant place of their birth.

"Kwinnen is gone. He never did get a chance to introduce us to that redhead of his," Graiylin paused. "They're all gone. Myrienella, Syinella... Mother and father..." He sobered and looked at Altruvia. "You are Tryailla now."

"Tryailla is gone and there will be no more in the line. I will be Altruvia always," she replied, her tone morose as she turned her hand over still examining the one remaining raw wound on her body. It burned excruciatingly but she could do nothing about that. It would simply be her reminder of the past.

They sat in silence for many minutes as they absorbed the reality they now faced. Graiylin sighed. "It is too bad mother did not have time to pass the ancient history on to us. I think it would help explain why we suddenly reverted to our base forms when unconscious. No one in our race has done that in memory."

Altruvia contemplated for several seconds, "I don't know why we didn't but Liamon mentioned his surprise about it on Tatsu. It is strange though. The more we revert, the less I am aware of myself. It feels as though I would lose myself to the base form if I reverted completely."

"Perhaps if we use our link to help control that aspect, it will improve? Maybe if we can work on controlling it more, we can revert at will?" Graiylin became frustrated. "If only mother had been able to explain anything before we left. At the very least, she could have explained why she planned for us to be sent to this place." He looked around at the stretch of nothing outside the perimeter of the oasis he had unconsciously created.

"It isn't all like this," Altruvia said in response to his gaze. "I picked up glimpses from the man we awoke. He is their leader and they live near a river normally. They came to find us after we crashed and he fears the journey back. Perhaps we should use spirit step to teleport to their home?"

Her brother shook his head sadly, "Whether it was because of the degradation of the orb or not, we barely survived the last time. I feel the end of Tryailla was caused by the orb itself but I am scared it had something to do with my spirit step." His voice came close to cracking with both anger and sadness as he vowed, "I don't want to take another risk like that. I refuse to use spirit step ever again."

"Do you think we are safe here from the dragons and wolves?" Altruvia asked more to change the subject than out of curiosity. Her home was destroyed and she could not have cared less about those silly races now.

"I honestly don't know," Graiylin replied quietly. "I don't know anything about where we are let alone what those people may know about it. But mother must have chosen this place for a reason. She said we would be safe here so that our race could continue. She believed that and that is all I have to go on."

"Well," Altruvia let out a deep breath, "I guess this means we have to make this place home. Luckily, my telepathy should make learning the language quite a bit easier. At least we can use our gifts to help these people."

"For destroying our own race, I think it is the least we can do." A single tear appeared in Graiylin's eye and his face became hard. "I will never forgive myself. I will live with it for the rest of my life."

Altruvia moved next to Graiylin, wrapped an arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She knew too well how he was feeling to try to use her skills to heal him now. They both needed to be able to wallow in their self-pity for the time being. Perhaps someday they would forgive themselves; perhaps someday they would be able to make amends. Until that day, each breath would be a punishment. Their people died while they would live. As they watched the rising sun, they now knew very profoundly that – despite all their gifts – they were not gods.

## Chapter 16

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Shinga raged at the messenger before her.

The tiny man tried desperately to make himself smaller as he repeated his message, "The planet of the cats is gone. There is no trace of it. It simply disappeared."

She paced angrily in front of her throne. If there was no trace of the planet, there was no trace of her. After all this time, she had slipped away again! What should she do now? She continued to pace in her rare moment of not knowing what to do. She stopped abruptly as she noticed the messenger daring to look up at her to raise an eyebrow. Wheeling upon him, she screamed, "Get OUT!"

The tiny man scurried from the room so fast he almost slipped as he turned the corner outside the large doors.

A few moments later, Insil sauntered into the room. He was thoroughly unconcerned with the events. "Well, we will have to find another way to overthrow the old fool. Guess I won't be Alpha as soon as we had hoped." He sighed.

"Alpha? Alpha!" Shinga's eyes flashed with rage. "You think this about ruling a pack of old dogs?"

Insil stepped back with his shock and confusion. His expression snapped Shinga back to her senses. She could not give up so easily. With a deep breath, she attempted to control herself enough to appear calm.

"I'm sorry, my pet," she cooed. "This situation has stressed me more than I realized. I need time to come up with another plan. Please find that messenger and ask him to request an audience with the Alpha for me. It is my duty to inform him of this situation."

An hour later, Shinga stood before the Alpha. Although disappointed, he was much more of Insil's state of mind about the matter and seemed very much distracted.

"We must help the dragon's investigate the Draigo's death," he stated bluntly.

Shinga was irritated. That lizard's death was old news to her. She wanted to be moving forward, not backward.

"If we do not," the Alpha growled, "They will no doubt blame us for the assault."

"Why would they blame us when it was obviously that cat that killed him?"

The Alpha eyed her as if he knew who had done the deed but he did not say anything about such a suspicion. "I need you to return to Tatsu."

"Why can't the puppy who always follows you around do it?" She asked irritably. Returning to the dragon planet would further hinder her own plans.

Growling, the Alpha replied, "I have sent Lapidus on a mission that is none of your concern. Now head back to the dragon planet to oversee the investigation or I will rip out your throat myself."

"Yes, Alpha," she replied as meekly as she could muster in her rage before leaving for her ship.

* * *

Liamon shifted weight to alleviate the uncomfortable pressure on his feet. Government ceremonies were always so long and boring and coronations were the worst of all.

Draemar had wasted no time in claiming the throne after the assassination of the Draigo. If the circumstances had been different, the people would have suspected Draemar responsible for the death simply to gain his inheritance. Although the investigation had yet to be completed, the official stance was already that Altruvia had murdered the Draigo for revenge during her escape. However, Liamon knew there must be more to the situation. His suspicion of the wolves was greater than ever as was the worry he felt for his people. Draemar's hot headedness had been an irritation when his stupidity could be overruled by Cayinth's father. Now, they were all at his mercy.

After four hours of growling, grumbling chants and ceremonial beatings, Cayinth finally placed the scale mantel upon Draemar's bruised and bloodied shoulders. He looked quite proud of himself for someone who had done nothing more than marry well, wait for the right death, and endure an afternoon of vicious beatings.

Cayinth pulled her hands away slowly and to Liamon's surprise, looked deliberately at him. Her gaze was one of great importance, imploring him to do something he could not understand. Then, as if she had not been looking at anything at all, she turned her head nonchalantly to watch her husband march through the hall.

Despite the pain of standing motionless for such a long period, Liamon held back until all the other observers had left the hall. Cayinth appeared to be doing the same, allowing Draemar to go on ahead to celebrate with copious amounts of drink with his subordinates. His happiness at his crowning had made him blind to anything possibly amiss.

Once they were alone, Cayinth approached Liamon and started with some casual conversation.

"I hope you are well, Liamon," she smiled. "We greatly appreciate the work you did for our people. My father respected you very much."

He bowed his head, "Thank you for the compliment. I wish I had been aware of the danger. I had already been roaming the halls that night. I feel responsible."

Touching his shoulder kindly, Cayinth gave him a compassionate look. "We all feel responsible to some degree." She paused to laugh to herself. "All of us except my husband. He has always been a bit too self-centred to care about anyone else." Quickly, she became serious again. "Liamon, I trust you as my father trusted you. No one must know what I am about to ask you. They would say my personal feelings are clouding my judgement but I know I am right."

"Right about what?" Liamon sensed the importance of what she was about to ask even though he was still confused about what that might be.

"I know Altruvia did not kill my father." She looked nervously around her. "We have been expecting a delegation from the wolves to help us complete our investigation. What I am about to say could... cause problems." She lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "I believe the wolves are responsible and possibly that Shinga has struck my family again."

Liamon let out a deep breath. "I have wondered the same thing."

"I knew you would and this is why I trust you. I cannot go to Draemar with this. He doesn't care who did it so long as we can execute someone in the end, preferably a non-dragon. He would not give this the kind of attention I would like. I want to know the truth and I want things set right. Liamon, I need you to take over our side of the investigation. I have heard that the delegation arriving is being headed by Shinga. You need to follow her and find out if she is responsible. Please, can you do this?"

Cayinth's pleas were so uncharacteristic. Liamon had never known her to appear so vulnerable. With the events of her past, her anger had been seen by many as had her indifference, but this sadness in her eyes was something entirely unexpected. Combined with his own desire to prove Altruvia's innocence, he felt he could not refuse this opportunity. Taking her hands in his, he looked into Cayinth's eyes and vowed that he would find out the truth.

* * *

The walk back to the village of their rescuers was an odd experience for Altruvia and Graiylin. The climate alone was much more arid than they had experienced at their home. Headaches from the strain of squinting against the sunlight had begun to torment them and they were quickly sweating. They found the hike uncomfortable, but their companions could not have been more energized.

They were talking happily with each other, thrilled that their great adventure not only yielded more interesting results than they had expected but also that they would live through the ordeal. Unfortunately, some of them thought the pair were gods and this distressed Altruvia greatly. She did not want history to repeat itself and she did not wish to worry Graiylin with the possibility. At the moment, she lacked the communication necessary to explain the truth to them but her telepathic abilities allowed her to learn quickly specific words.

The good news was that these people were embracing them and had decided they were not a threat. The half-starved group were thankful to have two new members who could provide water and food at will and they were eager to return to the village to share the news. The drought would no doubt be ending.

Despite the men's enthusiasm, Graiylin and Altruvia were morose. The impact of their recent life events not having fully passed and their inability to communicate easily with their new companions contributed to a strong feeling of isolation. Yet, both had a churning feeling in the base of their stomachs that a perpetual isolation like this for the rest of their lives would be only fitting for what they had done and they deserved no better and only far worse.

Altruvia took Graiylin's hand in hers for comfort. His skin was rougher than she remembered despite the sweat from the heat. She looked at her own free hand and saw cracked skin that she had not noticed before. Looking up at the sky, using the now-weathered hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she wondered how difficult it would be to see this new place as home.

Their trek continued with no relief from the oppressive sun. They rested often and were able to drink as much as they needed but, without shade, had difficulty not succumbing to the heat-induced exhaustion. As the day wore on, even their new guides were unable to endure it. Their enthusiasm had worn away as the novelty of shape shifting deities had not taken away the realities of the desert.

Graiylin nudged Altruvia in the side and motioned with his head towards the youngest of the men.

His walk was becoming staggered and his head was drooping. Altruvia could sense in him the desire to prove himself as strong as the seasoned men he had joined and so he pushed himself onward, refusing to be the one to request stopping for the night.

Altruvia shared this thought with Graiylin without words. He nodded and approached the chief, placing a hand on the man's shoulder as they walked. He had no comprehensible words he could share but he skilfully expressed his exhaustion with a little dead weight in that hand on the man's shoulder. His head hung a little lower and when he looked into the chief's eyes, he indulged in allowing his lids to droop, as they had wanted to for some time.

The message was received and the chief placed his hand upon Graiylin's and squeezed it as he looked him in the eye. Immediately he stopped and began to give orders to his comrades. There was no need for telepathy to know that their abrupt change in facial expression was utter relief.

That evening, after Graiylin had helped make a fire and prepare the food and water for the evening meal, he joined Altruvia who was standing several meters away from the light of the fire. Her back was to it and her head was inclined to the sky. He followed her gaze to the final sliver of waning moon that hung above them.

"It feels familiar, doesn't it?" he asked.

She contemplated the question for a moment before taking in a deep breath and sighing. "Yes," she said slowly, "but there is something too familiar about it."

"That's an odd thing to say. How can something be too familiar?"

Turning towards him, she looked him in the eye. She was confused and contemplative. "It feels as familiar as home, as Syinella braiding my hair, as the wind of the secret glade. We have never been here before, yet I somehow remember it. I somehow know it and it feels like home." She looked up at the moon once again. "It feels like mother."

He too contemplated the moon with her words. "Perhaps she is in a form that allows her to watch over us. We do not know what happens when we die. Maybe she is still working her magic."

"Perhaps."

* * *

The next morning, the chief awoke before everyone else. The sun had breached the horizon only a few minutes prior and had yet to warm the sand. He looked to the gods they had found. They were asleep next to each other, still holding paws, as they were back in their cat like forms.

He had noticed they seemed very sad and wondered why people with such power would ever be saddened and then he wanted to hit himself for such a silly thought. His own sons had said to him on more than one occasion that being the chief would make life perfect. You would never be sad because you could do whatever you wanted and everyone would have to listen, he had been told.

How could he be so silly when he knew firsthand how difficult it was to take care of not only yourself but also all those around you? Bad things could happen to him despite his status. With these thoughts, he felt sorry for his new friends. Friends, they truly would be. He could feel that much. Their abilities amazed him and brought him much hope for his people. Their identities intrigued him. He felt a kinship with them that he could not explain and, without knowing why, he felt with everything in his being that he could die for these two and that they would be able to die for him as well.

He secured his supplies before rousing the others. The rest had not erased the wounds of the previous day's hiking but it had rejuvenated them enough to continue. In two day's time, they would be home and they would be able to share with their families the hopeful news of the future. Only two more days.

* * *

A warrior, covered in furs, stood overlooking a massive glacier. His face beneath his eyes was covered with the windswept edge of the sheepskin around his shoulders. He scanned the horizon for a sign of the sun through the overcast sky.

"No good," his companion yelled above the howling wind. "We must find a cave and wait out the bad weather."

"You told me you were the strongest fighter in your village and you are scared away by a light breeze and a gray sky?" he asked with mirth.

The man stood up straighter against the elements. "You are a fool to think such a comment not worthy of death."

The warrior laughed again, "Calm down. I'm sure you are a fine warrior and I have no need to fight you."

The man did not appear entirely placated but looked over the glacier again. "Weather like this is not about bravery. If we do not find shelter and wait, we will lose the way. For a man who claimed to be in such a hurry, I would think a day or two of refuge would be preferable to a day or two in the wrong direction entirely. Besides, it will give you a chance to catch up on all the sleep you have been depriving yourself."

The warrior in sheepskin patted his guide heartily on the shoulder. "You make an excellent point about the journey but I still will not sleep." He raised a finger from under his furs to point at a distant speck next to the glacier. "There is a shelter of sorts there. We can make a fire and wait out this bad weather."

Squinting as best he could, the guide finally found the speck with great effort and even then he was not entirely sure he had not imagined that he could see it too. "How could you ever see that far?"

The warrior shrugged as he began to find a path down to the chosen cave. "I look."

## Chapter 17

As the evening of the third day approached, Altruvia, Graiylin, and the others were nearing the village. In the dim light, they could barely make out the smoke from the fires. They were still a long way off, but they would not be spending another night in a makeshift camp, huddled around an open fire.

In the previous two days, Altruvia did her best to encourage the men to talk so that she could learn their language. She shared everything she could with Graiylin and they now could passably converse about simple and usually immediately present subjects. From their minds, Altruvia knew that they did not live in the desert itself but she eagerly listened to them explain the terrain so that she could learn more and more words.

At this point, they had learned each other's names. At least, Altruvia and Graiylin had learned the name of the others. The chief was Djadao and the young man was Alu. They had learned that the twins were Alu's brothers of sorts, Mshai and Shenti. The fifth man was Alu's adoptive father, Nomti. It was confusing for Altruvia and Graiylin to understand at first because their understanding of kinship was entirely different. For Djadao's tribe, all people of the same generation were either a brother or sister. A man would have mothers and fathers made up of those who had conceived him but also those who had conceived them. A child conceived would be a son or daughter but so too would that child's children be the man's sons or daughters as well. For these people, their entire village was their family in not only a biological sense but also a very strong social sense. Djadao had inherited his chieftain status from his mother's brother, who he also called his brother. For Tryaillans, this was very convoluted as their kinship system was based very strictly upon the immediate family of the biological parents and children. There was no concept of extended family. A mother and father had a son and daughter. No other person was given such titles and no one beyond that connection was considered to be related. Although seeming simple to Altruvia and Graiylin, it seemed as difficult for their new friends as their strange to pronounce names. As a result, the group agreed to dub Altruvia Nubiti and Graiylin, Kemnebi, and leave it at that.

It would take more time for Altruvia and Graiylin to become fluent in the language but after their introductions they had, what was to Altruvia, the most important conversation. She had managed to convince them that she and Graiylin were not gods, which had been made especially difficult by the fact that they had begun to revert to their cat shapes any time they slept. Djadao was willing to consider their stance even though he admitted he was unsure of what to make of the situation. As he tried to explain to them, they had never before encountered shape shifters who could grow food at will.

After much protesting at the god label and pointing out her still-wounded hand that strangely had not healed at all in the last three days, the group finally conceded. She partly suspected that they were willing to agree just to make her happy. They did not care so much about the labels as the specific ability of Graiylin's to make the water flow.

Altruvia had also spent a little time each night trying to heal Djadao of his abdominal growth. She could have healed him entirely in one attempt but she felt it best to do it incrementally to allow him to adjust. Despite this, it was now only two-thirds the size it had been when they met. When Djadao shared how impressive he found this ability, Altruvia did not catch many of the words he used and had to make sense of his meaning through his mind. Even with his best efforts, the reflex to equate such talents with the workings of divinity was difficult to avoid.

Now that they were nearing the end of their long hike, they would most likely have to engage in the entire process of god denial all over again. It made Altruvia weary. She wanted to befriend these people and help them, but she did not want to be worshipped or seen as superior. There was too much risk of coveting Graiylin and her if that happened.

As the sky darkened, Altruvia looked for the bright sliver of moon that felt so familiar to her but could not find it.

"Where is the moon?" she asked Djadao.

He looked up at the sky as if he thought it a pointless question and then he seemed to realize something. "You are definitely not gods."

Letting out a sigh, Altruvia tried to smile. "That is what we have been trying to tell you. But the moon?" She was finding the limits of her vocabulary in this new language frustrating.

Djadao shrugged, "The gods look away from us regularly. We do not know why but they turn away and we cannot see them for a night, sometimes more."

"Why do you say 'gods' about the moon?" Graiylin asked, now curious himself about this new conversation.

"The moon, the stars, the sun, they are all gods and watch us from the heavens. When the sun has set and the moon is black, we say the gods have turned away." He shrugged his shoulders, "It is just an old story."

Alu physically showed his discomfort at these words. Djadao notcied and gestured at the young man, adding, "Not everyone shares my lack of belief. It gives many of my people hope and I could always be wrong."

Altruvia could tell Graiylin liked this man. He was contemplative and not prone to uninformed, emotional decisions. Graiylin respected very much his willingness to be wrong.

The top of the dune overlooking the river approached and they could hear the evening sounds of the village: the central fire crackling, people talking, chores being completed while the evening meal was prepared.

Djadao put an arm out to stop them. He turned to Altruvia and Graiylin and then to the others as he spoke. "I do not believe in keeping secrets from my people, but I also know how much of a shock this information can be. Especially since you are so opposed to the label of a deity, I think some of the information should be kept quiet at first. We will share it all in time. For now, there can be no mention of your ability to change shape and since you appear to do so when asleep, you must stay in my home where you will not be disturbed without warning." He paused to think on this decision a little more before continuing. "Your gifts will not be fully explained either. For tonight, let us relax and tomorrow we will begin to tackle the hardest of this. I'm sure the story in its most basic form will keep us busy enough tonight."

All present nodded in agreement. Altruvia became choked with emotion at Djadao's thoughtfulness for them. She and Graiylin were the strangest beings any of them had ever met and they had done so only a few days prior. Yet, he already welcomed them into his life enough to be compassionate and protective. Perhaps her mother knew they would find a new family in this strange place.

The group began to walk down the dune together and watched with a mixture of relief, excitement, and embarrassment as the villagers noticed their approach, announcing it with joyful cheers and enthusiastic cries.

A small girl in a simple shrug of linen ran towards Shenti and embraced his legs yelling "Baba!" happily.

He bent down to give her a one-armed hug. "Baba is home, my little Kempi."

Altruvia noticed Djadao scan the crowd and noticed his smile as his eyes fell upon a voluptuous woman with her long hair braided into several thick plaits.

"Is that your wife?" Altruvia asked.

He nodded, "My Nebti. I suspect she will be glad to see me but give me quite the cold shoulder for taking so long." He laughed, "My wife is not a woman to be crossed."

She stood by the central fire, her arms folded across her chest. Her face was stern but the edges of her mouth betrayed a smile. Nearby, Alu could be seen receiving a reprimand from a short pregnant woman with tiny flowers in her hair. She looked much older than Alu but he was much taller. In all the relief and excitement of seeing their loved ones return home safely, Altruvia and Graiylin were unnoticed and forgotten. They did not mind the quiet moment of watching these new people from the edge of the village. Graiylin slipped his hand into Altruvia's and squeezed it.

"They are good people and they have been good to us," he said quietly. "We must always do the right thing for them."

She squeezed his hand in agreement.

Nebti noticed the odd pair first. She did not shy away from them or make demands of her husband. She did not ask a single question. She simply walked purposefully towards them and held out her arms in welcome. "Come by the fire and eat, my friends. My husband will share with us all your tale. I am Nebti."

Djadao stepped in, "This is Nubiti and Kemnebi. We rescued them from the desert."

Nebti was an astute woman. Looking the pair up and down, she took great interest in the fabric of Altruvia's garment before speaking again. "I doubt this pair needed rescuing." Without another word, she led them to the central fire. Her bold introduction had drawn some attention. The villagers now formed a fluid barrier around them, keeping a moderate birth and moving as the new guests followed their hosts to the food.

Once at the fire, Djadao raised his arms in the air for everyone's attention. "My family, we have rescued these friends from the desert. They have survived an ordeal and have been good to us in return. Tonight, let us celebrate their – and our – good fortune of surviving the desert. There will be plenty of time for stories later. Now, we are weary and hungry."

Even though the people did not seem sated by this response, Djadao's authority was strong and the relief of seeing their family members safe was reason enough to celebrate. The revelry more than made up for the limited food that remained in their stores. Graiylin briefly felt a pang of guilt for not being able to provide openly for them, especially when they were sacrificing what little they had to share. However, these emotions were quickly forgotten by the socializing that followed.

The men who had been with them in the desert took every chance to introduce Altruvia and Graiylin to their family. The short girl who had been reprimanding Alu was his sister Amisi. She apparently was newly married and was his only surviving blood-sibling. This led to her being largely protective of Alu. However, she was annoyed by his insistence upon drawing attention to her lack of height. Her broad-shouldered husband was a good-humoured man but smart enough to step in and warn Alu that continuing his insults would inevitably end in her sobs. Shenti's wife was a tall, frail woman named Miu. She was kind but very shy, unlike her daughter Kempi who was very strong-willed – at least with her father – despite her age of only five.

As the evening progressed, the party became increasingly raucous. Mshai and Nomti joined three other men in banging rhythmically upon drums made of hollowed tree trunks and stretched hide. With this, the children began to dance. This was followed by the mothers joining them, moving their hips and shoulders in skilful ways; their hands telling stories of snakes and winds, as their bodies punctuated the men's percussion. Kempi made a great display of the snake-like movement of her arms for their new guests, obviously quite proud of her dance.

Djadao silently joined Altruvia and Graiylin who had been watching and reminiscing about their own festivals and dances. They did not notice his presence until he let out an audible sigh.

"Share your thoughts?" Graiylin asked him kindly.

Without taking his own eyes from the dancers, Djadao answered, "Our people celebrate and they have no idea how things will change. I am happy for your arrival and for what that means to us, but I know what burden you both will be under when the truth comes out."

"It is no more than we deserve," Altruvia whispered.

Djadao examined her. This pair intrigued him. They were surrounded by feasting revelry, yet they were still morose, still unable to bring themselves happiness.

"I suggest," he offered, "That you join in the dancing. We cannot know what will come tomorrow and it would not be good to regret missing the last chance for some fun."

"We don't know these dances," Graiylin replied to which Djadao slapped him slightly too hard on the shoulder and laughed.

"Who said that was necessary?" he boomed. "Stand up and show us one of yours, boy!"

The chief's laughter was impossibly contagious in its sincerity. Graiylin laughed too as he stood and offered a hand to Altruvia.

"Let's teach them the spiral. You lead the way and I'll take the end," he instructed.

She nodded and walked towards the fire. She took Kempi's hand and told her to take her mother's hand as well. They gathered her meaning almost immediately and within moments there was a line of people copying Altruvia's skipping steps around the fire with Graiylin encouraging others to join. Altruvia sang the basic tune to the steps and some of the children began to copy that too as she increased the pace. Eventually, the entire village was chasing Altruvia as she came closer and closer to the fire. When she dared get no closer to it, she stopped abruptly and she sung the last beat boldly. Graiylin took his cue from the end of the line and began to pull the confused villagers in the other direction until they had uncoiled into a large circle and he was able to take Altruvia's free hand. The group circled the fire in dance faster and faster until they all fell over each other in heaps of laughter.

Graiylin and Altruvia laughed as they lay in their own heap, but their revelry was interrupted far too soon by a loud bang that caught all present by surprise. Instinctively, Graiylin and Altruvia looked to the sky, which apparently seemed the most logical for all the villagers as well.

A bright star that had not been present before in the northern sky shone brighter than the sun for a brief moment before fizzling into nothing.

Djadao was concerned but wasted no time in taking control of the situation. "My family, it appears the gods have decided it is time for us to go to bed," he exchanged a look with Graiylin that echoed what they both felt, complete confusion and worry.

How Djadao had managed so easily to convince the people to think so little of the event was awe-inspiring. It was only a few minutes before the central camp had been cleared except for the few who had journeyed into the desert.

"Come to my tent," Djadao ordered.

His wife was waiting, expecting an explanation. Djadao raised a hand to indicate she wait but he allowed her to stay while the group talked.

"Do you know what that was?" Djadao asked firmly of Altruvia and Graiylin. It was taking great effort for him to remain calm and keep his tone even. Surprisingly, he was angry.

They shook their heads and Graiylin tried to explain that they were alone but Djadao cut him off. "What could have followed you? Are my people at risk?"

To this, Altruvia and Graiylin felt their guilt renewed and they exchanged worried looks. Altruvia's mouth had gone dry and she felt more stupid than ever before in her life. Since the first morning, they had forgotten about the possibility of being followed. Would they be chased from planet to planet through the universe, destroying each civilization they encountered along the way?

"Djadao," Altruvia whispered. "We never thought they would ..."

"You never thought?!" he yelled and his wife placed a calming hand upon his arm that he did not notice. "I have trusted you and you have been good to us, but who are you hiding from and are you using us to do it?"

Tears stung Altruvia's cheeks. She wanted to protest and say such a thing would never be true but her own guilt, her own conscience poking at her, was too hurtful to deny. "We are sorry," she continued to whisper. "We will leave immediately."

It was as if cold water had been splashed in Djadao's face. "Who said you had to do a thing like that? For a mindreader, you have misread me quite thoroughly."

Now it was Altruvia who looked stunned.

He continued, "Yes, I know you are a mindreader. It was a bit too quick for you to learn our tongue without it. Also, yesterday, you answered a question I had not spoken aloud. Now, I am angry that you have kept information from me. Given your moods, I thought you needed time to come to terms with what had happened to you. I am angry that you felt you could take the luxury of that time when there could be imminent danger to all of us. You do not have to leave this village so long as you tell me," he motioned to the others in the room, "tell us, the truth."

Graiylin let out a slow breath. "It seems we are in for another session of late night political theatre," he shrugged.

All present made themselves comfortable as the two newcomers started their tale from the beginning they knew. It was a long night.

* * *

The two men now stood outside the cave they had called home for the last two days.

The sky had cleared, the temperature dropping with it, and they had just been discussing what direction they would take when they resumed their journey in the morning. It was in the middle of this conversation that a brilliant star appeared in the southern sky, which was visible from where they sat. Both men had jumped to their feet and ran to the cave mouth to get a better look. By that time, the star was gone and they now searched for any other anomalies in the heavens.

"What was that?" the guide half gasped.

The sheepskin warrior continued to look around quietly, ignoring his companion's question. "We must increase our pace. Time is shorter than I had anticipated."

The guide looked at him with a newfound wariness but said nothing to contradict him and pressed the issue of the strange star no further.

The dawn had barely come the next morning when the sheepskin warrior was ready to leave.

## Chapter 18

Blurry eyed, Djadao and Kemnebi parted ways with Mshai, who was determined to begin his morning patrol, and headed south along the river. Kemnebi could have easily brought the water from the point where the river came closest to the village, but after his full disclosure with their small group, Djadao felt it important to take the introduction of their abilities more slowly than he had first planned. However, his people still needed water and food and both depended entirely upon the river to flow. Not bothering to sleep, they left almost as soon as their storysharing was complete. The sun had not yet risen but the pink sky indicated it would not be long.

Djadao saw it so much differently now. He was no longer the centre of its universe but it the centre of his. Even though he was the chief of his people, he was nothing compared with the vastness that lay beyond them. It was humbling and exciting. The place he had called home his entire life was now a strange land and as they walked along the tops of the dunes, scouting for an appropriate location to work, he felt like the explorer and not the guide.

With everything they had told him, he wondered about so much he had never before considered, but there were also things that he no longer wondered. The speed with which Nubiti and Kemnebi had not only learned their language but also had become fluent in it was no longer a mystery. With Nubiti's abilities to glean the meanings of words from his own mind and then share them equally as easily with Kemnebi, the long night of explanations also became a language lesson for the two newest additions to his village. By the time they set out, Kemnebi and Djadao could converse without difficulty.

The last thing they had done before leaving on their journey was to agree that Nubiti should bury the box containing the fang under the floor of the chief's tent to ensure no one accidentally came upon it. Although his burn from briefly touching the box had easily been healed by Nubiti, her hand was still bandaged and had showed no signs of healing since having touched the fang. The wound looked horrendous but Djadao did not know how painful it was to her because Nubiti appeared to ignore it.

After several hours, they came upon an area where the river began to enter a valley and chose a spot near the water that was sheltered from view by the valley walls but also not in the path of the flooding river itself.

"Do you have to do anything special for this or is this like the food you grew for us?" Djadao asked Kemnebi as he wondered if anything more would be required of him.

Kemnebi shook his head, "It is all the same."

He looked upriver and lifted a hand. Within moments, Djadao could hear the rushing water in the distance. The rushing of the river became louder as they waited to see the results of Kemnebi's work. Djadao had underestimated greatly how far away the rushing water was. The sound continued to transform into a ginormous roar, but they saw not a trickle of the water despite the volume. He watched Kemnebi's face and saw that he was unconcerned. He knew exactly what he had done and what was going to happen. He smirked and looked Djadao in the eye.

"I think we might want to move to higher ground after all," he suggested calmly.

"Are we in the path?" Djadao asked as he frantically looked up the river.

Kemnebi shook his head, "We might get wet ankles, nothing too troublesome, but I thought you might want to get a better view when it comes."

Moments later, Djadao saw exactly what Kemnebi had meant. A wall of water came around a bend and was pushing through the valley. The wall itself was full of roaring waves but they were not the force pulling it all forward. It was not like watching the natural undulation at the edge of a large body of water. This water was a restrained wild force, resulting in the white foam of the tempest appearing more like a dancing cotton cloud than a raging tidal wave. Nevertheless, the deafening sound of the onslaught was definitely that of the strongest of storms. Through all of this, as this amazing sight passed by them and carried down the river, Djadao felt nothing more than a refreshing residual mist.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, enjoying the new sensation he was gaining from the water. The mist breathed life into him and it was a wonderful life at that. Finally, letting out his breath with a fulfilled sigh, he opened his eyes and saw the river waters now lapped docilely at his toes. The river was the highest and widest he had ever seen.

"I hope this will restore your seasons for you," Kemnebi replied to his awe.

"It will help us survive another year and with your help, many after that." He patted Kemnebi heartily on the shoulder and laughed. "You may not be a god, my friend, but you have been sent by them."

Kemnebi looked heavenward, apparently thinking of his strange past. "I don't know why I have been sent here but perhaps your gods did have a hand in this after all. I doubt we will ever know. My mother spoke in riddles and I suspect the gods are worse than she ever was."

"In my opinion," Djadao said importantly, "There is no point trying to make sense of the gods. If they wanted us to understand them, they would make themselves known. As they do not, I think more importance could be placed on the thoughts of those vermin hyena that try to scavenge our stores than I do them."

Standing silent in thought for a moment, Kemnebi was unsure. "There are events, possibly of the gods, that I still need to make sense of, unfortunately."

"You said yourself, you didn't know what that star was. We can only hope it was not this wolf you told us about and we must also accept we may never know. Let us return to the village. The river at this height will be lapping at our tents."

* * *

Liamon knelt over the spot where the Draigo's murdered body had lain. The investigation, irritatingly being observed closely by Shinga, his prime suspect, had not progressed as he had hoped. The only evidence they had obtained confirmed Shinga's story except for her accusation that Altruvia had destroyed the pursuing dragon chariot. A small fighter did not have enough power to complete such a task alone. However, both dragons and wolves alike appeared content to believe Shinga's account as it was easier to do so.

The Draigo's body, when first examined, was found to have the remaining energy of Altruvia on it. They knew she had touched the wound and removed the weapon. The only other person to have been confirmed to be in the room was Shinga herself, which had already been known. Her claim was that Altruvia stabbed the Draigo in the head. The physical evidence did not prove her story wrong, but Liamon was not convinced it proved it right either. Unfortunately, the onus of Altruvia's innocence was on him, but with what they had found, his hatred of Shinga and his love of Altruvia were no longer enough. He found himself believing the offered description of events. His confusion and wishful thinking were all that prevented him from turning on Altruvia entirely. One thing he was quickly beginning to realize was that he would not be able to let her go as he had planned. With these new revelations, he would have to pursue her either to find the evidence to exonerate her or to execute her. Down to the depths of his heart he hoped it would be the former but his fear grew that he would have to oversee the latter.

"I don't know what you hope to find, Liamon," Shinga said sweetly. "We have been in this room more times than I can count. Accept that I have told you the truth."

He stood and walked over to all the knick-knacks on the other side of the room and started to peruse them. "Perhaps," was all he said in reply.

The pair heard a small knock on the open door and turned to see Cayinth, who glared at Shinga, before looking at Liamon. She had her son cradled in her arms.

"There is a message from the wolves," she said.

Shinga brightened noticeably, "Wonderful. I shall come immediately."

Cayinth glared at her again, "Not for you. Your Alpha has recalled you. The message is for Liamon."

Surprisingly, Shinga was only more thrilled that she was able to leave the so-called investigation. Liamon found her desire to distance herself from proving her story only more perplexing. The entire time she had seemed bored with the process, as if it had simply hindered what she really wanted to do, and her demeanour at this news seemed to excite her. Eagerly, she nearly skipped from the room.

Once she had departed, Cayinth joined Liamon by the keepsakes. "Nothing more connecting her?"

He shook his head. "I am sorry. I have not been able to find anything to prove she was the one who did it, but the evidence that supports her story is circumstantial. I am lost as to what to do next. I don't know where to find Altruvia, but she is the key to finding out what really happened." He stared at the empty space where the statue used to incapacitate Shinga had sat, not noticing the rectangular shaped ring of dust next to it.

Cayinth let out a deep sigh, "Our situation has become more complicated. It will be even more difficult for you to find the truth. That is why I am here." To his quizzical look, she replied, "The Alpha has sent a message that he feels how long this investigation has taken is obscene, especially given what he feels is obvious evidence of Altruvia's guilt. He is insisting we officially name her as the assassin and let the issue go. If we do not, he has threatened to revoke the truce as a result of the obvious insult against his people."

Liamon would have rolled his eyes if the situation had been more humourous. As it stood, he was so unimpressed that he simply stared at Cayinth.

"This will not end here," she said. "I will do as he asks officially, especially since my own husband, the one to whom I must yield, is in agreement with him. However, I ask that you keep your promise to me and see this through. You must tread carefully, Liamon. No one can know what you are doing."

"To do so, I will have to follow Shinga," he contemplated. "Won't my absence be noticed?"

"Draemar notices very little," she replied with a hint of disappointment as she clutched her son more tightly. She became stern as she looked him in the eyes and ordered, "No matter who you find to be responsible, I want you to bring back her head and her heart. If it is Shinga, I want to know that she is dead. If it is Altruvia, I want her punished as she deserves."

Liamon tried to ignore the fast dropping temperature of his blood. "I must leave if I am to keep near Shinga," he explained apologetically as he said good-bye and hurried to leave Tatsu.

* * *

Alu wiped the sweat from his eyes and tried to focus on the task of weaving his basket. As there was no hunting or fishing to be done, his sister had volunteered him to help with the other village chores. Unfortunately, the day was so drastically warmer than usual that the shade of the tents gave no relief. The repetitive task agitated him more, as it gave his mind the freedom to wander onto the stories he had heard the night before. Kemnebi and Nubiti shared such a fantastical tale with them and yet still claimed that they were not gods. Since the only beings he had ever heard of with such powers were gods, he had trouble believing them.

For a moment, he ceased his weaving and looked to the river. It had been several hours since the chief and Kemnebi had left them to bring the floods and he wondered how much longer they would have to wait. His stomach rumbled in agreement.

Looking around at the others working about the village, Alu knew that, despite their new guests and the safe return of their family members, the other people were feeling weighed down. Their food stores were almost depleted not only due to the drought but also to a colony of insects that had gotten into the grain and contaminated much of it.

A long fingered, bandaged hand gently rested on his shoulder and he turned to see Nubiti crouched next to him with an understanding smile.

"Things will improve," she whispered.

"You are reading my mind?" Alu asked with only slightly more tartness than he had intended. His tone had caused her smile to falter.

"I'm sorry. I noticed that you were weary and wanted to help."

Her remorse was so palpable to him that he felt incredibly guilty, but not guilty enough to forget the invasion. Much more amicably, he asked, "Shouldn't someone's thoughts be their own?"

She let out a heavy sigh, "I suppose you're right. Almost immediately after gaining this ability, I was captured. I was forced to use it continually to survive. As all the minds I was reading were of my captors, I never considered the violations of privacy." She paused for a moment to look out to the sun's reflection on what remained of the river. "I suppose it became a habit I no longer thought about." She turned to look at him again, squeezed his shoulder, and smiled. "I'll try to keep out of your heads. There may be the odd lapse or two. Please be patient with me."

Her words caught him off guard. This god-like being was asking for his forgiveness and humbling herself to him. Nodding slowly, he agreed.

Suddenly, Nubiti perked her head up like an animal and looked upriver to some spot in the distance he could not identify himself.

"You will be fishing soon," she said without taking her eyes off the spot.

Within moments, the roaring of water could be heard in the distance. The sound grew as a shining wave became visible and moved rapidly toward them. Alu forgot his basket and it fell to the ground as he rose to his feet to get a better look at the wave ploughing its way through the river by the village, leaving rising floodwaters in its wake.

The villagers were dumbfounded at first but very quickly the shock turned to rejoicing and Alu watched as his family laughed and jumped in celebration at the good fortune that was befalling them. He could not help but smile himself. He had not realized how quickly doubt had set in after Kemnebi had left that morning with Djadao.

He turned to express his gratitude to Nubiti to find she had separated herself from the others and was now sauntering off alone towards the sand dunes on the edge of the desert.

* * *

The sheepskin warrior had been able to travel for many more days without being impeded by adverse weather again. The sun had been bright upon the glaciers but not warm. Despite the fact that they were heading south, the temperature had been steadily dropping as they began to work their way through increasingly large mountains. His guide insisted that the glaciers would cease if they made it through the mountain passes. When asked how he knew this, the guide shrugged and simply said his grandfather had been a traveller.

Despite the less than convincing source of the information, the sheepskin warrior began to believe his guide as he noticed more snow-covered vegetation than before. As the landscape became less and less barren, he finally began to feel like he was making some headway.

"It is getting dark, we should make camp," the guide announced.

Looking around, the sheepskin warrior replied, "We have not been travelling that long."

"The night comes faster in these mountains," he answered as he began to search for a suitable campsite. "Do not worry. One more day and we should be at the sea."

As his companion looked for an appropriate location to stop for the night, the sheepskin warrior began to feel a strange emanation from the surrounding trees. A particularly dense brush gave off the strongest concentration. Without fear and without knowing entirely what he was doing, he began to step closer. The brush was drawing him in. Slowly, but ever closer, he came to it. It consumed his every level of consciousness – until it moved.

The branches shivered with no help of a wind. In the quickly dimming light and with the denseness of the brush, he could not see if there was an animal causing the stir, but his heart was now lodged firmly in his throat and seemed to cease beating completely. For an eternity he strained to hear. The effort jump-started his heart to beat faster than before and now it pounded powerfully between his ears. Yet, he felt that running was the last thing he needed to do.

The branches shivered again. The entire section of brush was shaking violently now. Suddenly, squeezing from under the dense vegetation crawled a brilliant white fox. It was the largest, most beautiful female fox he had ever seen. Although she did not cast light upon anything around her and although she herself did not seem to glow, her fur was so white that it was dazzling despite the coming dusk. It was as if she were not wholly in this world and, therefore, the rules of light – or lack thereof –did not apply to her.

Gracefully, she shook off the feeling of the bushes and sat down, curling her luscious tail around her in almost a feline way. Apparently now in the frame of mind to deal with whatever it was she needed, she looked into the sheepskin warrior's eyes.

It was now that the warrior realized what type of entity he was dealing with even if he did not know her specifically.

"I have never seen a fox shapeshifter before," he commented casually.

If foxes could shrug, this one did. "We are all dogs, my friend."

He walked over to her and knelt down on one knee, more to be able to converse with her properly than anything else. "Are you saying you are one of my kind?"

"One of your oldest kind," she said kindly. She obviously understood she was dealing with someone who did not have all the information and was being very patient.

"Do you know my Alpha?" he probed further.

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a scream. Both looked farther down the path to see the guide, who had obviously come in search of his ward, tremble with fear at the sight he had come upon. He half muttered, half screamed something unintelligible - not because it was a foreign language but because it was simply primal terror gibberish - turned and ran out of sight.

The sheepskin warrior heaved a large sigh as he said, "There goes my guide."

The fox shrugged again, "I know the way." Then, although her facial expression did not change, he saw her eyes sparkle as she continued, "I can also speed your journey."

This newcomer intrigued him in the most delightful way and he knew she would make his task all the more interesting. "Well, my friend," he replied using the same tone as she had when using the term, "I am sure you can probably get me to my destination in the blink of an eye but I would rather make camp for tonight and spend some time learning about what it is you are hoping to achieve."

She bowed her head and closed her eyes briefly in humble capitulation. Looking into his eyes again, she penetrated deeply into him. He could feel her inside his soul, as she seemed to smile and said, "Make your fire, warrior. We have many things to discuss."

## Chapter 19

Several days had passed since the initial flood in the small village. The renewal of hope was invigorating as the people now had few worries, at least until the next drought. Even though this was a common thought every year, the people could not help but dismiss such pragmatic concerns for at least a short period of indulgent reverie. They spent the first days relocating the village higher up the dunes and fishing. Their nights were filled with celebration.

Graiylin and Altruvia enjoyed seeing how their efforts were able to help the people. The excitement and glee was contagious and they were finding themselves regaining a measure of their former happiness. Improving the lives of their new family was beginning to remove – or at least temporarily silence – the pain of the loss of their old one.

The evening meals were now much more jovial as the well-nourished are often much more eager to engage in entertainment than the starving. For three nights, there were no problems within the small group.

On the fourth night, however, while most of the villagers were enjoying their feast free of worries, Graiylin and Altruvia saw Djadao usher Alu, Mshai, Shenti, and Nomti into his tent. He entered last and Nebti, who had apparently already been waiting inside pulled the curtain across the door. Their demeanour worried the two newcomers. Altruvia refused to use her abilities to probe into the matter because of her promise to Alu, but she did not need them to know something was wrong.

For the remainder of the evening, Altruvia and Graiylin sat by the fire quietly, not talking to anyone including each other. They stayed long after the last reveller had gone to bed because the only six people who knew their story and still embraced them had not finished their meeting.

Those six people knew them well enough. Late in the night, Nebti pulled the curtain aside and gestured for them to come into the tent. As they entered, they saw that all of their new family looked weary and the weight of their concerns must have been enormous. They were told to sit.

"We unfortunately have a problem," Djadao said and immediately added, "But it is not because of you." They must have visibly relaxed because Djadao smiled slightly before continuing. "Mshai has been noticing some worrisome events in his patrols as of late. He informs me that a neighbouring tribe that lives across the river and to the north started going through some changes a couple of days ago.

"They too depend on the river. Their valleys are different from ours so they tend to move more inland to survive on other sources when the river is bare. So it is not strange that more of them have been seen closer to their banks of the river since the coming of the floods. Unfortunately, Mshai has not seen them fishing or otherwise taking from the river. They have been making weapons but not using them, which can mean only that they are planning a raid, which does not bode well for us, as we are their nearest neighbour.

"We have been discussing how to deal with this problem. We very much wanted to solve it on our own but we cannot come up with anything that would assure all our safeties without calling upon you. Will you help us?"

Altruvia and Graiylin stared at each other dumbstruck for several moments before discussing the issue telepathically.

"At least they are not banishing us," Altruvia offered. "We have to help them. This is our home now, not to mention everything they did for us."

Graiylin agreed but was still troubled. "I'm not entirely sure how to handle this. I do not know this place or these other people. I do not know what level of force to use. Basically, I am blind in what this will entail."

"No one said we had to run into the other village with a blindfold on. Maybe we should get Mshai to take us with him on his patrols for the next few days."

Graiylin turned back to the assembled group and made their request. Djadao was pragmatically agreeable to the suggestion and seemed to feel the matter was settled for the time being but he did not dismiss the others. In fact, he began to get a silly grin on his face to which Graiylin could only raise an eyebrow.

"Our next matter of business," Djadao announced, "is something that my wife," he nodded to Nebti in respectful acknowledgement, "has brought to my attention. Our group has discussed the matter and we agree that she is correct.

"Our new friends, you have done much for us since you have arrived and you have asked nothing of us in return. You are true friends. Allow us to be true friends to you. It is not our custom for blood-siblings to marry but we fully recognize that it is yours. We also fully recognize the significance it has in your culture and would like to show our appreciation by throwing a feast for you two nights from now." He laughed jovially and looked at the others, "After all, it is you who have provided enough for us to do so."

Altruvia interjected with almost a whisper, "We thank you very much for your thoughtfulness but I think everyone has feasted enough. It will bore them."

Regarding her suspiciously, Djadao replied, "You have not seen a real feast yet, my friend. Are you afraid of making a fuss?"

Looking at Graiylin briefly, she replied uneasily, "My brother and I have agreed to leave our lives in the past as much as we can. Our mother was unable to share the histories and the knowledge that must be shared before the leaders of our people can be joined in this way. And we no longer have any people to lead."

Graiylin knew she was trying to be kind to their friends and was working very hard not to cry with the new subject. He discreetly reached for her unburnt hand, which was pushed nervously into her lap, and squeezed it reassuringly as she continued, "We do not deserve the kindness you have given us and we do not deserve to be honoured as the leaders of our home would be."

Djadao understood her feelings all too well as he said, "Nonsense, girl." It was the first time he had spoken to Altruvia as though she were a child but all could tell he was doing this out of concern for her. "You have told me your story and none of us find fault with you or what you did. As you have seen for yourselves, our lives near the river can be unpredictable. No one can know everything that will happen." He looked both of them in the eye now and scolded them. "You think you are the only ones who can make mistakes?" As they exchanged looks, Djadao responded as though he now understood fully. "You say yourselves you are not gods, despite your power, and I fully believe you. But that also means you are fallible as we all are no matter how much power you have. Just because you are capable of things I am not does not mean you must succeed where I –or anyone else- may not. Stop torturing yourselves. We are your home now and we insist that you be honoured whether you like it or not. Tomorrow, after you get back from your patrol with Mshai, you will help my wife plan your ritual. Is that understood?"

Graiylin and Altruvia sat in shock for many moments. Djadao's lecture had been completely unexpected and yet it had made them feel better. They had known since arriving that they would stay in the village and make it their home for the rest of their days but this was the first time they had felt it. When the shock had worn off, they both cleared their throats and choked out their capitulation. Djadao was now very pleased with himself and the outcome.

"Now, everyone who is not sleeping here, out of my tent!" He ordered with a mocking air of authority.

There were jovial murmurs and pleasant goodnights as everyone who had their own homes scrambled to leave.

As Graiylin, Altruvia, Nebti, and Djadao settled down for the night, Djadao quietly called out, "Kemnebi, I forgot to tell you that in our village, new couples are given their own home when we can manage it. You will be helping us make it. Come to me when you return from the patrol. We will make you a fine home."

* * *

Shinga marched through the large courtyard of the Alpha's compound. Struggling to keep her pace, Insil followed in silence. She knew her behaviour had begun to seem more erratic to him and, for the first time, he appeared to question her real motives and, more importantly to him, his role in her plans. This did not bother her. In time, she would have him placated and back to being her cherished pup.

Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes briefly as she walked to enjoy the cool air. The wolf planet of Dominans had been in an ice age for the last hundred thousand years. It had suited the wolves' sensibilities quite well and Shinga felt rejuvenated anytime the snow fell as it did now. The flakes silently landed on her hair and thick cloak. As was often the case, few people were in the courtyard, resulting in a still silence that was even more soothing.

Like most wolfish architecture, the buildings of the compound looked as though they had been formed of ice that had been turned to stone. They lacked any coherent decoration and appeared much more utilitarian than the structures of any of the other races. Nevertheless, the natural style lent itself well to an increased level of camouflage for all their settlements.

A pleasant vibration made her hair stand on end momentarily, as she knew she was walking through the six ancient pillars that formed to semi-circles facing each other, a large spirl in the centre of each. For some reason, this happened every time she walked through them but she didn't mind. It was welcoming and comforting.

The main building of the Alpha's compound was an imperfect, irregularly shaped dome. Especially in recent years, Shinga did not feel as nostalgic about it as she did about the snow. Opening her eyes, the pleasant feelings she had had only moments ago began to ebb away from her at the sight of the large, wood doors. They were the only decorated part of the dome, having the wolf crest carved in deep relief upon the surface.

With little effort that belied their weight, she pushed them open and purposefully walked into the main, circular hall. It was dim and gray, as most things on Dominans were. The only light was a single, dull grey stream through a rough, circular opening in the top of the dome. The main entrance was one of four into the room, the remaining three being open archways into the depths of the compound's interior. In the floor along the walls, were foot-wide openings that ran the entire perimeter of the room. Through these openings one could see down a large, rocky drop into the drainage channels below. On either side of each entrance, the openings widened to double the width. With all the ice and snow that was carried into the hall, the drainage was necessary. The flow of the resulting underground river could be heard unceasingly.

Despite the drafts in the area, smoke lingered from the ring of fire pits in the sunken centre of the room. They had not recently been stoked and only a few glowing embers remained under the ashen logs but the thick cloudy air remained, only being buffeted by Shinga's dramatic entrance.

Upon the elevated thrown slumped the Alpha who appeared nearly asleep. Shinga looked around the hall and saw that he was alone. This was strange, as this room was often busy with sycophantic lords trying to gain more favour.

Shinga stopped at the base of the stairs leading up to the throne. Immediately, the Alpha's eyes opened in almost a reptilian fashion. They appeared cloudier each day and she knew the deterioration of his health had begun to accelerate at exponential speed.

Eyeing her listlessly, he attempted unsuccessfully to prop himself up on one elbow.

"It is done?" he slurred through excessive saliva.

She looked at him curiously, "Altruvia has been named the murderer and the dragons no longer suspect us," she replied with hope that she had addressed his question.

"I do not wish to hear your voice," the Alpha replied.

With great confusion, Shinga stared at him. She tried to read his mind and, to her surprise, was blocked. With her failed attempt, she could have sworn she saw the Alpha's half-reverted face give a smirk. He looked passed her to Insil.

"You are losing your abilities again," he said. "You should pick your subordinates more carefully, Shinga. Minron is so much more loyal than Insil has been."

At this, Shinga heard Insil scream and turned to see a figure garbed in black with one arm around Insil's neck as he stabbed him through the back with a dagger long enough that its now glistening red tip protruded from the front of his body.

"You should have realized confessing to me would be a mistake, Insil," the Alpha explained calmly as Insil, with an expression of permanent shock, fell to the floor. He turned his gaze back to Shinga who, for the first time since she had been young, felt true terror. "He did not give me anything helpful, unfortunately," he continued, as he slowly stood and descended the stairs. Shinga only now noticed that one arm was behind his back and she feared what this meant. "I knew you to be a traitor to me but now you are becoming unpredictable."

She remained frozen to the spot as he approached her, his eyes calculating and taking pleasure in whatever it was he had planned. This expression she had never seen from him before but she recognized it all too well from herself.

"Unfortunately, simply killing you won't solve my problem," He pulled out from behind his back a large stone disk that he now held in his palm. It was iridescent, changing from a strange blue to yellow even as he moved in the dim light. He contemplated what appeared to be random markings of circles and lines.

Then, without warning, he thrust the flat side of the disk against Shinga's chest. Her entire body screamed as the most acute and severe pain she had ever felt consumed her. Although she did not see any bolts of electricity or hear any sparks or humming of a current, she felt as though she were being struck by lightning and, through her eyelids, she began to think she was seeing a silver-blue glow. Every muscle contracted as they tensed with whatever was flowing through her. Her hands were contorted with the tension within them. She had quickly fallen to her knees but was somehow still upright. As the effect slowly began to diminish, her body sank to the ground as it felt like her entire life was leaving with the retreating force. She had a vague awareness of hearing a heavy stone fall to the rocky floor.

Although she felt she should be dead and even that such a fate would be much preferable to her current predicament, her head began to clear and the acuteness of the agony began to recede into a strong soreness. Her limbs, despite tingling and feeling somewhat weak, were surprisingly responsive as she pushed her upper body off the floor with one arm and stared at the grey rocks slack-jawed, as she attempted to cope with the emerging nausea. Shifting her eyes slightly to her supporting hand, she noticed that there were no marks upon her skin. She looked down her body to see that it too, even her clothes, looked as immaculate as they had before she had arrived. In confusion, she looked up at the Alpha who was once again holding the disk in his hand and looking down upon her coldly.

"Enjoy yourself, Minron," he said before leaving the hall.

Turning her head, she saw the darkly clad figure towering above her. She could not see his face but knew from his eyes that he smiled. Lifting his foot, he stomped on her face. Luckily for her, the worst of the effects of the disk had subsided and her mind was coming back to her. Despite the pain from Minron's attack, she was now concentrating on her survival. She rolled out of the way to avoid what would have been another well-placed kick and quickly staggered to her feet. "I haven't survived thousands of years to be killed by the likes of you," she spat.

Watching Minron's feet, she waited until she saw the most subtle indications of his weight shifting before diving around him nearly to collapse next to Insil's body from which the dagger still protruded grotesquely. With great force, she yanked upon the handle and was unable to pull it free. Minron was already making his way towards her as she placed a bracing foot upon Insil's back and pulled with all the strength she was able to utilize. The blade slid free and she brandished it at Minron, who only now took slight pause.

He seemed to re-evaluate the situation for only a moment before jumping up high into the air to do a sideways flip to land to her right. Although she was mentally able to predict his movements, her body was too damaged to respond the way she needed and she knew that she would be unable to survive this fight with her lack of strength. Before he showed signs of making another move, she faked right and, once he had taken the bait, threw the dagger haphazardly at him. It spun chaotically in the air, showing no predictable path but it distracted him long enough for her run to the nearest archway and drop into the drainage channel. She heard him run to the edge and knew he was watching her fall, but he did not pursue her.

With a great splash, she landed in the underground river. The submerged rocky terrain made the river violent and she fought desperately against the tumultuous current to swim to a rocky outcropping upon which she could climb. Panting heavily, she collapsed upon the ledge, giving her body a short time to recover before she would again have to brave the rapids to find a way to escape.

* * *

Liamon tried to hide the shiver that ran through him as he looked from a shadowed doorway to the courtyard of the main compound. He did not risk wearing more layers lest he appear suspicious. Pretending to be a lowly wolf peasant in a strongly feudal system, he wore a ragged, fur-lined tunic shirt and thick, lined leather pants. He was also covered in a scratchy, dark-grey cloak. It was not enough to keep from his bones the wind that blew through the narrow, nearly deserted street on which he stood, but any peasant who had grown up on Dominans would not have minded, so he must pretend not to mind.

There was a large distance between the enormous gates of the compound and the nearest of the city streets. The expanse between them was flat ice with no features to use for hiding. The compound itself backed upon a large mountain. Strategically, the location was very good. Unfortunately, this also meant that without a miracle he would not be able to enter unnoticed and he knew that wolf peasants were not allowed entrance into the Alpha's home. For now, he would have to wait for Shinga to emerge.

As he consciously avoided pulling the cloak more tightly around himself, he grumbled inwardly about Cayinth insisting he leave his cylinder behind. If he had been invisible, he could have dressed as warmly as he had liked, but Cayinth was determined that it appear he was acting alone to prevent the renewal of war if he was caught. Now, frozen as he was, he wondered how long he would have to wait before he would see Shinga. With the overcast skies, he could not easily gauge the time of day, but he could tell that it had been some time since he saw her and Insil enter the main hall because his feet had long ago gone numb.

It was only when the grey light became dull and dim and two large warriors closed the giant gates to the main compound that he knew he would have to cease his vigil for the night. Gratefully, he sought out the respite of a nearby tavern that appeared sufficiently busy for him to hide amongst the crowd. From the short doorway, he could hear the boisterous shouts and laughs of a typical wolf gathering. The golden flames from within lit the street a few feet in front of the entry, creating a welcoming glow that beckoned warmly.

Once he was sitting in a quiet corner, clutching a large pint of a dark red sludge, he allowed himself to let out a deep breath in a moment of escape before returning to listening to the conversations around him. After several hours, the only interesting thing that had happened was a small skirmish between two large drunken men who had since made amends and sat together, bloodied, and singing exuberant drinking songs. Frustrated, Liamon inquired with the barmen about lodgings for the night and minutes later was attempting to clear Altruvia from his mind as he tried to relax upon a hard plank that the wolves called a bed.

With his unsuccessful day, he was becoming more convinced he would have to seek her out for answers. How he would find her, he would have to figure out later, but he hoped that this time their meeting would be happier than the last and he puffed up at the fantasy. He promptly deflated when his pragmatic self rightly pointed out what she had said to him in that meeting and now her brother would be with her as well. He felt jaded that he had been denied what he deserved.

## Chapter 20

Alu had been feeling wearier. Before he left for the desert those many days ago, he would have agreed that he was a young man. He felt young and, though he had not realized it then, he had essentially been carefree. Of course there had always been survival to worry about but now that he had been brought into meetings of elders about such things as war, he felt himself growing ever more tired. He found himself worrying about things he had never before considered simply because they had not existed for him.

Now, in the morning twilight, as he crawled up a dune with Mshai, Nubiti, and Kemnebi, his thoughts went to all the most horrifying things imaginable. One thing the chief had not told Nubiti and Kemnebi in their meeting was that the desert five were supremely worried that the additional brilliant star in the sky the night of their return was the cause for the military mobilization of the other village. They had called upon Nubiti and Kemnebi for help not simply because they wanted to minimize the violence but also because they worried they would not stand a chance if the enemy had been emboldened by another supernatural visitor. As he watched Nubiti and Kemnebi crouch lower as they neared the top of the dune, he wondered if they had suspected the desert five's fears or if Nubiti had broken her promise to him, even accidentally, and read their minds.

At the top of the dune, the four of them lay on their fronts and looked across the river valley to the mouth of a small tributary flanked by narrow sandy beaches as it wound its way between two high valley walls before joining with the main river. On the bank of the confluence, a band of warriors was sleeping around a fire.

As Mshai had told them, they had no tools for fishing. The tips on their spears were not the small fishing points but large blades that would be used only for the hunting of large game, which would not have been present in their location, or the hunting of humans. This was very troubling. What made it more distressing was that Mshai whispered that the band of twelve warriors was double what he had seen the day before.

Alu did not fail to notice the stern looks on Nubiti and Kemnebi's faces but they did not speak for many moments. Finally, Nubiti whispered, "We must stay until one of them is awake. Their dreams do not help me," she turned to Alu and gave him an apologetic look, "I hope you can forgive me for needing to break my promise this one time, but I'm sure you understand why it is necessary."

The warriors began to stir very soon after the sun had made its appearance. He looked to Nubiti who was now concentrating very hard upon their enemy. She did this for many minutes, sometimes furrowing her brow in apparent confusion, and finally she sat bolt upright and turned to Mshai.

"Do they speak your language?" She demanded quite urgently.

"It is similar," Mshai replied.

"Do not let yourselves be seen," she ordered and without another word or a glance to them, she began to make her way down the dune to the river.

Alu looked frantically at Mshai who was as shocked as he, but Kemnebi simply looked on, trying to keep his head down.

"What is she doing?" Alu whispered to him.

Kemnebi continued to watch Nubiti's descent as he replied, "This issue is more complicated than we had hoped."

Turning back to Nubiti, Alu saw that she had amazingly made it to the river already. By this time the warriors on the other bank had seen her and some had already grabbed weapons, while others looked at her in shock.

Then, Nubiti did something that none – except for Kemnebi – had expected. She transformed then and there into a large cat. This animal was not the same anthropomorphic cat they had found that first morning. It was as though her entire being had no bones, that she was simply water that had held one shape and now took another.

All present – again except for Kemnebi – gasped. Those holding spears dropped them, mesmermized, as they watched this large animal swim her way across the river towards them. Kemnebi appeared to be concentrating quite hard upon something. Alu noticed that exertional sweat began to form upon his forehead and he was no longer a passive observer as he was when Nubiti began her trek down to the river. His concentration appeared so strong that Alu dared not ask what he was doing for fear that he would ruin something important.

When she reached the other side of the river, she gracefully stepped upon the shore, shook off the water and changed back into the Nubiti that he was accustomed to seeing. Without wasting a moment, she was speaking with the men, although he could not hear from their distance.

He turned to ask Kemnebi what she was saying and noticed he was now calm and unconcerned. In fact, Kemnebi was now lazily watching a hawk that was scanning the river for food from a very long distance above them.

"Kemnebi," Alu whispered, "What is going on?"

Kemnebi's smile was compassionate but also gave Alu a glimpse at the answer, "We don't know for sure yet. That is what Nubiti is trying to find out. We will share everything once we make sense of it and get back to the village."

"Is it worse than we feared?" He probed further.

For a moment, Kemnebi considered this question quite thoroughly before answering, "Perhaps. It may also not be as bad as we feared either. All we do know is that this isn't as simple as we had first thought. Be patient my friend."

Swallowing hard, Alu replied, "It is difficult being patient when death may be near."

Kemnebi then noticed something with the group that Mshai and Alu could not discern. He stood, saying, "You will not die today my friend. Both of you, return to the village but be here, hidden like this, at dawn tomorrow. We will return with you then."

Mshai began to stand in protest but Kemnebi forced him down. "This is a very serious situation, my friend. It is serious and it is delicate. You are our family now. Trust us. Do not attempt to leave until Nubiti and I have left with the others."

They watched, in shock, as Kemnebi descended the dune as Nubiti had done. He too changed form and Alu was convinced that, as Kemnebi had, Nubiti appeared to concentrate very much at that time. Strangely, the warriors on the opposite bank appeared to have expected this event and waited patiently.

Upon arriving at the shore, Kemnebi returned to his usual form, then joined his sister and several of the warriors before they silently, like a spectral hoard, followed the tributary back into the narrow, winding valley, and out of sight. Only five men remained, apparently determined to keep their vigil upon the riverbank.

Alu turned to Mshai who was already looking at him with a mirrored lost expression. They simply looked at each other for many minutes without a word. In unspoken agreement, almost as numb as the first day when they had set off not knowing that they would find their extraordinary friends, they retreated to begin their walk back to the village not knowing what they would say when they arrived because they themselves understood nothing about what had happened.

* * *

As they traversed the narrow valley beneath the rocky outcroppings, the band of warriors did not speak. They were wary of these new, strange people. Altruvia and Graiylin did not make any effort to break the silence because they did not need to and, in their current situation, a telepathic conversation would be more prudent.

"Do we know what this danger is?" Graiylin asked.

"If the man who warned them knows anything, he didn't share," she replied. "I recognize him. I can't quite remember where I saw him exactly but it must have been on Tatsu." Sensing Graiylin's discomfort, she immediately added, "It isn't us he warned these people against. In fact, he apparently informed them specifically not to harm anyone fitting our descriptions."

Graiylin did not respond. His mind was swirling with all the possibilities, leading to his thoughts being so chaotic that Altruvia found it distracting and headache inducing. She tried to ignore them and focus on their journey.

It was evening by the time they came upon a widening in the valley and began to approach a flattened area along the tributary. A large grouping of tents filled the widest portion of the floodplain. As the sun was setting, the light from the central fire was growing in visibility and some of the tents were illuminated by other small fires burning within them.

The group of warriors led them into the heart of the village and did not even look at their own people as they guided them to the largest of the tents. The people observed them warily and silently. One of the warriors held back a flap of the tent and gestured for them to enter.

The inside was dark, for the fire that burned within it needed to be stoked, but they had no trouble seeing as they were met by the sight of a brilliant white fox and a tall warrior sitting expectantly, legs crossed, on the opposite side of the fire.

"Please sit," said the sheepskin warrior, who spoke in their own tongue and gestured to the ground across the fire from him.

As they sat, Altruvia spoke, "I know you from Tatsu but I don't remember when I saw you."

He gave a booming laugh, "My friend here," and he gave a hearty, friendly pat to the back of the seated fox, "told me you were gifted. We did not meet but I was there, much more than I hoped you had known but I guess you had me figured out the entire time."

Altruvia blushed, as she had nothing about him figured out in the slightest, "You misunderstand," she replied. "I might have seen you in passing but I cannot remember the context, let alone who you are. I understand much less than you seem to think."

The warrior laughed again, "So I am an idiot, but at least not as much of an idiot as I had originally thought. I am Lapidus."

This man was very strange. Altruvia could not read his thoughts nor those of his animal companion. It was as though he were beyond her in some unfathomable way. He was not trying to keep her out but simply did it without effort.

The fox, who had been staring at the fire, lifted her face gracefully to look right at Altruvia. Her eyes were brilliant violet, soft and compassionate. Quietly, but not quite whispering, she said, "There is some effort to it."

At this response, Altruvia could feel Graiylin looking at her for some explanation but she gave him none, not even in his mind.

"What is your real form?" Altruvia asked the fox, which was strange since she had intended to ask who she was. Yet, once the question had left her mouth, she somehow knew it was the better of the two.

Proving that foxes are capable of smiling, she contemplated the answer for a moment before replying, "To be truthful, I have no real form." She gestured to the warrior with an upturned paw, "Neither does he."

Feigning outrage, Lapidus boomed, "You weren't supposed to give away my secret! Maybe I should tell them about some of your little habits."

She shrugged nonchalantly, "He would like to think he has something on me but I have more to use against him."

"I don't know about that," he taunted. "I saw what you were cleaning this morning. For a spectral fox, you shouldn't need to bathe. I think you enjoy some of the baser behaviours a bit too much."

Once again, as calm and indifferent as before, she taunted back, "There are some base behaviours that I know are an addiction for you."

Pulling himself up tall, he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Unlike some of our kind, I can appreciate the pleasures these forms have to offer."

"Simple for the simple, I guess." She noticed an invisible spot on her paw that needed cleaning and began to lick it, obviously enjoying the rise she was getting out of Lapidus who was now stammering like a fool but also seemed as if he was in on the joke.

Graiylin had had enough. "What is wrong with you two?"

Both seemed to be snapped awake and the fox acted genuinely surprised, "Whatever do you mean?" She looked at the warrior as if she expected him to know.

Graiylin dropped his head in his hands, "It is like dealing with a comical version of mother. Can't they ever answer a question clearly?"

The fox was now affronted, shifting her feet slightly, repositioning her tail and straightening her shoulders. "We always give the appropriate answer. Its lack of clarity is not our fault."

"Perhaps, if you could take into account that we know nothing of the situation and be a bit more thorough..." Altruvia offered peaceably.

"My child," the fox replied, "It really isn't that simple. Much of the truth is very complicated. We can try our best but it will always be difficult for you to understand. People are too complicated for simple explanations of their actions."

"What actions?" Altruvia probed, trying desperately to grab onto anything the fox would give them.

Lapidus did not let the fox reply, "We don't have time for this. She could arrive here at any time. We need to leave this place."

Graiylin stood up, very irritated, "We don't know who you two are. We have no reason to trust you. All we know is that you warned these people that something that could end the world is coming and that the small group who knows have been preparing in secret to defend themselves, lying to their families that they have been unsuccessfully attempting to fish. We do not know if you are the problem or the saviours. We do not know ANYTHING. My sister asked you a question and we will both be asking many more. Now answer our questions or we have no reason to trust you and we will leave."

"Sit down, Graiylin" the fox said sternly and the energy behind the statement nearly physically forced him to do so. She added, "You know me but not like this." She then began to change but not in the liquid like way that they had done but like she was a cloud that had changed its image in the sky. She altered her appearance from the small four-legged creature into a human woman. As she neared the end of the transformation, she surveyed them both.

Altruvia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "The spirit mage," she whispered.

Graiylin, not having realized before how much he blamed this woman for what had happened on Tryailla, reacted and, without thinking, used spirit step to charge toward her, fully intending to attack her in the most vicious way possible. However, she was no longer there. He turned around, looking everywhere for her but only the three of them remained. Lapidus was thoroughly scandalized by the entire display.

"What is wrong with you?!" The warrior bellowed.

"Where is that vermin?" Graiylin seethed as he continued to look for any trace of her.

"She can't be found if she doesn't want to be. Shinga has proven that," Lapidus replied.

"I'll find her and show her what I am capable of," Graiylin yelled.

Altruvia put a hand on his arm, trying to calm him. "Perhaps we should talk to her before we try to kill her," she said pragmatically.

"Your sister is right," the warrior replied. "You don't need to kill her."

"I never said that," Altruvia shot back. "If what she has to say is what my brother expects, I will kill her myself." The calm, even cruelty in her tone stunned them. It was this out of character reply that pulled Graiylin back to his senses.

"We need to find out her side of the story," he said with renewed composure. "We need to know what hand she had in the end of Tryailla." The visions that flooded back forced him to require conscious control of his breathing as he attempted to keep it steady.

Lapidus understood now. "She didn't have anything to do with that."

"How would you know?" Graiylin shot at him.

"All of our kind would know, except for Shinga of course; she always was a little off." The warrior spoke of Shinga with that mix of sadness and resignation that comes to family members who are speaking of the disappointing child.

"You keep mentioning, Shinga," Altruvia replied. "You are wolves. I remember now. I saw you in the Alpha's mind. You are his officer!"

Graiylin's blood began to boil yet again, but before he could respond or act, the warrior had his hands up defensively in front of him.

"You have it all wrong. Shinga and I are wolves now but that isn't what I meant by 'our kind'."

"You better start explaining, and without any damn riddles, or I am going to have trouble controlling myself," Graiylin's hands were twitching with the energy flowing within them. Sparks of fire that he was unable or unwilling to contain were popping from his fingers.

"I need to have Ashyina's help in explaining," Lapidus replied quickly.

"Ashyina is dead," Graiylin's tone was even, but his hands sparked more fire.

"Calm down," Lapidus replied quickly. "Ashyina was reborn and is now who you know as the spirit mage. She can help me explain."

"Seeing as she has left us ..." Graiylin pointed out bitterly.

Lapidus shook his head and called, "Come out, Ashyina. We owe them an explanation."

The fox poked her head out from around a pile of empty baskets that had been set against the back tent wall. Timidly, she sniffed the air like a real fox before locking her violet eyes upon Graiylin. She stared at him for many moments before apparently deeming him no longer a threat and rejoined her friend by the fire.

Once everyone had settled back in, Graiylin opened his mouth to ask his first question but was caught off guard by Altruvia.

"Just show us," She said simply.

"You do not want to ask your questions?" Ashyina replied.

"We can all be told telepathically if you willingly let me into your mind. There is no point in wasting time with a game of questions and answers. Show us what is going on."

"Very well," Ashyina whispered.

She looked into Altruvia's eyes with more intensity than she had allowed during their conversation. Immediately, Altruvia felt overwhelmed and the world around her began to go dark. When she thought it would all disappear, she confusingly saw Ashyina look downright shocked. Then it all went dark.

There was nothingness. It was as though Altruvia was trapped in the cloak of invisibility again. She turned around, looking for anything other than the darkness. To her surprise, this time she found it. Standing only a short distance from her, with that warm familiar smile, was her mother, Tryailla.

"Hello, my daughter," she said and then opened her arms for a hug. "I have missed you. I hope I made it in time."

## Chapter 21

When Alu and Mshai returned to the village alone, Djadao was not the only one to have noticed that Nubiti and Kemnebi were missing. There were murmurings throughout the quickly gathering crowd of people. They were a small group and close knit enough to notice not only when two members – whether newcomers or not – were missing but also when two of their own family looked stricken. The obvious concern his people were exhibiting made him feel shameful for having kept the secrets he had, but he knew there had been no other choice.

Pulling himself together, he gestured without words for Alu and Mshai to join him in his home.

Once they were seated, he awaited their recounting of the morning's events, which they gave as quickly as they could. Alu and Mshai were so desperate to get the story out that they sometimes talked over each other and had to be reminded to calm down. By the time the story was finished, Djadao was as confused as they had been. He was also somewhat hurt. Despite the fact that Kemnebi had pleaded with Mshai to trust them, he could not help but feel some degree of rejection from his lack of explanation. He was also terrified that their indication that the situation was more complicated on top of the fact that they had seen that strange falling star could indicate that all of them would be pulled into – or at the very least harmed by – some interspecies war of godlike creatures.

He had to consider his options and sent Alu and Mshai away for the afternoon. The tent was hot and stifling. There was a slight breeze outside but the tent was thoroughly blocking the wind. Djadao was soon sweating profusely, but he would not leave the tent until he had figured out a plan of action. The air became thicker and, still, he paced as he battled the will of his intellect against the will of his morality.

Kemnebi and Nubiti had done nothing to warrant him not trusting them. However, they had left him no worthy sign to follow. What if they were unable to ensure their safety? What if they were no match for the enemy they would have to fight? What if they simply never returned for whatever reason? What if...

Then the unwanted, unbidden thoughts of their betrayal tormented him and his intellect fought hard to show such a thing made no sense. Now it was there, no matter how much he wished he could trust them, no matter how much he had been shown he could trust them. There was no way he could rightfully act on such heretical thoughts. He brushed them away but they lay murmuring mutinously at the edges of the tent.

The only potential plan he could devise spiralled in his brain in circular logic until he finally snapped into reality. He would have to take what plan he had.

With reluctant determination, he walked to the tent entrance and held aside the cloth. He had intended to go seek the others who had been with him in the desert, but he had no need. They were seated outside the door, awaiting this moment.

He called them in and they once again started what had become regular meetings. He was not surprised to learn that Alu and Mshai had shared their morning adventures with Shenti and Nomti. That was good as it would save them time and Djadao wasted none of it in sharing his plan.

"We must tell everyone the truth," he began. "We do not know what is coming, but it may no longer be safe for us here. I am willing to give Kemnebi and Nubiti the time they requested, but, if they are not at the meeting place at the time they have chosen, we must accept that we cannot wait or rely upon them again."

It was not difficult to see in the glances the others exchanged that they were uncomfortable with turning their backs upon Kemnebi and Nubiti. Djadao, in fact, wanted to agree with them, but he continued, "We must think of the good of our families and the families our children will have. Kemnebi and Nubiti would never forgive themselves if our village were destroyed because of their actions. We know they already carry that heavy burden for their own home. It would be easy to be selfish and wait, hoping our magical friends could save us without effort." He let out a heavy sigh as he made a realization. "They told us they are not gods and we said we believed them. I thought I did, but until the possibility of them not returning to aid us, I truly relied upon their ability to fix everything as if they really were gods."

Mshai, Shenti, and Nomti all bowed their heads in a shared shame for having felt exactly the same way, but Alu spoke up. "But why are they not gods?" he pondered.

This was not what Djadao had been expecting, and he was unable to reply.

Alu looked at the others. "They can make food and water out of nothing. They can heal and read our thoughts. They can do everything we thought only some unknown gods could do. We have never met the gods. We have never seen them. We do not know them. They did not bring the floods for us; Kemnebi did. They did not grow the food for us; Kemnebi did. They did not bring us hope, heal us, or give us solace; Nubiti did. They are gods to me not only because of special tricks but also because they earned that status in my mind. They lost everything. They have no family but us and now we plan to leave them behind. Kemnebi asked us to trust them. I refuse to betray his trust in us."

Djadao sat in shock for many moments. His shoulders eventually relaxed and his face softened. "You are quickly becoming a man, Alu. Not just any man but a wise one. There is much truth to what you say but we must think of the whole village."

"Then send the whole village," Alu retorted, "But, if they do not return tomorrow, I will stay until they do."

Alu's determination held great sway with the others as they now considered his words. It was Mshai who finally spoke up. "Friend," he said to Djadao, "Perhaps Alu and I at least should remain. The rest of the village can journey south to the valleys for protection and we will rejoin you when Kemnebi and Nubiti return."

Nomti, concerned for Alu, also spoke up, "I would be betraying my best friend if I left Alu inadequately allied against any raiding parties. I will remain as well."

Djadao cut Shenti off before he could join too. "We cannot all go. Our families are equally in need of able-bodied fighters. Shenti and I will travel with the village to the south. Alu, Mshai, and Nomti may remain... But only for one moon. If Kemnebi and Nubiti have not returned by then, we will have to accept that they are gone. Tonight, I will tell the village the truth of these recent events. They deserve to know what is going on if they are being asked to make such a journey."

The others agreed and they nervously adjourned to await what would surely be a volatile evening.

* * *

Graiylin, the fox-Ashyina, and the sheepskin warrior were bent over Altruvia after she had collapsed. She could not be awakened but she was not dead.

"What did you do?" Graiylin asked Ashyina, more exasperated than angry.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't understand it. We were on the verge of connecting and it was like she just went away." She placed a paw on Altruvia's forehead and closed her eyes. "I cannot feel her here. This is very strange."

"Could it be another invisibility cloak?" he asked her nervously. "Has she been marked again?"

The fox shook her head again, but this time less vigorously. "No. That is simply magic; children's games. That is not what this is. What confuses me most is that she is still human."

They all remained silent for many moments, unsure of what to do. The sheepskin warrior opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, obviously deciding whatever suggestion he was about to put forth would not be viable.

After much time had passed, Graiylin suddenly became aware of an important fact and looked at Ashyina, "We need to get back to the other village. They think these people plan to attack them and if we do not return, they may act on that. We are expected back at the river by dawn."

The fox nodded, "We will get you back to the river by dawn. We do not need to leave yet, my friend."

He was confused but the warrior interjected, "She has some convenient abilities. Getting there in time will not be a problem."

"Let's hope Altruvia wakes up before then," Graiylin replied.

The fox's ears twitched. "It appears that whether we have time is irrelevant now. We must play our game of questions and answers as your sister put it. You need to know what is going on, Graiylin."

* * *

"What is going on?" Altruvia asked Tryailla, who looked as regal and beautifully dressed as the last time she saw her. "Where are we?"

"In the in-between," Tryailla replied matter-of-factly as though that would explain everything.

Altruvia shook her head in good-humoured frustration; this was indeed her mother and not some impostor. "What is the in-between?" She probed further, knowing full well that she may not understand any more from the answer her mother would give.

"It is the nothingness between everything," she replied, just as matter-of-factly as before. She might as well have been recounting what she had had for lunch.

Desperate to make sense of the situation, Altruvia attempted to come up with her own explanation, "Is this between life and death?"

Laughing kindly, Tryailla shook her head, "That is a very crude and incomplete explanation. We are beyond such distinctions here."

"Why did you bring me here? What were you worried you had missed?" Altruvia was trying to stay calm but unlike her mother, who was contentedly unconcerned with anything else now, she could not forget what had been going on before she was brought to this nothingness.

"We are beyond the concept of linear time now," she replied. "I am not always very adept at finding the right place to switch into such forms of existence."

"You are not dead." It only now occurred to Altruvia. This was not some afterlife with her spectral mother coming to give her advice in a dreamscape. She existed in this place in some form. "Where is father?"

Tryailla smiled again. "Everywhere. We are all everywhere. Even now I am everywhere."

"You are in front of me," Altruvia pointed out as if there were no arguing, but her mother found a way.

"You see me in front of you but I am everywhere."

With a great sigh, Altruvia replied, "Graiylin always found your riddles tiring, until now I hadn't seen his point."

Her mother was not offended and, in fact, was very humoured by her daughter's frustration. She reached out her hand and simply replied, "Come with me."

Altruvia did not argue this time or demand a clear explanation. Her mother's tone, her expression, her aura, all indicated she could not refuse and should not refuse. Slowly, in serious contemplation, she placed her hand in her mother's and the nothingness was gone but so was she.

Moving through the universe as if she was simply a thought on the winds, she felt something strong pull at her energy. She could see the stars and the galaxies like any who had travelled through them, but she could also see more. She could see levels of energy dancing in realms that no living being could perceive. It was on this plain that she felt the pull. It was uncomfortable. It was frightening. It was the end.

The dancing mists of Being spiralled inward to a darkness that frightened her. This was not the serene darkness of the in-between. This was chaotic and violent. There was no good or evil, only being. There was no higher order, no love or hate, no sense of anything with meaning. It would consume her. It would utterly devour her. It would not be the death of the body. It would be the end of existence, but the beginning of all.

As she resigned herself to her fate, she felt the warm hug of her mother; the protective, nurturing embrace that only a loving parent can offer; and the only salvation from a terror that was feasting upon the entire universe. Her mother comforted her, shared with her that there need not be any fear, that there was no end no matter how perilous and foreboding the darkness might appear.

"Is this where I must go?" Altruvia thought. Her mother indicated that it was not yet time for that.

At this moment, there was nothing coming from the darkness, only energy being pulled in like a cosmic whirlpool but that is when Altruvia suddenly felt a knowledge seep into her mind as though someone had surgically transplanted comprehension.

"That is where they came from, but they could not return" she thought. "They are the chaos and yet..." Another comprehension was given to her. "They brought the order. But something has happened, something catastrophic that has reversed the flow."

It made no sense and yet it was very much a truth she could never hope to deny. Suddenly, they were no longer at the spiral into darkness. They were looking upon the planet that she had recently made her home. The small diverse globe, with vast oceans and deserts, ever-morphing clouds, and numerous species, looked so serene at first. Then she felt a strange emanation that this is where it would end for those that came from the darkness. It would be a violent end. She would have to return soon, to protect the people from this apocalypse.

Instantly, she was in the in-between again, her mother before her, now very saddened.

"You now comprehend what is happening even if you do not know. I sent you to this planet because all the rulers of the five great races knew it must end here, the home of the first. You, like any who will die after the cataclysm, will join us in the darkness when it is done, but we know that will not be soon for you.

"You will live out your life in this place, as the last daughter of Tryailla that you are, but you will return many times. No one must know. Ashyina must not be told. You will always be wrongly coveted as the one who can open the darkness. But if you were not, this would never rightfully end. You must remain strong through each of these lifetimes. There will be many and they will follow you until it is done. It is because of the prophecy; the one they do not rightly understand.

"In the restraint of chaos, a striped feline be born; the unthinking child, unthinking no more. By wed of kin, all powers within will be leased upon her beau. Survive to destroy, a great price to pay, for us to be allowed home. Blue planet of life, the tool for your end, she will be given the keys to bend.

"We exist as thought, my daughter. Without thought there is no being; with it, there is no death."

With those darkly prophetic words, Tryailla was gone from the darkness and Altruvia was left alone. There was no comfort in what her mother told her. As she remained in shock, she turned over in her mind what the future she would endure could hold. As the shock began to dissipate and the reality came nearer, she noticed the darkness around her was not nearly as dense. She no longer felt alone and could, in fact, sense three others near her. They were speaking of serious things with heavy tones but there was no will within her body to open her eyes or stir a muscle. She simply wanted to take a long, well-deserved rest. As she listened to their conversation, she realized the searing to which she had become accustomed in her hand no longer pained her.

* * *

The roar of tumultuous water woke Shinga from her faint. Rubbing her head, for she now had a headache that was tormented by the loud echo of the water in the cavern, she looked at her surroundings, taking a minute to clear her eyes and remember what had happened. As she pulled herself into a seated position, she noticed how empty she felt, as though she were not really a person, simply a vessel of flesh. She tried to expand her senses as she was once skilled at doing and found she could perceive nothing beyond what her flesh could detect. Looking down at her hand, she clenched and flexed it repeatedly, noting very significantly the lack of strength she felt within it.

With these observations, somehow she knew that her power had been removed from her and she thought back bitterly upon the scene within the hall. She flinched at the recollection of the disk upon her chest and berated herself for her stupidity at being caught so off guard.

Her self-pity was short lived as she thought back upon the Alpha's smirk and of her enemies who would have revelled at such a scene. Her blood boiled. Her rage had not been taken from her and, with that comforting thought, she knew that somewhere inside her remained the Shinga she once was. She had worked hard to regain her abilities once before; she would do it again.

Despite her renewed determination, she was acutely aware of her limitations. She would need to escape now and wait for her revenge. Her immediate goal was to get out of the cavern and find a place to hide until she could safely escape Dominans. Searching her surroundings, she listened as best she could and strained in the dim light to see any possible means for escape. In every direction the ambient light was consistent. No variations in the sound of the crashing waves and whirling vortexes indicated which way would work best. Staring at the fast flowing river, she decided that such fast water must be able to flow somewhere and, with little faith that she would survive but every intention of fighting to do so, she jumped into the water.

Her goal had been to manoeuvre herself away from the whirlpools and the more jagged rocks. As with most things in nature, the waters did not care what her initial plan had been. Her body was thrashed into the craggy sides of the cavern and thrust into the trapped spiralling water in a corner. Her efforts to escape were fruitless and only when the currents thrust her out of the whirlpool back into the more linear flow of the river was she able to escape it. In all the abuse of her journey down the river, she became bruised and beaten and had swallowed copious amounts of water. The determination and fight within her had long dissipated and she resigned herself to death but death would not come as the onslaught continued. Somehow, she did not drown.

Her body had been thrown by the force of the water against a partially submerged outcropping. As she lay coughing her throat raw upon the small ledge, she began to wonder how she had survived. If she had believed in gods, she would have thought them responsible. As it was, she felt she had just encountered the biggest stroke of luck of her life.

As the coughing subsided, leaving her with torn and sore lungs, she looked around for signs of her progress. To her relief and complete surprise, she saw that the outcropping she had been thrust upon by the waters was a landing that appeared to be deliberately carved out of the rock. It led to stairs that were partially illuminated by a dim light coming from a passageway at the top. She had never known such a place to exist beneath the compound. All her knowledge had been that there was no access to the underground river.

The shock of this discovery had managed to push aside the pain and weakness from the abuse she had endured. With disproportionately little difficulty, she pulled herself to her feet and staggered up the stairs and through the passage. She followed it as it turned abruptly to the right and, in her delirium, ran without pausing through a large, ornately carved archway into an enormous hall. There were two passageways on either corner of the wall across from her but both appeared hidden in shadow. The room was completely featureless except for a large statue that stood in the middle.

The stone figure was of a wolf. It was so large that her own head barely came up to its shoulder. It was sitting regally with its chin inclined proudly and one paw upturned as if it had been holding something. Whatever had been set in this place of honour no longer remained. The most striking features of the statue, however, were large, feathered wings. The image confused her. In her long history, she had never seen a winged wolf and her people were not ones for imaginative artistic expression.

At the base of the statue, she saw a significantly worn engraving in two languages. One, she did not recognize; the other, wolfish. She could barely make out the wolfish text as saying, "To honour for all eternity those who brought justice to the treacherous Tryailla."

She had not previously known of such monuments to the old wars but the obvious age of the statue could have had no other origin. After a few more moments of visually inspecting the stone figure, she decided to move on to the other entrances to see if she could use them to escape.

To her disappointment, one of the passages was blocked by a cave-in that appeared to have happened many years earlier. The other passageway appeared to lead to a series of dark corridors. Placing a hand upon the wall, she attempted to navigate the pitch black path. At times, it was so disorienting that she almost wished to be back along the river, which at least had a dim light from the drainage openings above. The inability to gauge her progress visually also created difficulty in estimating how much time had passed. She could have traversed the passage for part of an hour or many. Finally, as she was becoming hopeless of ever escaping, a dim, bluish light appeared ahead. With this new goal in sight, she increased her pace.

The light was coming from around a corner from the cracks from the edge of a solid stone door. Pressing her face against the widest of the cracks, which was barely large enough to see much aside from the illuminated stone itself, she managed to see one side of the podium that stood in the centre of the grand archives. There was a large book open upon it and a moment later she saw a long, partially reverted finger turn a page. It was the Alpha. Listening as best she could, she heard the movement of his body near the podium as he shifted weight onto his other foot.

In her current state, she had no desire to confront him again and hoped quite thoroughly that he would not be able to tell how near she was. She dared not retreat to the statue hall lest he hear any scuffle or shifting of the air. There was no telling now how much she had underestimated him.

As she waited, breathing as silently as possible, she heard the large doors to the archives open and the ever-present guards at the entrance bidding Minron to enter. He walked to the podium and stood behind the Alpha.

"We have been unable to locate her," he announced shamefully in his abnormally high-pitched voice.

She saw the long finger of the Alpha pause briefly over the corner of the page he had been about to turn. As he began to pick at it, he said calmly, "Do I need to discipline you again, Minron?"

"We have guards scouring the entire compound and the city. We will find her," Minron protested quickly.

"See that you do," the Alpha replied. Then, he closed the large tome and she heard him turn as he said, "I am weary. Wake me if you have any news."

With this, both men left the archives.

There was no point in trying to escape with so many soldiers looking for her. She decided to retreat to the statue chamber where she curled up at the base of the vigilant figure and attempted to sleep.

* * *

With no success at sleep or even simple relaxation, Liamon had risen from the plank upon which he had spent the night and left his lodgings to seek breakfast in the tavern. As he ate the meat of an unidentifiable animal that had been pressed into solid disks and fried, he overheard several uniformed men talking. The Alpha's crest was visible upon the chests of their fabric armour. Their grey cloaks with the bright emblems of silver wolf paws emblazoned upon them lay limply upon the backs of their seats as they complained to each other of the previous night's events.

"It was only a matter of time anyway," one of the smaller men said before taking a swig of his drink.

"Shows how much the Alpha had gotten sick of her though," another replied.

The largest of the men, whose head when he was sitting was as high as most of the other warriors present when standing, began to laugh to himself and the others stared at him. "What's your joke?" the first one asked.

"Minron's not looking so good now, is he?" the giant replied. "This makes two tasks he's bungled."

"He claims he succeeded with the first one," said a fourth man with blond hair.

"He's just trying to save his own arse," retorted the giant. "Once a mark's placed, it can't be removed. It's the ancient way. When we arrived on Tryailla, there was no mark on that girl. Minron lied."

"He still claims he did it though," the fourth man replied quietly.

"I think he got the wrong girl," the giant laughed. "Probably got her nursemaid instead."

"You mean the one he killed?" the second man asked.

"Who knows. Probably," the giant shrugged. "That was a pretty nice illusion they made. Those cats probably thought we'd all be killing them with our minds. I would love to have seen their faces."

"It didn't exactly go well for us there," the blond replied more boldly. "Not exactly a moment for wolf pride. I don't even know why we bothered."

"Shinga pressured the Alpha," said a black-haired fifth man who had thus far been silent. "Told him he could be a god or some such thing."

"And look where that got her," boomed the giant, "Hunted as a traitor and her people are as starving and poor as ever. She'll be dead before dinner." As though the prospect were nothing more than a mere curiosity for conversation, the giant took a hearty drink.

"Don't underestimate her," said the black-haired man. "We searched all night and didn't find her. She may have escaped already."

"I think she's hiding in the compound," the first offered as if they were discussing what next to order on the tavern's menu.

The giant shrugged, "So long as I don't have to work a full day cycle again, I don't care where she is or what happens. I never much liked her anyway. She was an odd one," he leaned forward and bugged out his eyes as he waved his hand dismissively in the air. "Something not right in her head."

The men changed topics to their own lives and families while they finished their drinks. Liamon waited for the men to leave before he would begin his walk to the compound. As the soldiers left, the blond man walked to the bar and paid for their tab before following his friends outdoors. Liamon noticed he had left his cloak behind and before any of the other tavern goers could take notice, he paid his own tab and discreetly took the cloak as he passed by the chair on the way to the exit.

The clouds had cleared and the streets were bright from the sun reflecting off the snow. Despite seemingly improved conditions of the sky, the temperature felt colder than it had the night before and Liamon's nostril's quickly began to feel piercing pain from the impact of the cold air. He stuffed the stolen item under his own cloak and moved quickly through the now busy streets to make his way to the compound. With what he had heard he now knew he would no longer need to wait for Shinga to emerge, but now he also knew he had to enter the compound to search for her himself.

It would take more than a simple soldier's cloak to gain him access, so he resigned himself to another cold day of watching the gates, looking for information or an opportunity that may help in his attempted infiltration.

## Chapter 22

Djadao stood before his friends and family, his mouth dry and his mind racing to find some alternative he had not considered. As he looked upon the confused and concerned faces, he knew he could wait no longer. Swallowing hard, he was able to remove only some of the lump in his throat. He coughed to clear it, swallowed again, and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Kemnebi and Nubiti have been with us only a short time. We all know that the circumstances with which they arrived here were strange ones. However," he looked to the others of the desert five before continuing, "We have not been entirely truthful with you about them."

There were inevitable murmurs of outrage and yet more confusion. Djadao raised his hands to indicate silence.

"Before we had returned home, they had done much for us. They ensured we survived the desert, which surely would have claimed us on our return journey otherwise. For this reason, we wished to protect them from any harm, including any pressures that may result from the truth of who they are."

Djadao recounted the tail of their arrival at the oasis and what transpired there. He shared the stories not only of how they returned but also of what Kemnebi and Nubiti had shared with them the long night after they had made it back to the village. He pointed to his now almost completely healed tumour and explained Nubiti's efforts and, finally, shared what Kemnebi had done for them by bringing the much-needed floods. Not a single person in the crowd was anything but dumbstruck. There were no shouts of outrage or praises exclaimed to the gods. Not a peep escaped the lips of his people.

Swallowing again, he explained the reason he had chosen to tell them all now and in this way. Retelling what Mshai and Alu had shared with him of the morning's events, he then continued, "For the safety of the village, tomorrow, we must begin to pack our belongings and journey to the south; out of the reach of the possible attack. Mshai, Nomti, and Alu will remain behind for one moon to wait for our friends, who I very much hope will return to us."

"And, if they do not? If they have joined the warriors?" shouted Amisi.

"Silence your mouth!" Alu yelled at her. "They would never do that."

Amisi pulled herself up tall – at least as tall as she could manage - and straightened her shoulders importantly. "Perhaps my idiot brother here trusts people completely, but I do not. Maybe whatever made them go with those warriors was simply seeing an advantage to turning against us to join a more powerful group." She rubbed her bulging belly affectionately. "Why should I risk the life of my child for strangers?"

Seeing that Alu had no qualms about attacking his sister, Djadao stepped between them to face Amisi directly. He too had now pulled himself up tall to emphasize his authority.

"All of us who endured the desert owe them our lives. And if it were not for Kemnebi's ability to bring the floods, you and your unborn would be dead. You had better start remembering that, girl. If you question my judgement about them again, I will have to deal with you more severely," He quickly shot a glance at her husband in warning not to get involved.

Turning her head to look away, Amisi said nothing but Djadao could tell she had refused to humble herself to him. He would have found her wilfulness funny if the situation were not so serious.

He addressed the assembled crowd once more. "Does anyone else wish to question me? Does anyone else wish to object to my decision?" he bellowed.

Not a soul moved.

"Good!" he announced much more calmly. "Now, if you are hungry, eat your fill and get to bed. We will have much work to do in the morning."

He left the group for the solitude of his tent so that he could fret over what may transpire in the coming days. As much as he had hated his decision, he was more terrified that he could be acting too late. If the warriors planned to attack and if they decided to do so the next morning, the village would be defenceless. Cross-legged, he watched the cooling embers of his fire, torturing himself with events that had not yet happened and information he had not been given.

The flap to the tent was gently held aside and Nebti entered. She took one look at her husband's face and her own softened with compassion. She walked to him and knelt next to him, placing her hands upon his shoulders.

"You cannot burden yourself this way. You have planned as best you can. What will happen will happen."

He let out a large sigh. "What about our families? What if helping Kemnebi and Nubiti in the desert leads to deaths amongst our friends and our families? Shenti's daughter is only five years old; she does not deserve to be harmed. She is only a small child."

"Kempi is also a strong girl," Nebti replied calmly. "She has always been very wise for being a 'small child'. Without Kemnebi and Nubiti, our worry would be that Kempi, along with the rest of us, would starve to death. At least their help has given us a chance to carry on, a chance to move if we can or fight back if necessary. You cannot rid the world of every danger, husband. You are a leader and a great man but you are just a man. Let the gods sort out the rest."

"And if there are no gods?" he muttered.

She looked over his shoulder at the fire for many moments before replying, "I suppose it changes nothing. We have survived until now. We are a strong people and I have no reason to believe we will not continue to survive into the future."

She gave him a loving squeeze and left the tent to return to the others.

* * *

Graiylin wasted no time in getting to his questions. The first he addressed to Lapidus. "What is your role in all of this?"

The warrior laughed as though he felt his answer would be amusing. "When I started, I was the right hand of the Alpha or, at least, that is all I ever thought I was. My role has changed somewhat since I first set out upon my journey." With this cryptic statement he looked at Ashyina who had been observing the random marks on the dirt floor serenely but twitching her ears to indicate her attention.

Without looking up, she added, "Many of us forgot our origins the longer we remained here. In fact, Shinga and I – and now Lapidus," she nodded in acknowledgement to her companion, "are the only who remember at this time, but I am sure there must be many more of us who are currently dormant."

"Did you have anything to do with the destruction of Tryailla?" Graiylin asked Ashyina.

"I had nothing to do with that. When you were near, I tried to warn your sister that I sensed a perverted energy with you and that it could not enter the sphere. When you teleported, the energy came with you, causing the catastrophe. I was trying to help but had not foreseen that happening. It was no one's fault."

Graiylin contemplated what she had said to this point and said, "You are not cat, wolf or dragon."

Ashyina and Lapidus both nodded as Lapidus replied, "We call ourselves thinkers. We have a stronger ability to manipulate the world and others with our thoughts. Though we tend to refrain from manipulating people's minds unless absolutely necessary. It goes against our laws."

"So you are beings of magic then?" Graiylin tried to make sense of what they were sharing.

"Magic is just energy," Ashyina replied mysteriously and then added, "We are thought."

Normally, her cryptic answer would have aggravated Graiylin but he had a feeling that no matter how she tried to explain, it would not make more sense to him so he continued. "Shinga is one of you?"

With a heavy sigh Ashyina answered, "She was once one of us. In the strictest terms, I suppose she still is."

At Graiylin's confused expression, Lapidus elaborated, "She is a traitor to our kind. She has spent every lifetime for the last several thousand years hunting us to extinction."

"Lifetimes?" Graiylin replied. "We only live once and no one knows what happens when we die."

"That may be true for you, my friend," Lapidus explained, "But as we are thought first, we continue after the body is gone. We can easily be reborn as you can see by the fact that Ashyina sits before you now."

"And Shinga is using this ability to massacre her own race?" Graiylin pondered. "Why would she do that?"

Ashyina contemplated her answer silently for many moments before finally saying, "There is something in her mind that became damaged long ago. We do not know why, but she has hated us ever since. However, her hatred is not simply of us but of every conscious being. She seeks us out because we are the only barrier to her desire to destroy everyone in this realm. I have made it my personal mission to stop her and, unfortunately for her, I have been completely successful thus far."

"If she can destroy you to the point that you cannot be reborn, why haven't you destroyed her?" Graiylin asked, shocked that she had overlooked such an obvious answer.

"Of course I have tried," Ashyina shot back angrily. "She has been equally successful in surviving my attacks as I have been hers. We have killed each other's bodies many times but destroying each other completely is much more complicated. We have both been honing our skills over the centuries to be able to accomplish this task. I fear she has progressed faster than I have and, unfortunately, this progression also makes it increasingly difficult for our bodies to be harmed. It is only a matter of time before she comes to this place seeking us and I do not have a weapon sufficient enough to destroy even her corporeal form this time."

Lapidus added, "But if we can defeat her, then no one else must die. I came here looking for a way to do that. Years ago, I overheard the Alpha telling Ashyina the prophecy that the ability to bring all to an end would be found on this planet. He was very concerned about the possibility of anyone coming here to find it, especially Shinga. I took it upon myself to keep an eye on her.

When I began to follow Shinga without her knowledge, more and more of the disturbing truths of her personality were revealed. I soon learned the extent of the powers she had kept hidden from the other wolves. With this, I knew she had bigger plans in mind than simply overthrowing the Alpha, which she could easily have done if she so chose. I knew I had to find something powerful enough to stop her from whatever she had planned. She is too deranged to want anything good. At the very least, I felt it may be necessary to find what is hidden here.

"The Alpha had begun to suspect something more sinister was going on as well, I think, as the night Altruvia escaped, he had asked me to interrogate Insil about his progress in the laid-out plans. Insil truly is not aware of anything that has been going on around him. So much of what he thought was useless information was quite informative and it made me much more concerned about Shinga's plans. He had mentioned that he thought the stress of the situation was affecting Shinga negatively because she was having trouble keeping information straight. She had apparently told him that, once they gained the power from Altruvia, she would kill the Tryaillan wolf. Insil, not knowing about Ashyina, had assumed that Shinga had misspoken, but she had made the supposed mistake on many occasions. Shinga is deranged not senile. With this information, I knew there must be something more going on and, with the cracks in her façade becoming more obvious even to Insil, I was running out of time to figure out what that was. With the abilities I had witnessed, it was obvious to me that, if fighting her became necessary, I would be at a disadvantage. That is why I came here searching for the weapon. But it was not until Ashyina found me," he turned to Ashyina briefly to say, "Your arrival scared me, by the way. When I saw that star, I was convinced it was Shinga,"

She shrugged and simply replied, "I had other things on my mind at the time."

Lapidus nodded as though he completely understood her meaning and then continued. "Ashyina awoke my memories that had become dormant after my last process of reincarnation. With my memories regained, I also learned why it is so important that we stop Shinga."

Ashyina had been considering his words and was troubled. "If only we had that weapon, it could stop her," she vented. "The intrusion into Shinga's mind that I performed to save Graiylin and Altruvia when she killed my husband was only a minor distraction. Even that was difficult for me. In direct combat with her, I am not confident I could win. We need something powerful enough that she cannot block it." For many moments she paused as she appeared to reconsider the situation before adding, "I suppose this weapon could work, but it could equally be something that destroys everyone or could even be a state of mind that can more easily be discovered in this place. We have no way of knowing unless we find it."

With determination, Lapidus concluded, "We must."

"But we have no idea where to look," Graiylin vented.

Ashyina smiled slyly. "I have an idea. There was an old text that my father had come by. I do not know who wrote it and he kept it heavily protected. When I was a girl, before regaining my own memories, I had snuck into the archives late one night and saw him working with the book and speaking to Minron. He had told Minron that no one must ever find the Tomb of the Waterfall. At the time it meant nothing to me but with my memories, I think that we should head south from here and look for any waterfalls with caves behind them. A cave could easily house a significant chamber that could be described as a tomb."

Looking over at his sister, Graiylin said, "We cannot leave until we have figured out what is wrong with Altruvia."

Ashyina was more irritated by his stipulation and less concerned about the unconscious woman. "With my abilities, she isn't a problem,"

"Of course, I'm not," Altruvia replied with a clear voice but her eyes remained closed.

"Altruvia!" Graiylin rejoiced. "What happened?"

"It is complicated," she groaned as she got to her feet, "But our mother has missed us." She pulled at the irritating bandage on her hand and, as she removed it, Graiylin saw her newly healed skin.

"How..." He was astounded.

"Another gift from our mother apparently," Altruvia replied unconcerned as she flexed her fingers. She looked up at the group, "I heard it all. I agree that we must find this weapon, but first we must return to the river and then the village so that they know what is happening."

Ashyina did not hide her irritation at this request. "We do not have time to visit friends."

Taking exception to her dismissive attitude, Graiylin defended his sister's suggestion. "They think these people are going to attack them. If we do not return they will act upon that."

At that moment, the tent entrance was pulled aside abruptly and several of the warriors entered with spears at the ready. Several more entered and grabbed the four. The man who had grabbed Ashyina was having difficulty keeping her small body from slipping from his grasp. She could have easily bitten him but seemed determined not to do so. The group was thrust onto the ground in the open air. There was so much commotion that Altruvia and Graiylin had trouble understanding what was happening even with their special abilities. They heard shouts of 'traitor' and 'kill' but could not make out why these people were suddenly attacking them. Just as it appeared that the spearbearers were about to run them all through, Altruvia saw Ashyina close her eyes and without a sound, not even a whisper, without a touch or a feeling, not even the slightest tug, they were gone from the village in the valley.

Altruvia, Graiylin, Ashyina, and Lapidus were now all sitting upon an isolated outcropping that overlooked a vast, rocky valley system below. Lapidus was brushing the dirt from his clothes as he turned to Ashyina and said, "Are you sure you shouldn't have waited a moment longer?"

Straightening her fur, she replied, "You can return if you'd like. Be thankful I was able to bring us all here uninjured and wholly intact."

"What was that about?" Altruvia wondered.

Still apathetically licking her fur into place, Ashyina replied, "Apparently, their friends who had stayed behind at the river saw your companions leave. One of them had arrived to share this information with the others and determined it must mean we were dark gods helping to plan an attack against them." She stopped licking and sighed heavily. "It is too bad our children are so suspicious, Lapidus."

He surveyed the surroundings as he replied, "Suspicion and paranoia was never restricted to them."

"What are you talking about?" Graiylin vented. "What about our village? Now those people really will attack them!"

"All I can offer you," Ashyina began, "is that I do not think those warriors knew which village your friends were from. That may give them some time. But that also means we must not return as our presence would undoubtedly confirm their suspicions. Put your faith in Djadao, Graiylin. From your mind, I know he is a good and wise man."

"Where have you brought us?" Lapidus interrupted to which Ashyina replied, "Not far from where we have just been. We must still travel south."

Altruvia, appearing to have brightened considerably, said, "If you can teleport us all so easily, we can find that weapon tonight."

"It is not that simple," Ashyina replied. "I have a general idea of where it could be but there are many waterfalls in that region. We have no way of knowing which one holds what we seek. It could still take much time and teleportation does not negate the need for sleep and food. We will still need to rest."

"We cannot rest now," Altruvia shouted shrilly.

Lapidus placed a calming hand upon her shoulder and offered, "Why don't we try the first one you can think of, Ashyina, and if it is not there, we will camp for a day to regain our strength."

All agreed – some more willingly than others – and moments later, they were gone from the rock.

* * *

Jolting awake, Shinga frantically looked around the statue hall to see what had disturbed her. It had felt like a feather being drawn across the skin of her neck but there was no person or thing around her. Straining her ears, she could hear the roaring of the underground river in the distance but there were no sounds that seemed out of place. Looking up at the statue, she expected to have seen it in a different position or showing some other sign that it had moved. However, the sentinel remained still with its stone wings and upturned paw. She stood and arched her back to stretch out the kinks.

It was not just her abilities that felt different to her now. Her body seemed feeble and even her rage seemed to lack energy. Ashyina's fate seemed less a concern to her now. As she walked the circumference of the room to work out the soreness in her legs, she found herself mindlessly staring at the floor rather than contemplating her next move. Such stillness of thought felt foreign.

Rounding her starting point for a second time, she began to take note of her own footprints that had been left in a layer of dust and fine debris that she had before overlooked. She began to marvel at the designs left from the treads of her shoes and then a sudden realization struck her. These particular shoes had been made especially to her designs and had no visible treads. Stopping abruptly, she peered closer at the designs upon the floor. Kneeling down, she brushed aside as much of the dust as she could reach. Beneath it was a delicate, shallow series of engravings upon the stones; spirals and symbols she did not recognize. She moved forward and cleared more dust away to reveal the continuation of the symbols. Her heart began to beat heavily as she realized some of the markings resembled the second language upon the statue and, upon this realization, she desperately began to uncover as much of the floor as she could. Faster and faster, she wiped at the floor with her skirts to reveal more and more spirals and carvings. Harder and harder she panted as she worked, obsessed, to uncover the truth that lay beneath. In a matter of minutes, it was revealed.

The spirals appeared to make up diagrams of solar systems as she could easily recognize those of Dominans, Tatsu, and Tryailla. Throughout the image were blocks of that strange text that appeared to be placed as if to give a form of information. She looked at the statue's inscription. Assuming the strange language simply said the same thing as the wolfish text, she tried to determine what some of the text said. This method proved highly unsuccessful. She had hoped to discern a word or two from which she could work, but the linguistic system was seemingly too complex.

Resting back upon her feet, she contemplated her situation. She was not even sure the text would be anything useful even if it were translated and she had no resources to do even that. Hitting herself in the head with her palm, she remembered the stone door to the grand archives. As she would not yet need to leave the archives, only enter them, the guards would not be an issue.

With newfound hope, she climbed to her feet and hurried to the stone door, slowing only as she neared it to avoid detection. Holding her breath, she peered through the crack once more. The archives appeared to be empty. She listened. There were no sounds.

Examining the door, she saw no handles or switches and the light was insufficient to identify any markings that may have been helpful. She pushed on the stone with much of her strength and, to her surprise, it began to move silently and effortlessly forward a few inches before moving to the side to allow her passage. The podium stood before her and still had the large open tome upon it. She walked around it to see the pages.

They were covered in a combination of the strange language, drawings, and roughly scrawled notes in wolfish. Many of the notes did not make sense. They were incomplete thoughts such as, "Bring fifth down," and, "Endless hall," that were related to the text in some way she could not immediately identify. Slowly, she flipped through the pages until she found one that made her take pause. One of the drawings on the page was of the winged wolf statue. Next to it was written, "Altered Life."

As she examined the other markings around the sketch, she noticed movement in her peripheral vision and looked up abruptly to see the stone door silently closing. The statue hall was her only safe hiding place. If she were stuck within the grand archives, a large open chamber with book-lined walls, she would easily be discovered the next time the Alpha came to read his book. With only a moment's hesitation, she ripped the page from the manuscript, slammed it shut, and dove through the door, which closed tightly behind her. After catching her breath, she retreated to the hall to examine the document.

* * *

To Liamon's disbelief, the days following his arrival had seen a drastic temperature drop. Before he had arrived, he had anticipated that he would somehow get accustomed to the cold temperatures, but, as they continued to decrease, his body never seemed to be able to adapt quickly enough. The capital of Dominans was at the base of a large, ice-covered mountain, and he soon learned that the wind often blew down from its peak, assaulting the city in a piercing cold that tore through one's clothes as if they were not there. The only partial reprieve for his chilled body was that even the wolves' around him appeared to be affected and had begun to bundle themselves up in thicker layers. This allowed him more freedom to thicken his attire as well but, to his disappointment, this did little to help when the wind was gusting.

As he sat huddled in the doorway of an abandoned building from which he still had a clear view of the main compound, he began to think about the strangeness of stigma. The wolves lived in a glacial nightmare where the wolf form, with its thick fur, would be advantageous and yet he saw none of them revert to help cope with their situation. It occurred to him how he had never seen any of his own kind take their base forms aside from when they slept or could not help it even though – when he tried his best to think of it without bias – their base forms could have advantages. His musings on the subject ended when he realized that if all the wolves around him did revert to cope with the cold, he would have much more difficulty staying out of sight. For now, such stigma served him well.

Turning his head to look back down the narrow, gray street, he noticed two soldiers sauntering up the way. Quickly, he averted his eyes and looked straight ahead. He heard one say to the other, "Look at this one," followed by their footsteps approaching him.

"What do you think you're going to accomplish?" A booming voice yelled down at him.

He looked up, trying to appear as feeble as possible. As his beard had grown much since he had arrived and since it and the rest of his face were covered in frost, he hoped he did appear quite pitiful. He did not want to risk one of them thinking he was in for a challenge.

The man who had yelled at him was broad shouldered and muscular. Everything about him indicated he was solid and would probably not go down easily in a fight. He strangely seemed to blend in with the background, as his hair and eyes were grey. He looked as if someone had taken all the colour out of him. Nevertheless, those grey eyes still indicated his confrontational energy and Liamon had no wish to draw attention to himself.

Upon the man's hip, hooked to his belt, Liamon noticed a light blue device the shape of a wolf paw. Having spent one full and several partial nights since his arrival watching the gates, he knew that this was a key of sorts. Soldiers had used similar devices to open a small door next to the gates after they had been closed for the night. He did not dare let his eyes linger for long and attempted to look at the man's companion but, before he could, the man yelled at him again.

"Get up!" The man ordered as he grabbed Liamon by his shirt and yanked him onto his feet. Liamon squirmed uncomfortably while also trying to appear that he was not fighting back.

"You think you'll get any money begging in this weather on this street? You make me sick," the man spat into his face.

As he threw Liamon down into the snow, Liamon grasped the key and managed to make sure his body landed upon that hand, obscuring the device he had stolen. Not daring to look up, he did not know what the following shuffling of clothing he heard was until he felt the stream of urine hit his side. He tried to hide his face from any exposure, but the soldier took this as an invitation and directed the stream at Liamon's head to the laughter of his companion. Once the soldier had finished relieving himself, he and his friend walked towards the compound, lamenting the lowest castes that had no respect for hard work.

Once they were gone, Liamon irritably got up and tried to shake off as much of the urine as possible. He looked down at his cloak, now soaked through and grumbled an expletive. Placing the lifted device into his pocket, he turned around and walked back to his lodgings where he could get clean.

## Chapter 23

All the villagers had been working very hard at packing up their few belongings and rations, preparing for the migration south. Amisi was not hiding her irritation for the situation, as she would give Djadao contemptuous looks between tasks. Despite her silent protest, they would soon be ready to leave even though it was not yet midday. Turning to the north, he looked in the direction that Mshai, Nomti, and Alu had gone to meet with Kemnebi and Nubiti. He gave a large sigh as he knew, even with all his hoping and imagining, that he did not see any hint of their forms returning.

Shenti walked up behind him and he turned to his friend, giving a feeble smile. "We shall leave before midday," he announced.

Solemnly, Shenti nodded in agreement before saying, "If the weather remains calm and we can maintain a good pace, we may arrive before nightfall."

"The weather will remain calm," Djadao replied in an austere tone. Before the others had left that morning, they had all agreed to hike to a floodplain along the river that lay south of them. Although the river flooded there just as it did near their home, it was still an incredibly hot and dry place. His fathers had told him that they did not think it possible for it to rain there. He tried to comfort himself with the thought that they would still have the river and that it was unlikely the other tribe would suspect they had gone there.

Djadao turned to Shenti, "How is Kempi managing?"

Shenti shrugged as he replied, "She thinks it is exciting that we are going on an adventure."

To this innocent enthusiasm, Djadao laughed, "I suppose it would be better to look at it that way. Perhaps we would have fewer sad faces if we did." He gave a quick glance to the scowling Amisi.

Despite Djadao's interpretation, Shenti did not share his light-hearted view. At his sombre expression, Djadao furrowed his brow, "What has happened to my Shenti?" he asked. "You have never been the serious type. That has always been for your brother."

As if breaking from a trance, Shenti shook his head clear and smiled, "I apologize," he replied. "There are just so many things that don't make sense to me in this," he explained. "Kemnebi and Nubiti were becoming our family. They would not simply leave and I do not believe a few warriors would be able to overcome them."

Thinking for many minutes, Djadao responded, "We still do not know what that star was. If it was one of those who has been pursuing Nubiti, we have no way of knowing what happened. Be patient, Shenti. I still believe they will come back to us, even if it is a little later than we had expected."

"I would still like to know why their mother sent them here," Shenti mused. "If we are simply one of millions of planets, why to us?"

Djadao had no answer for him but he looked to the sky, having to shield his eyes from the relentless sun, and wondered if maybe his faithless life had been misguided. As he pondered his beliefs, they heard Nebti call to him.

He turned to see that all the tents, except for the one to remain for Mshai, Nomti, and Alu, had been carefully bundled and the reserve baskets prepared. There would be only emotional reasons to wait longer, so Djadao gave the call for all to leave.

* * *

After the first waterfall, a large imposing feature in the middle of a dense jungle, had been examined and found not to have any significant caves behind it, Lapidus, Ashyina, Graiylin, and Altruvia sat around the fire, waiting for their breakfast of fish to be cooked. They had easily accumulated quite a feast with the combined abilities of the group. As they sat, watching the flames and waiting, they discussed their options.

Ashyina was feeling more hopeless than she had in a while because she could not count – without losing track – all the possible waterfalls on the central continent that fit the description.

"There must be more information than simply a waterfall," Graiylin vented. "Wouldn't a person describing such a place give more details?"

Ashyina stayed silent and Lapidus eyed her suspiciously. "There is more information." She said nothing in reply and he took a sudden deep breath as though he had realized something she had not shared. "It is the waterfall of the monkeys!"

Quickly, Ashyina became animated and slightly defensive. "We have no way of knowing that. It could be any waterfall."

Lapidus was irritated but also excited at the possibility, "But it is the best place to start, don't you think? Why haven't you taken us there?"

Now, Ashyina bowed her head and blushed to which Lapidus laughed mockingly, "You've forgotten where it is!"

"I don't see you offering directions!" She spat back at him. "Not everything comes back to me clearly. I haven't had to use that knowledge since we lived in the north."

Putting his hands up defensively, Lapidus tried to calm her but could not stop grinning. "That is alright. I don't remember everything either."

"Be quiet, Lapidus," she grumbled. "I know you're still laughing at me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied impishly.

"What are you two talking about?" Graiylin yelled. "Have you forgotten there are still two people here that don't know what you are fighting about? What do monkeys have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Lapidus replied. "They were the first beings our race inhabited."

Graiylin rubbed his forehead in frustration, "Could you please remember I am new to the situation. I don't understand what you mean." Altruvia silently comforted him with a loving arm wrapped around his shoulder. For her part, she seemed content to wait for the explanation.

Lapidus took a deep breath before beginning, "The thinkers are not from this universe. We were somehow pulled here through an opening into this one. We spent millions of years exploring this place and trying to learn about it. We were amazed by the countless planets orbiting their stars quietly, simply going on their way, and on these planets were corporeal beings. They had bodies and could be individuals in a way we had never experienced."

"Our knowledge in such things was limited," Ashyina interjected. "We could not comprehend what it was to be a being of flesh, with a finite form that is confined and separate from others."

"We did feel there was one fatal flaw to all this life we had witnessed," Lapidus explained. "It was not the fact that these beings would begin and end, not always existing. There was no thought, simply reaction. It was chaotic because there was not even instinct. Species came and went so quickly, nothing meaningful could be accomplished."

"This seemed wrong to us," Ashyina elaborated. "It was perverse and disgusting to exist without thought. This universe lacked logic and even emotion so we attempted to bring order to the chaos."

"Who are you to decide such a thing must be done? Are you gods?" Graiylin asked defiantly.

"I saw no gods to make any such judgement either way when I got here," she retorted importantly. "There was no one to say we should not." Lapidus shifted uncomfortably at the confrontation.

Graiylin stared at Ashyina momentarily. The arrogance of her choices became obvious to him now but the scale upon which they had been done left him speechless as Lapidus continued.

"What we were attempting to do was transcend our limitations to learn more about the things we did not understand," he explained. "We chose five species at random from amongst the vastness of life and brought them to this planet. The first of us inhabited a monkey. In our excitement, the rest of us followed; inhabiting the wolves, dragons, cats, and hawks that we had chosen. But we only realized too late our great mistake."

"Unfortunately, because our enthusiasm had overwhelmed our sense, without realizing it, we had condemned ourselves to very long lives of limitation," Ashyina explained. "We were not able to leave the bodies we had inhabited. We could not master our former abilities and had essentially condemned ourselves to prisons we had to learn to escape. Some of us, like Lapidus and myself, were the first to learn how to begin integrating our abilities. Many followed us. Some, like Shinga, struggled. Eventually, even Shinga learned to manipulate her form. We could be like thought with beings of flesh. Strangely, though, we could still not communicate with each other on the same level as in our original forms. Telepathy was still beyond us and we had to resort to more physical methods of communication. In the animalistic forms, we found it especially difficult to communicate with others of our kind if they had chosen other races. It was not enjoyable for us to feel so isolated.

"We were still experimenting and despite the extensive abilities to manipulate our forms, we could not overcome the barrier to communicate with the others. As a compromise, we all chose a variant of the original form we had taken, the monkeys, to remain in at most times. When we slept, we would revert because our thoughts were no longer controlling the corporeal form. Now that the cat mages and Tryailla no longer exist to prevent this for all cats, I am sure you have noticed that you too now revert when you may never have recalled doing so before in your life."

The expression on Graiylin's face gave away his surprise and Ashyina easily read his thoughts on the matter as she replied, "Ah, yes. This history is also why you find such difficulty in retaining your own consciousness when you intentionally revert, because you were not thinkers before birth but are children. It is an intriguing issue that I think shows we never fully integrated ourselves into these animal forms."

After a few moments silence, Altruvia spoke up, "I don't understand. If there was no thought before you came here. What do you mean by 'children'? How are there people like Graiylin and I who are not one of you but can think?"

"We don't know exactly," Lapidus replied. "Let me explain one thing that is very important. Our limitation did not end with death. For some reason, after we had made the connection to the flesh, we could not escape it. We would immediately have to be reborn in another body. In our animal forms, we began to reproduce and this served the new stipulation of our limits quite well as those of us who had just died would inhabit those who had just been born. After some time, we began to notice that even those children we did not inhabit began to show thought. Despite how long we have been here, there is still much that remains a mystery even to us."

Altruvia could not begrudge them for that as she knew very little about anything that had been going on but she could not help thinking back to her mother's visit. Her mother was not one of these thinkers and nor was she and yet the visitation indicated they did not cease to exist upon death like all the races had assumed.

They did not continue their conversation as their food had finished cooking and, in fact, was quite blackened on the outside. They ate silently, Altruvia and Graiylin considering what they had just been told while Ashyina and Lapidus appeared to be in deep thought. Once they had finished, Lapidus slapped his hands on his knees and stood, announcing, "I am going to take my rest. I have not had any in days. Maybe some new ideas for where to go next will come to me after some sleep."

The rest of the group followed suit and not much later, they were all curled up, wolf, fox, and cats alike around the fire.

* * *

The night after Liamon had had the altercation with the soldier in the street, he sat in his room staring at the items he had managed to steal: the crested cloak, the key, and a soldier's fabric-armour shirt. He had managed to pilfer it one night in the bar when two men had taken off their shirts to have an unprotected battle over who would pay the tab. He contemplated if he had enough to infiltrate the compound. Thinking over all the events he had witnessed of soldiers coming and going, he supposed he would not know if he were properly equipped until he was inside. With a heavy sigh, he decided that the next night, he would make his move. So long as one had a key, entering the small door by the gates in the middle of the night had appeared easy enough.

Pushing the plank aside, he allowed himself to revert to the jade-coloured, winged, serpentine dragon of his base form and curled up on the floor, determined to regenerate as much as possible before his difficult task ahead. With one last sigh, he resigned himself to the fact that all he could do was hope for success.

As he sat blurry eyed over his drink the next evening, he thoroughly felt it had come too quickly. Far from feeling refreshed from his deep slumber, he felt like he was recovering from a night of heavy drinking. Every joint ached, but he was determined to finish his task.

With the lifted items hidden under his ragged shirt, he waited until most people had retreated to the taverns for the evening before slipping out into the deserted streets. In the shadow of the same doorway he had huddled the day before, he pulled the fabric-armour over his head and wrapped the crested cloak around his shoulders. Holding the large key in his hands, he looked up at the small door next to the gate. Rallying his wits, he marched up to the door, trying his best to appear that he belonged. Once he had arrived at the door, he imitated the soldiers he had witnessed during the previous days and placed the flat side of the key against the middle of the door. With a quiet click, the latch let go, allowing him to push it open.

To his surprise, he was not looking upon the courtyard but at the top of a stairway that descended down to his left. The walls themselves appeared to give off an iridescent glow that illuminated the steps enough that no other light was needed to navigate them. Liamon, with only a moment's hesitation, began to follow the steps downward, hoping that he would not be finding any other uneasy surprises at the bottom.

Half way down the stairs, they turned to the right around a corner. With trepidation, Liamon peered around it and, upon seeing that no one was nearby, continued his descent. At the bottom of the stairs, they opened into a small room. There were no doors, only three solid walls. The one across from the stairs had the wolf crest emblazoned upon it. Half-heartedly, Liamon turned around, examining each of the walls and the ceiling, hoping to find some hint as to what to do next. He was feeling quite sure that his adventure had already come to an end. With a heavy sigh, he looked once more at the crest and regarded it contemptuously. Staring at the design, he noticed the engraving had been textured with diagonal slashes that mimicked the fur upon the wolf. Then he noticed a feature of the texture that made him take pause. In one section, the slash marks were in the wrong direction. Walking closer to the image, he gently ran his hand over the variant markings that appeared in five separate spots, four small above one large. He looked down at the key, still within his palm.

The paw-shaped device appeared to be the same size as the markings upon the relief. He took the rough side of the key and pressed it against the carving. Without a sound, the door disappeared to reveal a long, narrow passage. Before anyone could come upon him, he hurried down the corridor, which curved up and out of sight. From his exterior knowledge of the compound, he felt quite sure that it curved along the base of the mountain and towards the main hall. As he neared the end, he began to slow his pace and move much more cautiously because he heard the jovial sounds of wolves indulging in their usual evening pursuits. He tried to remain in the shadows as he neared the end of the passage, attempting to survey the situation as much as possible before being seen. From his location, he could see through an open archway, across half of the hall to another open archway. Along the great hall's wall to his right were the large doors that had been secured shut for the evening. In the hall itself, he could see many wolves, passed out and reverted in various locations upon the floor. Some of the men were still conscious and drinking heavily. Four of the soldiers, including the giant he had seen in the tavern several days previously had their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders as they swayed back and forth, spilling their drinks in the process, while they sang boisterous songs about wolfish glory and dragon incompetence.

Liamon shuddered slightly with suppressed irritation but reminded himself of his task. The men appeared quite distracted and at least two of the swaying revellers he suspected were taking part simply to use the support of the others to remain upright. A wolf never willingly admitted defeat to drink. Looking again at the archway across from him, he considered the risk of making his way to it and made his decision. Adjusting the hood of his cloak so that it would more effectively shield his face, he pulled himself up tall. He walked purposefully to appear too busy to stop to take part in the celebrations but kept his steps light to avoid any notice in the first place. With heart pounding, he made his way closer to the archway. As he neared the opening, one of the men let out a particularly loud shout, causing him involuntarily to flinch. Within another moment, he realized it had been part of the man's revelry and that the man had not noticed him after all. Once he was out of sight of the hall, he let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding.

He followed the new corridor until it split off in three separate directions. Each hallway looked identical and there were no indicators as to what direction he should take. With an irritated breath, he decided to continue straight unless he came across something that indicated to him to do otherwise. The path he had chosen turned out to be a long hallway that descended downwards and out of sight. He followed it purposefully until he had to stop abruptly.

It was not until it was too late that he saw the end of the passage, a door with two guards on either side. He had hoped he could simply turn around without being noticed, but one of them called out to him.

"It's about time," he called. "We thought you'd succumbed to the grauch. Where's your second?"

"The grauch may not be too much for me," Liamon replied with forced gruffness to hide his nervousness as he approached the two men, "But it was too much for him."

"Well, I'm not staying with you," the man replied and turned to his own second. "Are you going to stay?"

"I've been here as long as you have," his second protested. "No one ever comes down here at night. He can do it himself."

The first soldier seemed to agree with him as he replied, "Your second was with you when you relieved us." He spoke the words meaningfully to which Liamon nodded curtly. The soldier gave him another key before smiling and looking at his second, "There might still be some grauch left in the hall."

The two men gladly left. Liamon shook his head, bewildered. How had such a laxidazical race ever outdone the dragons in battle? Without trying to contemplate the answer, he placed the key upon the door in front of him and opened it. Before him was a large room with a high ceiling. A pedestal stood in the centre at the far end before a stone wall, the only wall in the entire room not lined with books. Upon the pedestal rested a very large, very thick book bound in rusty-brown leather he had never before seen. He walked up to the book and slowly and carefully opened it.

It was filled with writings and symbols he did not recognize. On some of the pages were handwritten notes in what he knew to be wolfish but he had never been able to read the language proficiently. As he slowly flipped the pages, he listened intently for any sounds of an intruder. None came. Diagrams of strange winged beings, weapons, and complicated devices he had never seen passed before his eyes with each turn of the thick paper. He stopped when he came upon a page that appeared to have been ripped from the book. Only the raw edges of the paper remained in the centre of the binding. Looking at the preceding page and the following, he tried to discern what could have been missing.

The preceding page had spirals drawn in different colours and directions annotated with more of the strange writings. The following page made him examine it more closely. In the top right corner, there appeared to be a miniature diagram of what he knew to be the planets of Tatsu, Dominans, Tryailla, and their position in relation to two others. A line from one of the unknown planets connected to a larger diagram on the page, what appeared to be a map of the indicated planet. He examined the drawn continents and oceans and knew that he had never before seen this place. At various points on the drawing of the planet were six symbols, most of which, he recognized. The dragon crest appeared drawn over the eastern-most continent; the wolf upon the northernmost; the cat upon a large, centrally-located continent and, nearby, two more symbols he did not recognize. One was a small series of circles and \- what appeared to be - randomly placed lines. Almost immediately next to it was the other, a silhouetted profile of a monkey. The final symbol was drawn near one of the poles and had a particularly long note associated with it. It appeared to be the outline of a feathered wing.

He leaned in more closely to get a better look at the writings, trying as best he could to make any sense of them in their given context, but he was unable to glean anything more from the page. What the symbols had told him, however, was where this planet was and that it was somehow important. For many moments, he considered the information and his own situation.

He had not found any sign of Shinga and, from the conversations he had overheard in the tavern, neither had the wolves. He had to consider that she had escaped and was already ahead of him in finding Altruvia. In such a situation, his priority would be to find Altruvia. Staring at the cat's symbol upon the page, he breathed deeply as he accepted it was his only option. Closing the book, he turned and marched from the room.

By the time he returned to the hall, all the remaining wolves had succumbed to their drink and he was easily able to leave the compound and return to the tavern where he would prepare to leave Dominans. Given the uncertainty of where he planned to travel, he was determined to retrieve his invisibility cylinder before making his journey to the unknown planet. He had no idea what to expect when he got there and – politics or not – he did not want to be needlessly unprepared.

* * *

Alu, Nomti, and Mshai crawled upon their bellies up the dune where they hoped to meet with Kemnebi and Nubiti once more. Under the circumstances, each clutched a spear as he crawled. The sun had not yet risen and the morning had retained the cold chill. Once they had reached the top, they peered over the dune to where the warriors' camp had been the day before. They could make out the cooling embers of a fire and even some remaining belongings but there was no warrior to be found. They looked at each other quizzically.

Mshai gasped and Alu and Nomti turned to see that he had noticed a warrior about to attack. As they turned onto their backs, they saw three others who had almost neared them as well. As best they could, they tried to scramble to their feet but they were still caught off guard. As Mshai barely deflected the spear that had been aimed at his chest, instead receiving a long cut down his side, they heard the warrior yell, "Take your dark gods with you."

Nomti, who had not fully stood, chose to discard his spear entirely and instead lunged beneath the raised weapon of his nearest attacker to take out his legs. By coincidence more than skill or intent of the blow, as the tackled man tumbled backwards, he hit the warrior closest to him in the face with his flailing arm, knocking him off balance as well.

Alu's fear and inexperience became apparent, as he was unable to pull himself up and remained on his back, clutching his spear with the tip pointed outward but in such a way as to be useless to him. As the fourth warrior stood above him, about to give the striking blow, Alu's senses came back to him and he rolled out of the way. By the time he had gotten to his feet, the man was already attempting another strike, but with his wits returned to him, he used his own spear to guide the offending shaft away from his body.

There was a scream and behind his attacker he could see that Mshai had just dealt a fatal blow to his opponent. Leaving the body, Mshai now rushed to Nomti's aid as the two that had ganged up on him had regained themselves and already given him several superficial wounds to his face and arms.

The spear of Alu's attacker came within inches from his nose as he dodged it once more, this time by ducking as low as he could. He was not accustomed to such movement upon the dunes and narrowly avoided falling over. His sure-footed opponent did not cease his attacks and before Alu could regain his balance he was forced to do an awkward block with the end of the handle of his own weapon. The result was a nasty gash upon his arm.

At this point, he had nearly fallen over and knew that his opponent was too skilled and too sure-footed in the conditions to be beaten by him. As his hope faded, so did his sense and rather than prepare for the inevitable onslaught from his attacker, he clumsily tried to back away from him. His mouth had long gone dry and his heart had jumped up into his throat and was now pounding loudly between his ears. He saw the man begin his last attack and he closed his eyes, not wanting to know the extent of what was coming. It seemed an eternity as he waited but the blow did not come; only a strange sound he did not recognize.

In disbelief, he opened his eyes and saw the warrior slumped to the ground, Mshai's spear protruding from his throat. He looked over to where Mshai and Nomti had been and saw Mshai walking towards him while Nomti appeared to be making great effort to ensure his opponents were dead.

"This is why practice is so important," Mshai called as he approached. "You are lucky I didn't miss," he added as he looked down at the crumpled form.

When the group was reassembled, they looked out over the dune to the river. The sun was near breaching the horizon and they could see the camp upon the opposite bank clearly now.

"No point in waiting for Kemnebi and Nubiti," Nomti sighed. "I'm guessing their meeting didn't go well."

"We don't know that," Alu insisted. "We should at least wait until the sun is up."

Mshai, who was in command, thought for a moment, "They told us to take our dark gods." Looking at Alu compassionately, he said, "I think that indicates fairly well that Kemnebi and Nubiti were not looked upon favourably."

"That doesn't mean they won't come back," Alu pleaded. "We are talking about Kemnebi and Nubiti. They are nearly one with the gods."

"And it is possible that their pursuers, who are not much far removed from that, could be involved in this," Nomti replied prudently. Turning to Mshai, he asked, "What do you want us to do?"

"We will stay only until mid-morning," Mshai instructed firmly. "Then, we will return to camp and stay there for the moon cycle as planned. It is the only way we can be sure."

The weary trio sat openly upon the dune now, waiting for their friends. When mid-morning passed without any sign of movement, they retreated with heavy hearts.

## Chapter 24

Djadao, Nebti, and Shenti sat morosely around the main fire they had built centrally in the new village. The hike to the new location had been long and piercingly hot but that did not prevent the need to set up their camp upon arrival. Spent, they now gave in to their exhausted limbs. The three of them did not talk. None of them had liked having to move the entire village, not because of the inconvenience but because of what it meant in leaving Kemnebi and Nubiti behind. They sat, staring at the fire, as if the weight of guilt from some great atrocity had been laid upon their shoulders.

It was not until Kempi ran up that they were broken from their trance. She gave her father an exuberant hug around his waist. Half-heartedly, he hugged her in return, his mind still drifting to other people. Not to be deterred, she scrambled next to him to cuddle by leaning her head against his side. This minor intrusion was not enough to distract them from their woes and once Kempi was settled, the three returned to staring at the flames.

Amisi stormed up, apparently having witnessed the display. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded. "It is like you have experienced the death of a family member."

"Perhaps we feel that we have," Nebti replied quietly.

Giving a disgruntled snort, Amisi continued, "They were not family. They were strangers who were among us for only a few days. We barely knew them!"

Djadao had had enough. His anger was so strong that he could not remain seated and stood abruptly. "You barely knew them!" He shot back. "To us, they were family. How dare you attack us for having a sense of loyalty to them. We are honourable people. We do not ignore when someone has shared so much with us and done so much for us."

Still scoffing, Amisi spun around and walked away as she said, "They have done nothing for me but risk my child."

Frustrated, Djadao sat down heavily, grumbling to himself. Kempi had been watching him and she pointed at his abdomen as she said, "Your bulge is almost gone."

"Yes, it is, my little one," he replied quietly.

"Did Nubiti really do that? Did she really take it away?" Kempi questioned.

He nodded slowly without looking at her, trying not to let his emotions overcome him. "She insisted because she told me it was harming me and would eventually have killed me. She said she felt the people needed me and could not lose me to disease." He stopped speaking and pressed his lips together, fighting his best to keep the emotion from his words. With a deep breath, he continued, "She told me I was one of the greatest men she had ever known and that the world would be a lesser place without me." A tear fell down his cheek, but he restrained the sobs with great physical effort.

"Without those two," Nebti explained for her husband, "We would already be dying. They insisted they help improve our lives and, foolishly, we begged them for their help with the other tribe. It is our fault they are gone. They asked nothing in return. They made no demands upon us. They simply agreed."

"They showed more loyalty to us than we have to them," Shenti added quietly.

"Every person in this village owes them his life," Djadao said, now sounding more austere than emotional. "We must never forget that." Looking up, he saw Amisi standing near one of the tents, looking at him, and to his surprise, her face was soft and compassionate. She blinked when she realized he was looking at her and disappeared into her tent.

* * *

Many days had passed since Lapidus, Ashyina, Altruvia and Graiylin had begun their search for the Tomb of the Waterfall. They had searched several dozen caves and were beginning to lose hope that they would find evidence of anything at all.

It was early one morning, after yet another restless night out in the elements that they found anything that gave them pause. They arrived at a small waterfall, which appeared similar to many of the others they had seen. It was hidden deep within a jungle and, from where they stood next to the flowing river at its base, they could see the opening of a cave peeking out from behind it.

Unlike during their visits to the other caves they had examined, none of them immediately walked towards this one. They all, even Ashyina who had chosen to take human form that morning, stood awkwardly in a combination of awe and terror that they could not explain. They felt drawn to the cave as if the unassuming rock hummed at a frequency like a siren.

"I have felt this once before," Graiylin dared to mutter. "When Altruvia and I were drawn to the secret falls on Tryailla."

Ashyina waved a dismissive hand. "That was me. This is much different than what I did," she explained as she began to move towards the opening. Lapidus silently following in her wake.

This new information, however, seemed to overcome the ethereal hum of the rock, breaking Graiylin and Altruvia out of its spell to stare at Ashyina.

"That was you?" Graiylin could not help but explode the question.

Ashyina was unconcerned, "It was necessary. Shinga had already set her plan in motion and I needed you ready when you would be confronted." She had not ceased her approach and this annoyed Graiylin. He marched around her to stand in her path.

"Are we puppets to you? I thought such manipulations went against your laws." he demanded to know.

Her expression was slightly exasperated at this sudden interrogation. "Of course you aren't puppets. It was an extraordinary circumstance. I didn't think you would have understood the seriousness of the situation."

"So people are just supposed to be manipulated to your will instead of told the truth because they are too stupid, is that it?" he seethed.

"I have never felt any of the children to be stupid," she defended.

His eyes darkened. "No," he replied coldly, "But always children. Always to be left in the dark and treated as fragile dolls to be protected. I saw how you avoided biting that warrior who held you back in the village. You could have gotten loose if you had bitten him. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't need to," she said simply. "I got us out of there without harming anyone. I will not attack when it is not necessary."

"And when is it necessary?" Graiylin shot back. "When it is one of your own? When it is Shinga?"

At this Lapidus intervened, "Now, Graiylin, you aren't being fair. Shinga is a special case and we must stop her for the sake of everyone. This isn't some petty rivalry."

"But why Ashyina?" Graiylin asked him. "If there are still some of you left, why has Shinga chosen to focus on Ashyina? Wouldn't all of you be fighting her and trying to stop her? And speaking of that, where are the rest of you?"

Lapidus and Ashyina exchanged a significant glance before Lapidus turned back to Graiylin. "We do not know how much time we have so we must check this cave, but I will tell you when we get inside."

At this offer, Graiylin looked at Lapidus intently and upon feeling he could trust his word, stepped aside and allowed them to lead the way into the cave.

It was much darker inside than they had expected. Graiylin had to pick up a stick from the ground and light the end on fire with his hand for them to see anything within it. Once they could see, they were even more surprised it had been so dark, as the cave itself was quite shallow. It was also unexpectedly unremarkable.

"Examine everything," Ashyina instructed as she herself placed a palm upon the rock and began to walk along it, apparently feeling for any energies that might have seemed significant.

Altruvia, not knowing what else to do, knelt on the ground and tried to see if there was anything beneath the dirt while Lapidus and Graiylin examined the ceiling. It was not long before Ashyina's change in movement caught their attention. She was now at the back wall and trying frantically to brush away a thick layer of debris, dirt, and roots. Upon seeing this, Lapidus immediately joined her and Graiylin held up his torch to give them more light. When they had finished their hurried work, they all saw the symbol revealed beneath. Carved and filled with gold and silver were three circles within each other. In the centre of all of them were a series of haphazardly placed lines from one edge of the circumference to the other.

"What is it?" Altruvia asked Ashyina.

She shook her head in response as she replied, "I do not know. I have never seen this symbol before."

"If there was no one in this universe before you," Graiylin asked indignantly, "How could there be anything you haven't seen before?"

She was bent over, guiding her fingers over a portion of the carving, when she glared at him and replied, "It is always possible one of our own kind did this. After our transformation, I did not have contact with any of their thoughts. And as Lapidus so gleefully pointed out the other night, I do not remember everything I may have once known either." She straightened and stood back to look at the entire image. "This must be from before the war," she said as she looked at Lapidus.

"What war?" Graiylin asked impatiently.

Lapidus looked at him sadly, "You need to calm yourself, Graiylin. I promised I would share the story with you and I will. She is referring to the war that Shinga started back when we were all on this planet together.

"When children began to be born with spontaneous thought, our races began to argue over the matter of how to deal with the newly forming consciousness of these new children. The children also began to exhibit different affinities according to their race. The dragon children became increasingly interested in combat. In this environment, the arguing amongst the races led to very serious events.

"Some of us enjoyed these new layers of being and wanted to explore them further, allowing the children to evolve naturally to see what would happen. Others felt we should work more vigilantly to elevate their consciousness to avert disaster. Finally, Shinga led the rallying cry that all the children be destroyed as abominations. She argued that we should never have meddled with the unthinking beings. Over time, she managed to convince others that she was correct and, when her ranks were large enough, civil war broke out. The hatred and the distrust of the new children ran deep amongst Shinga and her few followers. Any who did not agree with her were massacred. We fought back, trying to defend the children that many of us now loved whether they were abominations or not. But any of the thinkers that sympathized with the children were considered enemies and given much worse fates than those they had hoped to protect.

"We had once been a vast race with countless numbers. By the end of the war, her side had been reduced to a few stragglers, but she had always evaded us. Our people's numbers had been reduced as well. All the races but for the monkeys fled to other planets. That proved their undoing as by the time the dust settled, there was no sign of them. The hawks were almost entirely massacred and none of us ever heard from them again. It was before the war that any but the monkeys was on this planet."

Ashyina interjected, "I always thought her resentment of the children had more to do with her own inability to master her form than their emerging strengths." She looked at Graiylin as she explained, "Shinga had had more difficulty than any of our kind integrating into the form of flesh. Many of the children began to excel beyond her and that was when her jealousies emerged. She had no children of her own for her feelings to be translated into pride for their successes. By the time the war started, however, she had worked harder than ever to integrate her abilities and by the time the first blood was shed, she was quite formidable."

While listening to their conversation, Altruvia walked up to the symbol and placed a hand upon it to feel its energy, the call that had beckoned them to enter. "Could this have been made by the humans?" She asked.

"No," Ashyina replied. "They could not have created anything with this kind of energy. This is too much like what your ancestor created."

Without removing her hand, Altruvia turned her head to look at Ashyina. "Are you talking about the secret glade on Tryailla?"

Ashyina nodded, "And even the palace itself at on time. He told me that he had been given information on how to create it and that he must for the good of the people, but he always refused to tell me who had told him this. As for the glade, I always had the impression it had been used gratefully many times but I have no idea why. The palace's energy has long since changed with the additions made to it by successive rulers. The glade remains prue. I led you there, which was the energy you felt then. What we are feeling now is something you would not have been able to perceive at the time, but it is most certainly the same energy here as once affected your home."

"Could this be a gateway," Altruvia mused more to herself. With this comment, the others walked up behind her and examined it again. Graiylin and Lapidus attempted to push upon the wall unsuccessfully.

Ashyina appeared to be caught in her own thoughts for a few moments before saying, "There is nothing behind this wall that I can tell. If this is where the weapon was hidden, I am not sure it remains here."

At this, they heard a sound from the cave entrance that made them all freeze. Ashyina's eyes were wide for only a moment before she visibly relaxed and called, "Liamon, it is alright. You may enter."

A moment later, Liamon became visible before them. Altruvia noticed he was looking much more weary since their last encounter. His hair and beard appeared to have grown out of his control. Although he expectedly looked at Altruvia, the glance was brief. It was Ashyina who he could not stop watching.

"Yes, I am alive," she said kindly to his unspoken question. To this he looked at Lapidus and Altruvia could tell without entering his mind that he wondered if he should escape while he had the chance.

"I don't care about the politics of your races," Lapidus said dismissively, his tone showing his obvious annoyance at the intrusion.

Apparently determining that he was in no immediate danger, Liamon relaxed significantly and pulled himself up taller with this newfound confidence. "What are you all doing here?" he asked simply.

"Not waiting for you," Graiylin replied irritably. Given Liamon's known obsession with Altruvia, he was not a person Graiylin was pleased to have interrupt them.

Ashyina placed a calming hand upon Graiylin's arm as she said sweetly, "Now, now, there is no need for hostility." She walked slowly up to Liamon and smiled slyly. "You have some interesting information in that head of yours," she said.

Her demeanour and knowledge of his thoughts was off-putting and Altruvia sensed his confidence falter. Ashyina had felt it too and as she took one of his hands gently in hers, she explained, "I am a telepath." She motioned to Altruvia, "Not quite in the same way as the woman of your desires but there is not much that can be hidden from me. I think you have arrived at a perfect time." She squeezed his hand reassuringly as she said, "So much confusion. We shall help sort all that out. I must, after all, ensure my daughter is given a good message when you return."

Altruvia could not help but feel Graiylin's exasperated irritation at how Ashyina was treating Liamon but it was not until she turned to see Lapidus' face that she realized he was feeling the same way. Having apparently taken all he could of this display, he stepped forward and cleared his throat before saying, "We should make camp if we are going to be having a long conversation. Once we all know everything, we can examine this symbol further." He walked from the cave, deliberately ignoring Liamon as he walked by him. Graiylin followed closely behind.

As Altruvia caught up to them, leaving Ashyina and Liamon to make their way slowly from the cave, she asked Lapidus what was going on. He gave an indignant snort before replying, "Liamon has never been the brightest. Any time I was on Tatsu, he always seemed clueless as to what was going on. I don't have patience for his level of stupidity. We could sit here all night explaining every detail to him and he still won't understand what is going on. He will just get in the way."

"Why is Ashyina being so nice to him?" Graiylin wondered as he looked back briefly to see that they were still following behind.

"Put her before any of her children and she does that, especially with the stupid ones. Liamon is a direct descendent of one of her more recent incarnations,"

Altruvia was confused. "I thought she was a wolf."

Lapidus waved the comment away dismissively. "We have reached the point that we can be reborn in any of the races, even those oustide the original five if we require it." He looked back irritably at Ashyina's efforts to coddle Liamon. Their arms were now linked and she had obviously successfully placated him, as he seemed willingly under her spell. Lapidus rolled his eyes and looked forward again, complaining, "I just wish she would drop her attachment to him so that I could get him out of the way properly. He is always turning up when it is least convenient."

Once the group had built their fire, to the astonishment of Liamon at their methods, they settled in to discuss the situation. Without hesitation, Ashyina, who was sitting next to Liamon with an arm around his shoulders, admonished Lapidus.

"You should be more grateful to Liamon," she said. "He has brought a very important piece of information."

"I'm sure he has," Lapidus replied sarcastically.

Ashyina's gaze darkened. "Read his mind, my friend," she said in a warning tone.

Without changing his mind, Lapidus stared at Liamon for several seconds. At first he laughed, but after another moment, his expression became one of impressed surprise. "How you managed to enter the grand archives, I have no idea," Lapidus complimented to his chagrin.

"It was quite easy," Liamon replied tartly. "None of your people is very diligent as a guard."

"That seems strange," Lapidus muttered, thinking to himself. "Normally, Minron is around to take care of spies. What is that man up to?"

"I heard he let Shinga escape," Liamon explained. "I overheard some of the soldiers talking about how Minron was in trouble with the Alpha."

Lapidus nodded and asked, "But those weren't the soldiers that peed on you, then?"

To this, Liamon turned red and his eyes flicked to Altruvia before giving Lapidus a murderous glare.

"But this book you found," Lapidus continued as if he had not noticed. "I've been in those archives many times and have never seen it before. Only the highest level wolves are allowed to look inside that room and only when requested by the Alpha." He turned to Ashyina. "Is that the book you mentioned?"

She considered for many moments before replying, "I think so. At this moment, I am more interested in the map that Liamon came across. It has this cave and the home of the monkeys on it. I know where to go now."

Graiylin looked back at the cave that was not far from them before asking, "Are we not going to see if this one has the weapon?"

"I don't think so," Ashyina replied. "I cannot sense anything else in there."

"Aren't you only a telepath?" Liamon asked.

She gave him a warm smile before answering his question. "There are two kinds of telepathy, my child. One is to guide one's mind through the world, probing into the minds of others. That is the kind that Altruvia can perform. Although she can sense the world around her and its energies, this technique is not as effective as the second method, which is to expand your consciousness simply to include the entirety of all thoughts and energies into your perception. It is allowing what is to come to you. That is the method I can perform." Turning to Lapidus, she returned to the more pressing conversation. "The Alpha has made a move against Shinga. She will be even more determined to find us now and she has no reason to stay hidden anymore. Now that Liamon has brought us this valuable information, I know where to go."

They all agreed that they should waste no more time. After they had put out the fire, Ashyina transported them to a large waterfall in the middle of a lush valley. The spray from the falls created a rainbow at its base and, despite standing on the bank quite far from the water itself, their faces were still misted by the spray.

Graiylin pointed out a problem. "There doesn't appear to be a way behind the falls." He was correct as, on either side of the water, there were steep vertical cliffs that extended out along the lower river. Looking at Ashyina he asked, "Is there any way you can get us inside?"

Closing her eyes, she concentrated for several seconds. Her face contorted into frustration before she opened her eyes and grunted. "There is a barrier that will prevent teleportation. We will have to swim."

As the group looked apprehensively at the turbulent water at the base of the waterfall, Lapidus said lightly, "At least the barrier bodes well for us."

"I would have preferred a barrier across a dry path," Graiylin said as he raised a hand to the falls. Nothing happened.

"This is not normal water," Ashyina noted. "We will have to find another way."

Graiylin grumbled under his breath for a minute before suggesting, "Altruvia and I could swim it if we could revert but we cannot keep our minds well enough yet. If I went first, I don't know what would happen when Altruvia lost sight of me. We don't have that much experience with this."

"Let me take care of that," Ashyina suggested. "I can manage it while I revert as well." She turned to Lapidus, "You can help Liamon, if he needs it."

When Lapidus glared at him, Liamon responded dryly, "You don't need to concern yourself. I can manage a short distance like that."

Within moments and with only a slight hesitation from Liamon, they had all transformed into their base forms: the white fox, the two large cats, the jade-coloured dragon, and a large grey wolf. All but for Liamon jumped into the water. Liamon flew through the waterfall and was followed by the quadrupeds who had to fight the raging currents. With Ashyina's small form, she had difficulty keeping her head above the waves with all the water pressing down upon her. Graiylin reached out and grasped the scruff of her neck with his large canines to help her the remainder of the way. It was a difficult task as he had to fight the currents while maintaining a delicate hold so that he would not accidentally puncture her neck with his powerful jaw. Once they had passed the falling water, they were easily able to swim the short distance to the shore and pull themselves onto the stones of the cave floor. Graiylin released Ashyina who scrambled to her feet and shook herself vigorously to remove the excess water.

Once they were all in their human forms again, they stood, staring down the long cave. It was strangely quiet with only the faint whisper of a breeze blowing passed the opening behind them. The air within the cave was completely still. They could faintly make out the back wall in the darkness, but it was so dark, that it appeared to be endless from certain angles. Without moving from the entrance they all looked at the walls and saw they were covered with small lines that had been carved into them. Each mark only the length of a pinky finger.

"What is this place?" Altruvia whispered.

Lapidus swallowed hard and said, "It is a tomb." He began to walk forward as he continued, "Each mark represents one of the fallen. It was how the monkeys kept their memories of those they had lost."

With this knowledge, she stifled a gasp as she surveyed the tightly spaced marks that covered the high walls from floor to ceiling and extended as far back into the cave as she could see. A tear fell down her cheek as she fully comprehended each small stroke as a once living being with friends and loved ones. Liamon and Graiylin, obviously feeling the same way, stayed rooted to the spot as they solemnly regarded the memorial.

Wiping her eyes, Ashyina followed Lapidus into the cave. "We must remember that the numbers will be far greater and there will be no one to note them if we do not succeed. Let's get started."

Her dire warning broke the rest from their trance and they too entered the cave, trying to ignore the countless markings as they looked for any sign that the weapon they sought could have been there. There were no other carvings upon the stones aside from the small lines as they walked slowly to the back of the cave. As they approached it, something began to catch their eye. A carving upon the back wall became clearer. At first, they all thought it was simply coming into focus as they neared it, but then they realized the wall was beginning to glow and the carving soon shone brilliantly. It was the image of a large tree. Above and below the tree, a strange text appeared.

"It is monkey," Lapidus commented.

"What does it say?" Graiylin and Altruvia asked together.

Slowly, Lapidus read, "The death of Tryailla was witnessed here. That which dealt the blow will never be found."

Altruvia stepped forward as if that would help her understanding, "What does this mean? This wall is far too old to be about what happened to our home."

"It could be part of the lost prophecy," Ashyina suggested. "The one the dragons and wolves interpreted to come after you."

Nodding slowly, Altruvia did not say anything, but she knew this was not the case as her mother had shared the entirety of it with her. It had not mentioned Tryailla by name at any point.

"Why did they come after her?" Graiylin asked, genuinely interested to know why their lives had been turned upside down.

"They misunderstood an ancient prophecy," Lapidus remarked. "It describes a child of Tryailla that fits Altruvia's description. It mentions great power and weapons. Foolishly, some people thought that meant they could become all powerful."

"Shinga, on the other hand," Ashyina elaborated, "Knows an older version. It also indicates the same person may be able to open the gateway to our home. It would allow her to leave the universe she has viewed as a prison for so long. That is after she intends to kill us, of course." Reading the inscription upon the wall once more, she added, "It appears she may succeed in her plans, after all."

Graiylin let out a frustrated breath, "All our efforts have been for nothing?"

"I don't know," replied Ashyina quietly.

* * *

Alu, Mshai and Nomti sat around their campfire in silence. Although the sun had not yet set, they had already eaten their dinner and were waiting in forlorn fashion until it was dark enough to sleep for the night. Since the attack by the river several days prior, they had not dared return to the spot, figuring that if Kemnebi and Nubiti returned at this point, it would be to where the village had been. They were also confident that more warriors would come looking for their comrades.

When they had volunteered to wait, Alu had imagined a happy reunion with Kemnebi and Nubiti, followed by a triumphant return to the village with their friends in tow. He had not thought of the many hours with nothing to do being interrupted only by the quick chores of keeping themselves warm and fed. With the rations that had been left behind for them, even that task had been minimized. He had not anticipated the despair that would take hold reducing their spirits so that even each other's company was no longer enough.

When the sun had finally nearly set, the three men went inside their tent hoping that sleep would come to them, helping pass the time. In their depression, sleep did come but was not deep or rejuvenating. Every movement of each other or the tent fabric, every sound from the river would bring them closer to wakefulness. As their minds raced in their sleep, even without outside distraction, they felt stressed and tortured.

It was in this tumultuous condition that the first truly intrusive sounds awoke them. These were the sounds that did not belong and, without moving, they looked at each other wide eyed, wondering what it was that had awakened them. As they strained their ears, Alu felt that surge of adrenaline that is the only thing that can keep a person fully awake and alert deep into the night. He tried to keep his breathing steady so that he could hear more clearly.

There was another sound. This time they could identify it as a man's whisper; so quiet that they did not hear the words only the tone of the voice. Alu saw Mshai slowly wrap his fingers around the handle of his spear. He looked toward the doorway as he heard a gentle footfall near it. All three men were now quite tense and ready for the coming attack.

Mshai gave Nomti and Alu a meaningful glance, desperately trying to convey his meaning. Alu was not sure but he thought Mshai wanted to attack to catch the men off guard. A moment later, he did just that as in one fluid movement he pushed from the ground and dove through the flap of the tent towards the person he knew had been standing there. Nomti quickly followed as he jumped to his feet, grabbed the spear he had left at the edge of the tent and ran through the door.

The din erupted instantly and Alu had barely grabbed his own spear and headed for the flap before he heard the first man let out a scream of pain. Expecting the worst, he jumped into the open air with the point of his weapon held firmly outward. To his relief, he saw at his feet the slumped, unmoving form of a warrior from the northeastern village. Looking around frantically, he saw Mshai and Nomti each engaged with two more men. As he spun around, he came face to face with another warrior who was flanked by two others. The man had successfully taken him by surprise and Alu had just begun to dodge the blow aimed at his abdomen. The biface cut through his side, blinding him with the pain. He was vaguely aware of a feeling of blood flowing down his hip and leg. Desperately, he tried to clear his head to see what was going on. Everything was a blur as the three men descended upon him.

Through his own fear, he heard Nomti let out a cry of agony. For him, this was the death knell. He knew he was about to perish but if Nomti and Mshai were being overrun, it was an ever more emphatic certainty. His heart sank, taking the strength in his limbs with him. Feebly he waved his spear at his attackers who, seeing his state from the massive blood loss, knew he was no longer a threat and calmly leaned back out of the path of his point. As the weight of the spear became too much, the blade fell to the sand and Alu stood hunching over it, gasping hard for breath.

Knowing the deathblow was coming, this time he did not close his eyes or cower. He dared to look up and saw the cold calculation in the eyes of the three who had their spears raised above him. In that first second, their blades were searing and Alu could have sworn he heard Mshai let out an animalistic scream in his direction. Alu did not scream. There was no ability to voice his end. He wondered if Mshai too had been cut down. He wondered if his sister would have a boy like him. He wondered if he should pray to gods, to Kemnebi, to himself. As long as it seemed, that second of pain was quickly over as was his clipped life.

## Chapter 25

Rubbing her eyes wearily, Shinga let out a long sigh. She had not dared return to the archives in the days since she stole that first page, despite having made very little progress in making sense of it. The page's contents and the markings upon the floor had no information in common that would have helped in her attempted translation. She wished she could return to the archives to retrieve more information, but there was always the strong possibility that the missing page would have been noticed and the archives more heavily guarded than usual. A small shudder ran through her as she thought back to how easily the Alpha had tricked her and how he had done it. She did not want to risk such an encounter again, especially while so feeble.

As she let out a deep sigh, she returned to studying the strange text. The symbols and writing blurred before her eyes and she reluctantly set the paper down upon the floor before the statue. She walked down to the underground river where she splashed the cold water over her face and drank several handfuls.

As she walked exhaustedly back into the statue hall, she stopped and stared at the tall figure, ever stoic and vigilant. Her eyes slid over the wings to the alert ears and the serene face. As she looked at the smooth chest of the proud beast, she started. Running to the base of the statue, she clutched at the paper that still rested there and scanned the image. A spiral was drawn upon the chest in bright red. Not far from this drawing was one phrase in wolfish that she understood: "Altered Life." As she looked back up at the statue, she wondered why the drawing contained a spiral.

Standing slowly, she placed a delicate hand upon the chest. Briefly she was distracted by the wrinkles upon her fingers. Her hands looked so old. Perhaps the hands showed one's true age and she thought meditatively about her past. Even though she had spent millennia seeking revenge, she began to wonder if it had been worth it. Shaking her head to bring her back to her senses, she returned to her examination of the statue.

Although there was a layer of dust upon its chest, it was not thick enough to obscure any carvings. She brushed away the dirt just to be sure and looked down again at the drawing she now held in her hand. The bright red colour began to make sense to her and, dropping the paper, she ran back to the river and looked for any sharp rocks that may have been jutting out of the cavern walls. Once she had located one, she took her finger and used the sharp edge to slice her finger open so deeply that she began to bleed profusely.

Despite the pain, she did not wince or try to stem the bleeding. She ran back to the statue and drew a widdershins spiral upon its chest in her blood. Immediately, she began to hear the stone of the statue crack and rumble. Stepping back, she looked up at the winged wolf and saw that the cracking and rumbling was coming from the wings, which were now moving gracefully in the air. The stone wolf inclined its nose and appeared to sniff the stagnant air of the cave. Then, it turned its still blank stone eyes upon her.

It did not speak aloud but she could hear it clearly in her head.

"You are not a child," it commented as it appeared to survey her more closely before sitting upright as if quite surprised. "You are an enemy of the thinkers but you are powerless. How strange."

It only now seemed to realize that it no longer held anything within its paw. "I knew I should not have trusted him," it muttered before looking upon her again. She had not said anything and, in fact, could think of nothing to do but stare at the animated figure, which was now sniffing the air once more.

"It is too soon for me," it said. "But perhaps you may be useful." With this, it placed its stone paw surprisingly gently upon her head as it said, "Take my gift, noble enemy of the vile trespassers. Use it well." It sat back upon its haunches and returned to its immovable state.

Shinga felt nothing at first and then, as if she had had a bucket of cold water dumped upon her head, countless sensations flooded her. She began to feel more like herself before her encounter with the Alpha. As she thought of her past, of Ashyina, her memory became clearer and her blood lust returned. She cackled as she felt power coursing through her form, her strength returning, her mind becoming whole. Moreover, for the first time, she could feel the betrayer. She knew where she was and she salivated at the thought of finding her. How to escape seemed a trivial issue as she willed herself into cloud and changed with minimal effort. Walls were no longer a barrier as she could manoeuvre through the smallest of cracks and she rose up above the main compound of the Alpha, smugly thinking to herself that she would come back for him. She then set off to find her prey.

* * *

It had been four days since they had arrived and set up the village once more, when Djadao saw them come around the hill to the north. It was late in the day and the light of the sun gave everything a golden glow, even the sorry pair he saw struggling to make it to him. He called for Shenti who immediately appeared and the two men rushed to meet their kin.

Mshai appeared weary and bloodied and was supporting Nomti, who was in much worse shape, barely able to remain conscious and completely unable to place weight upon his right leg. Once they were close, Djadao saw that he had a large gaping wound in his calf. Gratefully, Mshai helped transfer Nomti to Shenti's shoulder and stood upright, stretching out his back. Upon seeing that Mshai could walk under his own power, Djadao took up a place on the free side of Nomti to help with the weight. As they hobbled back to the village itself, Djadao asked Mshai, "Where is Alu?"

Mshai said nothing, only tensed his jaw as he gave Djadao a sorrowful look.

Djadao led them to his own tent where they laid Nomti down near the fire. Nebti, having seen them approaching the village had run to gather water and now entered the tent with a basket of herbs and a hartebeest hide container filled with liquid. Following her was Miu. The two women immediately took charge of the injured men. They did not speak, being so proficient at their task that they need not communicate. Miu knelt down and began washing the blood from Mshai to determine the extent of his wounds. He winced as they were extremely painful. Once Miu had him cleaned, she relaxed markedly and sat back upon her feet.

"I will have to put herbs on these and they will sting but you should heal," she replied. She left the tent briefly and returned with a large flat rock and a smaller round one. Kneeling down by the fire again, she reached into Nebti's basket of herbs and pulled out some sprigs of thyme that Nebti had previously dried in the sun. With little effort, Miu crushed the sprig between the two rocks until she was satisfied with the powder she had created. Adding a few drops of water, she mixed the crushed herb into a paste and with her finger, applied it to Mshai's wounds.

Djadao turned to Nebti who had been tending to Nomti, who had now allowed himself to lose consciousness. She looked up at him briefly only to give him an unencouraging expression. The water had cleansed the dried blood but there was a steady trickle from wounds in his leg, side, and head that were quickly replacing it. Nebti was having trouble staying on top of the matter and, seeing this, Miu came to her aid once she had finished tending to Mshai. As the two women tried their best to clean him and treat his wounds with their poultices, Djadao turned back to Mshai.

"What happened?" he asked trying to stay rational and calm but a hint of exasperation could be heard in the shaking of his voice.

Mshai looked at the ground as if ashamed. "I was unable to save him. Even Nomti and I barely escaped. We were attacked in the night and those dishonourable vermin not only tried to take us while we slept but three of them attacked Alu at one time. Mshai and I were each fighting two. I had just killed the second of the two when I saw them murder Alu. It was too late before I got to him. I'm not sure how I did it, but I managed to fight off the three men and kill them all." His voice trailed off. "I enjoyed it," he said, haunted. "They deserved it."

"They took Alu from us, of course they deserved it," Djadao said coldly.

Mshai looked at him as if searching his face for deeper answers. Then he continued, "Nomti had almost defeated the two who had attacked him but he was already in the state you see before you now. I helped him finish them off." Bowing his head, he looked at the ground as he roughly wiped away his tears as though he were angry with himself. "I – I buried Alu by the river," he whispered. "I wasn't able to dig very far down. I didn't have a shovel or the strength. Nomti was bleeding so much and I..."

Djadao cut him off from his rambling explanation, "You do not need to justify anything to me, son. When Nomti is healed, we will return to give Alu a proper burial."

Mshai looked at Nomti and Djadao did not need Nubiti's abilities to know that he wondered if they would be burying Nomti as well, but he would not indulge such despair himself. "All of the desert four will go," he affirmed. "We will honour Alu together."

* * *

The sun had long set and in the dark cave, Lapidus poked the burning logs of the fire with a stick, pushing them around to increase the exposure of that which still had yet to burn. Liamon sat silently and vacantly watching this task while Graiylin rubbed Altruvia's back in comfort. She was leaning forward with her palms upon her knees and her chin resting upon her hands. They said nothing while Ashyina continued to inspect the tree. The energy of the inscription had been unknown to her and she was determined to find any clue she could that would lead them to where the weapon had been taken.

Lapidus' stick ceased moving and Altruvia moved her eyes to see that he was now looking up impatiently at the hunched over Ashyina. "It isn't here," he called to her. "There is no point in staying."

To this, Ashyina stood and turned on him. "What would you have me do?" she said angrily. "Hand myself over to Shinga so that she can kill us all before moving on to our descendents?"

"I never said that," he replied with an equal measure of frustration. "But sitting here isn't getting us anywhere either. There is nothing more on that inscription. We must accept that we have to find another way."

"What is this weapon you are looking for?" Liamon asked timidly.

With her usual attempt at compassion, Ashyina looked kindly at him as she explained, "We need a weapon that can kill Shinga. No normal device will work. It must be something that can overcome her ability to heal herself."

"Too bad we don't have what killed the Draigo," he replied casually. "I'm sure that would have worked."

Ashyina, Altruvia, and Graiylin all replied simultaneously, "What did you just say?"

"The Draigo," he repeated. "I was put in charge of investigating his death. That is why I am here. I lost track of Shinga and my next priority was to find Altruvia. Cayinth wants me to return the head and the heart of whoever was responsible. Whoever did it used a weapon with strange properties."

"It was a silver fang," Altruvia said quietly. "Shinga threw it, killing the Draigo. I tried to remove it to heal him but the wound wouldn't heal just like my hand didn't after it burned me. I took it in case I could later find out how to overcome the energy."

Ashyina, a fervent look in her eyes, ran up to Altruvia and nearly lifted her off the ground, showing a strength they had not before witnessed. "Where is it?"

"In the village," Altruvia said quickly. "We buried it under Djadao's tent so that no one would accidentally come upon it and get hurt."

Dropping Altruvia on her feet, Ashyina looked at Lapidus seriously, "We must leave immediately. I will take us all to Djadao's village. The fang is our only chance now."

The group scrambled to change form and leave the cave as speedily as possible. Once upon dry land, they stood soaking wet in a tight huddle as Ashyina guided them to Djadao's village.

To Altruvia and Graiylin's surprise, they were not where they had expected to arrive. They now stood on a flood plain they had not seen before and, yet, were still on the outer edge of a village.

"This isn't the village," Altruvia said. "Where are we?"

Ashyina was affronted. "I sought out Djadao. This is indeed his village." She pointed.

The central fire was still blazing and despite the lateness, there was a loud commotion. Djadao appeared to be struggling with several others. Altruvia and Graiylin left Ashyina, Lapidus, and Liamon behind as they ran towards the centre of the village to find out what was going on. As they approached, they saw Amisi absolutely beside herself, screaming and crying as loud as she could. Her husband, Djadao, Shenti and Mshai were attempting to calm her down and had grasped all her limbs to carry her into her tent. She kicked and fought as she gave great wailing sobs.

"Alu!" She screamed. "My little Alu! He is not dead! He cannot be dead. Why? Why my Alu?"

Her husband was trying desperately to whisper calmly in her ear but her physical outburst resulted in him taking much abuse without being able to give much comfort. As her screaming rang in Altruvia's ears and her own heart sunk into her gut at what she was hearing, she ran to them, desperate to help.

"What has happened?" She asked Djadao urgently. He turned and looked at her as if he were seeing a ghost. "What is wrong with her?" Altruvia insisted.

"She has just learned of Alu's death," Djadao replied with a combination of sorrow and urgency.

Altruvia got as close to Amisi as she could given the woman's struggling and placed a hand upon her forehead and another on the bulge of her unborn child. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the woman's despair. It felt wrong to take it. It felt a violation of Alu's precious memory to try to help his sister forget, but Altruvia could also feel that in her fit, the unborn child was beginning to become distressed as well. With this, she pushed her guilt and her own sorrow of Alu aside as best she could so that she could heal Amisi's soul. As she worked, Amisi's attempts at struggle became less violent and then quite feeble and, finally, Amisi fainted with exhaustion. Her husband and Shenti carried her inside to lay her down.

Altruvia turned to Djadao again. "What happened to Alu? Where is he?"

"He was murdered by the warriors of the northeastern village last night," he explained. "His body is still back at the old village."

She turned to Graiylin quickly, "Do you think there has been too much time?"

"I don't know," he replied quietly.

Ashyina had joined them by this time, asking where the fang would be hidden. Djadao explained that they could not move it so it remained in the location it had been buried. However, given the latest news that Altruvia had just heard, she was not concerned with Ashyina's agenda; no matter what she had said Shinga would do to them. Walking up to her, Altruvia looked deeply into Ashyina's eyes. When she spoke it was slow and deliberate with an obvious attempt at controlling an underlying rage. "One of our family has died because of us and because we trusted you. I will tell you what we are going to do and you will do it. We will retrieve the fang when I say we will retrieve it. At this moment, I will go to Amisi to check on her unborn child. Then we will return to the old village and find Alu's body."

Her expression was dark and the threat beneath her tone was unmistakeable. Ashyina stepped back involuntarily as she stared at Altruvia as if she were a monster she had not before seen. It was only partially Altruvia's demeanour that had such an effect. In the power of her fury, her aura – as Graiylin's those many weeks ago in the palace of Tryailla – was glowing. Unlike Graiylin's, hers appeared a brilliant silver and all present could see it billowing around her form like a silent fire. As she turned to Djadao, she began to relax visibly and with that the glow diminished into nothing.

"I will tend to Amisi now," she said kindly.

With slight trepidation, he stepped towards her, unsure of what he had just witnessed. Ultimately, it was still the woman he knew before him and he trusted her. "I must ask another favour of you first," he said.

"Amisi cannot wait much longer," Altruvia explained. "We do not want to risk the child."

He nodded in agreement. "Any other time, I would be happy to allow you to go to her immediately, but it is Nomti. Nebti is not convinced he will survive the night. He was injured in the same attack that claimed Alu. He is not faring well."

"Take us to him," she said kindly as she reached out for Graiylin's hand. The two of them followed Djadao to his tent, leaving Ashyina and the others in the dark.

Once inside, Altruvia and Graiylin wasted no time in kneeling next to Nomti and performing their work. They had no reason to hold back in their abilities now. The situation was far too serious. Without restraint, they put all their energy into healing their friend. With such focus, it was only a matter of moments before Nomti sat upright and yawned as if he had simply been enjoying a restful sleep. They turned and smiled at Djadao and Nebti who appeared joyfully surprised.

Djadao leaned forward and patted Altruvia, who was nearest to him, on the back. "I knew you were gifted, girl, but this is a true miracle."

"I will tend to Amisi now," Altruvia announced as she pushed herself to her feet.

Graiylin called after her, "Do you need my help?" he asked.

Pausing, she thought for a moment and looked at those in the room. "Not yours," she replied, "But I will need Nebti and Miu to join me if they are not too weary."

The women looked at each other in confusion but seemed genuinely honoured by the request. They both stood and followed her from the tent. When they had arrived at Amisi's home, Shenti, who was still standing outside, pulled the flap aside to let them enter. They found Amisi's husband kneeling by her head, lovingly stroking her hair from around her face. It had been matted to her forehead with sweat, but her now calm sleep belied what had been happening not long before. Altruvia knelt on one side of her while Miu and Nebti knelt on the other. Gently, Altruvia place a hand upon Amisi's abdomen.

The child was doing much better now that Amisi had been calmed. There was no immediate danger to either mother or child but an underlying energy remained that told Altruvia the child would be in the womb not much longer. She did her best to give both a boost of healing before looking up at Amisi's husband.

"I do not know your birthing customs," she began, "But whatever they are, you should begin to prepare for them."

His eyes grew wide and his breathing quickened. "How soon?" was all he asked.

"Not tonight," Altruvia replied, "But her labour will begin within the day." She turned to Miu and Nebti, "With your permission, I would like to help, but I must leave now to find Alu and to end the threats to our people. Please stay with her tonight until I return."

"Of course you may help," Nebti replied. "We will await you."

As Altruvia left, she gave them a quick smile. She had not explained the seriousness of what she expected to be facing once they found the fang. She also did not feel she should tell them that she and Graiylin may not be returning if the encounter went poorly. Walking back to Ashyina, Lapidus and Liamon, she saw that Graiylin had already joined them.

"Mshai has told me where he buried the body" Graiylin explained. "We can go there immediately."

She nodded in reply and saw Ashyina eyeing her warily. Turning to her, Altruvia said, "We will get that fang but Alu's fate is far more uncertain right now."

Ashyina seemed placated but did not relax for another moment. Then, closing her eyes in the familiar way, they were gone from the village.

The five travellers arrived at the edge of the river not far from where the village once stood. They could see the tent Mshai and Nomti had left behind now billowing in a wind. Although the lightening of the sky indicated the sun would soon rise, it was cloudy and there was a strange feeling in the air.

"Our own fates may be quite uncertain," Ashyina said as she surveyed the strange sky above them. "It appears Shinga may be joining us soon. We must hurry."

"We will get the weapon once we have tried to revive Alu," Altruvia warned, showing she would not be deterred.

Graiylin walked a few paces to a small mound in the sand. The size of it was quickly diminishing as the wind blew the loose sediment away. "This should be it," he said matter-of-factly. "Someone help me dig him out."

Lapidus, Liamon, and even Ashyina, who had transformed back into a fox, quickly aided Graiylin and only a few minutes later they were pulling the lifeless form of Alu from the ground. Altruvia joined Graiylin as they both knelt by the boy, placing their hands upon him and not wasting any time.

If they had thought they had put all they had into trying to resurrect the Draigo, they had learned how wrong they had been as both passed their level of comfort and continued to put as much of themselves as they could into Alu. They passed the threshold of their own safety and still pushed harder. They could not live with failure. They had lost the home of their birth, of their people for thousands of years. They could not return to the village without Alu, vibrant and well, accompanying them. They could not live if they could not erase the injustice.

To Lapidus and Liamon, it was obvious that they were dying themselves now. The colour had quickly drained from their faces and both were breathing heavily and laboured. Tears were streaming down their cheeks and their hands looked more aged and weathered than when they had arrived. At first, the two men dared not interfere. Lapidus understood the expression of grief he was witnessing. He understood the desire to bring back their friend. However, as he could see their own lives ebbing away, he could wait no longer. Stepping forward, he saw Liamon follow his lead and the two men walked up to Altruvia and Graiylin, placed their hands upon their shoulders, and pulled.

Altruvia and Graiylin resisted, trying their best to remain, to finish what they had started, but they had been severely weakened and were no match for Lapidus and Liamon who were fully healthy. With another powerful tug, the two men succeeded in wrenching the mourners from their dead loved one.

If they had been stronger, if they had not given so much of themselves already, they would have protested and fought to return. As it was, Altruvia and Graiylin had no strength, not even from the power of the adrenaline that comes with such strong emotions. They lay crumpled on the ground.

"I don't understand," Graiylin wheezed. "Why can't we bring him back? Is time really so important?"

Altruvia simply sobbed into the ground. She felt a hand upon her back and looked up to see Ashyina looking down at her compassionately.

"Perhaps your Alu, if still somewhere in this universe, has moved on," she offered.

Altruvia knew that Ashyina believed all children simply ceased to exist upon death, but she appreciated the attempt. Pushing herself up into a seated position, she replied, "We must get the fang."

The group walked towards the remaining tent and as more of its fabric had come loose to billow in the ever-stronger wind, they noticed the dark silhouette of a man emerge.

"Minron," Lapidus growled through his teeth.

Ashyina groaned, "More complication. We don't have time for this."

"A collaborator after all," Minron shouted, apparently at Lapidus, who growled menacingly. His voice was much higher than Graiylin or Altruvia would have expected given his sinister appearance. It was strangely comical. "The Alpha was right that he could no longer trust you," Minron continued. "I've already taken care of your friend, Insil. After killing you, I'll add your mistress Shinga to my list. You should kill yourself right now for being such a traitor."

"At least I'm not a murderous idiot and I stress idiot," Lapidus, shouted back. "He never was as good at espionage as I was," he muttered to Graiylin, who was closest to him.

Minron apparently had still heard the whispered insult as he yelled back, "I heard that comment, Lapidus. I am good enough to have known exactly where you would be before you did and to have marked that cat without her family ever finding me, though getting rid of it meant no one believed I had succeeded. I paid dearly for that, cat! Now, so will you. The Alpha said to kill any dragon, wolf, or cat that I found here." He now surveyed the group and focused his eyes upon Ashyina, "He didn't say anything about glowing foxes, but I like to be thorough."

Growling, Liamon was about to yell his own insult when Minron interrupted him. "You're in the way," he explained as though it were the simplest problem in the world.

Ashyina had reached the end of her patience. "We don't have time for this stupid posturing." With this comment, several of the spears that had still lain upon the ground, flew into the air and thrust themselves into Minron's body.

His surprise was evident in his eyes as his body collapsed upon the sand, which was quickly becoming stained a dark red from his blood. Ashyina and Lapidus walked forward to confirm that he was dead before looking up and indicating to the others that he was no longer a threat. By this time, the storms had increased tenfold and despite the distance between them being short, they had to communicate through gestures and yelling.

"Djadao's tent used to be over there," Altruvia yelled as she pointed to a location to the northeast of the barely standing tent. The wind had been blowing the sand so violently, that there was no indication of anything having been buried there recently. Despite this, Ashyina galloped to the spot and began to dig feverishly. The first several holes yielded nothing. The fifth hole revealed the bounty she sought. In an instant, she had changed form into the mage they recognized who was now caressing the top of the box. By this time, the other four had caught up with her and were standing at her back.

"I made this box," she explained with a sense of nostalgia. Liamon knelt next to her and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder as she continued, "By removing a part of my own being. It vibrates with the energy of my origins, making anything within it hidden even from my kind. I was always good at invisibility. It was my strength and why I bestowed the gift upon the dragons to help protect them from the wolves. I did not want my dear Cayinth to fall prey to Shinga. It is also why Shinga has such trouble finding me. I had placed inside a piece of cloth your ancestor had given me. It still vibrates with his catlike energy." She shook her head as though she realized she had fallen into a trance of the past. She opened the box and upon seeing the fang muttered, "Apparently I am not the only one who uses such tricks."

She stood, showing the fang laying within the box as she explained, "This is a part of her. No magic can heal the wound because the wound itself will vibrate with the energy of our origins. Nothing of this plane can change that. She has made us a weapon that can destroy her own flesh no matter how developed her abilities have become. Her physical form will not be able to heal from this. It is far too ancient and removed from her current state."

Suddenly, the wind became so violent that the feeble tent was finally blown away and all five of the group had trouble remaining upright. The sand painfully pelted their bodies and they had to shut their eyes tight to prevent those too being beaten by the fine granules. In all its fury, the height of the storm was upon them. Then it was gone. The clear skies revealed the bright morning sun and the air began to warm quickly as not the slightest breeze remained.

Now they knew they had no more time. Shinga stood several meters away. The blood lust dancing in her eyes as she eyed Ashyina.

"I have found you at last." Shinga smiled.

## Chapter 26

Not a soul moved. Shinga smiled to herself that they looked like naughty children caught in the act of some mischievous behaviour. But they really were naughty children. Naughty. Naughty. They needed to be punished. She surveyed the group, who remained as stone, waiting for her to make her move. Her eyes fell upon the little kitty Altruvia.

"Isn't this convenient, Kitty?" she taunted. "You and the narcissist are here together to make my day extra special. I love getting what I want."

The kitty's face became stern and, luckily, she had still not learned to shut her mind since their last meeting. The fang was to be her undoing, was it? She laughed.

"Using my own weapon against me, how lacking in..." she stopped laughing abruptly at the arrogance such a plan held, "Creativity." She said the last word slowly and menacingly.

She took a deep breath and let it out quickly, her mood changing again to the resignation of needing to get a job done.

"I really do like to play with my food when given the opportunity," she focused on Ashyina again, "But I know you can be a problem." Her face became dark and her tone deep and threatening. "What does your heart taste like? Or did you ever have one?"

* * *

Altruvia saw that Ashyina had decided it was time to act. She disappeared and reappeared next to Shinga, the fang at Shinga's throat, fully intending to stab it all the way through her flesh until it exited the other side. Shinga began to laugh and, within a blink, had turned into a cloud of dust surrounding the group, her laugh continuing to echo from all directions. The dust cloud tightened around them, forcing them to huddle closer together.

Ashyina disappeared again and, as a fox, reappeared far to the south along the river, running away from them, the fang clutched in her jaw. Shinga's dust cloud followed and Altruvia knew it would not be long before Shinga would overtake her.

"We have to save Ashyina!" She yelled.

Liamon fretted. "But what can we do?"

Lapidus rolled his eyes, "This guy is swift. We should get him to do all our battle planning."

"Or how about the one who talks too much instead of fighting?" Graiylin scolded as he began to run from them towards Ashyina, planning to help in any way he could but having no idea what that way might be. He would not make it in time at this rate; Shinga would overtake Ashyina any second. With great trepidation, he gritted his teeth and concentrated hard upon his spirit step. Much more easily than the last time, he suddenly found himself immediately next to Ashyina, thoroughly relieved that this effort of teleportation had not triggered another cataclysm or flayed his skin from his flesh.

He turned to face the approaching dust and used his energy to summon the winds, which approached from the desert as a large wall of sand. Shinga was not affected at first until the main onslaught had reached her, overwhelming her ability to move. He had guided the winds around himself and Ashyina, protecting them from the same fate. Unfortunately, the now settling sands and the dust cloud that had been Shinga were indistinguishable.

He turned to Ashyina. "What do we do?"

Her gaze was focused on the sand, her ears twitching rapidly, waiting for some sign. "She is in there. She is regrouping."

As she said this, a pillar of sand began to rise from the ground. As it rose, some of the sand fell away from it to reveal the shape of a woman who appeared to have been sculpted from the substance. Ashyina changed back into the mage, clutching the fang, ready to strike. She was breathing heavily and Graiylin could tell from her rapidly shifting eyes that she was thinking hard about her next move. Then she was gone.

He looked everywhere around him but she did not reappear. He turned back to the pillar of sand, which was now fully Shinga.

She wagged a finger at him, "Tsk. Tsk. You shouldn't meddle in the affairs of others." Ignoring him, she spun around, looking at a threat he could not see.

"You should learn to close your mind, kitty. No point in attacking me now. Our little friend has left and taken my fang with her. Why don't you come out and play? It's rude to sneak up on people."

Graiylin could read Altruvia's mind as well. She had unceremoniously grabbed the invisibility cylinder from Liamon's neck and had used it to pursue them unseen. Unfortunately, from her mind he could tell exactly where she was – only a few feet from Shinga – which most likely indicated Shinga knew this as well. She had stopped at this revelation and seemed unable to determine how to proceed.

They all stood still for many moments, watching each other intently. It was not until he heard Lapidus and Liamon huffing their way to them that anyone moved and this time it was not what he had expected.

As though he was someone else's puppet, his hands raised towards Shinga and began to vibrate, in his mind he heard Ashyina's voice.

"She is flesh, Graiylin. She is an element! Keep her together!"

As the comprehension became clear in his mind, he took over the task to ensure Shinga did not evaporate again and in that second, while Shinga was still watching Altruvia, Ashyina reappeared and stabbed the point of the fang deep into the back of Shinga's neck, the upturned point protruding out the front, poking the underside of her chin. Her blood trickled freely down her body.

Then another unexpected thing happened. Graiylin could see through Altruvia's eyes, which were now locked onto Shinga's. Shinga was intent not to let events end this way and now was pulling Altruvia – and, indirectly, Graiylin – into her mind. It was as though her gaze was consuming their souls. Into the darkness they were pulled, into the insanity, into what it was that Shinga had become. The desert, Ashyina, Lapidus, and Liamon all disappeared and for a moment they floated through the world much like Shinga had, like a cloud of dust, until they materialized on a grassy plain.

There were hills pockmarked with caves in the distance and a gentle, warm breeze caressed the thrushes of wild grasses and flowers. They could see that the caves were in the south as it was a sunny day. To the east there were dense forests following the horizon. In many ways it actually reminded them of their own home.

Altruvia tugged at Graiylin's arm and pointed. A young Shinga was seated upon the ground, playing with some thrushes of grass and flowers she had found. She was wearing a pieced together garment of furs and leathers held together by lengths of grass. Her face was gentle and serene, but that was not the most noticeable difference. She had not changed her form entirely well and her fingers retained the pads of paws and her ears were a fuzzy silver, far too pointed, and on top of her head.

From a patch of trees to the west, emerged a brilliant white wolf trotting towards her. As it neared, it changed into the Ashyina they recognized. She looked concerned for Shinga and joined the young woman in the grass. For her part, Shinga ignored the visitor.

"Have you been practicing?" Ashyina asked her, to which Shinga glared back.

"I practice every day but it does not change. Why do I need to bother? I like being this way."

Ashyina became very stern. "All the races agreed it was best. Even the children have to learn."

Shinga threw down the thrushes that she had been braiding together, "Then why don't you worry about helping them? They all figure it out eventually and they're nothing but animals that we turned into our playthings."

"Shinga, how can we ever hope to reclaim our connection if we do not try to work together?"

"I do try!" Shinga protested. She had jumped to her feet and was pacing now.

"I don't think you do," Ashyina replied. "I have watched you. You have decided it is too difficult and have given up. Don't you remember what it was like? How amazing it was to be the way we were? We could have that again."

"And what of the children," she scoffed in reply.

"We will watch over them, ensure they do not return to the chaos. We have taken on a responsibility and they will need our help."

"They are better at shapeshifting than I am and I was always a thinking being."

Ashyina was contemplative for many moments. "Yes, yes you were. I fear being corporeal has degraded that thought."

Shinga glared at her again, "Get out of here," she seethed. "Go back to your children. I don't want your help."

Rising, Ashyina appeared to concede but, before she left, she said, "I hope you will be a thinking being once again."

Shinga faded from the field and the weather changed dramatically, the wind began to blow fiercely as Altruvia and Graiylin were pelted with hail and drenched by heavy rain. From the same wood from which Ashyina had emerged, they saw Shinga running and crying. She looked much the same as she did before.

She was being chased. Six men, with no hint of remaining wolf traits – or any from the other four races – were not far behind her. It was obvious that her running had exerted her so much that she could barely maintain a straight path, her legs buckling every now and then, forcing the momentum of her body in random directions.

The tallest of the men caught up with her first and tackled her to the ground. Within moments, several of his friends had caught up to him. They were laughing and making lewd remarks as two of them held her down and two more ripped at her pieced together clothing, violently and maliciously rendering her naked.

She was sobbing, screaming, and trying her best to fight them off, but she was weak from exhaustion and they outnumbered her.

Altruvia could not watch. She turned and buried her face in Graiylin's chest. She too had begun to sob "Make it stop. Please, make it stop. I don't want to see this."

She felt his arms enfold tightly around her in comforting protection and she tried her best to focus on him and not what she could hear was happening. Suddenly, the screaming had stopped and the wind was gone. Altruvia dared to raise her head to look at the scene around them.

They were no longer in the field but a very large cave. It appeared to be naturally formed but was so close to a circular shaped room that Altruvia was convinced it must have been built. In the middle of its domed ceiling, there was a small circular opening letting in a significant amount of sunlight. A broken stream of water dripped from one of the edges down into the room. The cave walls were covered in drawings of the different races and handprints of the people.

Standing in a circle around the wall were eight people that Altruvia did not know and two, she did: Ashyina and Lapidus.

In the centre of the room, being splashed by the water that dripped onto the floor at her feet, was Shinga. Her ears were no longer wolf ears except for a small fringe of silvery fur along the top curve of them. She stood like a stone, her face taut.

"We have brought you here..." Ashyina began but was interrupted by Shinga.

"You have brought me here," she corrected.

"What I do now is for the good of all of us," Ashyina replied importantly.

"Good for your vile children," Shinga spat back.

"Enough!" Ashyina ordered. "Your contempt for this council is irrelevant. You have made very serious allegations to serve your own ends and this must be dealt with."

Shinga was exasperated, "You still think I'm lying? Let me tell everyone here what happened. Let us see if they believe me or you."

Stepping forward, breaking ranks with the others in the circle, Ashyina's face was cold, "Why should they believe you? What you accuse our children of could not have happened. They are our children. They are innocent. It is we who must learn to guide them. That is what we all chose to do."

"You chose to do. You are the one who convinced us all to attempt this. You are the one who had the idea. You are the one who was so convinced it would better us." Shinga reiterated, "I never wanted any of this. This universe is chaos and was never meant to have order. We have violated the natural laws here. I never wanted any of that. I wanted to go home."

"You know that is not possible," Lapidus replied from the circle.

Ashyina turned to address him and the others, "See? It is just as I told you. She refuses to accept our situation." She gestured towards Shinga, "Look at her ears. She has never given it a chance. She made up her mind from the beginning. I would not let her give up and this is how she reacts: lying."

"I'm not lying!" Shinga sobbed. "You don't know how horrible it was. You don't know how much of a violation it is."

"Of course we don't," Ashyina replied as she stood tall and straightened her shoulders. "No one knows because it has never happened. You speak of such absurdities. If you were going to try to smear the good name of our children, you could at least have come up with a better story."

"Your children are an abomination!" Shinga screamed, to which most of those assembled gasped.

There was a calculated glint in Ashyina's eyes but she acted outraged. "How dare you! They are products of our creation, beautiful beings that we have given true life. How dare you attack them for your own gain."

Shinga was now staring at the floor; tears streaming down her face as she came to the realization that justice would not be served. There was no reason to object anymore, to speak out and try to make them see the truth. Without a word, she stood, enduring the tortuous words of Ashyina who paced the room as she continued to paint an elaborate picture of Shinga's devious mind.

"She has always been jealous of the children. She, who had once been a powerful being, has become weak and unable to control her form. When, on many occasions, I implored her simply to try, she would lash out at me in her jealousy of the children. We have all seen how long it has taken her to adjust. She speaks of our great work as if it has been a failure. She deliberately ignores all the good we have done. We have brought thought to a chaotic world. How could bringing order be wrong? It is only logical that order is the best for all involved. How could anyone say that simply existing, as the animals here were doing before, is better than living?"

Ashyina paused in midstep and looked at Shinga. Having decided to go in for the kill, she remained standing before her, watching her as she continued.

"Her story is impossible. Our children are innocence. They are of our thought. Thinking beings would not commit such atrocities as she has concocted. We must protect them. They need us and to turn our backs on them due to baseless allegations is the epitome of neglect. We must take responsibility for the beauty that we have created. I implore you not to be tricked by her games.

"Shinga, if you are found by this council to have lied, we shall be merciful. We will not banish or execute you. You may remain living amongst us. However, you will not be permitted to have children in this life or any following. In the unlikely and tragic event that you are found to be telling the truth, we will convene at a later time to discuss what to do about the children involved.

Now Ashyina looked at all those assembled.

"We shall vote now. All those who choose to find her accusations false, leave the hall. All those who believe her can stand with her and remain."

In a single file line, every last person assembled silently left the hall. The odd person spared enough effort to look at Shinga disapprovingly. Lapidus looked at her sadly; obviously wishing things had been different.

Shinga had raised her head now to watch the result. She was able to see not only the awful glances of those leaving but also Ashyina's expression of cold triumph.

As the last of the line left the room, Ashyina stepped closer to Shinga to whisper in her ear.

"I know you are telling the truth," She whispered through a barely restrained fury. Shinga's eyes grew wide as Ashyina continued, "But I will not have you destroy what I have worked so hard to create. I told you not to pursue this. Don't ever cross me again."

Surveying Shinga's face to take in her shock, Ashyina smiled with no sincerity before leaving Shinga completely alone in the hall, the trickle of water still dropping onto her shoulder.

"You should not have crossed me," she said to herself. "You wanted me to work hard at regaining my abilities. I will regain more of them than you have ever managed. You will regret this."

Altruvia and Graiylin were dumbfounded. Shinga had been telling the truth the entire time. Ashyina had manipulated and schemed to get her way. They both knew that Ashyina's mercy was far more vile than execution or banishment.

"To live amongst the very people who harmed you and condemned you," Altruvia rasped through her dry throat. She swallowed hard to remove the obstruction. "Their disapproving glances as you walk by... No wonder she went insane."

Graiylin came to a determination he would have never previously considered, "We can't let her die like this. Ashyina will completely destroy her this time. We cannot let Ashyina emerge the celebrated hero again. Not even Lapidus knows who she really is. We need to get back."

Either their will alone was enough or Shinga had heard them, for they were now leaving her mind much like they had entered it only this time being pulled by their feet in the other direction. Within a moment, they were back on the dunes, Ashyina still clutching the fang, Lapidus and Liamon as far from them as before, and Altruvia and Graiylin standing just where they had been.

Graiylin summoned a gust of wind to blow Ashyina several feet away. In her shock, she released the fang, which remained in Shinga's throat. Altruvia could see a tear spill over her cheek. She ran to Shinga and caught her as she fell and helped lower her to the ground.

Shinga looked into her eyes and Altruvia saw within them the young girl of the vision. "Thank you," Shinga whispered before her entire body became limp, her teary eyes still looking up at Altruvia but now vacant. From her body rose a silver mist into the air and dispersed in all directions in a blinding light. When the light had faded, Altruvia saw Ashyina had regained her footing and was headed towards them, fury on her face.

Lapidus and Liamon had only now arrived but having been close enough to have seen what happened, Lapidus bellowed, "What is wrong with you?"

"Lapidus," Altruvia half begged, "Ashyina was lying. Shinga had always been telling the truth about her rape. It is Ashyina's fault any of this happened."

Lapidus' eyes widened. He looked at Ashyina who had joined them and now realized why Graiylin and Altruvia had turned on her.

Altruvia saw the same glint in her eyes that she had seen during the council meeting and just at that meeting, she feigned outrage. "They are lying! They obviously have been manipulated by that devious little wretch. It isn't true!"

Lapidus was not convinced and he pulled his already tall form up straighter, appearing truly threatening as he spoke with controlled fury, "I could not read your mind back then to know. I trusted you because you were Ashyina. But now that I remember who I am, I do not have to believe your words."

His gaze bore into Ashyina's and within moments, Altruvia could tell from her faltering expression that it was not going well for her. Within the blink of an eye, without a word, Lapidus had grabbed the fang from Shinga's throat and stabbed Ashyina through the heart.

As she died, her gaze was locked on his and he seethed at her, "I will not destroy you this day because we were once friends. However, if we ever cross paths again and I learn it is you, I will not hesitate."

He let her body drop and from her form emerged a dark-purple light similar to Shinga's. It too rose into the air and dispersed over the land.

Liamon, who had been in shock, came out of it with a scream. He ran to Ashyina's form.

"You killed Cayinth's mother!" He screamed.

Lapidus raised his eyes skyward in irritated frustration. "You idiot. You know nothing of what's been going on."

Liamon gave a primeval bellow before launching himself at Lapidus, who effortlessly dodged his attack.

"I felt sorry for you, Liamon, but you have been getting in the way," Lapidus replied but Liamon did not hear him. He was simply in a rage now. He had pulled a dagger from his belt and brandished it at Lapidus, who tried to remain patient and reason with him. Liamon managed to sink the dagger into his side. Lapidus looked down at the wound with irritated resignation.

"You leave me no choice," he warned and within a second had picked Liamon up and twisted his head all the way around, dropping his lifeless corpse upon the ground.

"That was a bit excessive!" Graiylin shouted.

"Relax," Lapidus replied. "We'll tie him up and you and your sister can fix him up like new."

Altruvia looked at him disapprovingly. "This isn't a game, Lapidus."

"You saw what he did to me? That hurt! "Lapidus defended.

"And did you forget how difficult it is for us to raise the dead?" Graiylin complained. "I didn't want to spend so much energy on him."

Graiylin had made a point that Lapidus could understand. As the realization spread across his face, he apologized. "I won't do it again. I promise," and then he added quickly, "No matter how much he is irritating me."

Taking Lapidus' suggestion, they tied Liamon's hands and feet simply to avoid any violent outbursts, and proceeded to go about resurrecting him. When he was blinking up at them all again, confused by what had transpired, Altruvia said, "I think it best if you plan to return home."

Giving a nervous look at Lapidus, he appeared to agree.

## Chapter 27

That evening, they all sat solemnly around the village bonfire. Without Ashyina's skill at teleportation and due to Graiylin's reluctance to attempt it with a group, they had to walk back to the village. Altruvia and Graiylin had insisted they return Alu's body so that he could be given a proper burial according to the customs of his people. Before they had left for the return journey, they too had performed their own funeral rite.

They had laid Ashyina and Shinga's bodies upon two piles of gathered twigs. Liamon and Lapidus had removed their cloaks and wrapped them tightly around the two bodies. Lapidus, still raw from the insult of Ashyina's betrayal, had not wanted to give her an honourable death and refused to allow his cloak to be placed upon her body. It was Liamon who tended to her corpse with the utmost of care. At the same time, Lapidus felt he owed Shinga at least that much as he carefully secured the fabric around her form, finishing by covering her face.

Once the pyres had been properly prepared, Lapidus changed into a giant grey wolf and howled a haunting lament as Graiylin set fire to the wood. Lapidus continued with the sorrowful tune as the rest of them stood silently watching, feeling strange mixtures of emotions of loss, guilt, regret, embarrassment, and betrayal.

For Altruvia, she thought not only of the two they now honoured but also of her home that had not been able to receive such rites. This would have to do.

As they now sat in the village, they barely looked away from the flames, as the villagers prepared the rite for Alu. Although weary, Altruvia was called at one point to aid with Amisi who had indeed gone into labour. By morning, the Alu of their hearts had been interred with baskets of food and tools, and the baby Alu was held in her arms, calm but impressively alert. He exuded the same energy of hopeful faith that had coursed through the body of their friend.

"Perhaps this was why we could not bring you back," she whispered to the small child.

Not much later that morning, Altruvia stood, holding the child and listening to Djadao as he gave a speech in Alu's honour.

"Our precious son has been taken from us," he had called to his family. "But he believed he would live on. He believed in the gods. There was not a day when Alu did not have the hope that only youthful faith can bring. He was good to us, even those he teased good-naturedly." Taking a pause to collect himself, he continued, "We will miss our son. No more will we see him helping around the village. No more will we hear his laughter and share in his love. I will never again be able to sit in awe at an unexpected, passionate wisdom he so innocently bestowed upon me. He is gone from us now and we will never reach him again.

"But we must look forward," Djadao stated boldly. "Alu would not want us to lose ourselves to despair over him. The past is not the fault of the child who has been born today and we must show him that it is so. I have also promised a great marriage feast for our friends and I intend to hold to that promise. Tonight, let us forget our sorrows. Let us celebrate our great gifts."

Though there were moments of mournful contemplation, the village took his speech to heart and, as the evening progressed, they found it easier to give honour through their joy. It became an elaborate celebration. Now that the villagers knew the truth of the newcomers, Altruvia and Graiylin did not need to hide their help. They grew bushes of delicious berries and had helped make the fishing go much more easily by summoning the fish from the water.

Lapidus joined Altruvia and Graiylin as they sat with their desert friends, deliriously indulging in exuberant retellings of their journeys and battles. They all laughed heartily, cleansing their bodies of their stresses of the last several days, as they teased each other with "You should have seen your face," and "What about you? You looked like you'd soiled yourself!"

Liamon sat alone on the far side of the fire, eying Lapidus nervously. He jumped when Kempi approached him with an offering of roasted fish.

After the feast, the entire village stood in a circle under the stars as Altruvia and Graiylin stood in the centre, making the vows of the royalty of Tryailla. They led the people in a spiral dance. It ended in everyone falling down over each other, which was luckily taken good-humouredly. Even Liamon appeared to be in improved spirits.

The next day, Liamon left quietly after saying a quick farewell to Altruvia. In other circumstances, he might have tried to draw out the good-bye but Graiylin and Lapidus were nearby. He simply gave her kind words and lamented the fact that Cayinth would not be pleased without proof of Shinga's death, but had withdrawn the complaint upon receiving a vehement glance from Lapidus.

Lapidus had later said to Altruvia that he felt preventing the desecration of Shinga's body was the least of what he owed her.

"Do you think we will see her again?" Altruvia had asked him.

Lapidus thought for many moments. "I think we will and, unfortunately, I do not think this one event will undo Shinga's rage and desire for revenge. Perhaps I am wrong, but escaping such depths of insanity cannot be that simple."

Altruvia was unsure. All she did know was that she felt sorry for Shinga. It did not negate the evil of her actions, but now she saw Shinga as another victim in a long and sordid history.

Lapidus remained in the village for many more days, deciding what he would do next. Minron's orders had indicated there was no point in returning home. Finally, he decided to explore the planet as he originally had planned; not to look for any weapon, but to see what the remnants of the monkeys were like. As he said good-bye to them one morning, laden with supplies that Djadao had insisted he take with him, he mentioned something about following the river north and possibly heading east.

"I will see you again," he said as he embraced Graiylin in a rough hug, lifting him off the ground. He was much more gentle with Altruvia.

As they watched his silhouette fade into the distance, Graiylin put an arm around Altruvia's shoulders.

"What do you think is going to happen for us now?" he asked.

"Interesting that you should ask that," she replied. "Our mother has several ideas."

## Epilogue

They lived as Tryailla had predicted for a very long time, helping their new family. Their new friends grew old around them. Generations passed before they too finally died peacefully. Unlike so many before them, they would carry on and return and this would not be the end of their story.

Now you know the truth of what happened. A truth I spent so much time in life trying to hide and to slander. I tried to protect my lies from prying eyes but I was defeated, as we all inevitably will be. I did what I felt was best for my children, who did not know what they had done. Judge me if you will. Hate me if you will. However, with the complexity of creation, can you ever fully know the repercussions of my actions?

###

About the Author

Tara Kristen Young is a computing archaeologist who spends many of her days helping with the investigations of hunter-gatherer cemeteries in Russia and Japan. Other days are spent twisting her archaeological knowledge into new forms to create fantasy stories. Time not spent researching or writing is joyfully filled with the company of her daughter and husband.

Other Works by Tara K. Young

Shauna's Inheritance (a short story, available now at Smashwords)

The Whispering War, Book 2 of the Moirean Tapestry (coming Summer 2011)

Connect with Tara Online

Twitter http://twitter.com/TYoungWrite#

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Kristen-Young/197334213614658

Website http://www.myriadmaia.com
