 
# Vexyna's Awakening

### By Alphya Cing

Smashwords Edition

### Cover art by Vanessa Finaughty

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.

### Copyright 2011 Alphya Cing

Special Thanks: To my friend and editor Vanessa Finaughty. I am eternally grateful for the help and understanding she has given me.

# Chapter 1: Uninvited Guests

Frantic fingers clutched air. Desperate digits dug into gnarled, leathery bark as Vexyna claimed a passing tree branch. Gravity did its best to stretch her long, black hair and dark cloak to the ground seven meters below. With waning strength, she fought in vain to pull herself to safety.

Above her, a low, jovial voice spoke. "Hi, Vex. I thought I'd find you hanging around here."

"Very funny, Trulo!" Vexyna yelled up at the young man. "Now pull me up!"

"Aliyah would be able to pull herself up."

"I'm not Aliyah."

"You wouldn't weigh so much if you didn't overload the pockets of that cloak."

"My stuff goes where I go."

"So, you're too stuffed to pull yourself up?"

"Trulo!" Vexyna glared up at him through her dark glasses. "Pull me up right now! I swear if I survive this fall I'm going to kick your-"

"Okay! Okay! I'm pulling. I'm pulling. There's no need to swear." Trulo curled his strong, tanned hands around Vexyna's wrists and pulled her up onto the branch.

"Thanks, Trulo, but you know Aliyah would've been able to lift me using only one hand." She stuck out her tongue.

"I'm not Aliyah," Trulo said in a mocking tone while returning the tongue gesture. "Unlike Ali, I still live here. It's lucky for you I got here when I did," the white-haired man said. He leaned casually against the tree trunk, shaking some loose bits of bark and leaves from his open shirt.

"What happened? Why did the tree convulse?"

"Have a look at the village gates." Trulo pointed west.

Vexyna swiveled to see where her friend was indicating. "Where are the gates?"

"They're still there," confided Trulo. "Those bits of wood and iron scattered about the ground are the gates."

"How? What?" Vexyna couldn't believe the ancient gates were no more.

"It might have something to do with that group of men in the village square," Trulo stated, pointing in another direction.

"Men? Where did they come from?"

"My guess would be..." Trulo started to say.

"Where?"

"From outside the village."

Vexyna swatted Trulo. "When did they get here?"

Trulo rubbed his shoulder. "They marched in just after the gates disintegrated. What were you doing up here? Just hanging around? Didn't you notice any of this going on?"

"I was lost in thought."

"You really need to pay more attention to what's going on around you."

"That's what my father always says."

"He's right."

"Yeah, yeah. What are those men doing in Shojiki? Do you know anything?"

"Not really. I came up here to get a better look." Trulo squinted in the direction of the village square. "I can make out figures, but not much else. What can you see?"

"All the men appear to be wearing the same clothing, except the one doing all the talking. He's blond and he has on a scarlet tunic with wide lapels and buttons down each side. He's in knee-high black boots. At his left side there are two short swords and his left hand is on a long staff with unique markings."

"Only you would be able to notice the details of someone's clothing from this distance at night while wearing dark glasses. Your vision still amazes me."

"I have sensitive eyes."

"Too bad your ears aren't as good as your eyes. Otherwise, you might be able to tell what they're saying."

"I can only catch the occasional word. Maybe our friend on the branch over there can help us."

"What?" Trulo looked around at the other branches. "I don't see anyone."

"There," Vexyna said, pointing. "He's right up against the trunk."

"Leaves, twigs and branches are all I see."

"He's over there watching the crowd."

"Why not go over and ask him who he is and what he wants?"

"Excuse me," Vexyna said to Trulo as she got up and eased along the branch to the trunk. She snuck her way around the tree and onto the branch containing her mystery visitor. "Do you see anything interesting?"

The unknown person whirled around and peered in amazement at Vexyna.

Staring into the stranger's emerald green eyes, Vexyna exclaimed, "You're a girl!"

"Yes, I am," said the girl before she dropped from the branch.

Vexyna was shocked to watch the girl grab and swing from branch to branch until she flipped all the way to the ground.

In a matter of seconds, Vexyna could no longer see the girl's shiny red hair or dark blue overalls.

Vexyna made her way back to Trulo. "Did you see that?"

"It was a blur of motion to me."

"Who was she?"

"Beats me," Trulo replied. "Did you see where she went?"

"No," answered Vexyna with more than a little frustration in her voice. "She vanished."

"Maybe she circled around and is with that group of strange men."

"I don't see her with the men or anywhere in the crowd." Vexyna peered at the assemblage in the village square. "That's odd."

"What is?"

"The blond with the red top and black boots has just pounded his staff into the ground."

"What's so odd about that?" asked Trulo.

"The staff is lighting up in different colors each time he hits the ground with it. Red, red, yellow, red, blue, greeee..." Vexyna's words were interrupted by the violent shaking of the tree.

Vexyna and Trulo scrambled to find something to hold onto as the tree pitched back and forth with increasing fervor, pitching Trulo in the direction of the Village Square.

Vexyna hurtled in the opposite direction, over the wall and out of the village.

As she plummeted earthward, hitting various body parts on branches and twigs, she heard the cries of her friends and neighbors as they dealt with the calamity.

Vexyna hadn't yet met the ground when consciousness left her.

# Chapter 2: Thieves in the Daylight

Shadow and light danced across Vexyna's face. She swatted the air just beyond the tip of her nose as if that would drive it away or at least make it stop. It did not.

Vexyna's eyes formed slits behind her dark glasses.

A large fern waved a leafy green tendril just over her face.

Vexyna reached up, grasped the leaf and gave it a sharp tug.

"Hey!" shouted the other end of the plant.

This startled Vexyna to her feet. She rose too fast and ended up kissing the ground with her butt. Clasping her head, she asked, "Who's there?"

Vexyna glared at the silent fern.

"I can see you on the other side of this plant," Vexyna said. "You're that girl from last night."

From behind the plant, a red-headed girl in overalls revealed herself. "That's me," she said.

"What are you doing here?" asked Vexyna.

"You had quite a nasty fall," stated the girl. "I wanted to see if you were all right or if you needed any help."

"I think I'll be fine once I get back to my house," Vexyna replied.

"Your house?"

"Yes."

"Your house in that village?"

"Yes. My house is in that village. That village has a name, you know. It's Shojiki."

"Then don't count on getting back to your house any time soon."

"What do you mean?"

"Shojiki looks like it was destroyed. There's no way to know for sure, because there's no way to see inside."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come see for yourself."

Vexyna tried to stand again, but had difficulty doing so.

"Here, let me help you." She moved closer and put her shoulder under one of Vexyna's arms.

"Thank you."

"You probably just have some bruising. If I can find the right plants, I'll have you fixed up in no time."

"You know about healing herbs, do you?"

"I sure do." The girl beamed.

"I'm Vexyna." Vexyna offered one of her hands to the girl.

"I'm Cateran," replied the girl while grasping Vexyna's hand.

The two girls trudged towards the village.

Shojiki's massive stone walls were spotted with cracks and were no longer standing at right angles to the ground. Heaps of rubble scattered the field. Bits of people's lives were strewn everywhere.

"This is horrible," said Vexyna as she picked her way through the debris. "I wonder if anyone else survived. My father is the only family I have left. I can't lose him."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but we aren't going to be able to find out. The tree line has been pushed back, so I can't get a clear look over what's left of the village walls."

"Trulo!" Vexyna exclaimed. "What happened to Trulo? He was beside me when calamity struck. Was he also thrown clear of the walls?"

"I haven't seen anyone else," Cateran said.

"He's my best friend," Vexyna told Cateran.

"You survived. I'm sure there are others who have too."

Vexyna resigned herself to not yet knowing the fate of her father and Trulo. She concentrated instead on the various objects that had been wrenched from their owners. "That was Tirlig's favorite bench," she pointed out while nudging a piece of wood with the toe of her boot.

"Who's Tirlig?" Cateran asked.

"Just a boy." Vexyna dropped to her knees and studied a pile of cloth and wood. Without warning, she leaped to her feet and proclaimed, "This is from my house! This is from my room!"

"Is any of it salvageable?"

"This is a candlestick I was given by my grandmother!" Vexyna explained while holding the silver object up for Cateran's inspection.

Cateran took the candlestick and examined it. The ornate crafting and thick candle looked as though it had only been lit once or twice.

Vexyna knelt again and brushed dirt off another object. "Here's my mother's diary." She stood up and snapped her cloak out behind her to knock loose the dirt she had collected from kneeling on it on the ground. "I can't believe this happened," She muttered. "Why? Why did this happen?"

"It won't be any comfort to you, but there have been reports of other places facing similar disasters."

"So this wasn't a random incident? What's going on?"

"Some woman named Din, who calls herself the Red Empress, has a group of men moving across the country causing trouble. I don't know why."

Vexyna came to a realization. "You never did explain why you were in the village last night."

"Oh, didn't I?" Cateran replied. She cast her gaze at the ground. She kicked a small glass ball around.

"No, you didn't." Vexyna stared at Cateran.

"Are we going to hang around here much longer? There doesn't seem to be much point unless we can scavenge anything. We might be able to get some answers back at my people's camp."

"You're right," Vexyna agreed. They took some time picking through more rubble. Finally, Vexyna asked, "Okay, which way to your people's camp?"

"We have to travel through the Argotha Forest to get there," Cateran informed her.

The two left the remains of Shojiki and headed off into the forest.

"By the way," Vexyna said. "You never did answer my question about why you were in my village last night."

Cateran sighed. "If you really must know, I got lost. I went roaming from my camp and got turned around. Then I caught the scent of food cooking and followed it to your village." Cateran's stomach emitted a loud growl as if in response to the word 'food'.

"Food's not a bad idea. What can we do?" Something dawned on Vexyna. "Oh hey," she exclaimed. She produced two pieces of fruit from her cloak. She tossed one to Cateran.

"Thank you." Cateran bit into the soft, juicy fruit. She licked her lips and asked, "Tell me something."

"What?"

"What's with the dark glasses? There isn't a lot of light in this forest. Why do you insist on wearing those things?"

"I have sensitive eyes. My eyes take in a lot more light than most people's. I've been told never to remove these glasses. So I don't."

"That's wild," Cateran said. She took another bite of fruit. Her tongue scrambled in vain to pull in all the juice, some of which escaped and dribbled down her chin. "Have you ever taken them off? Even for a second?"

"No. Never. I was given a severe warning by my grandmother when I was younger."

"Severe? Was it frightening?" Cateran stopped and looked at Vexyna. "I ask a lot of questions, don't I?"

Vexyna nodded. "Yes, you're full of curiosity."

Cateran shrugged. "I am." The fruit was gone. Cateran wiped off the last of the fruit juice with her sleeves.

"Don't do that," Vexyna said, extending a small cloth to Cateran.

Cateran accepted the cloth and wiped her face with it. "Thanks," she said. She offered the cloth back to Vexyna.

"Hang on to it," Vexyna told her.

Cateran stuffed the cloth into the right front upper pocket of her coveralls. She wiped her hands together and asked, "Will you tell me about the warning your grandmother gave you?"

"It was a long time ago. I was only about four years old. I recall the fire in my grandmother's eyes as she warned me about my sight. She said something about always being protected from the searing light. I wonder if there's an entry about it in my mother's diary. Let's see if I can find it."

They had been walking and talking for about an hour, so they decided to take a break.

Vexyna found a dry, critter-free spot on a log. Cateran positioned herself on the stump of a tree that had fallen over.

Vexyna extracted her mother's diary from her cloak. She flipped through the pages and commented, "This is strange. Many of the pages are blank. There are huge gaps right in the middle of things my mother has written."

Cateran tumbled off the stump and sprang over to Vexyna. She peered at the diary. Cateran checked over the entire diary. She studied its binding. Her tiny nostrils flared to inhale the scent of the pages.

Vexyna asked, "Haven't you ever seen a book before?"

"Sure I've seen books before," Cateran snapped back. Then she added in a low voice, "I've just never read any." She changed the subject with undue haste. "Were you close to your mother?"

"I don't even know when she left. In all honesty, I never knew her."

Cateran stared at the pages. She frowned because the words made no sense. "So you don't even know if she was around when your grandmother gave you the warning about your eyes."

"I'm not sure," Vexyna confessed.

"This forest is too dark. I can't make out any of the words."

"I could try lighting my grandmother's candlestick. That'll give us better light." Vexyna pulled the candlestick from her cloak. She fumbled around in her other pockets and produced a small box of matches. She prepared to strike a match. She commented, "I've never lit this before."

As the wick ignited, the girls heard a disembodied voice intone, "Now, say the words!"

"Huh? What words?" Cateran gasped. "I think it's talking to you, Vexyna."

Vexyna was stunned. "What words would those words be?"

"Say the words!" the voice demanded.

"I don't know any words!" Vexyna shouted.

"You lit the candle, now finish the incantation! Say the words!"

"Really! I don't know which words you want!" A little shaken, Vexyna blew out the candle.

The girls sat listening, but no voice was heard.

Cateran spoke in a low voice. "What just happened? Was that voice coming from the candle?"

Vexyna nodded before saying, "I wonder what the voice was talking about. It mentioned something about an incantation."

"That sounds like magic to me." Cateran perked up. "Is your family magical? I've only heard rumors and stories about magic. I didn't think it really existed."

Vexyna shrugged. "We were a normal family. At least that's the way my father raised me. The magic must have been from my grandmother. If she did practise magic, she kept it hidden."

"I wonder if your mother had magic powers like your grandmother. Try looking for a candle incantation in your mother's diary. It shouldn't be too hard to skim through to find."

"What? You think it'll be entitled, 'Incantation of the Candle' or something like that?"

"It's worth a try. I'll help, but you'll have to re-light the candle."

Vexyna took another match from the matchbox and lit the candle. The disembodied voice sounded again, "Free me."

"We don't know how," Vexyna explained.

"Look in the diary," intoned the voice.

Vexyna opened her mother's diary. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed she could see writing on every page. She stopped dead and gaped at the page in front of her. At the top it was clearly labeled: Incantation of the Candle. "I cannot believe you were right, Cateran. I found it!"

Cateran came closer to Vexyna. "Can you pronounce those words?"

They were focusing on the words when a stray gust of wind blew out the candle. The words on the page faded with the dying of the light.

"Perhaps it's just as well," Vexyna lamented. "We have no idea what would happen if we said those words."

"The candle said something like, 'free me'," Cateran said. "I wonder who 'me' is."

"I'm curious about that, too. Let's get going again." Vexyna packed away the diary and candlestick.

"The candlestick looks like it was made out of the rocks in Garnet's Cave. It's along our way if you want to check it out."

"Sure, why not?"

Their voyage through the Argotha forest had them clambering over giant tree roots and ducking under hanging vines as they twisted their way along.

Cateran spoke. "We should be coming up to Garnet's Cave pretty soon."

They had been walking up a steady incline for the past few minutes. They appeared to be reaching the summit of the little hill when Vexyna felt warmth growing in her cloak. "Something's happening," she warned Cateran. "My cloak is growing warmer."

Vexyna checked her cloak for the source of the warmth. She found it when she went for her mother's diary. "This is it," she said while holding up the book. "The diary is getting warm."

"I wonder if it's a coincidence, because we're at the entrance to Garnet's Cave," Cateran pondered as she pointed to the slender entrance to the cave.

They approached the cave with caution. It was only wide enough for them to enter single file.

Cateran stepped out in front. Walking into the cave, she commented, "We won't need a light in here because of the gems on the cave walls."

Vexyna followed and soon the two were standing in a small antechamber. They looked around the room trying to decide which way to venture next.

The diary in Vexyna's hand was almost too hot to hold. She tried fanning it about the room to cool it off.

Cateran noticed something odd. "Fan the diary against the wall again," she insisted. She pointed to one of the walls.

Vexyna walked over and waved the diary at the wall. The image of another chamber rippled in the rock wall. "Interesting."

"That must be the way," Cateran concluded. "Can we walk through the rock?"

"Only one way to find out," Vexyna stated as she took a tentative step forward. She passed through the rock and entered the chamber on the other side. She turned to tell Cateran to step through, but all she faced was a solid wall of rock.

She was greeted by silence when she yelled, "Cateran!" The walls were solid.

A thought occurred to her. She waved the diary at the wall in front of her. This caused the image of Cateran to appear. "Quick!" Vexyna shouted. "Get over to my side of the rock wall!"

Cateran cart wheeled over to Vexyna. Her shiny red mop top flipped perfectly back into place when she stopped. "Whoa," she voiced breathlessly.

The chamber appeared to be about twenty-eight meters in diameter. Four lines of gold ran up each of the walls and met at the golden circle in the center of the ceiling. These lines of gold illuminated the room. The circle surrounded two strange symbols: one emitted a deep ruby glow while the other pulsed with an intense jade light.

In the exact center of the chamber stood an altar on which a bejeweled chest rested.

Cateran rushed to open the chest, but was thrown back by an invisible force. She rubbed her hind quarters and advised, "Be careful."

Vexyna cautiously approached the chest and the diary popped out of her hands.

The diary floated in mid-air with tiny spirals of light enveloping it. Pages flipped until they stopped at a sheet more radiant than the others. From the fabric of this page sprang a key. It glided gracefully into Vexyna's palm.

Vexyna slid the key into the keyhole without removing the chest from its perch.

The key turned easily in the lock and Vexyna opened the lid.

Peering inside, she found an amulet and a piece of parchment. She held up the amulet for Cateran to see.

Cateran crept closer and leaned in to examine the amulet.

The amulet itself was made of a shiny marbled stone. It glimmered oddly in the light from the golden lines on the walls. The amulet slowly revolved as Vexyna turned the band of platinum that held it. There appeared to be some form of writing on one side. Tiny characters could be faintly made out running around the band as well. Neither of the girls understood the language of these characters.

Vexyna slipped the platinum band over her head and let it settle against her neck. The amulet rested easily in the hollow of her chest.

"That's a nice piece of jewelry. Is there anything else in the box?" Cateran wanted to know.

"Yes," replied Vexyna. She reached into the chest and gingerly removed the withered parchment. "Let me read what it says. "'My Darling Child, Dire events must have transpired for you to be seeking me now. With or without your father's knowledge, you have come here. Only one with my blood would have the ability to reach this inner sanctum. There are many things you must know about your lineage. As part of your birthright, wear this amulet close to your heart always. Come to me, child. L'."

No sooner had Vexyna finished reading the parchment than it erupted in flames. It was gone in an instant.

An odd crumbling sound came from the altar. The girls turned to see the chest folding in on itself before disappearing.

The golden lines on the walls began to flicker. "I don't think that's a good sign," Cateran worried.

"No, I don't think so either," Vexyna agreed. She began waving her mother's diary at the rock walls. "When you can see another room, get ready to move to the other side of the rocks."

Cateran nodded her readiness.

Vexyna found the wall with the chamber behind it just as the golden lines seemed to be blinking their last. The chamber the girls were in began to shrink and close in on them. "Quick! Jump to the other side!" Vexyna screamed as she waved the diary madly.

The girls leaped to the outer chamber.

They collapsed against a cave wall and caught their breath.

It was Cateran who spoke first. "Got any more fruit?"

Vexyna shook her head. "I'll share a sandwich with you, though."

"Deal." Cateran smiled. "Where should we go from here? We don't have much to go on. Maybe my people can help."

"That sounds like a good next stop on our journey," agreed Vexyna.

"Hmmm," mused Cateran with her hand on her chin. "Let me see if I can figure out where my people are presently camped."

"You mean you don't know?"

"Not specifically, no."

"They are your people, aren't they? You should know where they are."

"We're a nomadic people. We don't stay in one place for too long."

"How do your people find each other then?"

"There are two things you need to know to find the Vag's main camp: first, you need to know the route the camp is running, which towns it'll be closest to and when. Next, you'll need to know the secret call that will let the other Vag's know you're around so they can bring you in to the camp. You can only enter the Vag's main camp if you are brought in. No one has ever entered the Vag's main camp if they weren't invited."

"So, depending on where the main camp is on its route, we could be looking at a great deal of traveling."

"Yes that pretty much sums it up. What happened to that sandwich you mentioned?"

"I'm surprised you don't have any provisions. How do you survive?"

"I pick up snacks along the way. I'll show you once we're back in the forest. I'm just glad you had food."

"My cloak is always stocked with what I consider to be essentials. Here," Vexyna said while handing Cateran a piece of sandwich.

Cateran thanked Vexyna and proceeded to swallow the offering in two bites. "Pretty good," she said. "I can make meals, too. Raj says I'm improving."

Vexyna took her time with what was left of the sandwich. "Who's Raj?"

"He's a member of my pack. He might be at the main camp if he's not on a mission."

Vexyna stopped eating and looked over at Cateran. She cocked her head forward and slightly to the side. "Anyone special?"

"Oh certainly Raj has his talents, but if you mean 'special' special, then no. Not at the moment."

"Oh."

"How 'bout you? Anyone you have your eyes on?"

"Just someone I care about. I don't know if we feel the same for each other. Right now, I don't even know if he's still alive. I hope so." Vexyna bit into the last of the sandwich and swallowed hard. "Let's get out of this cave," she said as she got to her feet.

# Chapter 3: A Vag Recollection

Vexyna and Cateran stumbled from the cave and paused to brush themselves off. Growing shadows at the clearing before the cave gave the impression of early evening.

"The day is already growing long," Vexyna observed. "Something odd must have happened with time when we were in that inner chamber. We have to find shelter and I can't say I trust the accommodations in the cave. Which direction should we head?"

"Let me get my bearings," said Cateran. She glanced around at the tree tops, then considered the wind. "We should walk this way." She pointed into the trees.

"Okay." Vexyna shrugged. The two made their way into the forest in the direction Cateran had pointed.

They moved forward, stepping over fungi of many varieties. Low-hanging leaves the size of an elephant's ear drooped everywhere and had to be constantly moved out of the way.

Cateran stopped ten meters inside the forest. She listened for a moment, then cupped her hands to her mouth and issued forth a 'woo woop' sound.

"Woo woop yourself," a sarcastic voice came from the trees.

The girls whirled around to see a young man clad in dark green advancing towards them from off one of the trees. He was upon them in an instant.

"Honestly, Cateran," chastised the man with burgundy hair. "I wish you'd remember which greeting to send at which checkpoint. This is checkpoint three. I was expecting you at checkpoint two. What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, Raj..." Cateran began. "Oh! Raj, this is Vexyna. Vexyna, meet Raj."

Raj bowed low with grace and flair . His green satiny tunic billowed slightly through the puffed sleeves and caused the sides of his vestment to open, revealing the slight gathering of hair on his chest. The high white collar of the tunic offset the deep tan of his face. "Why is she with you?"

"I promised to help her. You don't know what happened in that village. It was horrible. We can't let that sort of thing happen again."

"You shouldn't be bringing strangers to the main camp. It's not a good idea."

"She's just one person."

"You are just one person. I am just one person. Is she a spy, perhaps? Or an assassin? How do you know she isn't either or both? How can you trust her?" Raj barraged Cateran with questions.

Cateran's face grew redder and redder. Her left hand snapped up in front of her with the index finger extended. She proceeded to poke this steel finger into Raj's chest and said to the beat of her jabbing finger, "Now you look here! Something big is happening and it's going to affect us whether we like it or not. Vexyna needs our help. From what I've seen, I think we're going to need her help as well."

Raj grabbed Cateran's finger. "Enough, I get the point." He turned to Vexyna, who was absently admiring the form-fitting nature of his tights. "What's with the glasses?"

Vexyna sighed. Now outside her village, she would have to explain the glasses over and over again. "I have sensitive eyes. I was told never to remove my glasses. Apparently my eyes wouldn't be able to withstand the light."

"Oh," said Raj. "You seem to have stirred up quite a state in Cateran. Come; let us go to our main camp." He marched off into the thick of the forest. The two girls quickly followed.

As they twisted their way through the thick underbrush and heavily laden tree branches, Vexyna commented, "Cateran says you have your own special talents."

Raj's dark features turned a slight shade of red.

"Or, are your talents for Cateran alone?" Vexyna slyly enquired.

It was Cateran's turn to be red-faced. "No," she said somewhat tersely.

Raj stuck a finger in the collar of his tunic and ran it around the circumference quickly while changing the subject. "Cateran, tell me what has happened to get you into such a state. Why should we trust or help Vexyna? What's in it for us?"

Cateran was quick with her answer. "Helping Vexyna is helping us. I've seen the destruction Empress Din can bring down. If we want to live the way we want, we have to stop her."

"Destruction? What happened in the village you were supposed to spy on?"

"Spy on?" Vexyna turned to Cateran for an explanation. "You told me you just got lost."

"It was a test," Cateran confessed. "I was supposed to see if anything interesting was happening in your remote village and grab whatever might be useful."

"Then she was supposed to report back to me," Raj interjected.

"The others wouldn't let me try these things or teach me what I want to know, but Raj does." Cateran beamed at him.

"So you're a spy and a thief," accused Vexyna.

"In training," Raj added. "She isn't proficient at either yet. What happened in your village, Vexyna?"

"The ground seemed to come to life. Buildings toppled and streets rocked like the sea while the people ran screaming in terror. There are now giant rocks blocking the gateways into the village. It is impossible to enter it now."

"You might be able to move those rocks with a couple of Gargantuans," Raj mused. He idly watched the way Cateran's hair bobbed in the breeze she made while she was walking. "They use a lot of Gargantuans in a mining town in the northern reaches of this continent. The town is called Ninim."

"I need to know what's happened and who's survived in my village," Vexyna continued. "I'm also looking for my mother."

"That should be easy enough; after all, she is your mother," Raj said.

"You don't understand," Vexyna said stiltedly as she stepped over a tree root. "I have no recollection of my mother. It's like we never met."

"Are there any clues as to where your mother is located now?"

"All I have is this amulet, my mother's diary and my grandmother's candlestick. There was a note in a chest in Garnet's Cave, but it disintegrated in a ball of flame."

"It's true," Cateran chimed in. "I was there and saw the whole thing. It was amazing. Tell him about your candlestick."

"My candlestick talks if you light it."

"No way." Raj was intrigued. "This must be brought to the attention of our leader, Krajav. He probably won't grant you an audience, but it's worth a try."

The forest began to thin out and the group could see the lights of many fires dancing in the distance. Above them, they could finally see the velvety sky as it began to fill with night diamonds.

"Not far now," Raj informed them. He turned to Cateran. "I will explain her. You never left the camp as far as anyone in authority is concerned."

Since they were out in a clearing, it made it easier for them to make up distance. They were at the camp in a couple of minutes.

As they got closer, Vexyna realized there was one huge bonfire in the middle of a circle of seats. A couple of smaller fires, with seats scattered around them, burned off to the sides of the main blaze. There were several dozen people milling about tending to different things.

"Thievery must be a booming business," Vexyna commented, half to herself.

"We're not all thieves. Not like Miss Fancypants here." Raj indicated Cateran. "The majority of us just gather information."

"My pants aren't fancy," retorted Cateran. "They're practical and befitting someone aspiring to be part of the elite of the clan." She stuffed her thumbs under the suspender straps on either side of her coveralls and gave them a push forward, stretching them just a bit.

People around them stopped their activities to stare at Vexyna as the three walked through the heart of the camp. "You don't get many visitors to the main camp, do you?"

"Outsiders are rarely permitted to enter the main camp. Even fewer are granted an audience with our leader, Krajav." Raj led them to a large tent not far from the main bonfire.

The tent was a dull, flat green on the outside. It peaked in the center and was held up by four thin posts.

Two oversized men stood with their arms crossed, blocking any entrance to the tent. They both wore black turbans and black cloaks. "What is your business with this stranger, Raj?" asked one of them.

"She bears important news concerning the destruction of the village of Shojiki."

"We heard the village was laid waste. Is she from there?"

"She is standing right here. And, yes, she is from that village." Vexyna was growing impatient. She was exhausted and thought she might actually sleep at night for once.

"Well, will she tell us what the deal is with the dark glasses at night?"

Vexyna sighed heavily.

Cateran was quick to jump in. "She has a name, you know. It's Vexyna. And her eyes are sensitive to light. So lighten up." Cateran was right in the guard's face as she said it.

Raj grabbed Cateran's shoulders and pulled her away from the guard. "Vexyna has told me about the destruction of her village. She also claims to have magical artifacts. These may interest Krajav."

"I shall see if Krajav will see you." One of the guards disappeared into the tent.

He returned swiftly. "Krajav wishes to see your artifacts. Please give them to me."

"I will gladly show them to Krajav, but I will be the one to present them to him," was Vexyna's reply.

"Krajav will not see you before verifying genuine interest in at least one of your artifacts."

Cateran turned to Vexyna and said, "Give him the candlestick. It's a good way to build trust. We still hardly know each other, but I feel like we're forming a friendship. We have a common bond propelling us towards a common goal. Let my people help you, Vexyna. First, you must trust them in order to let them help you." Her gaze was one of sincerity even though she was looking into Vexyna's shaded glasses.

Vexyna was moved by Cateran's sincerity and relented. She handed the guard her grandmother's candlestick. "This belonged to my grandmother. If you ignite the wick, it will ask you to invoke an incantation."

The guard took the candlestick with some hesitation and vanished back into the tent.

Again, he returned swiftly and this time he threw open the tent flaps and bowed as he pointed the way into the tent. "Please come inside. Krajav will see you immediately."

The trio attempted to enter the tent, but the guard stopped Cateran. "Get back to your duties, girl."

"But I..." Cateran started to say before Raj stepped in.

"Go to the main fire and wait," Raj told her. "We will meet you there."

"Yeah, but..." Cateran stammered.

"Go," commanded Raj.

Cateran slunk off towards the fire.

Vexyna let Raj take the lead as they entered the tent.

The interior was a lavish spectacle of wealth and pleasure. It was much bigger on the inside than it seemed on the outside. There were small fountains in three of the four corners, surrounded by small ferns and multi-colored flowers. Each of the fountains contained the statue of a woman during three stages of life: as a little girl, as a woman and as an old woman. These statues were pouring water from their jugs onto the brightly colored fish in the pool beneath them.

Tables with bunches of fruit could be seen here and there, and several large lounging seats were set about the room.

In one far corner lay a huge display of pillows, feathers, and shiny silk and satin accoutrements. In the midst of this lay a man who could only be described as large. It was hard to say just how large this man was, because his shiny white robes were vast and flowing.

He busily flipped through the pages of a book, stopping every once in a while to take a bite out of a dark-colored loaf of what looked to be bread. He smiled when he saw the trio approaching. "Welcome Vexyna, daughter of Nogard."

"Thank you," Vexyna said. "But my father's name was Lanton. I don't know what my mother's name was. I do know it began with 'L'."

"Nogard is the name of a place. A place we believed was only spoken of in myths."

"Nogard? Where's that?"

"I do not know. This candlestick bears the engravings of the language used by the people of Nogard. This type of writing hasn't been seen in many centuries."

"Geez, I knew Grandma was old, but I had no idea she was that old."

"If she is from Nogard, she is thousands upon thousands of years old. Undoubtedly, there is magic in you, young woman. The people of Nogard were supposedly more than just human. They were supposed to have been the humans formed from beings descended from the sky at the time of the great battle between the two lords of the universe."

The two stood there with their mouths hanging open. Vexyna was the first to speak. "I know nothing of magic. The family objects seem to be exhibiting some unusual behavior, but I have never before experienced such things."

"This candlestick came from your grandmother?"

Vexyna nodded. "She lived with us in my village until a few years ago. I'm not sure where she went. I know she had to leave quickly."

"Would that be your mother's mother or your father's?"

"My father's mother."

"What do you know about your mother?"

"Very little. She left me this amulet and said to find her."

Krajav leaned across to have a closer look at the amulet. He turned it over in his hand and drew his hand back as if it had been bitten. "You will leave this camp now." He handed her back the candlestick and motioned to the guards.

Two burly black-garbed guards moved towards Vexyna.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"You are the plague born amongst us. We must pray you never become what you are destined to be. Nogard is somehow involved, which is intriguing; however, I want no more part in this. Be gone with your curse."

The guards picked her up, whisked her out of the tent, and didn't stop until they had arrived at the outskirts of the camp. Here, they dropped her unceremoniously to the ground.

Cateran came running after Vexyna. She seemed upset.

Vexyna was dusting herself off when Cateran asked, "Where to now?"

"I don't know," Vexyna said while examining her cloak. "All I know is I am tired and hungry. I need to find someplace to rest."

"Cateran," said one of the guards. "Women are forbidden from leaving the camp."

"And what'll you do if I try? Are you going to stop me?"

"If you leave, you must never return."

"Never return? Fine then, I won't. I've seen some pretty amazing and terrifying things in the last few hours. I can't stop now. This is much bigger than this camp. I told Vexyna I would help her and that is exactly what I intend to do."

"Cateran." Vexyna touched her arm gently. "Thank you."

Raj appeared with a large gray knapsack. "Here," he said, placing it at Cateran's feet. "This pack contains a tent and other supplies. I had it prepared earlier today for me to use on my next assignment. I thought you might be stubborn enough to disobey our law. This should help."

Cateran threw her arms around Raj and squeezed him tightly. "Goodbye," she whispered into his ear. For everyone to hear, she said, "Don't think I'm going to miss you."

"Not much," was Raj's only reply.

Vexyna and Cateran each lit a torch before turning and leaving the edge of the camp.

Raj and the guards stood watching them disappear further into the forest. The guard said to Raj, "I'm sorry, but you know the laws of our clan." He put his hand on Raj's shoulder.

Raj looked at the grassy ground. "Cateran is still pretty innocent. I hope this is going to open her eyes." He looked up at the six-foot seven-inch man who stood beside him. "Avez, my swarthy friend, Cateran has always traveled along with the main camp. The world may come as a shock to her." Under his breath, he added, "Please be safe, Cateran."

Meanwhile, the two girls were making their way through the Argotha Forest.

"Is there another clearing not too far through the forest?" Vexyna was growing more and more tired.

"Yes, there should be a one and a half hour walk to the west."

"Good. Let's keep moving."

"I wonder what sort of food Raj packed in this sack."

Vexyna took up a position behind Cateran so she could dig around in the knapsack on Cateran's back. It was difficult to feel around in the bag while Cateran was moving, so Vexyna extinguished her torch. Vexyna managed to pull out two pieces of fruit.

The two munched on the fruit as they trudged along. It took about five minutes to make it to the thick of the forest. The fruit was gone by that time.

"There's a path of sorts running due west into the forest. A short way off that path to the south is a small clearing." Cateran moved overhanging vines out of the way to help make her way through the dense forest.

Vexyna merely wished to rest and grunted a noncommittal, "Yeah, whatever." She relit her torch.

Cateran still had plenty of energy. "What do you plan to do now?" Her eyes caught sight of a Nosiop stalk. "Don't touch those sickly yellow plants. They're poisonous and can be deadly."

Vexyna took note of the thin, pale yellow plant. It had a slender stalk on top of which balanced an open pod ten centimeters around. The face of the open pod was a dull brown. "Why would anyone want to touch one of those plants? They're ghastly. I can't imagine such an ugly plant giving off any sort of odor that I'd care to smell."

"I just thought you should know."

"Thanks. I do appreciate it. I'm just tired."

"We're almost there."

"Good." They twisted their way through the forest. Curious beasts of all sizes watched them from the shadows and scurried or slithered away as the light of the girls' torches drew near.

Cateran stopped to pull several hanging vines away from a fork in the path. "The clearing is straight through here. If you didn't know what was beyond these vines, you'd never think there was a clearing."

"No," Vexyna admitted, because it was a statement of fact. The most used path through the forest carried blindly on. This little detour was nicely secluded.

Cateran held aside the multi-colored vines as Vexyna entered the clearing. The vines quickly swallowed up where they had come from and they found themselves in a land of green and solitude. The clearing was no more than twenty meters around its edge. They could even see the stars from where they were.

"This clearing is often used by my people. That's how I know about it. We created it as a safe spot to rest during our travels. The wildlife of the forest won't bother us here, so we can sleep." She placed her torch on top of an obvious fire pit before swinging the knapsack off her shoulders.

"Handy," Vexyna said. She yawned. She politely put a hand up to her mouth.

A small green and brown tent was extracted from the knapsack along with two sleeping rolls. "Two rolls? Just what was Raj prepared for?" Cateran wondered. She set about pitching the tent.

Once the tent was erected, Vexyna unrolled the sleeping rolls and climbed inside one. "This day has just been too full. I could sleep for a week."

"I'm not tired," stated Cateran. "It's still pretty early for me."

"Usually, I wouldn't be tired at this hour. At this hour, I'd have only been awake for a short time. Today was just an exception to the rule because of all the commotion last night and the devastation this morning." Her yawning prolonged her last few words.

"I'm going to check out the forest for things we can eat."

"Do you have to consume your own weight in food every day in order to survive?"

"Eh?"

"I'm kidding. Don't stray far and be careful. Thank you, Cateran, for everything. I know now you're not just a thief or gatherer of information; you are a caring person," Vexyna said as she curled up in her sleeping roll. "We need more people like you."

Cateran smiled at her new friend and said, "You're a puzzle I can't put down. What can I say? I love a mystery." Having said that, she made sure the fire in the fire pit was burning properly to sufficiently burn on a low flame without running out of fuel. After that, she left the clearing.

Vexyna nodded off and snoozed for a time.

She was abruptly reawakened by a pair of rough hands grasping her shoulders and hauling her out of her sleeping roll.

When Vexyna opened her eyes, she saw five men gathered around the fire pit with Cateran on her knees. Cateran had her hands tied behind her back. She shouted at the men. "You can't have her! Let me go!"

A rusty-haired man ambled up to Vexyna. "Let's have a look your eyes," he said as he prepared to remove her glasses.

"No!" both girls cried in unison.

Vexyna implored the man, "I can't remove my glasses. My eyes are just too sensitive to light."

"I want to see your eyes," shot back the man. He proceeded to remove her glasses.

Vexyna snapped her eyes shut. The man poked her in the ribs until she finally turned to face him, opened her eyes and said, "Here. Look. Happy now?"

The man gazed into the deep well of her dark brown eyes and Vexyna knew he found his mind growing blank and happiness welled within him. "Yes, thanks." He smiled at her vacantly.

"Give me back my glasses." She held her hand out and closed her eyes again.

"Yes, ma'am." He started to hand back her glasses, but stopped with his hand over hers.

Vexyna reached up swiftly and grabbed her glasses out of the man's calloused hand. She quickly put them back in their proper place.

The man started to reach for Vexyna's glasses again. Vexyna thought about the events of the last few moments and decided to try something. She put her hand up to the bridge of her glasses and closed her eyes while she slowly pulled them down her slender nose. She leaned close to the man and opened her eyes. She fixed him with a steely gaze and said, "Hands off the glasses. Release the girl." She pointed toward Cateran.

The man wandered over to Cateran and removed her ropes. His companions broke away from their looting of the girl's things to walk over to find out what was going on.

Vexyna's eyes were not as sensitive to the light as she had been told. There was a great deal of discomfort when she first removed the dark lenses, but with each new bare opening they were gradually becoming accustomed to the light. It helped that it was night time and the violent sun wasn't blasting the ground. Vexyna removed her glasses completely and glared at each of the men in turn. One by one, they all stood transfixed by her gaze.

Cateran was astounded. "You do have magic in you, Vexyna!" Then she made her own remarkable discovery. "Your eyes don't need protection; it's the people around you." She kept her eyes on the men and avoided Vexyna.

Vexyna told them to move in closer to her. When they all stepped closer and Vexyna was sure all the men were locked on her eyes, she said, "It's piping hot in this clearing. Remove your clothing."

The men complied and soon they were all standing in their underwear, still staring at Vexyna.

Wonder blazed in Cateran's wide-eyed stare at the masculine flesh displayed before her.

Looking more annoyed than interested, Vexyna continued to issue commands. "Now boys, I know you can't wait to play far, far away in the forest, but you can't get through the exit of this clearing with your underwear on. Quickly boys! Go play in the forest." She pointed them toward the exit.

The men gleefully ran for the exit and hurriedly removed their underwear.

While Cateran thought her eyes would pop out of her head because of all the sights she was seeing, Vexyna remained fairly detached. Vexyna's reaction turned from general annoyance to mirth with no hint of being attracted to any of the men.

Both girls found it hard to suppress their laugher as they watched the buttocks of the naked men bounce through the exit and disappear into the forest.

When they couldn't hear the antics of the men any longer, they both exploded with laughter. Vexyna had long since replaced her glasses and was looking at Cateran when she asked, "What was that all about?"

"They caught me in the forest," Cateran admitted. "They were looking for us because Krajav had informed Din's men that you might pose a threat to their leader."

"That rotten so-and-so," Vexyna spat. Placing a hand on her hip and leaning slightly to one side, Vexyna commented to her companion, "Your stealth techniques need work. You've been caught twice in the past day or so."

"You only caught me because of your particularly perceptive peepers," Cateran corrected Vexyna.

"So, how'd they get the drop on you?"

Sheepishly, Cateran looked at the ground to avoid Vexyna's stare. "I got distracted by some wild game." Flipped out lips formed a pout. "That would've been really tasty for breakfast, too."

The two started rifling through the men's clothes. They didn't find anything of interest except some dried rations.

"We should hang on to a couple of these outfits. They might come in handy later," Cateran observed.

Vexyna agreed and the two neatly packed two of the outfits they felt most likely to fit them into the knapsack. The gray pouch was rather large and could accommodate a great many items.

"We probably shouldn't remain here too much longer," Cateran advised.

"We have no clues leading us forward. Perhaps we could get more answers if we could get back into Shojiki."

"Raj mentioned Gargantuans to move the rocks. We should head for Ninim and seek help," Cateran concluded. She was rubbing her wrists where the ropes had bound her. "Did you get any rest at all? I was gone for about an hour and a half."

"It didn't seem like any time had passed at all. Besides, now my night restlessness has set in and I'm wide awake."

"We should exit this forest as soon as we can. I know the shortest route, so follow me."

"I have no idea where I'm going, so of course I'll follow you." Vexyna laughed.

After packing up the last of their gear, the girls set off into the forest. They walked in silence and kept a watchful eye out for any sort of activity. Cateran had them twisting and winding their way through a path of her own invention.

At last, they came to the end of the forest and found themselves at the end of three dusty dirt roads.

# Chapter 4: Hop to it Girls

The girls brushed off the loose pieces of forest that had caught in their clothing and stood regarding the different branches of the road.

"Which way?"

"Um," said Cateran, considering their course. She twisted at the waist as she surveyed the roads. "That way. To the north-west. I remember the main camp moving there at one time."

Vexyna looked around for signposts of any kind. "Cateran?" she asked. "When I was walking through your main camp, I noticed the women seemed to be performing the more menial tasks while the men didn't seem to be doing much of anything other than maybe bossing people around." They walking down the road Cateran had pointed out.

"That's how we do things," Cateran explained. "The information I gathered in your village was important to me because I have to prove I'm as good as any man Krajav has." Her brow was knit in determination. "Now more than ever since he put those men on us."

"Why would Krajav think I would be a threat to Din?"

Smiling almost foolishly, Cateran said, "I don't know, but after seeing what you did to those men just by looking at them I'd say it's a good idea to stay on your good side."

"I wonder how long the power of my suggestions last," Vexyna mused, looking at the dirt road. Every once in a while, she kicked a small rock down the path to see how far she could walk still kicking the same stone. It helped to pass the time.

"What if it's permanent?" Cateran thought out loud.

"Like madness?" Vexyna asked. "What a thing to be given; the ability to drive people insane. Why me?" She held her hands with her palms to the sky and shook them.

"Ninim's a dusty, dirty town because of all the rock dust from the mining," commented Cateran as they moved along.

"When were you last in Ninim?"

"Well," Cateran started. "I've never actually been in Ninim. I was near there with the main camp about seven months ago." Cateran stopped walking and Vexyna did the same. "Vexyna," said Cateran. "I know this continent from scrolls and what people have conveyed to me, but last night was the first time I've ever been away from the main camp. You couldn't tell, could you?" She had her thumbs in her suspenders again and was looking mighty pleased with herself.

"No," Vexyna admitted. "I really couldn't tell. You disseminate your information like it was firsthand knowledge."

"I thought you should know."

"Thank you for being honest, but you shouldn't feel guilty about if that's how you're feeling. I know a little about this continent, but I've never traveled outside the confines of my village. Perhaps we have been thrown together due to our similar relationships with this continent."

"Personally, I can't wait to see what's in store for us next," said Cateran, yawning.

"It's been a long day for you, too. Let me take the knapsack for a while," offered Vexyna.

"Thanks," said Cateran. She handed the pack over to Vexyna. "I just need to get my second wind."

The sun was slowly rising to illuminate their path. Off in the distance, they could see the outline of the foothills leading to the mountains. That was the direction in which they were headed.

"How far do you suppose it is to Ninim from here?"

"I'm not sure. It'd be nice if we could get our hands on a..." Cateran's voice trailed off. She stared into the meadow they were walking beside.

Off in the distance was a small herd of animals grazing on the grasses and ferns of the field. The average height of the beasts was about three meters and each stood on two large clawed feet supporting two well-muscled leathery legs. Their slender bodies, only 220 centimeters in diameter, seemed dwarfish in comparison with their massive hind legs. Smaller forelegs ended in four scaly claws. Their shaggy heads were oval, and elongated whip-like ears sprouted hair at the ends. Horns growing from the back of their heads curved around to meet each other behind the creatures' skulls. They looked like they weighed easily over a thousand kilograms, yet they moved about the field easily and with great speed. Their backs shone in the ever-brightening sun due to their tough leathery hide. A dorsal horn protruding from the base of the animal's spine, pointing skyward, made for a bizarre tail.

"Look," Cateran said, pointing to the beasts. "I can't believe our luck. Those are hoppers. If we can get a pair of those, it'll make traveling a lot faster and easier."

"I've seen them used by the traders who used to visit the village. Have you ever ridden one?"

"Only once. I hope I can remember everything I was taught about them." Cateran scratched her mop top thoughtfully. "Let me grab a couple of pieces of fruit from the knapsack."

Vexyna swung the knapsack off her shoulder. The fruit was near the top, so it was easy for Vexyna to just grab a couple of pieces and hand them to Cateran. "Will these do? Is this the right kind of fruit?"

"We'll soon find out," said Cateran. She started to work her way toward the grazing herd.

Vexyna followed, but kept her distance. "Domesticated hoppers are one thing. Are you sure we can handle wild hoppers?"

"It's worth a try," Cateran ventured boldly. "Besides, I've heard it said there's no such thing as a truly domesticated hopper. Hoppers form bonds with people in order to maintain a sense of community. You'll never find a lone hopper. They are always in small groups. They aren't skittish around humans because they are sociable." The girls had been steadily making their way forward and were now standing amongst the beasts.

The animals only gave passing looks and continued to graze.

Cateran took a bite out of one of the pieces of fruit she was holding and spat it onto the ground in front of one of the hoppers.

The hopper stopped chewing on the plant it had been grazing from and sniffed the fruit. A long thin tongue darted out of the beast's small mouth, wrapped itself around the food, crushed it and pulled it inside the long face. The creature looked at Cateran as if to ask for more. Cateran tossed the other fruit she was carrying over to Vexyna, then bit off another chunk of fruit for the hopper she'd been feeding. After expectorating the fruit, Cateran said, "Do what I'm doing. It helps build a relationship with them. We want to be on good terms with the hoppers if we want to ride them."

Vexyna took a bite out her fruit and coughed it into her hand before tossing it in front of a hopper. The hopper responded quickly to the new food and was soon looking for more. Vexyna obliged.

Cateran began to hum softly to her hopper while stroking the sides of its head. The hopper responded by placing its forehead on hers and letting out a slow harmonic whistle in a low octave. Cateran looked pleased. "I think I can ride this one." She beamed.

"I'm not much of a singer or a hummer," confessed Vexyna. "I hope a little stroking and the fruit will convince this one to give me a lift." Vexyna's hopper finished the fruit and was enjoying having its face caressed.

Cateran looked over and commented, "Only one way to find out. Watch what I do." She proceeded to place her hands on the right side of the back of the hopper. By using the hopper's back as leverage, she pushed herself off the ground and swung her legs over the hopper's back. She rested her back against the horn growing from the hopper's spine and firmly grasped the horn coming from its head. "Now you try," she said.

Vexyna put her hands cautiously on the back of her hopper. The beast gave no sign of moving. Vexyna easily mounted the hopper. "I guess we're all set."

"Good," said Cateran. "You can steer a hopper by using the horn on the back of its head." She pulled back on the horn slightly and the hopper started to move.

Vexyna pulled back on the horn of her hopper, but it did not move. She pulled back a little more forcefully on the horn. The hopper still refused to move. "Now what?" she asked.

Cateran had been jumping around the meadow on her hopper in order to get used to the ride. Now she was back by the ever-motionless hopper Vexyna was on. "You didn't hum to it, so you'll have to find another way to entice it."

Vexyna reached into the pockets of her cloak and produced another piece of fruit. She took a bite and tossed it in front of the hopper. The hopper let out a slow low harmonic whistle and proceeded to devour the fruit. When it had finished eating, Vexyna gently pulled back on its horn. This time, the beast started moving forward.

The girls steered their hoppers towards the road and began to bounce swiftly along the path. The motion of the hoppers took a bit of getting used to, but the girls found their seats were comfortable and secure.

The hoppers kicked up large clouds of dust as they made their way faster and faster down the dirt road. "In the old days, hoppers are said to have been able to fly," Cateran shouted across the road at Vexyna.

They stopped only briefly along the way to refresh the hoppers in a stream running along various stretches of the road and continued to travel this way until the sun was a blazing ball of fire directly over their heads.

At this point, the road split in three directions. The fourth direction was blocked by small foothills that resembled majestic mountain peaks.

"Ninim is still further to the north-west," Cateran stated. "It's going to take us all afternoon to get there. I'm trying to think of some place closer where we can rest and freshen up." She used the cloth Vexyna had given to her in the forest to wipe some road dust from her lips.

"Why don't we stop in that castle?" Vexyna asked innocently as she pointed to the foothill.

"What castle?"

"The big white one standing right there," Vexyna insisted, still pointing.

"I don't see any castle."

"How can you miss it? It has four tall spires in each corner and one really tall spire in the center. The whole building is gleaming white and the spires are trimmed in silver."

"Whoa," breathed Cateran. "You're seeing all that? Right there?" Cateran pointed in the same direction Vexyna was pointing. Cateran clearly still saw nothing.

"There are two huge gates fashioned of a translucent material I have never seen before. Inside the base of the gate on the right, there is a smaller door. We might be able to enter the castle through that door." Vexyna steered her hopper up to where she claimed the door to the castle was and dismounted.

Cateran followed Vexyna's lead and got off her hopper. "Are we going to have room to take the hoppers with us?"

"I don't think the people of the castle would appreciate having wild animals ricocheting about the palace."

"They might have stables."

"True. But this door isn't big enough to fit a hopper through and I doubt those main gates have moved in years. They seem almost welded shut."

"There might be another entrance," Cateran said.

"We're here now. Let's try here first."

"Okay," Cateran offered. "I'll try to give these hoppers a good whiff of my scent. If we're lucky, they'll come back to us if we need them." She wadded up her mouth wiping cloth and stuffed it in one her armpits. When the cloth had absorbed a good amount of perspiration, she thrust it into the faces of the two hoppers.

"Ew." Vexyna grimaced.

"I'm sorry, but that's the politest way I can give them a strong scent," Cateran said. She bent to tie the cloth around a stone. When she stood back up, she pitched the cloth covered stone into the field across the road.

The hoppers seemed to understand and hopped off to the meadow across the road to look for refreshment.

Vexyna turned her eyes in the direction of the door. "I don't see a handle or knocker anywhere on this door," she confided in Cateran.

"That's okay," replied Cateran. "I can't even see a door!"

"I wonder how we can open this door," Vexyna wondered aloud. The door slid silently into the main gate to reveal the courtyard of the castle beyond.

Cateran's mouth hung wide open because, to her, it seemed that this newly opened doorway was floating fifteen centimeters off the ground and was surrounded by foothills. She was certain that if she wandered beyond the doorway, but not through it, she would end up in the foothills.

I wonder how that works. Both girls thought about different things and for different reasons.

Vexyna was curious about the door. Cateran was curious about the doorway.

"Let's step inside," Vexyna said. They stepped through the doorway into the castle courtyard.

The door silently slid closed behind them, swallowing up the last hint of the foothills and the dusty road.

Inside, it appeared completely devoid of people or animals. It was as though they were standing in a ghost town.

Sprawling out before them was a huge courtyard spanning over five hundred meters from length to breadth. Market stalls could be seen neatly organized by rows. A few vendors had their carts between the corners of the rows. The stalls were all empty and several were in desperate need of repair.

The air in the courtyard lay motionless. The only sounds came from the two girls.

"This is kind of creepy," commented Cateran.

"No one appears to be around," Vexyna lamented. "Let's see if we can find the way to the castle."

They wound their way through the rows of empty stalls until they had rounded two corners and found themselves face to face with a twelve-foot-high shiny silver sphere.

The sphere glistened in ripples as it spoke to them. "Step forward, one of Nogard blood. Step through to gain vision and insight."

"I wonder what that'll do?" Vexyna mused. "Are you game, Cateran?"

"Uh, sure," Cateran stammered again. This was all really new to her and she was beginning to feel just a little overwhelmed.

Vexyna took Cateran's elbow and guided her gently through the center of the sphere. Each girl emerged from the other side feeling as if she needed to remove some form of invisible ooze from her body. Their eyes were stinging slightly.

The other side of the sphere revealed a world unlike the one the two had left.

This side was vibrant with life everywhere. Tall trees grew to heights of twenty meters. Various species of plant and animal life were interacting in a variety of ways.

In amongst the flora and fauna were curious pieces of machinery. The stark contrast between the natural life and the technology made for an odd mixture. Silver orbs of different sizes floated free amongst the plant life.

Cateran burst out, "I can see people!" She was happy again.

A tall girl with hair so white it almost glowed with a purple sheen approached them. Her pastel rose robes seemed to flow in a breeze forever blowing them upward. The bottoms of her sandals looked as though they were barely touching the ground as she glided toward them. "One of you is of Nogard blood," she announced.

"I think that would be me," Vexyna pointed out.

"I am Phantasmine," she said it as though she were saying 'fawn taz mean'. The white-haired girl extended her hand to Vexyna.

Vexyna took the offered hand and shook it. "I'm Vexyna. This is Cateran."

Phantasmine examined Cateran sternly. "Yes. A Vag. And a young one at that. As you are of Nogard blood, I am certain that there must be some good explanation for her."

"Hey..." Cateran started to say, but thought better of it. She was really having a hard time grasping everything going on around her. She felt like clinging to the back of Vexyna's cloak, but quickly fought off the urge.

"She is my friend and traveling companion. You should treat her as you would any honored guest," Vexyna issued forth coldly.

"Understood." Phantasmine bowed.

The girls smiled at each other reassuringly and then turned their gazes on Phantasmine.

"What is this place?" Vexyna asked.

"This is the castle city of Illusia," Phantasmine informed them, turning slightly at the waist and gesturing to their surroundings. "Everything you saw or experienced in this room before stepping through the Illumination Sphere was an illusion."

"What exactly happened when we stepped through that sphere?" Vexyna asked.

"Various regions of your brain were stimulated to activate or deactivate parts of your visual and aural senses," explained Phantasmine. "We have the ability and the technology necessary to manipulate certain types of matter at the molecular level. We are also capable of sending targeted suggestions to specific areas within the brain in order to cause the one who is being targeted to experience the sensations we wish them to."

Cateran thought she understood the word 'manipulate', but 'molecular' was nowhere to be found in her mental dictionary. After the way she had been treated earlier, she decided not to ask right now.

"That doesn't explain what we saw when we entered," Vexyna put forth.

"Tell her about the doorway into this place and how it was floating in the middle of a field in front of some hills," Cateran blurted.

To Cateran's surprise, Phantasmine answered plainly, "Yes, it would have appeared that way if you could only see the doorway and not the castle around it." She faced Vexyna. "What you saw when you entered was what we wanted you to see. Even if someone managed to find the castle through the barrier of illusion, they would only find themselves within barren walls."

"If you're so anxious to keep people away from you, why did you reveal yourselves to us?"

"You are of Nogard blood. Your blood is also of another ancient line. This intrigues us. Perhaps you are the one who can help us."

"You keep speaking in the plural and Cateran said she could see people," said Vexyna, looking around the room. "I can't seem to see any other people anymore. Where are they?"

"They are not necessary to generate anymore," Phantasmine explained. "I shall begin to speak in the first person. I am alone. I am the last of the Illusians. I have existed in ethereal form, chained to this plane for centuries by our technology. I long for the time when the right technology will reunite me with a physical body and allow me to live out a normal physical life right to its natural end."

"You want to be able to grow old and die. Is that what you're saying?" Vexyna asked.

"It is," Phantasmine said.

"Your technology makes you appear magical," stated Vexyna. "If you don't have a physical body, how could I shake your hand?"

"That was possible through brain wave manipulation on my part. I created the impression of pressure on your hand within your brain so it would feel like you were gripping another hand."

"Do you know what the range of your power is? How far away could you change the perceptions of a person?"

"That would depend upon the size of the Crystal of Change I had to work with," Phantasmine revealed. "The Crystals of Change are the basis for the technology behind illusion creation."

A ten-centimeter-high diamond-shaped crystal appeared before their eyes and sat spinning in mid-air. It was an iridescent red. "The Crystals of Change are living crystals. They are constantly in a state of flux. Long ago, we learned how to read and affect the vibrations of the crystals so they would work for us. The harmonics of the crystals affect the vibrational qualities in the living things around them. This causes those things of a simpler physical construct to change in whichever way the manipulator chooses."

"You can change the physical structure of plants and other things composed of a simple biological makeup? Is that what you are saying?" Vexyna queried.

Cateran was only catching what Vexyna was saying. Phantasmine's words only served to confuse her. She decided to concentrate on making sure she understood enough through Vexyna that she wouldn't appear completely out of it.

"Yes. I was afraid you would not be able to grasp the concept," Phantasmine admitted.

"It isn't easy, but I think I can keep up with you," Vexyna said. "I have a pretty vivid imagination."

"The crystals are quite old," Phantasmine explained further. "When the earth shifted recently, most were either crushed or damaged so badly they could not heal themselves. After the ordeal, only a few shards remain. I am fortunate the crystal I chose to harmonize with is still intact."

"Earth shifted," repeated Vexyna. "How did the earth shift?"

"It rippled in waves and seemed as though some giant snake was writhing and twisting its way just under the surface of the ground. Many crystals were smashed together when they were thrown off balance. It was so unexpected it really caught me off guard."

"I've seen that sort of behavior in soil myself," Vexyna said.

"Vexyna's village was turned upside down by that sort of thing just yesterday morning," Cateran chipped in.

"Do you know what has caused the soil to act in such a fashion?" Phantasmine asked.

"We think it has something to do with a woman named Din," Vexyna said. "Her men came marching into my village. The leader of the men pounded his staff on the ground and the ground started to go haywire."

"Din?" Phantasmine looked puzzled. "I do not know anything about such a person. I do know you are of a curious mix of bloodlines. If you can get to Nogard, you may be able to help me."

"The quest for death," Vexyna said. She shuddered. "That's a bit morbid."

"Not just death," said Phantasmine swiftly. "Physical life. Real sensations. Being able to really touch and feel things. Really taste things. Not just hollow illusions of the way things are supposed to taste and feel."

"Um," Cateran stammered in a low voice. "Phantasmine, how long have you been in this castle?"

Phantasmine looked at her and asked, "Has anyone in your tribe ever told you the tale of the Great Fire?"

Cateran thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes," she answered. "It happened a long, long time ago."

"Yes, it did. I have been here since that time. I did have family and friends while their crystals lasted, but slowly they have all died off. Their ethereal harmony was forever stilled by the crumbling of their crystals. I would like to be able to return to dust in the normal human way."

"Phantasmine," Vexyna said. "I don't know how to get to Nogard. Until recently, I had only rarely ventured out of my village. I am only out now because of the upheaval supposedly caused by Din. We are on our way to Ninim to get some Gargantuans. We're hoping to use them to clear the rocks away from in front of the village gates."

"May I accompany you?" Phantasmine asked.

"I can't see why not," Vexyna replied. "When we entered the castle, we were hoping to get some rest and refreshment."

"I must apologize for being such an ungrateful hostess." Phantasmine looked at the floor. "Please allow me to show you to suitable quarters. There, you may eat, bathe and rest."

Cateran's ears perked up at the sound of the word 'eat'. "Is that real food or just illusion food?" she asked.

"Real food. Just as your baths will contain real water," Phantasmine explained. "Do not forget that long ago we Illusians had physical bodies. The technology of plumbing is indeed simple. Time has done little to damage our waterways, although the earth tremors may have. Please come this way." She led the way down a short cobblestone corridor, then turned right and went up a flight of dark stone stairs.

At the top of the stairs was a long hallway with several doorways leading off it. Varying shades of blue matched the draperies around portrait frames with the carpet underfoot. Phantasmine motioned for the girls to enter the first two rooms on either side of the hallway. "Inside, you will receive whatever you ask for, within reason."

The girls thanked Phantasmine and pushed open the white wooden doors of their rooms. Vexyna hesitated briefly before entering her room. Cateran had already disappeared.

"Phanta," Vexyna said, "why did you have such a negative reaction to Cat?"

"It is not Cateran herself; it is her heritage," Phantasmine clarified. "The Vags and the Illusians have a history. Let us put it at that for the moment. For now, you must rest." She turned away from Vexyna and floated down the stone stairs.

Alone at the top of the stairs, Vexyna turned to enter her room.

Inside the room, Vexyna found a large four poster bed. Each of the four posts had been ornately carved. Four pillows were perched at the head of the bed. Above the pillows rested a bookcase set into the wall.

A vanity sat to one side of the bed. A small table and two white chairs resided in one corner. A door beside another corner led to a sizeable bathroom.

A dark green marble bath tub filled two feet high with warm water greeted Vexyna. She disrobed and took great lengths to remove the grime from her journey.

A short while later, Vexyna had wrapped herself in a dark wine-colored robe that had been provided in her room. She was brushing out her long black hair when Cateran knocked on her door. "Come in," Vexyna said loudly.

Cateran entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was attired in a similar robe to the one Vexyna was sporting. "Even if some of this is just an illusion, it is a nice illusion," she said. She pranced over to the bed and flipped herself onto it so she was lying on her back looking up at the ceiling.

"It's nice to get all that dust from the road off my body," Vexyna commented.

"The bath was good," Cateran agreed. She rolled over onto her stomach so she could examine the books in the headboard bookcase.

A knock came to the chamber door. "Vexyna?" a voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Yes," Vexyna replied. "Please come in, Phanta."

The door open and Phantasmine admitted herself to the room. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Yes," came from both the girls simultaneously. They all grinned at each other.

Cateran went back to checking out the books. "Are you looking for something to read before you go to sleep?" Phantasmine asked Cateran.

"Not really," Cateran said. "I'm just seeing what's here. I like hearing tales if you know any. There used to be many tales told around the campfire when I was younger. I can't recall many of them."

"On moonless nights when the stars were all hiding, did the old women of your clan tell you tales of losing husbands and fathers to the clutches of an evil woman who would seduce the men and then drain them of their life force?"

The girls shivered. "No," replied Cateran. "I've never heard such a thing."

"They say it was just an old wives' tale."

"Why would you bring up such a tale of terror?" Vexyna asked.

"It just came to mind for some reason," Phantasmine admitted. "I am sorry. Let me show you some pleasing visual effects to relax you."

Vexyna quickly interrupted her, "That's okay. I think we both just need some sleep."

Cateran yawned and stretched on the bed. Then she slid off the bed and wandered toward the door where Phantasmine was standing.

Both girls bid Vexyna a good night and Vexyna was left to sleep in the comfortable bed.

# Chapter 5: Mining is the Pits

Vexyna was losing track of time. How many days had it been now since she had been forced from her village?

There was a polite knock at the door. It opened to reveal Cateran, who was already dressed in her usual coveralls. "Good morning," she almost sang.

Vexyna looked at her through heavy eyes and croaked, "Morning." She cleared her throat, blinking several times. "That's better," she said. "Are we all set to hit the trail?"

Cateran helped herself to the fresh rolls that had been placed in a wicker basket on the green marble table in Vexyna's chamber. "I haven't seen Meen," she said between bites.

"You won't unless I want you to," Phantasmine said as she materialized between the two girls.

"That's a little invasive, isn't it?" Vexyna demanded. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," Phantasmine replied. "I came in with Cateran and was about to announce my presence anyway. Where do you think the rolls came from? Do you think I came in earlier just to watch you sleep?"

"It does sound a bit silly, doesn't it?" Vexyna admitted. "Sorry, I guess there are quite a few things I have to get used to in the world beyond my village."

"Me too," Cateran chirped in. "I had no idea the world was filled with so many wondrous things." She was finishing her third roll and eyed her fourth. She asked Phantasmine, "Were you up all night baking?"

"Some of the physical food machines are still functional. Simple technologies always stand the test of time," Phantasmine answered. "It is simple to turn grains and vegetables into whatever food dish is desired."

"Whatever it is, it works for me," Cateran said while stuffing yet another roll into her mouth.

"Are there any of those left?" Vexyna craned her neck to see from the bed.

"Yes," Cateran said indignantly with mouth half stuffed with roll.

"If there are not enough rolls, I will process more," said Phantasmine. "It will take no time at all. Once we are on the road, I will not be able to offer you such services."

"We understand the machinery necessary for food preparation is stored, and will remain within the castle," Vexyna assured Phantasmine.

"I have no need of food," Phantasmine continued. "Vexyna, please carry my crystal in one of the pockets in your cloak. I will be able to project myself from there."

Cateran was a bit confused. "Aren't you coming with us? You're just sending a crystal that can show us a picture of you?"

Vexyna tried to explain the situation to Cateran. "Phanta is not sending the crystal with us just as a remembrance of her. The crystal is Phanta. The personality that inhabited the physical body of a woman named Phantasmine is dwelling within that crystal."

"Well put," commented Phantasmine.

"Oh," Cateran said in a small voice. She was trying to absorb it all. She munched slowly on a roll.

"Would you two mind giving me a little privacy while I get dressed?" Vexyna asked.

"Not at all," said Phantasmine. She brought her right arm up swiftly and a change screen appeared surrounding the bed. "Will that do?"

"Yes, thank you," answered Vexyna.

Vexyna noticed her freshly laundered clothes. They smelled lightly of lemons. The clothes had been neatly folded where she had left them in a pile the night before. They were still slightly warm, as if they had only recently been taken from the fire that had dried them. It gave Vexyna a warm, cozy feeling to slipped into them.

"Okay, let's go," Vexyna announced as she stepped from behind the screen.

Phantasmine led them down the stairs and out into the main chamber containing the passageway to the empty castle courtyard. Before they stepped through the shimmering hole, Phantasmine stopped and said to Vexyna, "Please take the red crystal on the third pedestal from the left and place it in one of your cloak pockets."

Vexyna cautiously slipped the crystal into her pocket. "It should be safe in there," she reassured Phantasmine.

"I hope so," replied Phantasmine. "That is my life you are holding."

"I'll be careful. Which way is the exit?"

"This way," Phantasmine said, pointing.

The road looked just as they had left it: dry, dusty and barren. The hoppers were still lounging about the meadow next door. Apparently, it had provided them with sufficient nourishment and shelter to make them stay.

"What luck!" exclaimed Cateran. She sang to the hoppers.

The hoppers' ears perked up and they came over to see what the noise was about.

Cateran took out a piece of fruit from the front of her coveralls. "I was hoping I might be able to use this to win back our hoppers." She took two bites and spat them on the ground. The hoppers approached and gobbled up the fruit gratefully. "We're in business."

The girls boarded their hoppers. Phantasmine created the illusion of a hopper for herself and climbed aboard.

Off they went bounding down the road silently for half an hour.

Phantasmine broke the silence, "Where are we going?"

"We need the Gargantuans in Ninim to remove the rocks from the entrance of my village," Vexyna yelled over to Phantasmine.

"I don't think it's far to Ninim from here," shouted Cateran.

"It is not far," Phantasmine said. "You should be able to see it in another fifteen minutes or so. Then it will be less than an hour's ride further to the center of the city proper."

Fifteen minutes further down the road found the girls excited they could finally see Ninim.

Forty-five minutes later, they approached the main gates of Ninim and were not prepared for what they found.

Actually, there were no gates in the giant archway that faced the main entranceway into the city. The huge stone arch was fifty meters in height and towered over the people below. There were no walls around Ninim, simply an arch to guide people to the main road into town.

The girls were surprised to find little to no activity in the town.

They left their hoppers at the base of the main arch and started to look around for signs of people or animals. The main arch led to a long avenue of wooden buildings that looked as though they were in desperate need of a new coat of paint. Silence pervaded the street. Swirls of dust danced in the middle of the roadway between the two huge hedges running part way down the street. The hedges appeared to break into smaller sections further along the avenue.

"What's going on here?" wondered Cateran. "Where are all the people?"

"I don't know," said Vexyna. "Let's start looking in some buildings."

There was a small yellow shack, which must have been white at one time, just off the street a bit, right beside the arch. They decided to check that building first.

The hinges of the dusty wooden door complained as they were forced to move. It took some effort for Vexyna to push open the door. It remained in the open position due to the excessive rust and grime in the hinge.

"I don't think anyone has been in here for a while," Vexyna said as she knocked the dust from the door handle off her hands.

"I am detecting high levels of ore dust in the hinges. The hinges are not rusty," stated Phantasmine.

The two girls looked at Phantasmine. "I am able to see the vibrations of objects and can, therefore, tell the difference between various substances even on what you would consider a microscopic level," she explained.

Inside the shack, the girls found a small desk. Over the desk, a sign was hanging by two thin ropes. It read, 'Ninim Mining Information'. There were piles of leaflets on the desk. Under the leaflets was a desk blotter.

Boards on the walls read things like: 'Outgoing Shipments' and 'Production Rates'.

"This must be where they keep track of all of the town's industrial activities," Vexyna concluded.

"From the sign over the desk, I would also conclude this was the place the representatives from the other towns would come to conduct their business," observed Phantasmine.

"Let's see what we can dig up," Vexyna said while rifling through the pamphlets on the desk.

"Chortux came from Ninim," Cateran remembered. "He's a member of my clan now. He got tired of mining and couldn't decide what else he wanted to do, so we took him in as a craftsman of metals."

"Did Chortux ever talk about Ninim?" asked Vexyna.

"Sometimes when he was creating different metal objects he would talk about his days 'in the driest, death-like darkness under the planet' as he used to call it," Cateran reminisced. "This would be while he was making the clasp on a jewelry box or something."

"What did he have to say about those days in the darkness?" Phantasmine prodded Cateran.

"Did he mention anything about the Gargantuans?" Vexyna asked.

"I think I recall him talking about beasts that grew up with the men and labored along with them in different areas of the mine and at different stages of growth. The younger beasts would go into the smaller portions of the mine, which meant they would be spending much of their time at the farthest reaches of the underground tunnels."

"That would make sense if the size of the Gargantuans is of any consequence," Phantasmine observed. "Gargantuans have been known to stand five meters from head to toe. Gargantuans are said to be covered in thick dark hair. They walk erect like humans and have considerable strength. They have no necks. Their heads sit slightly sunken between their shoulders. Their jaws are massive and when unhinged they open right down to their waists."

"The Gargantuans were congenial workers who co-existed with the people of Ninim for many years," Cateran continued from her memories.

"Are the Gargantuans native to this region?" Vexyna enquired.

"No. I think they're from an island far north of this continent. The story goes that they ventured here from an island that had a giant primordial forest with trees so enormous they had locked together to block out the sun. Under this wooden dome, the snow and ice gathered in the darkness. The Gargantuans evolved in that cold, dark climate. Their necks eventually disappeared into their bodies due to them constantly holding their chins in to guard against the cold."

"That's an interesting story to explain a few things about the Gargantuans' physical makeup," Vexyna commented.

"Gargantuans are supposed to have incredible vision in the darkness," Cateran said.

"How did they get here?" Vexyna asked.

"Chortux said he heard there was a massive lightning strike that ignited the dome of trees covering the icy island. The whole island was engulfed in flames and raging waters. The Gargantuans grabbed hold of whatever pieces of floating material they could and drifted out to sea. Eventually, they made their way to this continent."

"Where are they now, I wonder?" Vexyna mused. "Let's check further down the street. We may need to go as far as the mouth of the mine."

The girls left the little yellow shack and walked down the street between the two huge hedges.

Phantasmine stopped to examine one of the hedges. "Vexyna," she said. "Please come over here. I need to be closer to analyze this shrubbery."

Vexyna walked over to the apparition of Phantasmine and noticed the image becoming more solid. "What's so interesting about a bush?" she asked.

"I do not think it is a plant," Phantasmine informed her.

"What is it?" asked Cateran, who had followed Vexyna over to the hedge.

"It is breathing," said Phantasmine. "I believe these are not so much roadside greenery as they are animal matter of some form." She appeared to stop and consider the bush. It was really just for show. Phantasmine merely made her image appear to be looking thoughtfully at the hedge. She was, in fact, sending out scanning vibrations from the crystal in Vexyna's pocket. "Yes, these are definitely animals."

"What kind of animal?" Vexyna wondered.

"Yeah," breathed Cateran. "Whatever they are, they're huge!"

The image of Phantasmine looked at Vexyna. "Gargantuans?"

"Why would they be lying in the street like this?"

"Afternoon siesta," Cateran offered.

Vexyna gave Cateran a look that said 'ha ha very funny'.

Cateran put on a silly grin.

"How can we communicate with a Gargantuan?" inquired Vexyna. "Do either of you know?"

The other two girls shook their heads.

"Let us see if we can find its face," Phantasmine said.

"It might be hard to find through all this hair," Cateran commented.

Phantasmine's image appeared to pop out of existence, only to reappear again far back from where the other girls were positioned. "Hmm," she said as she gave the appearance of biting on her thumbnail. "The one you two are in front of is five meters tall. The head is pointing toward the main arch. Its face is turned toward the buildings closest to it. There is another Gargantuan at its feet and so on down the avenue."

"I thought they were really dark hedges," said Cateran.

Phantasmine snapped over to where the other two girls were standing. The image of her standing across the street appeared to stop momentarily in place while the images of her walking across the street behaved in a similar fashion. This collection of images seemed to 'snap' back together at a spot near Vexyna and Cateran.

"Real people don't do that sort of thing, you know," Cateran chided Phantasmine.

"I shall endeavor to present as real a facade as possible whenever we are in the company of unknown persons," Phantasmine advised her. "I was not really across the street, nor did I need to appear to be across the street. My image is merely for your benefit. In point of fact, I could not scan the creature from such a great distance."

"It was pretty cool, though." Cateran grinned.

"Did your scans reveal anything else?"

"The breathing of the creature is shallow. The ebb of its vibrations is low. Its vital signs are low, but steady. It is as if it does not have the energy to move."

"What could've caused this? And where are all the humans?"

"Questions, questions. Always questions." A voice came from behind them. "Problem is, you didn't stick around to get any answers."

The girls turned to see a stubby old man coming towards them. His beard was no more than a day's worth of growth. The soot of the mine was so well blended into his skin that it almost made one believe it was his natural skin tone. Wisps of white hair encircled his crown. His thick-soled boots beat the ground heavily as he walked.

Cateran was the first to speak. "Where did you come from?"

As the old man neared the girls, he explained, "I was in the back office of the Information Office."

"Back office?" Vexyna asked.

"Where people go to be alone with their thoughts," prompted the old man.

The girls still looked puzzled. "You have a place of meditation adjoining your office?" queried Phantasmine.

"No, no," said the now slightly agitated old man. "The reading room."

"Library?" Vexyna ventured a guess.

The old man was getting even more agitated by the girls' lack of success in grasping the concept he was trying to convey. "Forget the books and think about sitting."

"Right here in the middle of the street?" Cateran was as confused as the old man was upset.

Cateran's response pushed the old man over the edge and he blurted, "I was stuck in the washroom, okay? Can you understand that or should I draw you a picture?" His face was beet red and tiny bits of drool flew from his lips as he spat out the words.

"Well, what were you doing in the wash...?" Cateran started, then looked down at the ground. "Never mind."

"Why does this town give the appearance of being empty?" asked Phantasmine.

"Just because the streets aren't crawling with people don't mean there ain't nobody here," spewed forth the old man as he wiped his brow with a large red handkerchief.

"So, where are they?" Vexyna demanded.

"Most folks are in the mine," the old man explained. "I was minding the Information Office."

"We'd like some information," Vexyna said.

"Come back into the office," the old man said as he turned back toward the yellow shack.

The girls walked three abreast just behind the old man. When they reached the yellow shack, he held the door for the girls.

"There are chairs hereabouts, so make yourselves comfortable," offered the old man.

Each of the girls said thank you as they found seats. Vexyna took the swivel-chair with the big feather pillow in the seat. Cateran plopped into an overstuffed chair surrounded by books. Phantasmine opted for the wooden straight back chair. This chair did not move, so it would be easiest for Phantasmine to maintain a realistic projection of her image.

"Anybody want coffee?" asked the old man.

The girls shook their heads.

"All we want is some information," Vexyna said.

"Then you've come to the right place, because this is the Information Office. My name's Clod Loam." He got up from his seat again and shook each of the girl's hands in turn, getting their names. He sat back down again in his seat behind the desk with a thud.

"Clod," Vexyna asked, "what's wrong with your Gargantuans?"

"Sickness, some kind of Gargantuan plague," explained Clod. "This gang came to town a while back and demanded we ship everything we mine to this one location."

"What did the townsfolk tell the gang?"

"We told 'em to stuff it," Clod shot back with a wry grin.

"I take it that did not go over well with the gang," Phantasmine observed.

"No, it did not," Clod replied. "They started making threats and talking about their all-powerful leader, some woman named Din."

"Din again," Vexyna said flatly.

"When we refused to comply, the leader of the soldiers sent three men down each of our streets waving these strange incense burners. The stuff they were burning sucked the wind right oughta the Gargs."

"Gargs?"

"It's short for 'Gargantuans'," explained Clod, then he shrugged. "Dangedest thing I ever saw."

"What is being done about returning the Gargs to health?" asked Vexyna.

"Trouble is we have no idea where to begin," Clod said. "The Garg doctors have looked 'em all over and they say the Gargs oughta be fine."

"From what Mr. Loam was saying, I would surmise the method of distribution of the illness to the Gargantuans was the smoke from that incense," Phantasmine theorized.

"They inhaled it?"

"Inhalation is one possibility," Phantasmine concurred. "Absorption through the epidermis is another."

"Epi-what?" Cateran was getting lost in Phantasmine's words again.

"Epidermis," Phantasmine explained. "The outermost layer, usually used in reference to skin."

"Oh," said Cateran. "Phantasmine, why do you always have use such big words? If it's 'skin', why not just say 'skin'?"

"I was endeavoring to be as specific as possible," Phantasmine clarified. "That way, there can be little doubt about my meaning."

Vexyna muttered, half to herself, "I wonder why the gang didn't pull the earth-mover trick here like they did in Shojiki."

"I have formulated a theory about that situation as well," Phantasmine said. "It could have something to do with this being a mining town. Perhaps the ores mined here are too precious for a show of power that could jeopardize the mines."

"Clod," asked Vexyna, "what sort of minerals do you mine here?"

"Titanium mainly," Clod replied.

"A strong ore," commented Phantasmine. "It does not weigh much."

"You said 'mainly'," Vexyna said to Clod. "What else comes out of the mine?"

"Potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal," responded Clod.

"You cannot mine potassium nitrate and charcoal," Phantasmine stated.

"No, but we can process 'em from what we do dig out of the mine," Clod explained.

"Why would anyone be after those?" wondered Cateran.

"Weapons," Phantasmine replied solemnly.

"Weapons?" Vexyna, Cateran, and Clod all asked simultaneously.

"Yes," answered Phantasmine. "Weapons. High velocity projectile weapons. They existed in the time before the Forgetting that occurred over two hundred years ago."

"How would Din know about the creation of such weapons?" mused Vexyna.

"I am curious to know that myself," Phantasmine admitted. "Where did she acquire such knowledge? Is she, as I am, from the time before the Forgetting?"

"That would make Din over two hundred years old," deduced Vexyna.

"Wait just a minute," Clod interrupted. "If that's so, and you," he said, pointing to Phantasmine, "said you're from before the Forgetting, then you'd be over two hundred years old, too. How's that possible?"

"Do you trust Clod enough to show your true identity?" Vexyna whispered to the crystal in her cloak.

Let me scan his vital signs while you ask him a general question about his life here in Ninim. Then allow me to scan him when you give him a question about Din and her activities. This will give me the opportunity to gauge his worthiness of my trust. Phantasmine spoke into Vexyna's mind.

Vexyna was startled. Phanta! You can speak into my head!

Yes, replied Phantasmine. It is a fairly simple exercise after all these years.

Can you hear my thoughts?

Not exactly, answered Phantasmine. I can only hear your thoughts when I am paying attention and vibrating at your brain's frequency. Thoughts directed at me and harmonized with my vibration will be perceived.

If I address my thoughts to you and you happen to be paying attention, then you'll send your thoughts to me, Vexyna responded. Is that about right?

Yes, Phantasmine's replied. Now ask Clod about his life in Ninim.

Clod and Cateran were waiting ever more impatiently for the image of Phantasmine to speak. They had all been sitting around in silence for the past few moments and the stillness in the room was growing uncomfortable for both of them. Their heads snapped in Vexyna's direction when she spoke. It was an involuntary movement because they were focused on Phantasmine.

"Clod," Vexyna asked, "is your family from Ninim? Did you grow up here?"

"Sure," Clod said as he blinked rapidly. "I grew up here. So did my pappy and my pappy's pappy."

"How are the ores that are mined here usually used?" Phantasmine asked.

"We manufacture furniture and tools out of the metals," Clod informed them. "Some of the materials we mine are sent off to other towns for manufacture into other items. You probably have some of our metal tools and furniture in your village. We ship them all over the continent."

"That would explain how Din found out what is mined here," Cateran offered.

"What do you know of Din, Clod?" Vexyna inquired.

"I've seen her," Clod confessed. "She was right here in Ninim."

"You've seen her!" the girls all exclaimed.

# Chapter 6: Enter the Red Empress

"You bet," replied Clod. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her sedan chair. All bright red with shiny tassels. It was sittin' on two long green poles bein' held up by four big brutes."

"Sounds pretty," Cateran said. "I guess Din's a bit flashy."

"Flashy don't half describe it," Clod agreed as he turned his weathered face toward Cateran. "You should've seen it when she stepped out from behind the curtain."

"What was she wearing?" Cateran had to know.

"First, she stuck her foot out so she could open the curtain just a little ways. I figure she must've been checking out the crowd before making her entrance."

"That would be a logical assumption," offered Phantasmine. "It is always best to know what one is getting oneself into when dealing with a crowd."

Clod continued, "Then she dug her claws, uh, I mean 'nails', and they were pretty fancy nails at that, all polished up shiny and sharp. So, she digs her nails into the curtain and rips it open. Then she stands there looking at us. I've never seen a woman in a velvet dress before. She had a green hat on, too. Her hair was long and black. About as long as yours." Clod pointed to Vexyna.

"Sounds like she really has a thing about the color red," Cateran observed.

"What did she do once she was visible to the crowd?" asked Vexyna.

"She made some speech about bowing down to her and giving her everything we had," Clod answered. "I don't remember much about what happened after that. That's when we told her to shove it and her gang went around town with their incense. No one in town remembers Din or her escorts leaving."

"No one in Ninim can remember anything after the incense incident?" It was Phantasmine who was curious.

"Nope," replied Clod. "Several of the town's men went missing after Din's visit."

"Missing? Do you think they joined Din? Only men went missing? No women?" Vexyna was full of questions. "Why would anyone join Din? That's what I can't figure out. How does Din control her troops? What makes them loyal to her?"

"Not a single woman was taken. I don't rightly know what happened," Clod confessed. "I can vaguely recall a sense of peace and happiness settling over me when the incense first started to burn."

"Euphoria from the incense," Phantasmine said.

"Maybe Din can do what you did to those soldiers," Cateran blurted to Vexyna.

Although her eyes could not been seen from behind her dark glasses, it was obvious Vexyna was glaring at Cateran. Through clenched teeth, she said, "I don't think parlor tricks would quite cut it."

"Parlor tricks?" Cateran was puzzled. Then it dawned on her that the incident with the men in the clearing in the forest wasn't something she should mention in front of strangers. "Oh, yeah." She laughed nervously while looking at Clod. "Tell me about your family, Clod," she said, quickly changing the subject.

Clod and Cateran struck up a short conversation.

Hey, Phanta. Vexyna focused her thoughts on the crystal in her pocket.

Yes, Phantasmine thought back.

What sort of vibrations are you getting from Clod? Do you feel you can trust him?

He seems honest. He answers his questions earnestly. I am concerned about his repressed memories of the incident with Din.

I don't suppose there's any way you could probe his memories?

I can only sense surface thoughts. I cannot visit memories.

Are you going to tell him that you are an Illusian?

I do not believe I will tell him that piece of information. Perhaps only if he presses the issue. I do not believe he will. We seem to have done a good job of distracting his attention away from that point.

"Clod," Vexyna said, to interrupt the conversation going on between Clod and Cateran.

"Yes?" Clod turned to face Vexyna.

"Would you tell us about the missing men? Do all the men who are missing have anything in common other than being residents of Ninim?"

"I've never really stopped to think about any similarities between the men," Clod said. "There aren't any, I don't think."

"Do you know all the men?" Phantasmine asked.

"Sure I do. Everybody knows everybody in this town. It's only big 'cause of the Gargs." Clod grinned. "Ninim only has about a hundred and fifty people living in it."

Vexyna addressed Cateran and the image of Phantasmine. "Let's visit the families of the missing men and see if they can provide us with a clue about what ties all the men together. Why did Din kidnap those particular men?"

"Right," said the other girls in unison, nodding.

"Clod," said Vexyna as she stood up from her chair. The other girls followed suit. Vexyna continued, "Will you take us to the families of the men who were abducted?"

"We're all busy folks around here," Clod stuttered unexpectedly. "I've no time to be dallying here with you any longer. I've given you all the information I'm prepared to at this time. Now, please be on your way."

The girls were taken aback by Clod's sudden abrupt behavior. Phantasmine spoke. "We had best be on our way then. Thank you for your time, Mr. Loam."

Clod dismissed them with the wave as he shuffled some papers on the desk.

The dusty man in the Information Office was left to sort out his affairs and the girls found themselves standing outside the yellow shack.

Phantasmine spoke. "Clod's vibrational pattern suddenly changed. I had the impression earlier while I was scanning him that he was holding something back. That is why I was not so forthcoming with the truth concerning my age or anything to do with Illusia." She turned to Cateran. "You must also learn to curb your tongue. Be more guarded in the information you pass along freely to strangers."

Cateran looked at the tips of her index fingers, pushing them together at her waist. "I turned the conversation around. I managed to bury it. Didn't I?" She looked up at Phantasmine and then over at Vexyna.

"You did," said Vexyna. "But you shouldn't have brought it up in the first place."

Phantasmine spoke. "I would be curious to know exactly what you did to those men in the clearing in the forest."

"You have a good memory," Vexyna commented to Phantasmine.

"Thank you," replied Phantasmine. "You could say my memory is etched in stone." She smiled and waited for the other two to comprehend the reference to the fact that she, Phantasmine, was the crystal in Vexyna's cloak and, thus, she truly was a stone.

Even Cateran caught that one. "That's funny. I didn't know you knew how to be funny, Meen. You always use such big words I didn't think you had a sense of humor."

"A person's utilization of verbiage of a particular caliber beyond one's own level of development is in no way indicative as to whether or not that person has a predilection for humor." Phantasmine spoke directly to Cateran, who immediately became confused.

Vexyna thought to Phantasmine. You purposely constructed that last statement with words you knew would confuse Cateran. Didn't you?

Phantasmine's thoughts flowed back to Vexyna. Of course. Now I am showing that I know how to tease someone. I can be fun.

Cateran was still trying to piece together the puzzle of what exactly Phantasmine had said when Vexyna said to her, "What happened in the clearing in the forest is no one else's business but ours. Never mention it again. Do you understand?"

Cateran nodded her understanding. "I won't mention what happened ever again."

"Good," said Vexyna. She turned to include the image of Phantasmine in the conversation. "I will tell you about the incident in the clearing in the forest at another time. For now, we should formulate a plan of action. Where to now? How will I get back into my village if the Gargantuans are sick and can't remove the boulders from in front of the gates?"

"We must uncover more information concerning the occurrences in this town," affirmed Phantasmine.

"How did the incense affect the men? Why did it have such a lasting impact on the Gargantuans? Those are the questions I'd like answered," Cateran offered.

"I wanted to ask Clod if the smoke of the incense was a thick royal purple," said Phantasmine.

"Would the color and the thickness of the smoke have any significance?" Vexyna queried Phantasmine.

"Yes," Phantasmine answered. "It would narrow the possibilities as to the nature of the substance being burned. If we knew what their incense was made out of, we may have an idea of how to come up with an antidote for the Garagantuans."

"We could try asking some of the other townspeople," Cateran suggested. "Let's check inside some of these other buildings."

The girls went from building to building trying to ask the different people questions about the town and the incident with Din, but no one would speak to them.

"The behavior of these people is strange," Phantasmine commented. "When I scan them, it appears as though another pattern of vibrations has been superimposed over their regular pattern."

"What could that mean?" Vexyna pondered.

"It means these people are being controlled somehow," Phantasmine explained. "It could just be an after effect of the incense. We have no idea..." Her voice trailed off as if she was in thought.

"Phanta?" Vexyna asked.

"The Gargantuans are paralyzed and the townspeople are under some influence that makes them forget," Phantasmine stated. "This sounds too much like the Purple Fog used to expedite the Forgetting."

"Purple Fog?" Cateran was curious. "I think I've heard about that. What is it?"

"After the Great Fire two hundred and fifty years ago, the people of this continent decided it would be best to destroy all weapons and knowledge about the construction of weapons. Ridding the continent of weapons was not the problem. The problem was eradicating the knowledge of warfare and weapons making from the brains of the people. So the great alchemists of the time came up with a substance which, when burned, created a thick smoke the color of royal purple. This heavy smoke sank to the ground. Great airships were launched to spread the fog across the continent. The people lapsed into a state of peace and serenity," Phantasmine said.

"The Gargantuans, however, slipped into comas," Cateran interrupted. "I just remembered the story about the Gargantuans' long sleep. I haven't heard the story since I was about four years old."

"The Purple Fog made people forget?" Vexyna wanted to know.

"Yes and no," explained Phantasmine. "The Purple Fog made people extremely susceptible to suggestion. The suggestions were posted around towns and in people's homes. General impressions were read through loud speakers aboard the airships spreading the Fog. They told the people the things to remember for many years."

"I guess they wouldn't have reminders of things to forget sitting around," Vexyna offered.

"The Purple Fog covered this land for twenty-five years," Phantasmine added.

"It sounds as though Din has somehow discovered the formula for producing the Purple Fog," Vexyna concluded. "Is there an antidote?"

"I am not aware of one," Phantasmine admitted. "Perhaps the laboratory where the Purple Fog was invented might have an antidote."

"I wonder if the place still exists," Vexyna pondered.

"It used to be along the eastern coastline. It was set on the cliffs overlooking the sea," Phantasmine informed them.

"There's still a big facility in that area, but I don't think anyone's left inside," Cateran let them know.

"We should check the ruins of the laboratory. We might find something useful," said Vexyna.

"Agreed," said Phantasmine. "The old laboratory just might hold the answer we are seeking."

"It's a long way from here," Cateran said. "All the way over on the eastern most coast. It'll take two days by hopper."

"We should return to Illusia to prepare for the journey," advised Phantasmine.

The girls left Ninim and jumped on their hoppers. They headed back down the road to Illusia.

After traveling down the dusty road for about an hour, Vexyna commented, "One of the airships used to spread the Fog would be handy about now."

"Such vessels are sure to still exist somewhere," Phantasmine theorized. "I could not hazard a guess as to the condition of said vessels at this point in time."

"They might be rotting hulls for all we know," Vexyna observed.

They rode for another half hour and arrived at the spot where Illusia lay hidden.

As they dismounted and set the hoppers to grazing in the meadow, Vexyna struck up the conversation about the lighter-than-air vessels. "We should try to dig up more information about the airships and where they were docked."

"If only I could link up with my people, I could probably get us that information," Cateran said with a narrowed brow. She kicked at the dirt. "My people," she said dejectedly.

"I believe you have chosen a higher calling, Cateran," Phantasmine told her.

Cateran looked up from where she had been kicking at the dirt. "I think so, too," she said. "There's something going on that's going to affect the whole world, not just my little band of rovers. I need to be a part of that. Besides, my curiosity is killing me! There are too many questions and not enough answers."

Vexyna looked at Cateran. "When's the last time you stuffed some food into that face of yours?"

"I had a bit of the fruit I just gave to the hoppers," Cateran told her. "I've been snacking all day on the rolls Meen made this morning, but I'm ready for something more than just bread. That small taste of fruit wasn't enough."

"I'm ready for a nap," Vexyna said with a stretch to relieve herself of the strain of the ride. "I suppose an airship would be more difficult to maneuver than a hopper. I was amazed at how easy it was to ride a hopper."

"They're built for riding," Cateran put in. "All you have to do is sit on their backs and steer them where you want to go. Easy."

"Let us proceed inside the castle," Phantasmine said. "Once inside, I will see to your nutritional requirements and you may rest." Phantasmine opened the doorway to the Illusia castle and the three entered.

Along the way to the staircase, Phantasmine said, "Vexyna, please place my crystal back in the resting place you found it. I can do more from there than I can from your pocket."

A short time later, the three women were once again convening in what had become Vexyna's room in the castle. Vexyna and Cateran were back in their robes, having each just taken a bath to relieve them of the dust of the trip. Vexyna was sitting up on the bed. She felt the towel covering her hair to check the dampness. Cateran was trying to stretch as much of her body as possible without putting herself into any impolite positions. The image of Phantasmine sat in the white wicker straight-backed chair beside the vanity on the west wall.

Cateran stopped stretching and reached into her robe's pocket. She pulled out a large triangle of paper and proceeded to unravel it.

"What's that?" Vexyna asked as she turned her attention to the calluses on her feet.

"Oh, Clod had a sandwich. It was pretty messy, so I wrapped it up in a piece of paper before I stuffed it in my pocket," Cateran confessed. "I guess I shouldn't have stolen his lunch, huh?"

"That was improper behavior, Cateran," Phantasmine chastised her. "Other foodstuffs are readily available to you. What propelled you to do it?"

"The sandwich looked really good," said Cateran. "It was also something other than fruit or rolls to eat. I'm sorry. It is one of the ways of my people. Sometimes it is necessary to survive."

"'My people'," Phantasmine intoned. "For that reason, 'your' people are not held in high regard by the population of this continent."

"I take it the Vags have been annoying you for a long time?" Vexyna ribbed Phantasmine.

"The Vags have existed since before the Forgetting. Some believe that it was they who started the Great Fire as an act of sabotage."

"The Vags... started the Great Fire?" Cateran couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"The rival factions in the war both relied heavily on Vag spies and saboteurs," Phantasmine explained. "Both sides arranged for their respective Vag personnel to use powerful explosives to ignite the other side's main weapons depots. Both explosions occurred almost simultaneously."

"You would think the Vags would've been in communication with one another and would've accepted only one mission," observed Vexyna.

"The Vags were greedy," Phantasmine stated flatly.

"The Vags are not greedy," Cateran fought back. She had finished unwrapping the sandwich and held it gingerly in her left hand. The paper it had been wrapped in was sitting on the bed beside Vexyna.

"No, not anymore," said Phantasmine. "Not after the Forgetting."

"I had no idea the Vags have been around that long," Cateran admitted.

Phantasmine added, "The Vag's have not yet found their place in the organization of the world. They wander because they have yet to find where they fit."

Vexyna was looking at the paper that had housed the sandwich. "Where did you get this paper, Cateran?"

"It was sitting on top of one of the desks. Why? What is it?"

"It's a purchase order for minerals and tools," Vexyna informed them.

"Is that significant?" Phantasmine asked.

"The order is to be sent to the Vangrash Research Laboratory," Vexyna said. "It's to be sent to a Dr. Deathbrain."

"That's the old lab on the east coast!" Cateran exclaimed. "So there is somebody still there. I wonder how many people Dr. Braindead has working with him."

"Dr. Braindead," Vexyna repeated, snickering. "His name is 'Dr. Deadbreath'." She stopped and thought about what she had just said. "No, wait..."

Cateran was doubled over with laughter. She interrupted Vexyna, "Deadbreath... Dr. Braindrain!" They both started laughing again.

"Doctor Broody-dude, I presume," Vexyna mocked through lips that couldn't help curling up into a smile.

"Little Doctor dooty-booty," Cateran pounded her fists on the floor while convulsing in gales of laughter.

"If you two are quite finished," Phantasmine chastised them, "then I suggest we study that purchase order a little more closely."

The snickering of the other two girls subsided and Vexyna picked up the purchase order. "Let's see what good old Doctor D.B. has ordered. Titanium, scandium, manganese, stronium and platinum."

"I can make no sense out of that combination of elements," Phantasmine admitted. "Dr. Deathbrain must have different applications in mind for each mineral."

"He's also ordered several steel cases," Vexyna continued. "They're a pretty good size, too. The measurements here on the paper say six feet by four feet. A person could stand up in a case that size."

"It would be handy if that someone needed to get to where those cases are going," Cateran added. "We need to hightail it back to Ninim and make sure Dr. Dooty-Booty gets his order filled."

"Those would be shipped from the metal works," Phantasmine offered.

"I wonder if Ninim ships items using the zero-G disks?" Cateran wondered out loud.

"Zero-G disks?" Vexyna asked. After thinking for half a second, she said, "Oh, yeah. The 'zergs'. Some towns and villages use them to perform various functions. They would be handy for hauling large cargo over a great distance."

"Like us." Cateran beamed.

"Right," said Vexyna. She stood up from the bed. "Cateran, go get dressed. Phanta, we'll need supplies. Let's get ready for the journey back to Ninim and then on to the lab on the east coast."

"We'll need plenty of food and liquid for the trek," Cateran advised them.

"I wonder how those zergs work?" Vexyna was curious.

"The ions in the air are stimulated to cause the formation of miniature storm clouds under the surface of the zero-G disk. That is how it is able to float on air and move about," Phantasmine stated matter-of-factly.

Both of the other girls dumbfoundedly looked at Phantasmine. It was Vexyna who spoke. "Storm clouds?"

"That is the closest explanation to what you could possibly understand," Phantasmine said glibly. "Unless you would like to take the time to study aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and a few other sciences along the way in order for me to properly explain to you the true nature of how the zero gravity disks work."

"Storm clouds are good enough for me," Cateran pitched in.

"I thought they might be," replied Phantasmine with a hint of a smile.

"Storm clouds will have to do for me, as well," Vexyna confided. "You're right, Phanta. We couldn't possibly know as much as you know. All you've had is time on your hands."

"That is true," said Phantasmine. "I have existed here for over two hundred and fifty years. I have had plenty of time to study. As you observed before, with my crystalline body, I have a permanently ingrained memory."

"Some day perhaps we'll be able to find you a body of flesh to live out your days as you wish," Vexyna said solemnly.

"I shall make preparations for our sojourn," Phantasmine said abruptly. Her image began to disappear slowly down through the chair she had been occupying.

"I'll go get dressed and make sure the knapsack is ready," Cateran said as she bounced toward the door.

"Wait," Vexyna blurted to both of them. "Let's take a rest first. The order isn't going to be shipped until after it has been placed. Since we have the purchase order, we can go whenever we're ready."

"A rest would be good," Cateran said.

"How long would you like to rest?" Phantasmine asked the other two girls as her image slowly rose back into the chair.

"It's the middle of the afternoon, so we should decide when we'd like to make the trip," Vexyna said.

"Let's go under cover of dark," Cateran said with an air of mystery.

"That would make sense if we are to sneak aboard those metal cases somehow," said Phantasmine.

"Fine then," Vexyna concluded. "We'll nap for about three hours and then head off to Ninim."

"What if the shipments don't travel at night?" Cateran wondered.

"We'll worry about the details of the trip to the lab after we reach Ninim," Vexyna assured her.

"In three hours then," said Phantasmine before disappearing completely through the floor.

Cateran opened the door and exited the room. Vexyna was all alone.

Vexyna unraveled her long black hair from the towel. She massaged her scalp, slowly at first, then more vigorously. Her brush was quickly at hand and she began passing it through her extensive tresses. When she was satisfied her hair was dry enough to sleep with, she reclined on the bed. Vexyna propped her head up with two of the four pillows on the bed. Positioning herself on her back in the middle of the bed, she proceeded to fold her arms over her chest and fall into a deep sleep.

# Chapter 7: Go West, Young Women

The image of Phantasmine rose up through the floor into Vexyna's room.

Vexyna half opened one eye and caught the motion of something swelling up from the floor. She shot up in bed, keeping the covers up around her face.

"Yikes!" Vexyna exclaimed. "Phanta, can't you enter a room a little more, uh, 'normally'?"

"Like use the door?" Cateran asked while poking her head around the wooden frame.

"I was thinking of knocking before entering," Vexyna shot back. She had both eyes open now. "You two let me freshen up. Be back here in fifteen minutes. Okay?"

"Okay," said Cateran as she disappeared back around the door frame.

"As you wish," Phantasmine said, melting through the floor.

"Use the door and knock next time!" Vexyna shouted after them.

Nature called and Vexyna answered. She had finished brushing her hair and slipping into her freshly laundered clothes by the time the allotted fifteen minutes were up.

There was a rap at the door. "Come on in," Vexyna said loudly.

The door opened to admit Cateran and Phantasmine.

Phantasmine looked at Vexyna blankly. "Better?"

"Yes," Vexyna answered. "Thanks."

"Did you...?" Cateran started to say when her eyes caught sight of the answer to her query. Cateran directed her course toward the abundance of rolls and other foods that Phantasmine had provided. "Thank you," she finished.

"It serves a purpose," Phantasmine responded.

Cateran frowned. "What are you getting at, Meen?"

"You need food to survive," Phantasmine explained.

"Yeah, we do," replied Cateran. "I also happen to enjoy eating. I don't just eat because I have to in order to remain living."

"Someday, I, too, would relish the chance to savor the flavors of food." Phantasmine spoke with the voice of someone who was experiencing a profound yearning. Her longing was great. She cast a sorrowful gaze upon the ground.

Speaking between bites, Cateran asked, "You can't register tactile sensations while you are in your present state. You need a physical body. Is that right?"

Both Phantasmine and Vexyna looked at Cateran with wide eyes.

"What?" Cateran looked back at them. "I've been paying attention. It took me a while to piece some of it together, but I think I know the story."

"Part of being an information gatherer?" Vexyna asked with eyebrow slightly raised.

Cateran shrugged while taking another bite. She chewed it quickly and swallowed it. "How are you gonna get a body?" She bent over at the waist and placed her right wrist sloppily to her mouth. Her mouth twisted into a silly grin and she crossed her eyes. Walking across the floor slowly, dragging her left leg behind her, she added, "Are we going grave robbing?"

"A non-functional body is of no use to me," Phantasmine stated blankly.

"A functional body generally already has someone inside," Vexyna tossed in. "Where do you think you will find a body that doesn't belong to any particular person?"

"I believe the answer may be found in Nogard," Phantasmine admitted. "The scans I did of you show that you have the blood of the line of Nogard. I am hoping that your travels will lead you to that sacred land."

"Nogard," Vexyna mused. "Until recently, I'd never heard the name. Maybe my grandmother went there."

"Ninim is where we are going now at any rate," interjected Cateran. "The backpack is stuffed and ready to go." She reached behind her to give the pack on her back a quick pat. From her other hand, the last bite of a roll was launched into her mouth.

"Yes, we should get going," Vexyna agreed.

"It is seven-thirty," Phantasmine informed them. "It should be around nine o'clock when we arrive in Ninim."

"Then we'll have to sneak the purchase order back onto the proper desk in Clod's office," Cateran said.

"We also need to find the warehouses from which the items will be shipped so we can hop on a zerg freighter going east," Vexyna added.

The three girls left the castle of Illusia and were preparing to mount their hoppers when Vexyna noticed movement in the trees in the field.

Vexyna motioned for the other two girls to remain silent and alert. She pointed towards the trees. Phantasmine faded until nothing was left of her image.

Cateran caught the figure in the shadows and swiftly cart wheeled toward it. She sprang at the shadowy figure and nearly knocked it over. "Raj!" Cateran exclaimed.

"Is that your idea of a greeting, Cateran?" Raj asked.

Phantasmine's thoughts flowed into Vexyna's mind. Another Vag. Do you know this one also?

Yes, Vexyna thought back. It seems he has some sort of special connection with Cateran. I don't know enough about Vag culture to know what they'd mean or be to each other.

The Vag culture is a society where the male is dominant. The men generally enjoy performing the more interesting tasks and partaking of more of the luxuries in life than the women. The female Vags are usually left to handle the more mundane duties and are left out when it comes to the use of luxury items. Phantasmine was a wealth of knowledge. Perhaps Cateran is the reason he has sought you.

"What brings you to this spot in the road, Raj?" Vexyna asked.

"I thought you two might be on this road," Raj answered. "I figured you'd try to get to Ninim to find the Gargantuans."

"We've been to Ninim," Vexyna told Raj.

"Oh," Raj said. "Then you know about the situation. Sorry I didn't mention it when I told you earlier about the Gargantuans."

"Why were you looking for us?" Cateran enquired.

"To warn you," Raj said as he turned to face Cateran. He took a few steps until he was quite close to her. "Krajav has received a handsome price for telling Empress Din about your new cohort. The Red Empress has placed a bounty on Vexyna's head."

"That's absurd," Vexyna scoffed. "Why would Din put a price on my head?"

"Krajav spoke of you as a hideous curse," Raj said to Vexyna. "He also said you may be a splendid blessing. I'm not sure what he meant in either case. I do know there are rumors about you being spread amongst Din's gang."

"Rumors?" Vexyna looked puzzled. "What sort of rumors?"

"There was this troop of men who were sent to find you in the Argotha Forest," Raj began.

"Oh them!" Cateran burst in. She thought about what she had just said and froze for a moment. "I think I heard about them."

"Heard what about them?" Raj asked.

"What's the story, Raj?" Vexyna was feeling a bit tense.

"According to the story going around, they remember finding a girl coming out of a clearing in the forest. The next thing they knew, they were all frolicking naked in another part of the forest. Naturally, they all made their way back to the clearing because that's the last place they remember being. When they got there, they found all but two of their outfits waiting. The guys who reported back in the buff where pretty embarrassed."

"Pretty bare assed." Cateran snickered.

"Are the boys all right now?" Vexyna asked.

"They seem to be," Raj said. "Is it a true story? Can you fill in any details?"

Vexyna shrugged. "Who am I to say what men do when they're left on their own in the woods?" She gave a look to Cateran that told her to keep her mouth closed about the whole affair.

Cateran understood the look. She said to Raj, "We were at the clearing in the Argotha Forest for a short time, but we didn't see any men." She kicked absently at the field's grass while she spoke.

Raj regarded Cateran for a moment before speaking. "I am bound for parts west through the Oweesh Desert. Where are you going?"

Cateran looked up at Vexyna from the clump of dirt and grass she had been creating with her boots.

Phantasmine chattered in Vexyna's head. As a male Vag, he may have more useful information than Cateran. Perhaps he will know the location of the zerg freighter dock.

Vexyna answered Raj. "We are going back to Ninim."

"You already know the Gargantuans cannot help you," said Raj. "Why then would you go back to that dust bowl?"

"We need transport aboard a zerg freighter. It's the only way we can get as far east as we need to go and get there within a reasonable amount of time."

"You expect to catch a zerg freighter in Ninim?" Raj asked. "Which, by the way, are not built for passengers. They are strictly cargo and freight haulers. You can't just hop aboard whenever you please. Do you think you can both get on a freighter without being spotted?"

"That's no problem for me." Cateran beamed.

"I can't see it being too difficult. Wherever the freighters dock must be quite large," Vexyna explained calmly. "It depends on the number of people working around the docks."

"We'll deal with it when we get to Ninim," concluded Cateran.

"You don't go to Ninim to catch a zerg freighter," Raj advised them. "The freighters from Ninim dock at the central warehouse between Foundry Station and Ninim. The warehouse is like a small self-contained town."

"Does the warehouse have a name?" Vexyna asked.

"Yes," replied Raj. "They call it 'the warehouse'." His broad white smile gleamed brightly against his deeply tanned skin.

Vexyna regarded Raj coolly, then put on a smile. "Where's the warehouse?"

"It lays to the north-west of here. I could take you there if you like."

"We still have to go to Ninim," Vexyna interjected. "If we don't put the purchase order back in the hands of the people in Ninim, the shipment we need to be a part of won't be shipped."

"I have to travel through the country around Ninim on my travels. I could make sure the order was placed. You could use the time to venture to the warehouse. By the time you reach it, they will be getting the order ready for shipping."

Vexyna thought to Phantasmine, what's your take on all this?

He is trustworthy if for no other reason than the fact he will not allow any harm to come to Cateran. There is a bond between them somehow. Vag males are protective of their females.

"You said the warehouse is north-west of here?" Vexyna asked.

"The warehouse is along the western path. Then you head north," Raj explained. "I too am traveling north-west; however, my path will be more to the north first before heading due west into the desert."

"So, you'll be closer to Ninim than the warehouse is?" Cateran asked.

"Yes," replied Raj. "Your journey is to the west and then the north. It will take at least a day and half if you have hoppers."

"No problem," Cateran chirped.

"Good," said Raj. "How are your provisions holding out?"

"We're doing okay," Cateran told Raj while holding his gaze in a deep embrace. "I would've remembered the warehouse's location eventually."

"Eventually? After you had gone all the way to Ninim?"

Vexyna interrupted them, "We'd have had to go all the way back to Ninim anyway so we could place the order for the goods to be shipped."

"True enough," Raj conceded. "Will you allow me to help you? I did come all this way just to warn you of the threat against you." He looked earnestly at Vexyna.

"Okay," Vexyna said. She handed Raj the purchase order. "Thank you."

"Take the western road from here. Be prepared to leave the road and hide at any time," Raj advised them. "Travel as much as you can at night."

"Thanks for the help, Raj," Cateran said.

"Look after yourself, Cat," Raj replied, then sprang past them and sprinted into the trees in the field to the north. He disappeared in moments.

The image of Phantasmine rematerialized. "Shall we be off?"

"Yes," answered Vexyna. "We need the time if the warehouse is as far away as Raj has indicated."

Cateran stared off into the woods of the northern field. Her expression was decidedly downcast. She sighed before looking around at Vexyna and Phantasmine. "Raj said it'll take us a day and a half by hopper. I can't believe it's that far away from Ninim."

"It would appear they are using the Central Depot," Phantasmine said. "Ninim used to have its own shipping facility. I am positive that they still do for raw materials. Those raw materials would only be delivered to wherever the manufacturing of finished goods would take place."

"That would be Dilbu," Cateran said. "I should've realized we'd have to go to Dilbu to catch a freighter."

"We could've gone to Ninim and caught a raw material freighter from there over to Dilbu," Vexyna offered.

Cateran and Phantasmine shook their heads. Phantasmine explained, "There would be no place for us to fit on a freighter carrying raw materials from the mines."

"Dilbu it is then," Vexyna concluded. "That meeting with Raj was informative."

"At least now you know..."

Cateran stopped part way through what she was saying, a slightly puzzled expression creeping over her face. She had been stuffing her hands into the wide side pockets down the legs of her coveralls when her fingertips encountered a blockage. "What's this?" She eased her hand down to touch the smooth surface of whatever it was in her pocket. Gently, she prodded the surface and noticed that it sank away when pressed. The surface rose again after Cateran released her finger. She maneuvered her hand under the bottom of the mysterious package and carefully extracted it from the pocket, then held it up so she could properly see it. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I know what this is. Raj must've slipped this in my pocket." She opened the brown paper to reveal tiny rectangles of dough. "Snacks!" She popped two of the little dough pouches into her mouth.

Cateran offered the dough pouches to Vexyna, who took one politely and bit into it. Red liquid squirted from the pouch and splattered Cateran's forehead.

"I'm glad it wasn't heated," Cateran said, deadpan. "Guess you really caught me red-faced this time." They both broke out laughing. Cateran wiped the red muck from her face with a cloth.

"You, with a cloth?" Vexyna observed. "You are prepared, aren't you?"

"Yes," replied Cateran. "I want to be ready for anything. From what Raj told us, this journey has just become a dangerous one."

"Oh, and the cave closing in on itself and nearly crushing us to death wasn't a clue?" Vexyna retorted.

"That was just odd," Cateran told Vexyna. "Now there are actually people after us."

"They are after me," Vexyna corrected her. "You can always claim no part."

"No," Cateran flatly stated. "I am here to see you through this right to wherever it ultimately leads. Only then will the puzzle truly be solved."

"Cateran," asked Phantasmine, "what were you about to say before your discovery of the food from Raj?"

"Um," uttered Cateran. "I'm not sure."

"Vexyna had just said she felt the meeting with Raj was informative," Phantasmine reminded her. "At that point, you began a sentence with the words, 'at least now you know'. What does Vexyna now know?"

"Er-er," stuttered Cateran. "At least she now knows where the freighters are docked." Cateran looked a little nervous.

The image of Phantasmine regarded Cateran analytically.

Vexyna knew what Cateran was driving at. Now Vexyna knew her hold over others was a temporary condition. Vexyna also realized she had to get Cateran's mind off the subject of the night in the clearing before Phantasmine could grasp Cateran's thoughts. Tucking the thought away in the back of her own mind, out of the reaches of Phantasmine, Vexyna said, "Yes. The meeting with Raj was helpful. Those snacks are good. Very chewy."

"They're even better when they're heated," Cateran said.

Phantasmine looked back and forth between Vexyna and Cateran. The two looked back at her.

"Let's mount up and head west," commanded Vexyna.

Once again, the girls found themselves bounding down the dusty road on their hoppers' backs. By this point, they had become comfortable enough with the motion of the hoppers to allow them to sleep briefly while riding. It turned out the hoppers had developed a close bond with the girls and now obeyed them willingly and faithfully. Once the hopper knew the direction in which it was supposed to travel, it moved in that direction without hesitation. The only things left for the girls to do were talk, eat or sleep. They did all three along the route to Dilbu.

The landscape flattened as mountains gave way to sand. The journey overnight and throughout the following day was uneventful. They only stopped briefly to stretch and answer nature's call.

Stars filled the night sky and the light scent of smelting ores could be detected drifting on the wind from the west. In the distance, the girls spied the bright lights of Dilbu.

# Chapter 8: Build-up in Dilbu

As the girls got closer to the vast expanse of buildings, they noticed a large procession of uniformed people, some carrying banners and flags. The torches amongst the parade whipped savagely in the prairie wind, sending long plumes of smoke into the starlit sky.

"What do you suppose that's all about?" Cateran asked.

"I'm not sure," Vexyna replied. "We'd better be careful."

"Yes," agreed Phantasmine. "It would be best if we kept a low profile."

Guarding themselves in shadows aided in their approach to Dilbu. The hoppers shuffled through the short grass of the field beside the road, following the girls, who were now on foot.

A closer look at the gathering of people revealed gleaming red standards billowing almost straight out to the east.

"That's a red flag if ever I saw one," Cateran mused.

"Din?" Vexyna questioned.

"Nice of her to advertise," commented Phantasmine.

"What do we do now?" Cateran asked.

Vexyna replied, "We find out what's going on."

"Right," said Cateran. "That's my department." She struck her 'ain't I somethin'' pose with thumbs in front straps of coveralls.

"Be careful," Phantasmine needlessly advised.

"I always am," Cateran replied. "I'll meet you back here in a little while." She slipped the backpack off her shoulders and placed it on the ground. After some short stretches, she took off swiftly towards Dilbu.

Vexyna found a rock to prop the backpack against and sat down on the ground. She rested her back against the backpack-padded rock and looked into the distance in the direction Cateran had gone. "I hope Cateran is as good as she thinks she is."

"Do you doubt her abilities?" Phantasmine asked.

"No," replied Vexyna. "I guess not. When she snuck into my village, no one saw her but me. Even then, I couldn't keep her in one spot. Cateran is quite agile."

"We shall wait and see," said Phantasmine.

"How long do you think we should wait?"

Phantasmine pointed to the sky. "That is Oberon's Star," she said, directing Vexyna's attention to a spot in the heavens to the left of her position. "Sufficient time for Cateran to complete her reconnaissance mission will have elapsed when it has traveled to the point where it is directly over Dilbu."

Flipping through her mother's diary helped Vexyna pass the time. Her eyes flitted across the pages. 'Day six: It was bitterly cold today, as it always is at this time of year on the coast. I got caught in a downpour without anything to protect me. Luckily, I was saved by a dashing young man named Lanton. He's tall and lean and ever so nice. The way our eyes met, I'm sure it was love at first sight. I must see him again'. Out loud, Vexyna said, "So my parents met because of a storm. I didn't know that. Father had never mentioned it. Then again, I never bothered to ask."

Skimming the pages of the handwritten tome, Vexyna came across many entries with missing words, paragraphs, and even whole pages. Then she remembered her grandmother's candlestick. She could only read those missing words under the light from that candlestick.

Removing the candlestick from her cloak, Vexyna sat staring at it. Slowly, she rolled it over in her hands. A remembrance of the voice from the candle came to her. Lighting it might not be such a wise idea without knowing exactly what might happen, she thought. I'd like to know more about this artifact.

Drawing closer, Phantasmine queried, "How did you come to be in possession of such an object?"

"This?" Vexyna held up the candlestick. "My grandmother left it for me."

"It bears the ancient markings of Nogard," observed Phantasmine. "This proves your connection to the lineage of that noble house."

"Can you tell me anything about this?" Vexyna asked, indicating the candlestick.

"All I can tell you is that it is a ceremonial candle crafted in Nogard."

"What sort of ceremony?"

"I do not know. I do not possess knowledge of such things."

"These are strange markings. Can you decipher them?"

"The language is very old and the message is also encrypted. Translation of the symbols would prove futile due to the coded nature of the words."

"Too bad," Vexyna lamented. She went back to rifling through the diary's pages.

Time passed. Vexyna grew restless. She had put the diary back inside her cloak and was now eating a roll.

"Cateran should have returned by now," Phantasmine stated. "Oberon's star is at the designated spot in the heavens."

Vexyna looked up over Dilbu to find Oberon's star. "You're right," she replied. "We need to find her."

"Agreed." Phantasmine nodded. "Let us be careful."

"That's a given," Vexyna said, rolling her eyes. "I just hope Din isn't using the Purple Fog. That would put us at a distinct disadvantage."

The two crept closer to Dilbu. At the edge of town, they stopped to consider their next move.

"How much of an area can you scan?" Vexyna asked Phantasmine.

"That would depend upon the depth of scanning required," Phantasmine answered. "I can scan up to a radius of three meters around you."

Vexyna reminded herself to be extra cautious around the pocket containing Phantasmine's crystal. "There appears to be a long table set out," Vexyna observed. "I cannot make out too much. We are still too far away."

"Some of the ores used in the manufacturing in this area may prove useful as amplifiers," Phantasmine told Vexyna. "If that is so, I might be able to scan a greater distance and area." She paused a moment. "A superficial scan of the area one hundred meters in front of our current position does reveal a long table. Rows of two-meter-high torches illuminate the carpeted walkway leading to the table. An assortment of food stuffs have been placed along the table. It is approximately ten meters long and is draped in a jade green cotton cloth accented with red and gold trim."

"Go amplification," Vexyna said in an amazed tone. "What else can you make out?"

"Large wooden seats are interspersed with smaller metal ones. Many place settings have been laid out. At the head of the table is a small set of stairs. A canopy rests over the platform seated at the top of the stairs. The canopy, platform and stairs are all red. Flags flying on either side of the stairs belong to the Red Empress."

"So it is Din," Vexyna commented. "What is she up to now?"

"I am uncertain of that. Worthy of note is the cage to the left of Din's platform. Cateran is being held inside."

"How many people are surrounding the cage?"

"Two guards stand on either side of the cage. Two more stand on either side of Din's platform."

"Are there any other people in the area? Around the table, perhaps?"

"No. The two sets of guards appear to be the only people other than Cateran."

"Let's go then." Vexyna started to march boldly toward the long table.

Wait, Phantasmine screamed inside Vexyna's head. Where are you going?

Four ordinary guards don't pose any threat, Vexyna thought back. It's time you learned a little about me.

By this time, the guards had noticed the two girls coming towards them. They did not leave their posts.

The guards by Din's platform were closest, so Vexyna reached them first. She marched bravely up to them and prepared to remove her glasses.

One of the guards grabbed her wrist and prevented her from revealing her eyes.

"Hey," Vexyna started to say while attempting to loosen the guard's grip.

The guard held firm to Vexyna's wrist. The other looked as though he was prepared for anything Phantasmine might try to do.

"No threat, you say?" Phantasmine asked sarcastically.

"Why did you prevent me from removing my glasses?" Vexyna asked the guard.

The guard stood silently holding Vexyna's wrist. A voice from the top of the platform rang out, "Because rumor has it your eyes hold the power to steal men's souls. None of my men will allow you to go around naked-eyed."

The Red Empress appeared at the top of the stairs. She was resplendent in reds and greens as usual. Red velvet clung tightly to her ample body, her curves further accentuated by the brilliant green lining of her high-collared cape. Her satin shoes shimmered in the firelight, as did her long, finely manicured nails. "Krajav told me you were extra special," hissed Din as she glided down the stairs.

Phantasmine screamed and clutched at her head. Involuntarily, she dropped to her knees. Din's mind is filled with a horrible black void of evil. She gasped her thoughts to Vexyna. I do not know if I can penetrate far enough to affect her with my illusions.

The guard moved in to check on Phantasmine and make sure she didn't try anything. This blocked Din's view of what was going on.

You can affect me, Vexyna carried on the thought conversation. I like to think I am strong-minded.

Nogard blood courses through your veins, Phantasmine replied. It is natural your mind accepts my input. Subconsciously, you know no harm can come from your interaction with me. You are a willing subject.

I'd never thought about it before, but, you're right. I've always seemed to know who I could trust and who I should avoid.

The purity in your Nogard blood seeks out the purity in others, Phantasmine revealed. In time, you will learn more about your heritage. Now we must concentrate on the task at hand. The guards can experience my presence, but Din cannot.

That could work to our advantage.

It would if I could affect real changes to matter. We are at too great a distance from the other crystals for me to perform more than minor illusions. Wait. Phantasmine paused. Yes, I have found an opening. Din is now able to experience my presence.

"Well, well," Din chattered. "Who's your little friend? Then again, who are you?" The Red Empress drummed her long fingernails against her thin chin as she stopped in front of Phantasmine. A cocked eyebrow hovered above an inquisitive deep sapphire-blue eye. Her eyes complimented the blackness of her hair and the red of her wardrobe.

Phantasmine looked up from where she was kneeling, but remained silent.

Vexyna regarded Din with a blank look.

Din approached Vexyna. "Let's see what all the fuss is about, shall we?" Din removed Vexyna's glasses and stood back to look into her eyes. Stretching her arms out in front of herself, Din held Vexyna at arm's length. "N-n-n-n-n," was all she could say. Briskly, she snapped Vexyna's glasses back on her nose.

Turning away, Din said, "You are trouble. I know who you are now. I am tired now." She walked up the stairs to her throne and sat upon it. "Bring me the one with the white hair." She motioned towards Phantasmine.

One of the guards took hold of Phantasmine and led her up the stairs. He stood beside her in front of Din.

Din reached out her finely manicured hand to grasp Phantasmine by the throat. Din flung her free hand back and immediately snapped it forward toward Phantasmine's face. All she got was a palmful of air. "What kind of trickery is this?" The Red Empress was not amused. "How are you able to do that?"

Din happened to glance at the cage holding Cateran. The enclosure was empty. "Guards!" Din screamed. "Search the area. The prisoner has escaped! Open the cage and check for signs of exit."

His jaw dropped, and his hand opened automatically, when the guard who had been holding Vexyna saw there was suddenly nothing to hold. The guards scurried about to carry out their duties.

Then Din noticed that even Phantasmine had disappeared. Din was beside herself. "You won't get away with this!" In frustration, she grabbed the nearest guard and sank her nails into his flesh. The guard gasped and gurgled. Before long, his skin had lost its color. He fell to the ground motionless. "You will bow to my plans or perish."

Meanwhile, the three girls were making their way back to the spot they had left the hoppers.

"Once I found the right minerals to align with, I was able to amplify my harmonic output and thus was able to affect the necessary changes in our opponents' minds."

"Picking the lock on the cage was no problem," Cateran said. "I just didn't know how I was going to get past those guards and the crazy red lady."

"Din certainly turned out to be something else," Vexyna commented. "Emphasis on 'something'."

"The Red Empress is a ruiner of men," Phantasmine informed them. "Do you recall my query as to your recollection of a tale concerning a woman who would take men away from their families and drain them of life?"

"Yes," replied Cateran. "Is Din one of those women?"

"I believe so," answered Phantasmine. "If she is, she should be the only one. Legend states there can be only one Langsuyar. Each successive daughter takes the mother's place on the Throne of Life to feed demons from the Coffer of Essence."

"Are these women able to leave the throne to wander about and collect more men?"

"Not according to legend," Phantasmine admitted. "Once a woman has assumed the title of Langsuyar, she is bound to sit upon the Throne of Life to provide energy for the re-emergence of the dark god, Dacreel."

"Dacreel?" Cateran and Vexyna asked in unison.

"Dacreel was said to be one of two mighty gods at the beginning of creation."

"Yes," interrupted Vexyna. "Everyone on Antasta knows the tale. The two gods, Dacreel and Dazartan, fought a duel over their philosophical differences."

"Dazartan was the good one, right?" Cateran wanted to clarify.

"Indeed," replied Phantasmine. "Dazartan argued his immense powers came from a source outside himself and he was merely a conduit for that source. Dacreel, on the other hand, believed he, himself, generated the vast reserves of power he was able to wield."

"The argument got out of hand and they ended up battling high in the sky," Vexyna continued the tale.

"Their final acts were bold feats of powerful magic," Phantasmine picked up the story. "Realizing the battle could rage indefinitely, the two combatants attempted to neutralize each other. Dazartan caused Dacreel to fall to the ground so hard he split the single continent into four and a few odd islands. After the dust settled, all that remained of Dacreel was his essence. This essence embedded itself in the consciousness of the humanoids inhabiting the planet. It made them more intelligent and more ambitious. Dazartan did not escape unscathed. Dacreel managed to magically shrink Dazartan and seal him in a neurzon crystal so his mind would be put to sleep."

"Great story," commented Cateran. "Wasn't there more to the tale?"

"There is," said Phantasmine, "and it concerns Nogard."

Vexyna's ears perked up. "What about Nogard?"

"According to legend, the crystal containing Dazartan was closely guarded deep within a chamber somewhere within Nogard. Being as close to the crystal as they were, the people of Nogard inherited some of the powers of Dazartan. So great was Dazartan's power that it emanated from the crystal to spread across the land and sea, imbuing the living beings of the world with a higher intelligence and sense of purpose. However, the beings of this world originally sprang from the fall of Dacreel. This has caused much internal conflict amongst the people since that time."

"Born of the darkness, saved by the light?" Vexyna mused. "The dark god Dacreel fell to the ground to create the continents and its peoples. The god of light, Dazartan, gave people their consciousness and intelligence. He endowed us with our self-awareness."

"Some would argue the act of becoming self-aware was the original sin," Phantasmine commented. "Therefore, Dazartan could be considered evil."

"I suppose," Vexyna said thoughtfully. "Then again, it could be self-awareness came to the inhabitants of this planet through the blending with Dacreel, and it was Dazartan who gave us our morality."

"Why is it evil or wrong to know one is alive?" Cateran interjected.

"It has to do with a loss of innocence," replied Phantasmine.

"Like children growing up?" Cateran asked.

"Sort of like that, yes.

"So, adults are evil," Cateran concluded.

"I didn't say that," Phantasmine rebutted. "What I said was..."

Vexyna interrupted them. "The philosophical debate will have to wait. We need to plan our next move."

"If Raj managed to get to Ninim and place that order, it should be ready for shipping from somewhere around here," Phantasmine stated.

"What did you manage to find out before you were captured?" Vexyna asked Cateran. "How did you get captured?"

"Her Redness was in Dilbu with a whole bunch of men at a feast," Cateran informed them. "They were talking about the effective use of the transports in Dilbu."

"That would explain the banquet table," Vexyna mused. Then something dawned on her. "You didn't get caught going after some food, did you?"

Cateran looked sheepishly at the ground and kicked a bit of dirt.

"You did! Didn't you?"

"Yes," Cateran quietly admitted. "It all looked so good. And it was. I guess I just got greedy."

"Food of that nature could only have been for Din's men and not for Din herself," Phantasmine said. "Din should not be able to digest regular food because of what she is."

"Weird is what she is," Vexyna put in. "Your ability to render us invisible will come in handy when we try to board the transport," she said, looking at Phantasmine. "If only we knew which transport and where."

"The name of the transport is the Mocolom," Cateran reported. "It's docked in Section Four of Bay Fifty-one."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" asked Vexyna.

"I was going to tell you before, but then you started asking about other things," Cateran replied.

"Do you know where Bay Fifty-one is located?" Phantasmine inquired.

"Yes," answered Cateran. "It's on the east side of the complex. A route across the scaffolding and through the duct system will get us close to the Mocolom."

"Good," said Vexyna. "Let's get going."

The trio made their made back to Dilbu. Along the way, they munched on some fruit and rolls.

Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, Vexyna gave a great yawn. The sun crept up through the last mists of night as starlight faded in the ever-spreading blue of morning.

Shadows thickened as the girls approached one of the complexes. "These structures are made of a dense alloy," Phantasmine observed. "Unless there is a quantity of the minerals required for crystal amplification inside the building, I will be unable to manifest any illusions."

"We won't be invisible inside the complex?" Vexyna asked.

"We will not," Phantasmine said.

"That's okay," chirped Cateran with a smile. "I already know a good route. Follow me."

Cateran led the way through one complex and then another. They took the low road through one, then climbed high into the scaffolding above another. The scaffolding led to an air duct that acted like a metal slide. Sliding down the long, smooth metal duct was slightly unnerving. When they landed at the bottom, Cateran motioned for them to move to the right. Popping a grate provided a doorway into Bay Fifty-one.

Bay Fifty-one of the Dilbu complex was much like all the rest. It was a massive metal structure with two enormous doors at either end. Ladders and scaffolding adorned the walls of the building. The designation of sections was done by means of colored lines painted on the metal floor. The center of each section was encircled by white floor lines, and within these white lines were large metal hatchways that could be opened to provide repair access to the ship or another means of loading cargo or personnel. The freighters for each section were parked overtop of these hatchways.

"Now comes the tricky part," Cateran whispered. "We're in Section One. We need to get to Section Four."

"Any chance of invisibility?" Vexyna asked Phantasmine.

"None," Phantasmine answered.

They surveyed the area to make note of personnel and their positions in relation to the entryway of the freighter. There did not appear to be many people around Section One of Bay Fifty-one. A couple of men sauntered about sipping from mugs of some sort of beverage while looking at notes on a clipboard.

Vexyna's keen olfactory sense caught a whiff of the aroma emanating from the two men's mugs. It was unmistakably coffee. Vexyna had tried coffee once when she was much younger. The taste was too bitter for her liking, but she enjoyed the smell. It reminded her of falling asleep at dawn while her father was getting up.

Father, she thought. I wonder how he is doing. Vexyna thought about the other villagers and her mind rested on Trulo. Closing her eyes, she saw his dashing smile, heard his laugh and wished with all her heart for him to be alive and well.

A light grew inside Vexyna until it enshrouded her entire body. The light did not stop growing in size or intensity until it was half a meter around Vexyna. When it was blindingly bright, it left Vexyna by shooting straight through the ceiling.

That created some attention among the personnel of Bay Fifty-one.

Cateran had her hand on Vexyna's shoulder. Vexyna wobbled where she stood.

"Are you okay?" Cateran asked. "What was that just now?"

"I don't know," Vexyna replied. She was quickly coming around. "We'd better move."

Direct line of sight between the girls and the Dilbu personnel was cut off by the rear of the freighter the girls were hiding behind. As the girls moved along, they kept themselves to the walls away from the doors. Quickly and carefully, they crept through the building until they managed to work their way to Section Four and the freighter Mocolom.

The Mocolom looked much like the rest of the transports in Bay Fifty-one. It had the same gleaming silver metal hull. It was roughly the same size and shape as the others. Fifty meters in diameter would cover its rounded central core. The giant silver ball sat on a gray rubbery skirt. Large twin fin-like air foils on top sprouted from the flat ring surrounding the spherical central core. A huge loop situated between the fins was tilted so that it was facing under and away from the ship. Within the loop were two enormous blades.

The girls moved cautiously around the rear edge of the Mocolom. They noticed an entranceway with only one person standing outside. This person departed within seconds, so the girls swiftly made their way toward the door. This exposed them to most of Section Four. It also exposed them to a group of five men.

The leader of the men was familiar to Vexyna. His red tunic was spotless and his hair was as blond as ever. This was the one who had commanded the destruction of her village.

Vexyna stood glaring at the blond man. The men were surprised to see the girls, and approached them.

It was Phantasmine who spoke first when she addressed the blond soldier. Her image had taken on a look of disbelief. "Span? Is that you? Is it possible the cryonic experiment worked? What has become of you?"

The blond man regarded Phantasmine blankly. "Span? What sort of a name is that?" he asked. "Don't blither, woman. Just explain your business here."

"You do not recognize me?" Phantasmine queried.

"I have never seen you before in my life," the man shot back.

The visage of Phantasmine looked downcast as she brought her hands up to her face. I know him, she thought to Vexyna. He was part of a group of Illusians who were experimenting with various processes of freezing and reviving living tissue.

Sounds creepy, Vexyna thought back. What happened?

I do not know. The facility they were using was on a small island off the coast of this continent. He left for the facility, but did not return. After he left, I never heard from him again.

How well do you know him?

He was to be my husband.

A look of shock washed over Vexyna's face.

"What's up?" Cateran asked. She looked back and forth between Vexyna and Phantasmine.

"After all these years," Phantasmine softly uttered, "it is no wonder your fleshly memory has faded." Her lips trembled as she looked back up at the man.

"State your purpose here," the blond demanded.

"Shipping inspectors," Cateran cut in, much to the amazement of the other two girls. "We're here to inspect the cargo before it gets shipped out."

"Shouldn't you be wearing badges or uniforms or something to show you are shipping inspectors?" the blond asked.

Cateran didn't miss a beat. "Why? Everybody around here knows everybody else, pretty much. We all know what each other do." Then she turned the tables on the man. "But I've never seen you around here before. What's your business here?"

The blond was momentarily taken aback by Cateran's sudden question. "That is classified information with regards to Her Imperial Highness the Empress Din," he shot back.

"Imperial business? From which kingdom?" Cateran continued her questioning. She was in her element. "I didn't receive any word about it? Did any of you?" She turned to look in turn at Vexyna and Phantasmine. She faced the man when she asked, "Where are your papers? If you're conducting business here, you must have shipping orders."

"Emissaries of Empress Din need no papers," stated the man proudly. He surveyed the girls, then asked, "Where are your clipboards with the check sheets for inspection? How will you mark an accurate report of your inspection? Will you just remember everything you see?" It was the blond's turn to go on the offensive. One of his subordinates leaned in to speak with him in hushed tones. Surprise appeared on the blond's face as he listened to his officer.

The girls glanced quickly at each other. Together, they nodded and said, "Run!"

They started to sprint across the empty bay of Section Three when Vexyna tripped on a stray protrusion from the metal floor. She lost several of the contents of her cloak when she landed with extreme force. The smashing of her cloak against the unyielding floor resulted in a loud shattering sound. Phantasmine was nowhere to be seen as Vexyna shook the shards of crystal from her cloak.

"No!" Vexyna cried. "Oh, Phanta, I'm so sorry."

"Grieve later," said Cateran while helping Vexyna to her feet. "We have to get out of here. Follow me. Are you any good at climbing?"

Vexyna nodded slowly.

"Good. Let's go," said Cateran. She prompted Vexyna to move and the two took off at a sprint again.

# Chapter 9: Flight of the Mocolom

Cateran led Vexyna quickly through a maze of crates in the rear portion of Section Three in an attempt to shake off their followers. Around and through the crates they went until Cateran veered off to jump high onto the ladder on the wall. Vexyna followed and soon the two were high above Section Three.

The men were still running around the crates far below in Section Three as Vexyna and Cateran made their way along the metal path above Section Four.

Once the girls were positioned above the Mocolom, they stopped to catch their breath. The men were nowhere to be seen.

"Now we can sneak aboard the Mocolom through one of the upper hatchways," Cateran informed Vexyna. "What happened to Meen?"

With her face cast down towards the ship, Vexyna uttered, "Her crystal shattered. She is dead."

"Dead?" Cateran was shocked. The consequences of the shattered crystal hadn't really sunk in before. Now both girls had to come to grips with the loss of their friend. "Well," Cateran said, "is there anything we should do?"

"About?"

"A memorial service or rites or something for Meen?" Cateran asked.

"I don't know about any special Illusian rites," Vexyna answered. "But we can both say goodbye to her in our own way. We should return to Illusia eventually."

"Do you think Meen suffered at all when she...?" Cateran's voice trailed off.

"How do I think Phanta faced death? I wonder more how Phanta faced life." Vexyna stared plainly at nothing.

"Are we carrying on to the eastern lab?"

"We should. Phantasmine is gone. There isn't anything we can do about that, so let's carry on. Everything for the journey east is just about in place. Now all we need to do is get aboard the Mocolom and find a safe spot to hide through the voyage."

"I've never been inside a freighter before, so I wouldn't know where to get in or where to hide," Cateran confessed. "All I know is I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Vexyna shot back.

Cateran tipped one shoulder toward the ground in order to slip the knapsack off her back. She undid the top flap and rummaged around inside. "What's this?" she asked curiously as she pulled a rolled up piece of paper from the pack.

A thin satiny purple ribbon lightly bound the scroll of paper. Cateran pulled the ribbon up over the paper so the ribbon remained tied. Unrolling the paper, she discovered, "It's a sketch of the inside of a freighter. This is Raj's handiwork."

Looking over Cateran's shoulder, Vexyna noted the detail in the sketch. "Raj is quite a good artist."

"It's one of his specialties." Cateran beamed. "The information he retrieves is accurate because of his sketches."

"He's even included a couple of exterior pictures," Vexyna noticed and pointed them out to Cateran.

"Okay." Cateran rotated the sketch to match it up with their position. "Over there," she said, pointing down and to the left, "should be a good place to get aboard."

They both looked from the sketch to the ship and back to be sure the hatch was exactly where Raj had drawn it. It was.

"How are we going to get down there?" Vexyna asked.

Cateran quickly surveyed the area. "We'll hitch a ride on that crane," she replied.

The crane in question was over fifty meters in height. Massive metal cables manipulated equally massive jaws on five different arms. "If we jump from that platform over there to the mid-section of the crane's arms, we should be able to slide down the wires and slip in with the cargo. I don't see anyone around except for the people operating the crane. All we have to do is stay out of their sights."

Vexyna had a look down to the floor of Section Four. It was a staggering distance. "Are you sure about this?"

"It'll be fun," Cateran said with a daring smile. "Just watch me and do what I do." She stretched her back and leg muscles before kneeling to put on the knapsack. Squaring the pack on her shoulders, Cateran moved cautiously out along the gangplank. "I'll meet you at the mid-section between the crane's arms." With that, she leaped silently onto the crane. The gap between the platform and the crane was about four meters. She danced lightly around the one arm of the crane and motioned for Vexyna to join her.

As she made her way along the strip of metal that led out into the center of Section Four, Vexyna's thoughts turned to the support pole in her house in Shojiki. There was, however, a difference between jumping from her balcony to the support pole and jumping from the walkway to the crane. The difference was about two meters across and forty or so meters down. Taking a deep breath, Vexyna backed up a few steps, then ran forward and leaped bravely across the chasm. She landed to the sound of her soft leather boot soles thumping against the metal of the crane. "Where to now?" Vexyna asked.

There were five arms on the crane. Each one was busy picking up crates and loading them in various openings in the freighter. Cateran pointed to one of the arms, at the end of which was a platform containing several large, loosely arranged crates. "We can hide among those crates, but we should be ready to move at any time because we don't know who we'll find waiting inside the Mocolom to store the cargo. Let's get ready for when the arm reaches maximum height for fitting the crates into the cargo hold. That's when the top of the crates will be above the eye level of the crane workers so we can sneak in among the crates."

The girls worked their way cautiously, but quickly, to the appropriate arm and prepared to leap to the levitating crates. The moment arrived and they secreted themselves amongst the crates.

Cateran grabbed a bill of lading from one of the crates. "Lot fifteen: steel cases," she read aloud. "Vangrash Research Laboratory. Let's see if we get inside."

They looked around and found a handy crowbar that had probably been left for the crew inside the freighter. Prying open one of the crates away from where anyone could spot them, the girls climbed inside the crate. Lying on its side, the steel case within the crate was six feet long and four feet high. This was enough room for the girls to sit up or lie down and there was extra room thanks to the size of the crate. They did their best to re-secure the lid of the crate and stopped to catch their breath.

It was dark inside the crate. A quick check assured them that air was flowing into the container through several small holes.

"Food," Cateran said plainly. She rustled about in the knapsack. She pulled out one of the rolls she had picked up from Vexyna's room in the castle of Illusia. Instead of eating it, she sat bouncing it off her nose. "Meen's gone, isn't she?"

"Yes," Vexyna answered in a solemn voice. "It was my fault. If I had watched where I was going, I wouldn't have tripped and Phantasmine's crystal wouldn't have hit the floor and shattered. Through my negligence, I have killed a friend."

"Hmmm," Cateran pondered before finally biting into the roll. "Don't you think Meen knew the risk, but wanted to chance it anyway in the hope you could lead her where she wanted to go?"

"Well-"

"Didn't she say you might be able to lead her some place called Nogard?" Cateran interrupted.

"That is what she hoped."

"Then Meen put her hopes and her life in your hands and trusted you."

"And I killed her."

"No, you didn't kill her. That was an accident. What I'm trying to get through to you is that Phantasmine knew the risk she was taking. She felt it was worth the risk to leave Illusia. Otherwise, she never would've left." Cateran finished the roll.

"I see your point," Vexyna conceded. "I still can't help feeling guilty, though."

"We'll go back to Illusia when we're done with Doctor Dooty-Booty," Cateran said while considering a piece of fruit. Instead of biting into the fruit, she handed it to Vexyna.

The girls' eyes were adjusting to the dim light provided by the holes in the crate.

Vexyna regarded the fruit in her hand, then she looked up at Cateran.

Cateran smiled. She was doing her best to keep Vexyna's spirits up.

Vexyna's lips curled back in a half-hearted smile before she bit into the fruit. "Have we figured out how long this trip is going to take?"

"It would've taken two solid days of traveling by hopper from Illusia," Cateran stated. "We had to ride west about a day and a half to get to the Mocolom. Now we'll be heading back east and beyond to the eastern coast. That's roughly four days by hopper."

"But we aren't traveling by hopper," Vexyna argued. "The real question is: how fast do these freighters move?"

"And are there going to be stops along the way?" Cateran asked. She thought for a moment, then added, "It'll probably take longer by freighter even at a faster speed than the hoppers."

"Why's that?" Vexyna was puzzled.

"The hoppers can fit through Ozoke Pass, but a freighter would be much too large," Cateran explained. "Ozoke Pass runs through the eastern mountains and provides a gate from the interior of the continent to the eastern shore. The freighter will have to pass south of the mountains since the northern route is impassable."

"So, how long do you think that will take?"

"The southern route will take us through the strange scrub lands and sand wastes to the extreme south of the Oweesh Desert. There are some pretty bizarre things wandering around that area, or so I've been told."

"Time? How long will the trip last?" Vexyna was growing impatient. She wondered how long it had been since she had slept.

"With no stops along the way, I'd guess five days," Cateran answered, looking at Vexyna with tired eyes.

"We have to find out if we will be stopping anywhere," Vexyna said. "Right now, I think we could both use a nap." She reached over and pulled the knapsack closer, then reached inside and extracted their sleeping rolls. The steel case afforded a cozy amount of room for the two of them.

"A nap sounds like a good idea," Cateran agreed. "I'll see about getting that information after a little snooze." The two girls curled up inside their sleeping rolls and fell asleep.

There was no way of telling how much time passed while the girls slept fitfully.

The ship lurched and moved under them. The Mocolom was underway.

Cateran opened one eye to notice Vexyna looking at her. "Eh?" Cateran sleepily asked.

"I can only catch pieces of sleep," Vexyna confessed. "It's hard to unwind and stop thinking about everything that has happened."

Yawning and stretching, Cateran said, "I suppose I should have a look around the ship." She stopped to scratch her stomach before pulling Raj's scroll from where she had left it. "This should help a great deal," she said, waving the sketches in the air.

"Raj has been quite helpful," Vexyna commented. She was snacking on a piece of fruit. "Those sketches will allow you to plan your route through the ship."

"Let's see what we've got," Cateran said as she unrolled the scroll. The light in the crate was dim. "I need light."

"I can see." Vexyna didn't need to tell Cateran.

"How does that help me?" Cateran asked.

"I can read the plans of the ship to you and help you plot your course."

"Okay, what do you see?"

"Do we have any idea which cargo bay we're in?"

"Nope."

"We need to know exactly where we are on the ship before can figure out where we want to be."

"Guess I'll have to go and have a look around without Raj's help."

"The cargo bays are all shaped the same and have the same layout. Can you see any of this?"

Cateran held the drawing up to her face and squinted. "No. It's too fuzzy."

"Maybe I can make a model of a cargo bay." Vexyna had an idea. She pulled out eight rolls and a couple of pieces of fruit from the knapsack. Then she extracted several of the doughy snacks Raj had slipped into Cateran's overalls. Vexyna began arranging the rolls in an octagon. She placed the fruit at opposite sides outside the octagon and, inside it, she placed the dough snacks at several locations. "There," she said, wiping her hands together, "that should help. Slowly lower your hands and gently feel your way around the model I've just created."

Cateran lowered her hands tentatively. She jerked back when she came in contact with the rolls. "Oh," she said somewhat startled. "Oh, I get it. Okay. Let me see." She ran her hands carefully over the diorama. Her hands rested momentarily on the pieces of fruit. "Are these large loading ramps?"

"Yes. Well spotted."

"Hmmm," Cateran continued. "Are these snacks, at four of the sides of the big shape, supposed to represent smaller doors?"

"Yes. Each smaller door leads to some sort of chamber between rooms," explained Vexyna. "According to one of the side notes Raj has left on his sketches, the chambers rise and fall to help shift cargo from the bottom of one room to the top of the next."

"The rooms are like giant levitators?"

"It would appear that way. The main cargo holds themselves are capable of rotating around their central points a full three hundred and sixty degrees. The mechanics behind all this must be astonishing. There are four main holds: two upper and two lower. Here's hoping we're in the upper hold."

"We should be," Cateran said, a bit surprised. "We came through the upper hatch."

"That doesn't mean we ended up in the upper hold. What if our crate got shifted down for some reason?"

"Okay, now that I know what I'll be facing just outside this box, is there any direction you can point me in that may prove useful?"

"First thing's first. We need to know which cargo hold we are in. Find that out and come back."

Cateran nodded in the darkness. She stretched her body out as far as it would reach before compacting it quickly into a little ball. Uncurling herself, Cateran grabbed one of the rolls that had been part of Vexyna's model. She scarfed it back swiftly.

Cateran stood up and lifted the crate's lid.

Peering about the room in all directions, Cateran noticed their crate was surrounded by others. She could not see any of the eight walls of the cargo hold.

Cateran gently did a low flip over the side of the crate and landed on the skid underneath. Crouching beside the crate, Cateran tried to have a better look around, but other crates was all she saw.

Scrambling on top of the crates, Cateran stood up as tall as possible on the balls of her feet and looked around. No personnel could be seen. She was still not high enough to see the walls. Then she realized there might be crates lining the walls.

Cateran decided to pick a direction and move in a straight line until she found a blockage in her path she could not surmount. This, she thought, would have to be one of the walls. She jumped down off the crate and started her trek across the various other crates.

The bay didn't seem large when it was packed with cargo and Cateran soon came to a spot where she couldn't go any further. More crates blocked what should've been the wall in front of Cateran. Cateran made note of the direction from whence she had come and then picked a new direction along the curve of the wall. She thought she'd follow it around. There couldn't possibly be crates covering all of the walls of the cargo hold. There had to be doors somewhere.

The crates were only stacked a maximum of four meters high, so Cateran had no compunction about leaping from crate top to crate top. Actually, she enjoyed it. Cateran loved the feeling of freedom gymnastics provided. She made a game out of making her way around the room. She would set targets for her hands or feet to hit when she landed on the next crate. Cateran often kept herself busy with little games like this.

As she flipped around the room, Cateran suddenly took note of the pieces of paper attached to some of the crates. She stopped for a moment to look at one of these sheets. She couldn't figure out what it said was in the crate, but she could make out that the crate belonged in upper cargo Bay Two, Section Three.

She retraced her path and shifted the lid on the crate Vexyna was in so light could stream in. Soon, she was sitting in the crate with Vexyna. "I found out where we are," Cateran informed Vexyna. "We're in Section Three of upper cargo Bay two." She helped herself to one of the handy rolls. She continued between bites, "I saw it on a piece of paper stuck to one of the crates. I checked a few others to make sure."

Vexyna unraveled the scroll containing Raj's freighter sketches. Scanning the document, she spotted the upper cargo bays. "Here we are," she said, pointing to a spot on the paper. "Upper cargo Bay Two."

"There's Section Three," Cateran pointed out. "Where's the galley?"

Vexyna gave her friend a sidelong look. "That would be what you'd want to find first, wouldn't it?"

Grinning sheepishly, Cateran muttered, "It's always good to know where the food is when you don't know how long a journey is going to take."

"The galley appears to be at the rear of the freighter," Vexyna said while glancing around the sketches. "The front and underside of the freighter are used for cargo. The upper and back sides of the freighter house the crew and engines."

"Is the galley on the same level we're on?"

"Yes, it should be." Vexyna traced an invisible line along a route through the sketch of the freighter. "Both the galley and this cargo hold are on the upper level. The cargo hold is at the front of the ship. The galley is at the back. The galley isn't far from the bridge. The bridge is where you can find out our route."

Cateran thought a moment before asking, "Where's the galley in relation to the engine room?"

"Engine room?"

"Sure," Cateran explained, "The people in the engine room will know our route as well as anyone on the bridge. It's easier to sneak around a noisy engine room than it is the bridge of a ship."

"I get your point. The engine room is at the back of the ship. It's on the lower level."

"I should be able to plot a route that will take me from this cargo hold to the galley, then down to the engine room and back."

"I'll wait here," said Vexyna.

"You should come with me," Cateran advised her. "It'll do you good to get some circulation going. Besides, this is going to be a long journey and I doubt you're going to want to spend the whole time cooped up in this box."

"It wouldn't bother me," Vexyna stated.

"Okay, let me do the route once and when I come back we'll see how you feel."

"Fine," replied Vexyna. "I'll take the time to skim through more of my mother's diary."

Cateran stood up and stretched, then headed off toward the galley.

Once again, Vexyna was alone with her thoughts.

# Chapter 10: Dr. Deathbrain, I Presume

Vexyna sat with the knapsack behind her back, braced up against one of the inside walls of the metal box. Idly, she flipped through her mother's diary, stopping now and again to focus on what was written there.

'Lanton and I built snowmen today in the yard of the large manor house', wrote Vexyna's mother in her diary. 'No matter how cold it gets, Lan can always warm me up'.

Vexyna's mind was not on the diary or the words therein.

Vexyna couldn't help thinking about poor Phantasmine. She had been reunited with the man she was to marry over a hundred years later, only to find out he doesn't remember her. For you to die so suddenly thereafter was the cruelest blow of all, Phanta, thought Vexyna. She curled up in a ball and rocked on her heels with her arms wrapped around her legs, resting her head on her knees as she rocked. You said his name is 'Span'. How did Din get her hands on him? And what has she done to him? Don't worry, Phanta, we'll find out. Her jaw clenched in determination.

Picking up a roll momentarily distracted Vexyna's attention. Pausing a moment to examine it carefully, she popped the whole thing into her mouth. Slyly, she looked around to make sure no one was watching, then gleefully chomped at the piece of dough, which was much too large for her mouth. It took four good swallows for Vexyna to finally dislodge the last of the roll from her mouth and force it down her throat. I don't know why I just did that, she wondered to herself. That's more like something Cat would do. I wonder how she's doing. How long should I give her before getting worried and doing something? How long has it been already? I hate it when nothing is happening. It gives me too much time to think. And that is not a good thing.

"Hello," a familiar voice called out.

Glancing up, Vexyna saw Cateran bouncing in her direction.

Standing up, Vexyna said, "That was fast."

"The ship isn't as large inside as you might think," Cateran informed her. "I have news and..." She paused to pull some small wrapped packages from the front of her coveralls. "Food!"

"What did you find out?"

"Don't you even want to know what the food is?"

"I, uh, just ate," stammered Vexyna with thoughts of the mouthful of roll.

"Oh," Cateran replied blankly. "Do you mind if I eat?"

"I've never stopped you before."

Grinning, Cateran said, "No one ever has or will." She began unwrapping one of the packages she had pulled from her coveralls, and produced a small green packet. "The outside is a leaf," she explained. She held it up for Vexyna's inspection. "Inside, it's stuffed with rice and fish. It's really yummy. You should try some." With that, she popped the whole green packet into her mouth and sat happily chewing away.

Waiting patiently for Cateran to finish eating, Vexyna again flipped through her mother's diary without really seeing what was in front of her.

Swallowing the last of the food in her mouth, Cateran informed Vexyna, "The trip is going to be a lot shorter than we thought."

"How much shorter?"

"About three days shorter."

"Three days? How is that possible?"

"The Mocolom is equipped with pod bay cargo bays," Cateran said, looking mock-absently around while waiting for Vexyna to ask for an explanation. Cateran liked knowing things she knew people were going to ask about.

"Pod bay? What does that mean?"

"It means the cargo bays are also pods," Cateran said with a grin.

"I still don't get it."

"The cargo bays can function on their own," Cateran explained further. "They can fly their own routes on automatic pilot. The whole freighter might be too large to fit through Ozoke Pass, but a cargo bay should have no problem."

"That's what you found out in engineering?"

"Nope. That's what I found out by reading the manuals in the workbenches under the crates by the wall over there." She pointed to one of the stacks of crates in the distance. "Actually," she confessed, "I'm guessing from the pictures in the book. Some words on the page stood out like: 'sonar' and 'automatic pilot'."

"Where'd the food come from?"

"I guess somebody must've left it."

"I thought it came from the galley."

"Yeah, at one time it did."

"I don't even want to think about it. You enjoy."

"It's perfectly good food. I checked it. It isn't garbage, if that's what you think."

"Have we been separated from the Mocolom?"

"I think so. I couldn't get through any of the doors or hatchways. It's all sealed. I guess we're on automatic pilot to the research facility."

"You said that before, 'automatic pilot'; what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure," Cateran confessed. "It talked about it in the manual. The manual mentioned something about the use of 'sonar' or something to aid the pod in automatically maneuvering across a landscape. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. All I really caught was the big freighter could break up into smaller freighters. That was easy to make out from the pictures. Since we're sealed in, and this shipment is bound for the research facility on the east coast, I'd say this pod is also headed for the research facility."

"The air in this pod remains fresh even though we're sealed inside," Vexyna commented. "There must be vents."

"There's even a restroom over there." Cateran pointed. "I wonder if it's in case a worker ever got caught inside the pod after it was sealed and launched?"

"That could be," Vexyna replied. "That might explain the food as well. Are there bathing facilities in the restroom?"

"The works. Are you ready to try one?" Cateran indicated the food packets.

"Sure. I'm ready for a good hot bath, too."

The two sat munching on the leafy packets. After they had each consumed two of the foodstuffs, Vexyna commented, "We have to try to think ahead of Din. What if she's already been to the research facility and has set a trap for us?"

Thoughtfully biting at the inside of her lower lip, Cateran said, "We'll just have to wait and see."

The following two days passed without incident.

At the end of the second day, the pod shuddered to a halt. The massive walls on one side of the cargo bay peeled down in front of the pod to form a ramp to the ground. This would provide an easy way to unload the large cargo.

Up the ramp strode a little girl in a plain white smock. She wore shiny black shoes with buckles. Her socks were gleaming white and rose up to her knees. "Hello!" she called out to the cargo bay. "Is anyone here?" She waited a moment for a reply. When none came, she ventured further into the cargo bay. "I said 'hello'!" she shouted.

From their vantage point high atop the mound of crates, the two girls spied on the little girl. "I wasn't expecting that sort of welcome," Vexyna told Cateran.

Cateran nodded as she continued to watch the little girl, who wandered through the crates. Every once in a while, she stopped to peer at one of them.

"How is the cargo going to be unloaded?" Vexyna wondered under her breath to Cateran.

Cateran shrugged.

Turning to face the open door of the cargo bay, the little girl shouted, "It's okay! There's no one here!"

Cautiously, up the ramp came an elderly gentleman. He was wearing a white lab coat over his brown shirt and black pants. His thick curly hair was a mixture of black and white. He looked suspiciously around the cargo bay for signs of life.

When he looked up and Cateran saw his face, she couldn't help blurting, "He's chocolate!"

The man looked up and spotted Cateran. His face broke into a wide grin. "And you're vanilla!" he shouted up at her.

Cateran's face went crimson. "Sorry!" she shouted down. "But your skin..."

"Not at all," said the man loudly. "I think that's a delicious way in which to be referred." He chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

Vexyna stood up, causing the man to take a step back.

"I couldn't hazard a guess as to your friend's flavor. I've never seen quite that complexion."

"Vexyna is special," Cateran informed the man.

"Doctor Deathbrain, I presume?" Vexyna asked.

"I am Doctor Deathbrain," the man introduced himself. "And this," he said, indicating the little girl, "is Cinnamon."

"Hello," said Cinnamon. She waved up at the girls. "Looking up all the time is annoying. Would you please come down here?"

The girls complied and descended from their nest in the crates.

"I'm Vexyna and this is Cateran," Vexyna said.

"Pleased to meet you," Cinnamon said with a brief curtsey. She looked back up at them with big brown oval eyes. The almond color of her skin made a curious contrast to the darkness of Doctor Deathbrain's skin.

"What brings you to the Vangrash Research Facility?" Dr. Deathbrain inquired.

"We came to see if you could help us," Vexyna informed the doctor.

"Help you? In what way?" The doctor paused a moment. "Perhaps you should come inside. I'll have the robots unload the freighter pod."

"Robots?" Cateran asked. "What are 'robots'?"

"Robots are machines," Doctor Deathbrain answered. "I build them to handle tasks too heavy or time-consuming for me."

"It sounds fantastic," Vexyna said to the doctor. "How did you figure out how to build the robots?"

"Robot technology is ancient," Deathbrain said with a far off look in his eyes.

"I bet Meen had robots helping her," Cateran observed.

"You're probably right," Vexyna agreed. "Illusia probably has dozens of robots to handle the physical labor that the bodiless Illusians cannot."

Dr. Deathbrain interrupted them, "Did you say 'Illusia'?"

The girls paused briefly to look at each other. "Uh," stuttered Cateran.

"Yes," Vexyna admitted. "We were talking about Illusia. Do you know the place?"

Deathbrain glanced around the cargo hold before saying, "Come inside. We'll be more secure inside and then we can speak freely." He looked down at Cinnamon and asked, "Do you know where everything is supposed to go?"

"Yes," replied Cinnamon. "I'll take care of things here."

"Thank you," said Dr. Deathbrain. "Come." He motioned for the girls to follow.

Out the cargo pod and down the ramp, Doctor Deathbrain led the girls to a closed stone door in the side a white building. The sun was already down, but the building seemed to almost glow an eerie purple-white.

"That's an odd texture on the outside of this building," Vexyna observed.

"It's called 'stucco'," replied the doctor. "I despise it. I keep meaning to have the robots remove it. The structure underneath is all stone. I have no idea why the people running the facility had the exterior stuccoed. It makes no sense and it's an eyesore. At least they only did a couple of sides."

Carved on a wall without stucco, beside the stone door, was a square containing eight smaller squares. Different symbols were carved within each of these squares. Doctor Deathbrain pushed two of the squares simultaneously and the stone door opened. He motioned for the girls to enter.

The doorway led to a small set of stone steps that spiraled down to a large circular stone floor, which formed the center of the room. Other sets of stone steps led up to the different corners of the room. Different furnishings adorned the various corners, and the circular lower level of the room was primarily filled with books and chairs.

"Make yourselves at home," Deathbrain invited the girls to find seats.

"Thank you," they said as they planted themselves in a couple of chairs.

"We've come about the Purple Fog," Vexyna told the doctor. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Purple Fog?" Deathbrain raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I know about it. What do you need to know? Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself, young lady? Let's get to know each other a little better before we start trading, let us say, 'trade secrets'."

He got up from the overstuffed brown leather chair he had seated himself in and asked, "Would either of you care for some tarts and tea?"

"Yes, please," came Cateran's immediate reply.

"That would be nice, thank you," Vexyna said.

Doctor Deathbrain walked towards a long table placed against the corner of one wall of the room on which various pieces of food preparation equipment stood.

Brushing a large calloused hand over his salt and pepper hair, Deathbrain asked, "How many buttertarts do you think you can handle?"

"Six!" Cateran shouted without hesitation.

"Six?" Vexyna looked at her friend in disbelief. "Buttertarts are usually pretty sweet. Are you sure you can handle that much sweetness?"

"I won't have any honey in my tea." Cateran grinned at Vexyna.

"I'll put out a plate of ten and see what happens," Deathbrain said as he walked toward the girls, holding a ceramic plate on which he had placed ten buttertarts. Setting the plate down on a small round table between Vexyna and Cateran's chairs, he turned to them and asked, "What would you like in your tea?"

"Nothing, thank you," replied Vexyna.

"A little milk or cream, please," Cateran responded.

Doctor Deathbrain regarded Cateran a moment before saying with a smile, "Yes, I thought you might. Help yourselves to the buttertarts. The tea should be ready shortly."

"That was quick," commented Vexyna. "I didn't even see you do anything other than carry over the tray."

"Prepared foods are not magic," Deathbrain said with a chuckle. "I just stuck them on the plate. The pot of tea was on before you arrived. I always make a big pot to last me a long time."

"We appreciate the tea and tarts, Doctor," Vexyna said. "But we are anxious to find out more about the Purple Fog."

"Tea and tarts," the doctor repeated. "That sounds like a good name for a morality tale. Perhaps a fairytale." He looked thoughtfully off into a corner of the room. "I write them, you know."

"Write what?" Cateran asked.

"Fairytales for children," Deathbrain answered. "It's one of my many hobbies. I think 'A Tale of Tea and Tarts' will be my next undertaking."

Vexyna and Cateran looked at each other and then back at the doctor, who was still staring absently off into space.

"Is that something you took up for the little girl we met outside?" Cateran wanted to know.

"For Cinnamon, yes, you are correct," the doctor replied.

"Is she your daughter, Doctor?" Vexyna was curious.

"In a manner of speaking," Deathbrain said elusively. "Let me get the tea."

"How old is Cinnamon?" Vexyna asked.

"Enough about Cinnamon for the moment. Tell me your tale. Where are you from and why are you looking for answers about the Purple Fog?" He brought a large silver tray towards the girls. The tray held cups, saucers, spoons, a ceramic tea pot, and containers of milk and honey. He sat the tray down on the oblong table in the center of the small circle of chairs. He prepared his own cup of tea, then returned to the overstuffed brown leather chair with the obvious patches all over it.

Cateran leaned forward in the cloth seat she was sitting in and prepared her tea. "Do you want to tell him or shall I?" she asked Vexyna.

"I'll start and you can add to it," Vexyna replied. She poured herself a cup of tea. Fancy brass tacks held the leather padding in place on the chair in which Vexyna was seated. The chair itself was made of wood and sported two massive armrests. She rested her cup of tea on one of the armrests. "I am from a small village to the west called Shojiki. It's a small agricultural town specializing in the growth of carizonia plants."

"Shojiki? Yes, I remember the place. But that was a long time ago. Why have you traveled so far from your village?"

"The village was attacked and, as far as I can tell, all but destroyed."

"How did that happen?"

"Emissaries from a woman calling herself 'Red Empress' came to the village and then it was torn apart."

"That's where I come in, sort of," Cateran interjected. She said to Vexyna quickly, "Explain the glasses before you go on. He's probably curious."

"People generally are," Vexyna answered her. "I have sensitive eyes, so I wear my dark glasses all the time, even inside or at night."

"Oh I wasn't too worried about your dark glasses," the doctor told Vexyna.

"It didn't strike you as odd?" Vexyna asked.

"No, not at all. There could be any number of explanations for why you keep your dark glasses on. Souvenir from a Cunar trader. You could be blind." He paused for a moment, then chuckled before saying, "Heck, you might even be a jazz musician."

"Jazz?" Vexyna was curious.

"It's a style of music. Never mind that now. Please continue with your story."

"As I was saying," Vexyna continued, "men from the Red Empress came to Shojiki and somehow caused an earthquake to rip through the village."

"Earthquake?" Deathbrain's eyes were wide. "What sort of equipment did they use to produce the effect?"

"The leader of the men just tapped his staff on the ground. I noticed it had different colored bands at each end of the stick. When he tapped the ground, the colors in the bands changed."

"Sounds like a signaling device of some kind," mused the doctor. "It probably transmitted co-ordinates and attack strength orders."

"To whom? Where?"

"That's hard to say."

"I was ejected over the wall of the village before the gates were sealed by huge rocks and mounds of earth. We were hoping to enlist the aid of the Gargantuans from Ninim, but they are all down with some sort of sickness."

"Sickness? What's wrong?"

"The Gargantuans are all lying immobile about the streets of Ninim. No one has been able to figure out why. A traveling companion we lost along the way thought it might have something to do with the Purple Fog. So we came to see you."

"What did you mean when you said 'lost a companion'?"

"She died. Her name was Phantasmine and she came from the castle of Illusia."

"Ah, Illusia. Yes, you did mention Illusia before. Have you been there?"

"Yes. It is a place of many marvels."

Doctor Deathbrain leaned forward to add an air of secrecy to what he was about to say, "I am also from Illusia."

"You're from Illusia?" It was Vexyna's turn to have the wide eyes. "But much of that place is in ruins. When were you last there?"

"It has been some time," the doctor solemnly replied.

Cinnamon appeared from behind one of the ceiling-high wooden bookcases. "Hello," she said as she walked down the stone steps to the center of the room where everyone else was sitting.

"Hello," they all greeted her.

Vexyna turned to Doctor Deathbrain and asked, "Aren't you ever disturbed here, Doctor?"

"No. The rest of the continent think this place is all run automatically. No one thinks there are any people living in this facility. The orders for materials are sent out by robot. Robots unload the cargo. Robots build the things that are shipped out for use by others across the land."

"Not even curiosity seekers?"

"This place is far too remote to entertain tourists. There's not much to see if you don't know how to get inside."

Cinnamon stood silently beside Doctor Deathbrain. Absently, the doctor stroked her silky black hair, causing it to shimmer and sway.

"How old are you, Cinnamon?" Cateran asked.

"I'm six," Cinnamon replied.

"She is your daughter, I take it," Cateran wondered.

"I created her, yes," replied the doctor.

"Is your wife still with you?"

"Sadly, no."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's an understandable question with Cinnamon here. There's something you should know about Cinnamon. Please, come into my laboratory and I'll explain it all to you. Cinnamon," he said as he looked into the child's eyes, "please prepare rooms for our guests. Then see about dinner."

"Certainly," Cinnamon said simply. "If you will excuse me," Cinnamon said to the others, then turned and walked away.

Dr. Deathbrain led the way from the first room to the laboratory. Once everyone was inside the lab, he shut the door behind them.

"My wife died of organ failure over ten years ago," he said gravely. "I dedicated my research to finding a way to re-grow human organs. One of my avenues of research led me to nanotechnology. Tiny robots so small they can work on sub-atomic levels." He walked over to an easel standing in the corner of the room and removed a cloth from over some boards on the stand. This revealed a series of drawings and diagrams of a little girl. "This is where Cinnamon came from. Her body was grown, but her brain is actually a colony of nanobots at the moment. They are trying to weave an organic brain. My goal with her was to raise her as much as possible as a normal girl."

"Her skin tone and body type don't match yours," Vexyna stated. "Is there a reason for that?"

"Cinnamon's body was created from cells from my late wife," said the doctor seriously.

"With her brain capacity, surely she should learn at an accelerated rate," Vexyna commented. "How could you keep her from mentally aging with the input of all the data she could absorb?"

"That's where my parenting skills are put to the test," said the doctor. "It has to do with the access I grant to information. She only experiences what I want her to experience. That is, of course, with the exception of accidents.

"I am dying. With all my experiments dealing with different organisms over the years, I have developed a peculiar genetic defect that is slowly dissolving my body."

"Surely with your technology you could put your personality in a nanobot."

"When a man's time has come, it has come. He should face it and move on. I leave behind me my own legacy just as any man would. Soon, it will be time to join my wife and I look forward to our reunion."

There were six large leather-bound volumes stuffed into the little bookshelf on top of the doctor's desk. "Those books contain all the information about Cinnamon. They explain how she was created and contain theories on improvements. Please keep that information from Cinnamon as long as possible. I'd like her to remain innocent for just a while longer."

"Does Cinnamon's brain have to be nanobots?" Vexyna mused. "Would the brain you grow like the other organic material not be blank and thus able to be imprinted with whatever information is desired?"

Cateran looked at Vexyna in disbelief. "Are you feeling okay, Vex?"

"Yeah," Vexyna slowly replied. "I was thinking about Phanta. Doctor Deathbrain might just have had the answer to what she was looking for."

"How to imprint information directly into a newly grown brain has eluded me," confessed the doctor. "The nanobots should be able to assemble an organic brain from the subatomic level. By then they will have also figured out how the information should be folded into the organic brain so it remains intact."

"Our friend, Phantasmine of Illusia, was in search of an organic body," Vexyna told the doctor. "Something puzzles me, Doctor. Phantasmine told us she survived for over two hundred and fifty years because she had transferred her memories and consciousness to one of the Crystals of Change. Recently, we've been having run-ins with the man who was supposed to be her husband. Apparently, he was part of a cryogenics research team on a remote island somewhere." Vexyna paused a moment to regard the doctor, then continued. "You admitted to us that you are also from Illusia. Doctor, are you also from the time before the Forgetting?"

"Yes," Deathbrain answered. "I am. In fact, I was part of the team that built this facility."

"Why was this facility built? What was its purpose?"

"This facility was built to provide a safe place to experiment and still be on the mainland. Illusians were always fascinated by technology. We were also a fairly closed people. People from other places were generally held with disdain unless that person happened to come from a select few spots."

"Like Nogard?" Vexyna asked.

"Nogard?" Deathbrain raised his eyebrows. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Yes, people from Nogard were held in high esteem. It was a pact between Illusia and Nogard that saw to the implementation of the Forgetting. Longevity experiments were conducted at a number of facilities, including this one."

"Nogard and Illusia decided to make the rest of the world forget their technologies while the two of them continued to advance their own? That doesn't sound quite right to me," Vexyna firmly stated.

"Like it or not, what's done is done," lamented the doctor.

"I think it's time you told us everything you know about the Purple Fog," Vexyna said sternly.

"The Purple Fog is created by crushing and mixing equal portions of four different minerals. The mixture may be carried in dry form. It is activated by adding water."

There was something Cateran wanted to know. "Doctor," she asked, "If people from Illusia don't like other people, why are you so nice to us?"

The doctor shrugged as he smiled and said, "I guess I'm just different from most folks. Besides, it's been years since I had contact with real human beings."

Bringing the conversation back on topic, Vexyna asked, "Is there an antidote or some form of countermeasure?"

"Indeed there is," Deathbrain freely admitted, "It's called the Yellow Mist. Administering it can prove tricky depending on the area you need to cover. The Purple Fog saturates everything when it falls and creates a thin coating over all it touches. In order to dissolve this layer, the anti-toxin Yellow Mist must also be able to settle over everything the Purple Fog has touched."

"You mean we would need to cover the entire town of Ninim in order to cure the Gargantuans? We couldn't just sprinkle the antidote over them individually?"

"The entire area would have to be covered in order for the antidote to properly work. An aerial spreading of the Yellow Mist would be best."

"How are we supposed to get into the air over Ninim?"

Cateran had a thought. "Say, Dr. D.B., do you know anything about airships?"

"Lighter-than-air vehicles were built at Zephyr in the center of the Oweesh Desert," Deathbrain informed Cateran. "There are wind currents of unbearable magnitude moving around this coast. They make it dangerous to fly here. Over Ninim, the winds usually flow down off the mountains. Try hang-gliding off the side of the mountain. That would get you high enough to cover the town."

"First, we need the Yellow Mist," Vexyna observed. "Doctor, can you create it?"

"It is possible as long as I have the right ingredients." Deathbrain looked up at a circular device resting high on one wall of the laboratory. "Cinnamon should have dinner prepared in another hour and a half. Would you ladies like to freshen up before then?"

"Definitely," Cateran said, giving herself a quick sniff and holding her nose.

"The freighter pod was equipped with cleansing facilities for people, but not for clothes," Vexyna told the doctor. "Fresh clothing would be appreciated if possible."

"Certainly." The doctor smiled. "I'll have one of the robots look after it. Let me show you to the rooms Cinnamon should have prepared by now. We can talk about the Yellow Mist and other things later." He led the way out of the lab and down a corridor. At the end of the corridor, he took a sharp left turn and stood in the middle of a short hallway. On either side of the hallway were two wooden doors. One door was painted blue while the other was white, and porcelain doorknobs over brass-plated keyholes adorned each one.

"Hang-gliding," Cateran said out of the blue. "I want you to tell me what that is."

"After dinner," said the doctor, "I'll tell you all about it and more. If there is anything you need, just open the communications flap and speak into the tube."

"Flip the what and speak into the who?" Cateran was befuddled.

"The beds in these rooms have four posts," explained the doctor. "Part way up one of the posts by the head of the bed, you will find a long tube running up the post and disappearing somewhere in the ceiling. At the end of this tube is a large metal flap. Opening this flap sends a signal to the other tubes that this particular tube is active. Then just talk into the tube to speak to someone somewhere else in the facility."

"Thank you, Doctor," Vexyna said. "Please come and get us when dinner is ready."

"I'll make sure you're both aware," he said, then turned and walked away.

While the robots laundered their clothes, each girl freshened up. Each had time to relax on their beds before the dinner call came.

# Chapter 11: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

After the girls had freshened up and slipped into their newly laundered clothing, Doctor Deathbrain greeted them in the hallway outside their rooms. "Dinner is served, ladies," he said as he took a short bow and extended his arm to point the way down the hall.

Cateran was the first to move in the direction of the food. Vexyna followed and Doctor Deathbrain brought up the rear. Once they were out of the narrow hallway containing the girls' rooms, they were able to walk abreast.

"What's for dinner?" Cateran had to know.

"I'm not exactly sure," confessed the doctor. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can spice it to your liking. I have an invention I think you'll like. Perhaps we'll try it out at dinner."

"Invention?" Cateran looked skeptical.

"What sort of invention, Doctor?" Vexyna asked with a little concern for her friend.

"Nothing harmful, I assure you," Deathbrain said. "I have a theory about taste and chemistry. One person's particular preferences of the pallet are peculiar to their pallet owing to their own individual chemical balance. If we know the particular chemical balance of a person and know how the chemicals in the foods that person is about to ingest will react on that person's system, then we should be able to make sure the balance is such to create the best possible dining experience for that person."

They had stopped momentarily in a larger hallway as Deathbrain explained his theory.

"Design the meal and its spicing to the exact taste of the diner? Is that what you're saying?" Vexyna asked.

Cateran shook the mop of red hair on top of her head. It was still wet from her shower and some of the water splashed on the other two. She looked at them sheepishly. "Sorry. It didn't have time to dry."

Shaking various parts of their clothing to remove any bits of water, the trio proceeded to the dining room.

"Yes." Deathbrain nodded. "That is exactly what I mean. I can take saliva tests on willing subjects and do a chemical analysis. Based on what I find, the rest should be easy. Of course, I'll still have to ask a few taste-related questions."

They arrived at the dining room and Deathbrain motioned for the girls to take seats around the circular metal table in the center of the room. Each girl took a seat opposite the other, leaving a spot in between for the doctor. The chairs' frames were singular metal tubes bent to form a number five without its top, and a leather-like fabric stretched across the tubing to form the seat and back.

Draped over the table was a fine white linen tablecloth. Two candlesticks adorned the central display of flowers. Around the flowers, various metal and crockery serving dishes had been laid.

Several aromas lifted Cateran's nose high over the table. "It smells wonderful," she almost drooled.

"Will Cinnamon not be joining us, Doctor?" Vexyna asked. "Does she need to eat?"

"She should be here already," the doctor said with a bit of concern. "Yes, her body is the same as a normal person's. It's only her brain that is 'special'. Please help yourselves. I'll go see what's keeping her." He left the dining room.

Busily trying the various dishes displayed before them, the girls were startled when Doctor Deathbrain backed into the dining room.

They sat staring blankly at the doctor, who pointed in their direction, asking, "Are these the ones?"

Wide-eyed wonder swept across their faces when Raj, wearing the outfit of one of Din's people, entered the room holding Cinnamon. "Those are the ones," Raj confirmed. He handed Cinnamon over to the doctor and moved toward the table as he said to the doctor, "Leave us."

Deathbrain tucked Cinnamon under his arm and departed.

"Now then," said Raj as he looked back and forth between the two girls. "You two will not escape this time. I have been sent by Her Imperial Highness the Empress Din to ensure you are here when she arrives."

Jaws dropped as the girls took in his words.

"Raj! What's happened to you?" Cateran asked, tears welling in her eyes.

A stern look took command of Vexyna's face. "I know what's going to happen." She stood up, leaned over the table and grabbed the front of Raj's tunic. Bending him swiftly over the table with one hand, she removed her glasses with other before staring intensely into his eyes.

Raj was instantly transfixed.

"Sit down," commanded Vexyna.

"Are you gonna make him strip?" Cateran was curious.

"What?" Vexyna looked at her friend. "No, I hadn't..." She paused for split second before adding, "Well, now that you mention it... No, no. That wouldn't be right." She turned her attention back to Raj. "Tell us what is supposed to happen after you find us."

In a zombie-like state, Raj found a seat. "I was sent to ensure you would not escape."

"When is Din expected to arrive?" Vexyna kept up her line of questioning.

"Exalted Empress Din will arrive by mid-morning tomorrow."

Vexyna said to Cateran, "At least that gives us a head start. Let's see what use we can make of this visit before we leave."

Cateran sat staring at the hollow husk of the man who used to be her treasured friend. "Can you help him?"

"I don't know," admitted Vexyna. "I can try." She intensified her gaze at Raj. "Raj," she said. "Remember who you are."

"I am Raj," he slowly stated. "I am in the service of the Red Empress. I am..."

"Raj!" Vexyna cut him off. "You are not in the service of Din. You are a member of the people known as the Vags. You have a dear friend named Cateran. You adore her."

Raj's eyes blinked wildly. "I am... a Vag?" His mind was obviously trying to grasp the concept.

"Oh, Raj!" Cateran cried while rising from her seat and rounding the table. In a flash, she had her arms around him and was giving him a heartfelt kiss. When she pulled away, she held onto his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Cateran," he said softly as his senses returned. "Cateran," he said again as he pulled her in close for hug.

"Is it safe?" The question came from Doctor Deathbrain, who stood in the doorway of the dining room.

"Yes, Doctor," said Vexyna. "I think we have everything under control at the moment."

"Good," said the doctor as he made his way back to his seat at the table. "I could tell by this man's eyes he was under the influence of a fog or a mist. Without knowing the antidote, how did you snap him out of it?"

Vexyna measured her words carefully. "We tried a couple of methods. The second method did the trick."

"Which methods would those be?" the doctor insisted on knowing.

"The second method worked, but I'm not sure how or why. It was a kiss from Cateran. But how did a kiss from Cateran finally snap Raj out of Din's trance?"

"It's a chemical thing as well as an emotional thing," theorized the doctor as he finally helped himself to some dinner.

Raj spoke quietly to Cateran as she sat in his lap. "I had infiltrated Din's troops to learn more about her, but her subjects are exposed to fogs and mists to keep them in line. I should've realized that, after being exposed I, too, would begin to forget who I was and start to really follow her orders."

"What exactly did happen, Raj? The last thing we knew you were off to Ninim to put in that purchase order." Vexyna wanted some answers.

"I didn't tell you everything the last time we met," Raj confessed. "Krajav ordered me to spy on Din. He provided me with passwords and this outfit. I was to infiltrate her ranks, find out her strengths and ambitions, and report back to Krajav."

"Obviously that didn't happen," Vexyna said dryly. "Let me guess. You slipped in amongst her men and got gassed by one of the fogs."

"Or fogged by one of the gases." Cateran giggled. She had returned to her dinner.

"When did this happen? Do you recall saying anything to Din about us?"

"I got picked up by Din's caravan on the road to Ninim. They found the purchase order among my things during a routine inspection of all the troops' belongings. Din likes to know where her men have been. That aroused suspicions about this facility. I was interrogated. I..." Words seemed to stick in Raj's throat. He reached for a glass from the group slightly off to one side of the center of the table. Licking his lips, he picked up the pitcher of water and poured himself a glass. He gulped the first mouthful, but took his time and sipped the second. Finally, he said, "I told her about Nogard and your candlestick. I told them you were trying to get here. That's why she sent me here. Din thought I would be the best one to stop you. If all else failed, I was supposed to try to kill you. I told them everything I know about you." He took another quick drink and put the glass down hard on the table. Stooped over in his chair, he rested his face in his hands and gently rocked.

"You betrayed us," Vexyna stated flatly.

"Under the influence of certain fogs and mists, people will do anything," interjected the doctor. "You really can't hold the boy responsible."

Abandoning her meal, Cateran went to the sorrow-filled Raj and took hold of his shoulders. Smiling down at him, she said, "I bet you learned a lot about Din while you were with her, didn't you?"

Raj looked up at Cateran and nodded. "I wasn't with her main caravan long. They were already planning to split off and head to Dilbu for some sort of meeting. I did learn an interesting fact or two, though."

Cateran returned to her seat as Raj poured himself another glass of water.

Taking a sip of the water before speaking, Raj said, "I know how Din is causing the earthquakes."

"Earthquakes?" It was the doctor's ears that perked up. "What's all this about earthquakes? Oh, yes, Vexyna mentioned something about a tremor ripping up her village."

"How is she doing it, Raj?" Vexyna had to know.

"Din has found an ancient race of earth-beings. These are beings composed only of soil. One of the younger members of this clan of earth-beings has gone missing and Din has convinced them it was stolen by one of the humans."

"Beings composed solely of soil? That sounds impossible." Vexyna was skeptical.

"On the contrary," said Deathbrain, "such Elemental beings exist throughout Antasta. There are also beings composed solely of fire, water, air and wood. We just never see them anymore. Generally, they work as one consciousness even though there seem to be many of them. I wonder how it is that one of them could possibly be lost from the others."

"Another form of mind control on Din's part, perhaps? Elemental beings. Just when I think the world couldn't give me a wilder ride." Vexyna shook her head. "Exactly what does the kidnapping of an Elemental youngster have to do with Din?"

"Din told the earth-beings she would help them find their missing child. She's been going around pointing out possible sites that might have the child. Then the earth-beings run under wherever it is and wreck the place."

"So it was the Elementals that caused the disruption in Shojiki?"

"Yes. They were signaled by means of a staff that emitted sound waves into the ground when it was tapped."

"I told you that staff thing sounded like a signaling device," Deathbrain put in.

Frowning, Cateran said, "I bet Din kidnapped the Elemental kid herself."

"That would make sense," Vexyna said as she thought about it. "That way, she would always know where it was and could continually lead on the other Elementals."

"Mind control plays a factor, as well," Deathbrain stated. "From what you've said about this woman, it definitely sounds like her work."

"How do we fight it? What are the antidotes to the various fogs and mists?" Vexyna needed some real answers.

"When is this Din person supposed to get here?" Deathbrain asked Raj.

"Midday tomorrow."

"Then we need to prepare for departure. This place will be much too dangerous if Elementals are involved."

Cinnamon, who had entered quietly after the doctor and taken a seat at the table, suddenly shot her right arm out in front of her, causing her food to fly across the table onto Cateran's chest.

"Hey!" Cateran exclaimed. "There are less messy ways to pass food around."

"I am so sorry," apologized Cinnamon, who was getting up from the table. Rounding the table towards Cateran, the child picked up a linen napkin. She stopped in front of Cateran. "Please allow me to take care of that mess."

"Sure," replied Cateran. She held her wrists up to her shoulders so Cinnamon could get at the large wet spot on the front of her coveralls.

Leaning in to dab up the spill, Cinnamon informed Cateran, "This is worse than I thought. Please remove your clothing so that I may launder it."

"Right here?" Cateran was a bit embarrassed. "During a meal?"

"Cinnamon," Doctor Deathbrain said, "go fetch Cateran a robe. Cat, you'll find enough space to change in the pantry through the door over there."

Food was consumed by the others as the two youngest people in Vangrash hurried about fetching and changing.

While Cinnamon was off procuring a robe for Cateran, Vexyna seized the opportunity to ask, "Doctor, why did Cinnamon throw her food at Cateran? Is that just the typical action of a six-year-old?"

"Six-year-old girls do throw food," Raj confirmed. "But generally you can see it coming. Cinnamon's actions didn't seem voluntary."

"Occasionally in the development of Cinnamon's organic brain the nanobot weavers cause neurological disturbances. These disturbances can create a variety of involuntary muscle reactions," Deathbrain informed them as he finished his meal and pushed away his plate.

"Tell me, Doctor," Vexyna enquired, "how real a person is Cinnamon? And are you attached to her or is she just another experiment?"

Frowning, Doctor Deathbrain looked straight at Vexyna as he said, "Cinnamon is much more than just an experiment to me. Obviously, after years of interacting with her, I've grown fond of her. Humans naturally attach human qualities to the things around them. How real is Cinnamon as a person? That depends on her memories. Like the rest of us, her personality is a composite of her experiences. On the other hand, you could argue she has no personality at all because she is incapable of independent thought. She acts, reacts and does what she is told, but she is not yet capable of initiating thought."

"Will Cinnamon ever be able to start her own thoughts?" asked Raj.

"The more she experiences, the greater a reserve of reactions she will be able to call upon, so it will increasingly appear she is thinking independently."

"Another illusion, Doctor?" Vexyna mused.

"Indeed," responded the doctor. "However, Cinnamon lacks a core spirit. Whereas her body is alive and functioning as it should autonomously, there is no soul inside that body to make it move, think, and feel."

"Let me get this straight," Vexyna tried to clarify what the doctor had just said. "Cinnamon's body is alive, but there is no real personality called 'Cinnamon' independently motivating the body." She looked at Raj. "Did that make sense to you?"

"I think so," Raj replied.

Wrapped in a fresh robe, Cateran was once again seated before her food. She dug into the food heartily.

Demurely seated across from Cateran, Cinnamon finished her meal and got up. "What should I do now?"

"Well, Cinnamon, I'd say it's time we gave 'Senomar' a test run," the doctor said to his little girl.

"I'll go on ahead to the docking bay and prepare for launch," Cinnamon told her creator before scurrying off.

"Senomar?" Vexyna was curious.

"You'll see. In the meantime, let's adjourn to the lab."

Deathbrain led the way back to the laboratory he had shown the girls before.

"For every fog, there is an opposite mist," he explained. "The Purple Fog can be combated by the Yellow Mist, for example. Different forms of airborne contaminants produce different effects. The Purple Fog is deep mind control."

"Do you have everything you need to create the different fogs and mists?" Vexyna asked the doctor.

"Almost. There are a few missing minerals. Right now, I'm more concerned about what to take and what to leave."

"You don't think Din is going to try to harm this facility, do you?" Cateran asked.

"It would fit her pattern," Raj interjected.

"Then I must prepare for the worst," the doctor said with determination. "Please leave me. Through the door in that wall and down the hallway you'll find the room we entered when we first came inside this building. Wait there. Read some of the books if you like. I will join you when I am ready."

Raj and the two girls left the doctor to see to his departure preparations and ventured off to the stone room with the circular center filled with comfortable chairs. There, they waited for what seemed hours until finally Doctor Deathbrain appeared.

"It's time to leave," he announced. "Please follow me." He led the way out of the building and around one side of it.

Standing in the middle of the field beside the research facility was a colossus like none any of the travelers had ever seen. The jaws of all save Deathbrain dropped as they gaped up at the monstrosity.

"Is this some sort of vehicle, Doctor?" Vexyna gaped in wonder.

"Senomar is probably unlike any vehicle or mode of transportation you have ever encountered. Senomar was genetically bred and developed, by me, as a pet for Cinnamon," the doctor explained as they walked closer to the blue shiny mass.

"You mean this thing is alive?" Cateran cart wheeled backwards, almost knocking down Raj.

"Senomar, like Cinnamon," the doctor went on, "also has a nanobot brain."

"Banana brain? What?" Cateran shook her head as she landed.

"Nanobot brain," Vexyna corrected. "Those tiny machines the doctor told us about." She turned to the doctor. "Please understand, Doctor, we are from cultures that don't have such strange devices. It's a lot to comprehend and sometimes it does get a little overwhelming."

"I understand," said Deathbrain sympathetically. "When you weren't touched by the Forgetting, it is easy to forget that a great many other people were. Generations of some of them." Deathbrain stood a moment looking at the three travelers. "Everything is still manual where you come from, isn't it? No machines, other than the odd freighter and whatnot? Torches? No electric light?" The inquisitive nature in the doctor seemed to come through.

"What does electric mean?" Cateran asked.

"There's no time for me to explain about electricity," replied the doctor. "Suffice it to say, you don't know about it."

"That's right," said Cateran. "That's why I'm asking about it."

"We'll talk about that later," Vexyna cut in. "Right now, we need to know more about how Senomar is going to help us."

"Senomar is the first in what I hoped would be a series of symbiotically enhanced robotically amplified peripheral harnesses."

"Symbiotically? What?" Vexyna was a bit confused.

"They help each other," said the doctor. "Without the driver, the harness is useless. With the harness, the driver can move the harness and do many things. Senomar is the prototype of the SERAPH series."

"Exactly what does that mean?" Cateran looked more perplexed.

"Every vehicle needs a driver," Deathbrain continued. "The driver in the Senomar is Cinnamon, because her brain can be linked directly with Senomar's. In essence, Cinnamon becomes Senomar and, thus, can handle all of the vehicle's functions. It's meant as much to be an educational aid as a vehicle. Senomar isn't mentally conscious enough to move around without help. Cinnamon provides that help."

Cateran looked up at the doctor. Biting her lower lip, she asked, "What about 'automatic pilot'?"

Vexyna gave her friend a stern look. "Let's stay on topic, shall we?"

"Sorry," Cateran said sheepishly, her shoulders drooping.

Turning to the doctor, Vexyna asked, "Doctor, is this sort of thing normal for a six-year-old child from Illusia?"

"Quite honestly, no," the doctor confessed. "But there seem to be some things happening hereabouts that need looking into. All my research and years upon years of work could be in jeopardy. There are ways to make sure Cinnamon still grows up like a normal child. Let me worry about the wonders of technology. Where should we head from here?"

"Since you say you are from Illusia, take us back to Illusia," Raj suggested.

"Nice try, Raj," Vexyna stopped him. "We've been to Illusia. You haven't. I'll bet you've narrowed down the possible spots on which the castle might rest, but you don't know for certain. If you insist on going to Illusia, you will have to be somehow robbed of your memory of its location."

"Vex!" Cateran cried. "Why are you being so hard on Raj?"

"Look at the outfit he wears," Vexyna said, pointing to Raj's tunic. "We have no idea what side effects the mist he was exposed to might cause."

"Illusia would make a good destination, though," Deathbrain stated. "Simply blindfold Raj to keep the whereabouts of Illusia safe."

"Does Cinnamon know where Illusia is, Doctor?" Raj was curious.

"Yes, as part of her geography lessons," answered the doctor. "She knows the map of the ancient world. Other than remote contact with Ninim and Dilbu, we haven't heard from anyone else. Perhaps the odd Vag like you two." He pointed at Cateran and Raj.

"You knew we were Vags?" Cateran looked dumbfoundedly at the doctor.

"Certainly," replied Deathbrain.

"You never let on."

"It is of little consequence. Let us get aboard." Deathbrain pressed his right palm into the blue surface of Senomar. A two-meter-wide split appeared in Senomar's side. The split expanded vertically until it had created a doorway three meters high.

Once again, the three travelers were stunned. "Believe me, this is nothing compared to the marvels you will find in Nogard or Illusia."

"I think Illusia had machines like what you call robots," Vexyna said. "Are you saying Nogard has machines like this? Machines grown like plants?" It suddenly dawned on her what she had just said. The whole concept of what Senomar, no, what Cinnamon was, firmly came to grips in her mind. "Doctor Deathbrain, you grow organic cells in your laboratory and they form into different bodies."

"Yes, that's correct. It all started as part of my experiments into prolonging life. There is something I need to tell you, but please get aboard."

"I don't understand the longevity thing, Doctor. Why did the Illusians want to live so long?"

"They wanted to outlive the Forgetting so they would be around when peoples' minds were free again. Someone had to be here all along just to make sure everything worked out and everyone kept their promise to lay down their arms."

Deathbrain impatiently waved the trio through the opening in Senomar's side.

Senomar's interior gleamed with a luminous aquamarine shine. It exuded a bright, cheery feel. The exterior of Senomar seemed enormous compared with the compact and cozy little room in which the four now found themselves. Seats seemed to swell up out of the floor and pour from the walls. Senomar had grown itself into several fern-like plants to adorn the room. A large round table sat off to one side of the room.

They each found a place to park themselves.

"Where's Cinnamon?" Cateran asked, looking around for the little girl.

"Cinnamon is safe," the doctor replied noncommittally.

"Tell us more about your experiments, Doctor," Raj prodded.

"No," the doctor said, somewhat coldly. "I think it's time you people told me exactly what has been going on in the world. You have given me some bits and pieces, but before we go any further I need to know what I am getting myself and my little girl into."

"I understand, Doctor," Vexyna said. "We have tried to tell you as much as we know."

"There are a few details we could provide," Cateran suggested. "About Din and all."

Raj looked around the room. "There are no windows." He laughed. "I guess a blindfold won't be necessary after all, eh, Vex?"

"I suppose not. I'm sorry, Raj. I've been a bit on edge lately."

"That's understandable coming from someone in your situation."

Deathbrain interrupted them. "Each of you should tell me how you got to know the others. That way, I can probably piece together what's happening. Cinnamon is already moving Senomar toward Illusia."

"How does Senomar move, Doctor?" Vexyna queried.

"I told you to leave the technological wonders to me," the doctor admonished her. "Just tell me your stories and any side pieces of relevant information."

"At least tell us how long the journey to Illusia should take," Cateran said.

"Just long enough for each of you to have contributed your tale," said the doctor.

This statement caused the other three to cease any movement and stare at the doctor.

"Get on with what you have to say and worry about the length of the voyage later," Deathbrain told the group.

So they did. Each, in turn, told of how they became involved with Din and the events taking place across Antasta.

At the end of it all, Deathbrain said, "Incredible. The ancient evil really is on the move once again. The resurrection of Dacreel must be close at hand. Getting Vexyna to Nogard is urgent."

"Why so urgent?" Vexyna asked.

"You appear to be some sort of link between the followers of Dacreel and the people of Nogard. I wouldn't ask Din for any answers. I'd go to Nogard." He gave a hard look to Vexyna. "End your search for your mother. No good can come of it."

"No, Doctor, I will not end my search for my mother. She has answers to some of my questions and I will not stop until she gives me those answers. Please try to understand."

While staring at the floor, the doctor whispered, "I hope it all works out."

Cinnamon spoke and everyone whirled around to look at her. No one had seen her enter the room. "We are at Illusia. Please prepare to disembark." She turned away from them and appeared to walk straight through the wall.

Vexyna spoke. "Did she...?" She was lost for words.

Doctor Deathbrain let out a hearty laugh and patted his stomach with both hands. "You forget, Vexyna, we are Illusians. Not everything you see around us is real."

A hatchway melted away in the side of Senomar and the party departed the craft. Once on the ground outside Illusia, two of the trio of non-Illusians noticed that Senomar could not be seen. It had blended itself into the countryside and, thus, became invisible. The last trace of Senomar disappeared once Cinnamon had walked down the tiny ramp to the ground. The third non-Illusian had been outfitted with a blindfold and, therefore, could not see anything.

"Illusia," Vexyna said heavily. "Doctor, are there any special funeral or burial rites for Illusians?"

"Ah, yes," thought the doctor aloud, "Phantasmine. She was one of the ruling classes of Illusians. Might even have been queen at one time." The doctor chuckled. "That's the problem with an organic brain. It wears out after a while."

"Rites, Doctor. Are there any?"

"Oh, sorry. Sure, it depends on what Phanta wanted. We should look for any records of her last wishes."

"I wouldn't know where to begin to look for such things," Vexyna lamented.

"Let's get inside first," Cateran suggested.

"After you, Doctor," Vexyna offered. "You seem to know the spot. Can you find the door?"

"Right here," said the doctor, easily finding the entrance.

They stepped through the gate into the empty market surrounding the castle. Raj had his blindfold removed just before the group passed through the Illumination Sphere and into Illusia castle. They were stunned by what greeted them.

# Chapter 12: Behold the Crystal Queen

Eyes widened and jaws dropped when Vexyna and Cateran took in a sight they thought they never would again. Standing in front of the group was Phantasmine.

"It appears you have brought guests from Vangrash," Phantasmine said matter-of-factly.

"Phanta..." Vexyna gasped. "You're... How? Your crystal shattered. I'm so sorry."

"Calm yourself," Phantasmine reassured her. "It was much too early in the development of our relationship for me to trust you with my real crystal. The one you carried was merely a spare. I am certain you now understand my cautiousness."

"Yes, I do."

"Meen!" Cateran screamed as she ran forward to hug the Illusian girl. After giving Phantasmine a hearty squeeze, Cateran said, "Thanks for being solid."

"I thought my presence might provoke some sort of emotional response in one or both of you," Phantasmine stated. "The illusion of being solid for you to grasp was meant as an emotional release for you. It should at least placate you for the moment and keep you quiet."

"You're so mean, Meen." Cateran kicked at the ground.

Phantasmine turned to Doctor Deathbrain and Cinnamon. "Doctor Deathbrain, it is so pleasant to see you again. It has been a long time. From the look of you, it appears your longevity experiments were successful."

Deathbrain blinked to clear some cobwebs off his memory. "Phantasmine, it is you. Now I remember." He looked down at Cinnamon when he said, "This is Phantasmine. She is one of the people from the house that ruled Illusia."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Cinnamon curtseyed.

"Is this one of your creations, Doctor?" Phantasmine didn't have to ask, because she already knew the answer by scanning Cinnamon.

"Indeed," replied the doctor quickly. He stood a moment regarding Phantasmine. "You're keeping your essence bound to this world through the Crystals of Change, aren't you?"

"It is my birthright, Doctor," Phantasmine informed him. "Can you provide my crystal with new flesh?"

"Yes, but first we need your core crystal and you know what that means."

"I do. Please follow me." She turned and led the group away from where they had been standing to a narrow hallway. The hallway led to a small chamber, inside of which the girls discovered rows of blinking lights behind glass screens. Wires in a variety of colors were strung throughout the room. In the center of the room was an enormous clear container, into and out of which smaller glass tubes fed liquid and wires. A young woman floated motionlessly in the liquid inside the container. She was frozen in the fetal position. Tubes were attached to her nose, mouth and nether regions, and wires streamed from her head.

"Welcome, my friends," said Phantasmine. "Here is my last fleshly body."

"Are you still somehow inside that body?"

"Yes. The crystals merely act as amplifiers of one's essential vibration. When the crystal you were carrying broke, you thought I had been lost forever. That event simply caused a breakdown in our abilities to communicate with one another. It did not pose any real threat to me. It has taken this long for me to lead you hear because I needed to be certain I could trust you before allowing you to find my real body."

"Why don't you just switch off the machines and come out?" Cateran enquired.

"The ravages of time would rapidly take their toll on that body should it be removed from the chamber," Phantasmine explained. "It only survives because it is preserved in that liquid."

"Are you going to grow Phantasmine a new body, Doctor?" Cateran was again curious.

"That is the general idea," said the doctor. "The equipment here shouldn't have been contaminated the way mine was back in Vangrash. For the sake of the growth process, I'll have to get one of you to handle the actual work. I can only supervise from a safe distance. I wouldn't want Phantasmine's new body to catch what my body has."

"So that story about your wife wasn't completely true. The part about you dedicating your life to growing new tissues was your job all along." Vexyna confronted the doctor.

"The deterioration and death of my wife spurred me on to perfect my growth processes," the doctor informed Vexyna.

"How long will it take you to grow Phantasmine a new body?" asked Raj, who was still in a bit of a daze over everything he was experiencing.

"That depends on what there is to work with around here," stated the doctor.

Loud rumbling noises emanated from Cateran's stomach. She gave the others a cheesy grin and asked, "Food?"

"Help the doctor and food will be provided," Phantasmine said. "Nourishment is being prepared even now."

"Thanks, Meen," Cateran said.

Deathbrain surveyed the chamber containing Phantasmine's body and several of the surrounding rooms. He returned to Phantasmine's chamber, shaking his head. "I have bad news. The equipment here is too badly damaged for me to attempt any organic growth that isn't already stabilized. I could accelerate growth, but I couldn't start any new growth."

"We'll have to return to Vangrash with Phantasmine," Vexyna concluded. "You could do what you needed to do at Vangrash, couldn't you?"

"Returning to Vangrash at this time would not be wise," Raj reminded her.

"Din, again?" Phantasmine asked Vexyna.

"Yes, she seems to be everywhere."

"Why is Raj wearing one of the Red Empress' uniforms?" As Phantasmine spoke, a table laden with food exposed itself from one of the walls of the room. Up through the floor sprang five chairs. "Sit and relax for a moment. Have something to eat and fill me in on all the details of what has happened since our separation."

Each member of the group of travelers in turn took it upon themselves to continue the story for Phantasmine while consuming the digestibles. By the time the food had been finished, the tale was over and Phantasmine had been brought up to date.

"Just before we lost contact with you, Phanta, we ran into the blond man who brought the Earth Elementals into Shojiki," Vexyna said. "You recognized him as Span, the man you were supposed to marry. Don't you want to go after him once you have your body?"

"That was a long time ago, Vexyna," Phantasmine replied. "The ravages of time and untold amounts of Fog have surely worn any memory of me from Span's mind."

"We could try hitting him with Yellow Mist," Cateran suggested. "Dr. DeeBee said he could make it. Didn't you, Doc?"

"Given the proper minerals, yes. I should be able to create any of the various fogs or mists."

"Doctor." Phantasmine spoke earnestly, looking directly at Doctor Deathbrain, but couldn't hold her eyes up. "Cinnamon may be my only hope now. As ruler of Illusia, I could order you to perform the procedure to implant my consciousness into Cinnamon's body." She looked up at him again with imploring eyes. "But I cannot. Has she developed any sort of outward personality? Or is Cinnamon merely a collection of random data?"

It was Deathbrain's turn to gaze at the ground. "Random data. Well, not so much random data as vast data with superficial personality. It'll take eons to fully develop a real personality using machines." He sighed heavily. "I understand the importance of the situation." He glanced over at Vexyna, but said to Phantasmine, "We must venture to Nogard as quickly as possible. First, I will implant your core crystal into the nanobot brain in Cinnamon's body. The nanobots will know how to permanently incorporate the information from the crystal."

Kneeling in front of Cinnamon, Deathbrain's eyes were watery and his voice came in spasms. "Come along, Cinnamon. Your time has come much sooner than I anticipated." He took hold of her tiny hand and squeezed it, wiping at his eyes with his other coat sleeve.

Phantasmine addressed the trio of non-Illusians. "Are you tired? Would you like to rest or bathe?"

"I could use a nap," Cateran admitted, stretching a little.

"If we aren't needed here, it might be a good idea to rest up a bit," Vexyna suggested. "You mentioned something before about contaminating growth materials, Doctor. Do you still require the assistance of one or more of us?"

"There is no threat of contamination to growth being accelerated. No, I do not believe I will need the assistance of any of you except Phantasmine and Cinnamon, of course."

"Then we'll relax in our rooms," said Vexyna. "I'm assuming the rooms are still where they used to be."

"The rooms have not moved." Phantasmine turned to face Raj, then paused. "This is a bit awkward."

"Yes," he answered Phantasmine's unasked question. "I do require my own set of accommodations."

"Just how long do you intend to stick around this time, Raj?" Vexyna asked the Vag.

"I'd feel much better with my eyes directly on Din right now," Raj confessed. "But if she's at Vangrash, there's no way I could get back there fast enough to see what she was up to."

"Then sleep an hour or two before bathing and having a light meal. By that time, we should be ready to depart for Nogard," Phantasmine said.

As they left the room, they turned back to see Cinnamon waving at them. "Goodbye," was all she said. A lone tear squeezed slowly from the edge of Cinnamon's eye and fell silently to the ground.

Doubt riddled Vexyna's thoughts as she led the way out of the chamber containing Phantasmine's body. Vexyna recalled the route up the stairs to the rooms on opposite sides of the hallway. A door further down the hallway provided Raj with entrance to his own suite.

Once they were each safely tucked away in their rooms, Vexyna fell into a heavy slumber.

There was a knock at the door. It startled Vexyna awake. "Come in," she half-shouted.

The door swung smoothly open to admit Phantasmine. She stood before Vexyna and did a little turn. "Tada!" she exclaimed with a definite giggle in her voice. "Behold, I am the Crystal Queen, Phantasmine, ruler of Illusia and keeper of the Crystals of Change." She held a long staff twined with silver and gold. It narrowed to a point and was topped with a large crystal. Precious stones glimmered along its length. She pounded the staff on the floor to give emphasis to her last statement. This caused a bit of wind to push back the butterfly wings on the front of her pastel blue garment and revealed more of the white high-laced boots and blue stockings she wore.

"I'm amazed," Vexyna stated truthfully. "The hair, the eye color, everything... from Cinnamon... How?" Vexyna was truly dumbfounded.

"We could call it magic," Phantasmine told her friend. "But in truth it is a technology better left unexplained. Suffice it to say the tiny robots in my new head are capable of engineering whatever organic changes I desire. Oh, Vex..." She exhaled as she ran over to the bed. Grabbing Vexyna's arm, Phantasmine gazed at her passionately and said, "After all these years, I can really feel again. I can experience tactile sensations. I can honestly taste food again."

"That's wonderful," Vexyna replied to her friend, whose hands now rested on Vexyna's legs. Swallowing slightly, Vexyna felt an electric tingle fill her body as her friend continued to move her hands higher up Vexyna's legs.

"You look like a butterfly, Meen." Cateran's voice came from the doorway. The way Phantasmine's outfit was constructed, it did resemble a large, pastel blue butterfly. The larger wings covered her upper body and flopped out from her shoulders. The smaller bottom wings draped over her legs. "The door was open, so we thought we'd come in."

Standing quickly and acting a bit guilty, Phantasmine replied, "Uh, yes, I guess it does."

Raj entered just behind Cateran. "Hello, is everything okay? What's our next move?"

"My next move is over to that bowl to relieve it of some rolls," Cateran stated while strutting toward the bread.

"I can do that, too." Phantasmine beamed as she also made a dash for the rolls. The two stood around the bowl of rolls happily munching away.

"There are a few things you're going to have to get used to, Phanta," Vexyna advised her friend. "You can't pass through walls and floors anymore." She stopped and thought about that a moment. "Can you?"

"Yes, and no," Phantasmine answered vaguely. "Not generally speaking."

"Would one of you mind expanding the change screen so I can get dressed?" Vexyna asked the assembled group.

"Certainly," Raj said with flair, then put up the screen for Vexyna to change behind.

Quickly slipping on the once again freshly laundered garments, Vexyna stepped from behind the screen. "Where's Doctor Deathbrain?"

"The doctor is in other parts of the castle searching for information," Phantasmine informed the others. "He said for us to take Senomar and go to Nogard. The doctor will be in search of ingredients to create the different fogs and mists."

"Did he explain all about how Senomar works?" Vexyna was curious.

"The brain I inherited knows what to do," Phantasmine responded. "I am just not sure I am ready for the experience. It all might be too overwhelming for my senses."

"If anyone can do it, I'm sure you can, Meen," Cateran said while chewing on a roll. She then busied herself by stuffing rolls into various pockets in her coveralls. When she looked up, everyone was staring at her. "What?" she asked innocently. "They're for the trip to Nogard. When do we leave?"

"Right now," proclaimed the Crystal Queen. "Follow me to Senomar. Then we shall depart for Nogard."

The group left the castle of Illusia and ran into Doctor Deathbrain beside Senomar.

Vexyna suddenly realized they had forgotten to blindfold Raj when they left Illusia. "Raj," Vexyna began.

"There is no need to worry, Vexyna," Raj reassured her. "I cannot say where I have been. My eyes were somehow blinded at some point along the trip out of the castle. I couldn't see a thing." He shrugged. "Many of the things I've seen, no one would believe." Chuckling, he added, "Most of it, I still find hard to believe myself."

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but Nogard is not a place for dealers of deceit like the Vags," Phantasmine coldly stated.

"What?" Cateran was incredulous. "You mean I can't go?"

Deathbrain approached Cateran. Resting his massive hands on her shoulders, he said, "I need help to gather the minerals and herbs I'll require to make the mists and fogs. Phanta and Vex have something to do. Please help me do what I need to do, Cat."

"We'll both help, Doctor," Raj chipped in. He looked at Phantasmine and said, "There's a lot you don't know or cannot remember about the way the Vag people used to be." Looking down his nose at her, he accused, "Or maybe you just don't want to remember what really happened at the time of the Great Fire."

No color or trace of pupil could be found in Phantasmine's eyes. Then a small glowing red diamond-shaped crystal grew in the center of each eye until it was the size of a normal pupil. The crystals in her eyes glowed a flaming red and continued to spin endlessly.

"Phanta!" Vexyna shouted. "That's just plain freaky. Please don't do that."

Shaking her head, Phantasmine's eyes returned to their normal shape and color. "I am sorry," she said briefly. "I must remember that emotional outbursts now come with different consequences and may result in some physiological changes."

"Did you read the notes about your new body?" the doctor asked Phantasmine.

"Some of them, Doctor," replied Phantasmine. "The rest will have to wait. Will you require transport?"

"If I recall correctly, everything I need should be within a day or two walking distance from here."

"Good," Phantasmine said. "Vexyna and I shall depart for Nogard. You take the Vags and prepare as much of as many different fogs and mists as you can."

"Vex," Cateran said, her fingers twisting into Vexyna's cloak.

"I'll be okay," Vexyna told her friend as she gripped her hands. "We'll see each other again very soon. You'll see."

"Come along, Cat," Deathbrain called. "We have much to do."

Cateran gave Vexyna a quick hug, then turned and cart wheeled off to join Raj and Deathbrain, who had already started to walk away from Senomar.

Phantasmine appeared to be absorbed by Senomar.

A small set of steps melted out of Senomar's side, granting Vexyna access to the doorway that had appeared.

Vexyna boarded Senomar and found herself once more surrounded by the luminous walls.

"Oh, ick," came Phantasmine's voice from the walls. "I am all slimy and cold. I must change that." The walls took on pastel purples and blues. The atmosphere was still cheery; it just wasn't nearly as shiny. "That is a bit more tolerable. Hang on. We will be in Nogard before you know it."

Vexyna relaxed in a row of chairs hollowed out of the wall. Her body was buoyed slightly by soft cushions as she lay across the chairs.

Resting her hands behind her head, she looked up vacantly without seeing the blue ceiling. Vexyna's thoughts were swirling about in her head.

It occurred to Vexyna that Phantasmine might be able to tap into her thoughts. Phanta, Vexyna thought loudly, with the intention of attracting her friend's attention. There was no reply.

Aloud, Vexyna asked, "Phanta?"

"Yes, Vexyna," came Phantasmine's voice from the wall.

"Are you still able to communicate through thoughts?"

"Even with this new body, it is possible for thought transference to occur. That is not a possibility at the moment due to the amount of concentration required to pilot this craft. Please excuse me, but I am rather busy at the moment."

Silence returned.

Flipping over onto her stomach, Vexyna gathered up an armful of cushion and rested her chin. These cushions, she thought, like the rest of this vehicle, are all the same organic material. They are all the same being, sort of. And Phanta is experiencing everything this craft goes through. Does that mean that she can feel me squeezing these cushions?

Yes. A thought from Phantasmine flashed brightly into Vexyna's mind.

Hey, Vexyna thought back swiftly. I thought you were busy.

I am, Phantasmine replied. But after you brought up the matter, I had to know.

Now you know you are capable of simultaneously steering the vehicle and holding a thought conversation.

It would appear... Phantasmine's thoughts were cut off. From the wall, her voice said, "That is going to take a little more practise. I really must concentrate on navigating."

Sighing, Vexyna sank her chin into the cushions up to the tip of her thin nose. Breathing calmly, she tried to think of something that would keep her mind occupied.

Before she could settle on one train of thought, Phantasmine's voice issued forth, "Vexyna, prepare to leave this vessel."

"Are we in Nogard already?"

"We will be there soon."

Nogard, Vexyna thought. What am I going to find in Nogard? Her head reeled with thoughts of all the awesome spectacles she had witnessed since leaving her simple village. Ancient technologies, cultures and magic, she pondered. They all seem to be resurfacing after all this time. Why? Or have they been here all the time and I just wasn't aware of their presence?

Light from a source outside Senomar flooded the room.

Getting up from her resting place, Vexyna noticed the hatchway and stairs had reappeared in Senomar's side.

"We have arrived in Nogard," Phantasmine's voice announced. "Please meet me at the bottom of the stairs leading from Senomar."

"I'll see you in a moment," Vexyna replied. She took a deep breath, in preparation for what she might be faced with, and walked toward the exit.

# Chapter 13: Nogard: Land between Lands

Looking out of the doorway, Vexyna spotted Phantasmine standing demurely on the massive stone floor between two hooded figures.

Glancing back at Senomar, Vexyna noticed the opening she had just used was no longer present. She turned her attention to Phantasmine and her new friends. "Hello," she greeted all three of them.

"Vexyna," Phantasmine said. "This place is Nogard, an ancient land between lands."

"Land between lands? You mean it's an island?" Vexyna wondered why her friend seemed to be speaking so cryptically.

"An island of sorts, but not in the conventional sense." Phantasmine was again not clear in her meaning.

"Who are your new friends?" Vexyna asked, changing the subject.

"They are your friends as well," Phantasmine informed her.

"My friends?" Vexyna was again confused. Shock, wonder and delight all danced across her face in the blink of an eye as one of the men removed his hood. "Father!" she exclaimed as she dashed for his awaiting arms.

They squeezed each other tightly and Lanton said to his daughter, "I knew you would make it here." He paused and his tone took on a somber quality. "But you still have a long way to go on your journey."

"There are many things you haven't told me, Father," Vexyna admonished him. "You left me ill-prepared for this undertaking. Why didn't you tell me more about your family tree? And just what is the deal with Mom?"

Sighing heavily, Lanton tried to explain. "Vex, it has to do with how much of our own destiny we control."

"Destiny?" Vexyna looked for confirmation.

"Destiny," Lanton repeated. "For the most part, we have control of our actions and are free to do as we please. However, there are events, significant in varying degrees, which have been mapped out by the universe ahead of time. These events will always happen. It's part of what keeps the universe together. So, no matter what path one takes, these events will always take place in one manner or another."

"What does this have to do with me?" Vexyna asked.

"I was hoping some of the events I just spoke of wouldn't happen," Lanton admitted. "I thought if we did this or that, you'd be spared your obvious fate."

"What obvious fate? Sometimes you really make me..." Her words trailed off to silence as the other man had removed his hood. Eyes big as saucers, flush with unusual color, Vexyna wrapped her arms around him.

Sparkling teeth glinted in the light. A mane of white hair flowed freely. "Vexyna, I've missed you."

"Trulo." She buried herself in his chest and held him tightly. "How I've missed you so." Tears welled in her eyes and trickled slowly, drop by drop down her cheeks.

Lanton said, "For me, you have thinly veiled contempt, but for your boyfriend-"

"That's not true, Father," Vexyna said. "It isn't contempt I feel for you and Trulo isn't my, my..." Gripping Trulo's arms so his hands locked over her wrists, she gazed up into his eyes and said, "I love you, Trulo. I know that now with all my heart."

"Vexyna," Trulo said, returning the emotion in her gaze. "I know you do. You have already shown it."

"I have?" Vexyna wondered.

"Yes. It was you who saved me in Shojiki and made it possible for me to make it Nogard."

"I don't understand."

"I didn't either until the nature of Nogard was explained to me," said Trulo, still holding her right hand with his left. "Come this way."

The four walked away from Senomar across the large stone courtyard towards some sandy-colored bungalows. Doorways and window frames without doors or windows greeted them. The buildings themselves seemed to be composed of layers of sand.

"This is the sort of thing I'd expect to see in the Oweesh Desert," Vexyna commented.

"Where did you think Nogard was?" Lanton asked.

"I thought Nogard was an island. Who ever heard of an island in the middle of a desert?"

"You've never heard of a sea of sand?" came Trulo's rejoinder.

Lanton motioned for them to enter one of the sand buildings. It was sparsely furnished with a few rugs tossed here and there amidst the odd chair or table.

They walked straight through the building and out the other side.

This side of the building offered an entrance into the forest. A well-trodden path led the group to a grand stone building. The support columns and roofs on the multi-tiered structure were gleaming white. Cold gray slabs of stone made the walls seem impenetrable. Smaller rooms were stacked on top of larger rooms, piling up to a single room perched at the summit. Up to this high room led a long chain of stone stairs.

"You must venture the rest of the way on your own, Vexyna," Lanton informed his daughter. "Know that my love and courage go with you." He bowed his head as he turned away from her and added under his breath, "No matter what happens."

"My love and encouragement goes with you, Vex," Trulo said as he started to give her a hug, then decided to press his lips against hers.

She responded passionately. Pulling away, she said, "I know."

Trulo moved slowly away from Vexyna and went to stand beside Lanton at the bottom of the stairs.

Vexyna looked at her other white-haired friend. "All of this is getting to be pretty overwhelming," she confessed. "I'm not getting enough answers."

"Many of the answers you seek are waiting for you at the top of those stairs," replied Phantasmine. "Go find out who you are."

"What's waiting for me up there? Do you know?"

"I may have some idea, but it is best you ascertain the truth yourself. I shall be waiting. Be strong." Phantasmine took up a place at the bottom of the stairs with Trulo and Lanton.

Vexyna had already begun to mount the stairs when she turned and descended again in order to speak with her father. When she got back down the five or so stairs she had climbed, she found herself alone. The three were gone. Unnerved by this turn of events, Vexyna began to climb the stairs once again. This time, she realized, there would be no turning back.

Never-ending steps sprawled forever upwards. It gave Vexyna time to think, but she couldn't keep her mind on one thing. Her only overriding thought was, what is at the top of these stairs?

Finally, the stairs gave way to a short balcony. Torches blazed in wrought-iron holders protruding from the walls on either side of the entrance from the balcony into the stone room. A purple veil curtained the entranceway. Vexyna penetrated the veil.

Upon entering the room, Vexyna noticed it had no ceiling. Night sky filled with stars stretched in all directions. "Wow, that's pretty," she said.

"We did not bring you here for the view." A deep male voice spoke.

Vexyna reeled around to face the silver-haired man who had spoken. "Are you going to explain to me exactly what is going on and how I fit into all this?" she enquired.

"Many things will become clear to you after our visit," the man assured her. "Please give me the candlestick you have in your possession."

"My grandmother's?" Vexyna asked needlessly. "Did you know my grandmother?"

"I know your grandmother well. For eons, she has been my companion."

"Companion?" Vexyna examined him closely. "Are you my father's father?" She blinked a couple of times. "Are you my grandfather?"

"Yes," he answered. "I am Qrxyn."

"Crick zinn? Our family's last name is Zinn?"

"No." He glared at her with intense dark eyes. "My name is Qrxyn. Crick-zin. Say it quickly. We have no need for surnames."

"Can I call you Grandpa?"

"No, you may not."

"So, what's your deal, Not-grandpa-who-really-is?"

"I am also one of the Avatars of Dazartan."

"I don't understand." Vexyna was perplexed.

"Dazartan's physical body is no more capable of movement within this plane than is Dacreel's," her grandfather tried to explain. "Thus, he manifests through us, his avatars."

"How many avatars are there?"

"There are three in the Sacred Triumvirate. My brothers and I are the keepers of Dazartan's crystal. We are ever diligent in our search for the means of freeing Dazartan."

"What does that make me?" Vexyna asked.

"You are a part of the most sacred bloodline of Nogard," Qrxyn intoned. "Abilities you have never dreamed of await your bidding. Remove your glasses. You have no need for them now. Please hand me the candlestick."

Dropping her glasses in one of her cloak pockets, Vexyna scooped out the candlestick and placed it in Qrxyn's hands.

Qrxyn inserted the candlestick in a spot on top of the stone altar in the center of the room. "Before we begin, there is more you must know."

"There's plenty I should know," Vexyna said slowly. "What did you have in mind?"

"This candle is a binding candle. It was used many years ago to bind part of your true nature."

"My true nature?" Vexyna was intrigued.

"Part of who you are has been locked inside this candle. In order for you to continue your quest, you must now accept that part of you back inside your mind."

"The voice I heard when I lit the candle," Vexyna mused softly, "was my own?"

"Yes," answered her grandfather. "It probably begged you to free it."

"It did," Vexyna responded.

"We will once you are prepared. I must tell you about your mother."

"Mother? What can you tell me?"

"Vexyna," Qrxyn said as he looked directly into her eyes. "The tales of the woman who steals men and drains them of life are about your mother. Your mother is Langsuyar, mother to the Throne of Life."

"No!" Vexyna screamed vehemently. "That can't be! Din, the Red Empress, is the daughter of Langsuyar."

"Indeed she is," lamented Qrxyn.

"What?" Vexyna was incredulous. "I thought there could be only one successor to the Throne of Life."

"That is the way it is supposed to be; however, this latest Langsuyar was able to give birth to two daughters by two fathers. You, Vexyna, by my son, Lanton, and Din by a commoner. You are both in line to take the Throne of Life. It is of utmost importance that you, Vexyna, and not Din, sit upon that throne."

"Does that mean that I have to start running around draining men of their life forces?"

"No, not at all," replied Qrxyn. "As one of noble blood, you should be able to control your urges. You are the perfect balance between the two gods. You are charged with stopping the threat of the house of Langsuyar forever."

"How?"

"By assuming the Throne of Life. You do not have any energy to give to Dacreel. But you do have the strength to seal him in and stop him from coming."

"Seal him in? How?"

"When the time is right, you will call upon the power of the Tiger's Triangle. The time for its use will make itself clear to you. Look deep within your heart and nurture the light within. You will require a holy relic and the aid of the Sacred Sisters in order to summon the Triangle. Your mind must be prepared before releasing the essence of Dacreel from the candle and you are swept up in his madness. Fortify your mind and body within the temples of this tower. Take time to embrace the lessons you are being taught, but be as expedient as possible."

Qrxyn led Vexyna to one side of the stone chamber and revealed a set of stairs spiraling down to the floor below the altar chamber. Pointing down the steps, Qrxyn said, "Below, you will meet Alexdander, S.B.C. He will guide you from here. Be quick. Be thorough. Be at one with the wisdom of your lessons." His image faded in waves of color.

"S.B.C.?" Vexyna called out, but she was alone.

# Chapter 14: The Lessons of Alexdander

Racing down the dusty stone steps, Vexyna brushed past a large gray and white stripped cat. "Hello, cat," she said as she passed the sizeable ball of hair on her way into the center of the room below the altar room.

There were no signs of other humans or any other animate creature. Turning back to the cat, who was rubbing its head at the base of the stairs now, Vexyna hesitantly asked, "Are you Alexdander, S.B.C.?"

"Do you see anyone else around?" the cat asked.

"No," replied Vexyna.

"Draw your own conclusions," responded the cat flatly.

"You are Alexdander," Vexyna concluded with a nod.

"Shooting star swift, you are," Alexdander cracked.

"Why, you sarcastic little fuzz ball," Vexyna seethed. "And I use the term 'little' very loosely. You must weigh at least twenty pounds."

"Weight means nothing when you are a master of gravity," purred Alexdander. "But I shall accept your compliment."

"And you're a master of gravity? You must be to lug that gut around," Vexyna remarked.

"Your first lesson was going to be history, but now I think it had better be languages," the cat mused.

"History? Languages? I thought you were going to teach me magic."

"Magic comes in many forms, Vexyna. You must learn to recognize it. Communication is a key to understanding. The better your ability to communicate, the greater your understanding and thus the greater your ability to apply knowledge. It is one thing to learn any given topic. It is quite another to be able to apply what you have learned. Harder still is the ability to incorporate the whole of what you have learned into your being so it becomes second nature to you. Communication should happen unconsciously with no barriers or hesitation to slow the flow of knowledge."

"And here I thought all cats could say was 'meow'." Vexyna was impressed with Alexdander's clear and precise diction and enunciation.

"Let's start there then," said Alexdander. "Cats say more than just 'meow'. As a matter of fact, cats aren't even saying 'meow'. They are saying 'nee-ah-oo', which is sort of a polite ending to what they are saying. Typically, humans only hear the end of what a cat has to say and completely miss the important bits."

"I don't get it," Vexyna admitted.

"It would be like you saying to me, 'I'm hungry. Would you please get me something to eat? Now, please'. And all you hear is the 'now please'."

"Are the vocal patterns of most cats out of the range of human hearing?"

"No," replied Alexdander. "Cats rarely use their voices unless they're around humans. Even then, it's pointless."

"Dander," Vexyna started to say, but was halted by the absolute flatness of Alexdander's eyebrows. "Is that too informal for your liking? Alexdander is just too long."

"I suppose it could be worse," Alexdander conceded.

Thinking of Cateran, Vexyna said, "Yes, I could've latched onto 'Dandy' as a name for you. I have a friend who would do that."

"Undoubtedly, you are referring to the young Vag girl," Alexdander said as he took an interest in his right forepaw. "She would keep trying to pick me up and carry me all over, wouldn't she? She seems the type."

"How would you know?" Vexyna was curious. "Have you met her?"

"I have had occasion to observe both of you," the cat informed Vexyna. "When I saw you, and what I saw, is of little significance in comparison to how I saw you. That explanation will come later. We must concentrate on the lesson at hand: communication."

"If cats don't talk as much as you claim, how do they get their ideas across?"

"Talking isn't the only way to communicate." Alexdander was now busy cleaning his left shoulder. Between licks, he added, "Cats use their whole bodies to communicate. We even go so far as to imitate other animals humans know in order to make it easier for the humans to understand what we are trying to say."

"Cats do impressions? Is that what you're saying?" Vexyna was amused. "Would you please give me an example of a cat impression?"

"Here's an easy one: you see a cat whose tail is whipping about ferociously. Its ears are perched back on its head like horns. That is a sign the cat is saying, 'I'm a bull ready to charge, so don't make me see red'."

"Aren't you going to show me? Or don't you do impressions?" Vexyna smirked.

Ears cocked, tail swishing, Alexdander's eyes rolled back to one side as he sighed, "Oh, look at me. I am a fierce and vicious cat." He stated it flatly and precisely.

Vexyna couldn't help but laugh. "I have never met such a sarcastic being in all my travels."

"That's why they call me 'Alexdander, S.B.C.'," replied Alexdander. He was now stretched out on his side.

"I get the 'S' and the 'C'. Those are 'sarcastic' and 'cat'. But I don't know what 'B' is."

"I'm sure it'll come to you in time," Alexdander said with a smile. He stretched his frame and Vexyna was amazed at the size of him.

"Your body alone, from the top of your head to the edge of your butt, is at least fifty centimeters long. Alexdander, you are one big cat."

The cat rose on its twenty-five-centimeter-high legs and said, "You're pretty tall for a girl, aren't you? I bet you get asked more for weather reports than out on dates."

"Must you be insulting?" Vexyna wasn't impressed.

"How was I insulting? What I said could've been interpreted in two different ways. Perception is the key to understanding. View things from all perspectives before deciding on a course of action or reaction."

They were walking slowly through the bare stone chamber from where the stone steps led down from the altar room. The room's walls were yellow and dusty, and bits of rock mixed with crumbled pieces of chalky wall lay in various spots about the floor.

As there wasn't much to see in the room, Vexyna kept looking down at her dusty leather boots while they walked. "Are you going to point out a different way of looking at what you said?"

Alexdander stopped in front of a wall. Before them stood a large stone circle that had been added somehow to the face of the wall. Assuming the number one classic pose for cats, seated with tail wrapped around the feet, Alexdander unfurled his lesson. "We were making size comparisons. You said I was a big cat. I said that you were a tall girl."

"Why'd you throw in the crack about weather reports?"

"It was an attempt to point out the usefulness of your stature. Isn't it better to be able to see greater distances than it is to spend time on frivolous activities?"

"Dating never struck me as an option."

"You are not whole, Vexyna. But soon you will be." Alexdander was seated in front of the stone circle on the wall. The circle was raised thirty centimeters from the floor. It was flat with barely discernable markings on its surface. "This circle is the entrance to one means of fast learning. Through here, you can experience many things simultaneously. Were it not for your steadiness of character, it would be overwhelming to your psyche. But that is part of what makes you special. Your lack of passion, as you put it, can be your greatest asset."

Alexdander got up and pressed his forehead into a small indentation at the bottom of the circle. Grinding stone shook the room as the circle split into two perfect halves that continued to move apart until they came to rest at either end of the wall. The circle had revealed an iridescent, multi-colored triangle that changed color as it rippled. "Absorb that which you are confronted with once you enter the triangle. We will talk it over when you return."

"Where will you be?"

"Right here. You don't need me for this. Besides, I'm late for my nap. And I'd only be a distraction. Believe me, you don't need any more of those where you're going."

"Fine," said Vexyna as she turned away from Alexdander and walked through the undulating triangle. She felt herself dropping as she passed through the opening.

Once on the other side of the hole, Vexyna found herself floating inside a dimly lit room filled with stars.

An image of Alexdander's head popped up in front of Vexyna, making her push herself back. The image was huge. It appeared to be over two hundred centimeters wide. His eyes were closed and it looked as if he was grinning. "Hello!" he said rather loudly.

Cupping her hands to her ears, Vexyna said, "Not so loud."

"Sorry," replied the cat at a lower volume. "Is this better? Good." He disappeared.

Above her, Vexyna saw a re-enactment of the battle between Dazartan and Dacreel. Below her lay the planet on which she resided. She witnessed the birth of the people and the continents of the planet. Historic images marched swiftly past Vexyna. Empires rose and fell before her eyes. Only towards the end, or so it seemed, was there a tiny bit about a fire. Vexyna found it odd the Great Fire played such an insignificant part of her history lesson.

Her father appeared before her. She saw images of women around him. They appeared to be Vexyna's mother and grandmother. Specters of all of them danced around Vexyna as they wove their tale. One impression melted into the next as Vexyna took in her own birth. Right after Vexyna entered the world, her mother was banished from the village for her father's apparent murder. Vexyna felt as though she should be moved by her mother's plight. Thoughts of separation, loneliness and desperation going through her mother's mind stirred little to nothing within Vexyna.

The triangular gateway reopened and Vexyna floated towards it. She exited the star-filled room and returned to regular gravity.

Alexdander was sprawled out patiently waiting. At least, that's what he looked like. In fact, he was happily snoozing.

"Hey!" Vexyna shouted rather abruptly at Alexdander. "Dander, I'm back."

Opening one eye, the cat shot back, "Bigger and louder than ever." Stretching followed yawning, which lea to more stretching. "If you insist on calling me 'Dander', I shall insist on calling you 'Nah'." He extended his tongue to its fullest as he spoke the moniker. Alexdander was on his feet. "Did you learn anything, Nah? Come to any realizations, Nah?"

"There wasn't much about the Great Fire in the history lessons. It was only briefly touched on towards the end of the dramatization."

"No. Nor was there anything about the Vags and the Illusians or the betrayal of Exuthron by Syngrine and Max Fast. How it blackened the purest of hearts and gave Dacreel a real foothold on this plane."

"What happened?" Vexyna asked.

"Syngrine was the companion of Exuthron. Together, they spawned the Kingdom of Illusia. But when the Illusians began using the Crystals of Change, they themselves began to change. Their lust grew. This growth in lust extended to all the citizens of Illusia, including the queen: Syngrine. When Exuthron's brother, Max Fast, happened to visit while Exuthron was off on a noble sojourn, Syngrine seized the opportunity to fulfill her lust. Disgraced, Syngrine and Max Fast were forced to abandon Illusia and become wanderers. The children from that joining became the Vags."

Turning what she had just heard over in her head, Vexyna commented, "Then my friends, Phanta and Cat, are really sisters."

"Sort of, but not really," Alexdander corrected. "They are related. Of that you can be certain. Don't forget this all happened over a great many years."

"Quite a bit went on before the Great Fire took place two hundred and fifty years ago. It looked like thousands of years."

"There were thousands of years of civilization between the fall of the gods and the Great Fire. Give or take half a dozen millennia." Alexdander walked towards another wall of the dusty, yellow room.

"What about my grandfather? Where does he figure into all of this?"

"Your grandfather is boring," stated the cat nonchalantly.

"Boring? Why boring?"

"Your grandparents are the purest incarnation of Dazartan. They are twin souls who rejoice in and of themselves."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Vexyna asked with furrowed brow.

"They love each other more than anyone or anything else. It's sickening at times."

"So they've never fooled around on each other?"

"Never. Hence, your grandfather is boring. He chronicles events and keeps his eye on things, but other than that he doesn't do much. Qrxyn only steps in when it is absolutely necessary or someone asks for his help. Your grandmother, Zuud-Akh'Du, likes to travel and visit ancient places. She is much more interesting."

"How much more interesting?"

"It is rumored she has read every book or line ever written."

"Whoa." Vexyna let out her breath slowly. "That's a lot of reading. Is that how she gained her magical abilities?"

"Magic is inherent in all things, Nah. To use it, you must be aware of the laws of the universe. Once you know how to work within those boundaries, anything is possible." He stopped at a wall running perpendicular to the one that had held the triangular portal. A plain wooden door held to its frame by rusty hinges greeted them on this particular wall. "We shall continue in this next room. Please open the door."

Grime and filth came away from the doorknob as Vexyna gave it a quick twist. It was a gleaming white porcelain knob that seemed quite incongruent with the dilapidated condition of the rest of the door. Surprisingly, the door opened smoothly and easily. Wiping her hands together to rid herself of the mess from the doorknob, Vexyna walked through the doorway.

Following closely, Alexdander said, "Use more than your eyes to inform you of what is going on around you. Just because your eyes report to your brain that something is so, does not necessarily mean that it is true."

"How was I supposed to detect dirt on a doorknob when I couldn't see it?"

"You might've been able to smell it, if you had tried."

"Smell it? Are you kidding?" Tentatively, Vexyna brought her hands to her nose. A short breath was followed quickly by her yanking her hands away from her face. Wrinkling her nose, she added, "Okay, I don't know how I could've missed that odor."

"Your eyes told you there was nothing on the doorknob. That caused your nose to ignore the possibility of smells emanating from it. Your senses were told to concentrate elsewhere, away from the doorknob."

On the floor in the center of the small room were two woven mats. Alexdander took his place on one of the mats and indicated that Vexyna should be seated on the other.

Vexyna knelt on the mat and stretched her arms over her head in order to stretch her back.

Facing Vexyna, Alexdander sat once again in classic cat pose number one. "Welcome to 'Universal Laws one-oh-one'," he said with an obvious grin. "This class examines the causes and effects of actions from a universal perspective."

"That sounds big," Vexyna punned without realizing.

Eyebrows flattened, Alexdander continued, "Rules of conduct for any sentient being within the universe vary depending upon the plane of existence they happen to occupy. Free will plays a large role in the applicability of the Universal Laws."

"Give me a moment to absorb that, please," Vexyna said as her own eyebrows knitted. She thought for a bit. "Nope. Can't get it. What do you mean?"

"Sentient beings, those capable of feeling and understanding, are only allowed a limited amount of movement on certain planes of existence. On this particular plane, the being who knows how can wield great power." His right ear suddenly became extremely itchy, so he stopped a moment to scratch it. "Here is something to remember: just because one may wield great power does not mean one is a great power. Do what you do with love and humility. Keep your ego and your selfishness locked away."

"Love and humility? What does this have to do with defying gravity or other bits of magic?"

Alexdander had started to clean the pads on the underside of his right forepaw. He looked up from where he had his face buried in the massive paw in order to say, "I'm trying to teach you how to use the most powerful magic, but I am also preparing you for your future. Thinking you're better than others only leads to sorrow. Helping others increases universal power. The imposition of one's own will over another sentient being is the most heinous of crimes."

"Telling people what to do is a sin?" Vexyna wondered.

"Telling people, as in making suggestions as to one or another course of actions, what to do isn't necessarily bad," replied Alexdander as he finished his paw grooming. Placing the paw back on the mat, he continued, "Making other people involuntarily do what you want is bad. Each being was created to find its own course in its own way."

"This is a lot deeper than just getting some incantations or rituals," Vexyna commented.

"There's more at stake here than amazing your friends and neighbors with a few parlor tricks," Alexdander said sternly. "Here's the condensed version of what you need to know: Influencing people to help themselves is fine. Ordering or persuading people is wrong. Go about your business and let others do likewise. Just because you might like to have what you are doing happen to you, doesn't mean the person you are doing it to will appreciate the action. Act without malice or ego. Keep the number of times you say 'me' to a minimum. 'Me' merely stands for 'my ego'."

"Okay, I think I've grasped that part. What else?"

"The universe is constantly in motion on both a large and small scale. A being who is at one with the universe is also constantly in motion, whether that motion is internal or external. Momentum built up by an individual will be mirrored by the universe."

"Start something moving and the cosmos will help it stay in motion?"

"Yes, if that movement is helpful for all concerned. At times, obstacles arise that seem insurmountable, but this is where concentration, focus and perseverance are essential to keeping the momentum."

"I thought the universe helped once something was set in motion. Now you're telling me that isn't the case?"

"No, I am clarifying that whatever you set in motion may come in conflict with something else that someone else has set in motion. When this happens, it is the determination of the individual that keeps whatever they have set in motion in motion. The more one concentrates on achieving or doing something, the more the cosmos will get behind that motivation."

"How can anyone summon enough focus to keep things going when there are other forces at work against them?"

"The first key is that you must be doing something that will benefit more than just yourself."

"Din has amassed an army and is throwing all of Antasta into chaos. How did she achieve all that? She obviously isn't doing it to make things better for everyone."

"Din is motivated by other means. Control is something she craves, I'd say. She takes genuine pleasure in what she is doing. That is another key element of getting what you want. Do what you like. If you are doing something you don't like doing, you won't keep doing it. It is easier to find inward momentum when you are concentrating on something you truly enjoy. Haven't you ever noticed how time drags on and on whenever you are doing something you dislike? Yet, at other times, time flies by in an instant when you are involved in an activity you are enjoying immensely?"

"Time flies when you're having fun."

"Yes, it does. Nothing says incredible momentum like flying time."

"Okay, if time flies by, how do we find the time necessary to achieve what we want to accomplish?"

"There is always enough time. Time is fluid and relative. From a human perspective, think about this: doesn't time seem to move differently depending on which side of the bathroom door you are on when someone else is on the other side? If you are the one waiting to get in, the time drags."

"Yes, but, if time goes by too quickly, how can we accomplish everything we want to?"

"You have missed the point. You can fill your time or you can waste your time. The choice is up to you."

"Are there any keys to filling more time than wasting it?"

"I'm glad you asked." Alexdander grinned. "The key to filling time is to concentrate on what is happening in the moment."

Vexyna stared at the cat blankly. "Huh?"

"Humans spend far too much of their time thinking about either the past or the future. This is an incredible waste of time. It is important to learn from the past, but it is devastating to dwell on it. What's done is done. It cannot be changed. There is no point going over it again and again. Take whatever lessons can be learned and move on."

"So, remembering a good time is a waste of energy?"

"Remembering a good time is all right as long as the memory doesn't drag on too long. Likewise, going over a painful memory over and over will only cause heartache and waste more time."

"What about looking at the future?"

"The future hasn't happened yet. You can't live there. Again, it is fine to consider the future; just don't spend too much time thinking about it."

"Then it isn't important to set goals or figure out which way one is going?"

"You confuse easily, don't you?"

"I'm trying to get a grip on what you're saying."

"Do all things in moderation. Learn from the past, but don't try to live there. Plan for the future, but don't try to live there either. Make the most of your time by living in the present moment. By really paying attention to the present moment, you will get the most out of it. You will discover you have all the time you need to accomplish what you want."

"I think I understand now."

"That's pretty much it. Universal Law is pretty simple, yet most beings cannot get it. In front of your mat, you will be able to remove the floor tiles."

Kneeling forward, Vexyna prised up the loose tiles in front of her mat. Under the tiles, she spotted a small wooden box, bound on either end by two metal bands. Placing the box in front of Alexdander, Vexyna asked, "How are we supposed to get it open?"

Alexdander reared his head back and spewed forth flames that engulfed the chest. When the flames subsided, the bands binding the box were nowhere to be seen. "It isn't locked," he said casually.

Opening the box, Vexyna found a number of scrolls. Each scroll was carefully bound by a different color of ribbon. Picking one of them up, she asked, "What are these?"

"Those would be scrolls," answered the cat, living up to his name.

Vexyna unraveled one of the scrolls and peered at the writing contain thereon. "I can't read these symbols."

"You haven't centered yourself. Relax and let your mind flow freely. Then try to read the scroll."

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Vexyna relaxed. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and let them rest gently on the symbols on the scroll. "These scrolls are still unreadable."

Alexdander explained, "Keep in mind you can only use them when your mind is calm and clear. Otherwise, you can't even read what's on the page."

Gathering the seven scrolls from the box, Vexyna placed each in its own ring of fabric inside the lining of her cloak. "Thanks. What am I supposed to do here?"

"This is where you will learn to focus your will. You must take some time to train your mind in order to focus your thoughts. Keeping a balanced head has been easy for you up until now because you have had your passion bound. Soon, your passion will be unbound and you will have to be able to control it. Stretch out here and relax. Free your mind of all thoughts."

Vexyna knelt on her mat and tried to banish all thoughts from her head. It proved harder than she had anticipated. A train of thought always seemed to be departing from the platform of her mind. She found the harder she tried to push thoughts out of her head, the more they flooded in. It dawned on her that she was trying too hard. Her mind narrowed on a single musical tone. She thought only about the sound of the musical tone to the exclusion of all other thoughts. Suddenly, she felt as if she was floating. The realization of the feeling caused her to sink back to the ground. Vexyna opened her eyes. Her mind felt clearer than it had ever felt before. She felt rested in mind, body and spirit. "That was pleasant," she commented.

"Inside this room, you will learn to look inside and far outside," stated Alexdander as he continued his lesson.

"Far outside?" Vexyna questioned before something dawned on her. "Is that how you were able to spy on Cateran and me?"

"Is it Cateran you wish to see?" the cat asked, without giving any notice of Vexyna's query. "You're not the only one being shown the skills they hold within," Alexdander purred at Vexyna. "Close your eyes and think of your friend."

Vexyna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Darkness greeted her. Soon, the inky veil lifted and she was able to see Cateran.

Four-meter-high gleaming gold double doors pushed up clouds of dust as they closed with a whoosh behind Cateran.

Cateran found herself standing in the center of a round room. Six doors, in addition to the two that had just closed, led off this one chamber. Thin canary-yellow piping outlined thick, sky-blue stripes radiating from a round patch of blue on the floor in the center of the room. Inside the blue circle were four dots over a curved line.

As she stood puzzling over the design in the floor, bear-like hands grasped Cateran's wrists and lifted her from the ground as if she weighed nothing. Her assailant turned her around so she was facing him.

He was a huge, swarthy man. His height surpassed two meters and his chest alone was wider than seventy centimeters. Attired in black, the green jewel in the man's turban immediately gave him away.

"Avez!" Cateran cried with delight once she realized her captor's identity.

The giant pulled her forward so she could kiss his cheek. Setting Cateran on the ground once again, Avez said solemnly in his usual broken speech, "You come learn fight defend."

"Is that why I'm here?" Cateran questioned. "I'm not exactly sure how I got here."

"Trials and hardships for five times you must endure," Avez informed Cateran in his oddly accented manner. "Once inside temple, you pass the tests or you remain here forever."

Gulping, Cateran said, "No pressure, huh?"

"Once you have completed all the tests, you may come and go as you please in order to practise your arts so you continue to stay sharp and improve."

A puzzled expression swept over Cateran's face. "That was pretty clear speech, Avez." She leaned forward and cocked her head slightly toward him. "Or are you really Avez?"

"Avez, yes. Avez, no," the giant replied. "Bits of Avez, but not all Avez. This is a place where skills are learned and tested. It is important for combatants to experience a wide range of emotional, as well as physical, trials in order to develop a more rounded fighting style. To unlock the first door, you must get past me. As this is our first match, I shall merely defend."

Running forward, Cateran sprang at Avez. Rebounding off the man's chest sent her high into the air. She came crashing down on his shoulders as he was trying to recover from her initial blow. Bouncing her behind off Avez's face allowed Cateran to become vertical once again.

Avez was not moving. Suddenly, his body was encased in a sheath of light. The light grew rapidly smaller until it was no more.

Subtle squeaking and the slight sound of metal on metal caught Cateran's ears. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed one of the doors opening.

From beyond the smoky veil enshrouding the open doorway, a tall shadowy figure appeared. A dark, flowing cloak matched equally dark glasses, making the figure instantly recognizable to Cateran.

"Vex!" Cateran cried and started to move toward her friend. Mid-stride, she stopped to ask, "Or are you Vex? Wait. Don't tell me. 'Parts of Vex, but not all Vex'."

"What are you talking about, Cat? Where are we?" Vexyna was confounded.

"Yeah! All Vex!" Cateran exclaimed as she rushed forward to hug Vexyna.

"Okay, okay. Easy does it," Vexyna said with slight agitation.

"I don't suppose you have anything to eat," Cateran casually inquired.

"I..." Vexyna began to answer when she was distracted by something moving in her peripheral vision.

Both girls were stunned as they turned around to gaze at their surroundings. Somehow, they had been shifted into the doorway of one of the chambers.

Three-meter-high sky-blue doors trimmed with brilliantly yellow gold closed smoothly behind the two girls as they entered the chamber. Inside the doors, the girls found themselves in a circular room with four stone columns in the center. At the end of the room, opposite the door, lay wide red carpeting leading up three stone steps to a wide throne.

Upon this throne sat a man two and a half meters tall. He was less than half a meter wide. He rose from the throne and advanced towards the girls while holding his arms above him and shouting, "Tap into their primal sources. Drain away their vital forces."

Fountains of red light overflowed from the man's upturned palms and washed over the two girls.

Momentarily stunned by the man's actions, Cateran was the first away. She leaped for the man and attempted to flatten his chest with her feet. Amazingly, she passed right through him.

Landing somewhat abruptly on the other side of the man, Cateran turned and gave Vexyna a stunned looked.

Vexyna returned the look. She could feel herself growing weaker. It was starting to get hard for her to stand.

Cateran decided to try her luck while she was still behind the man. Balling herself up, she thrust herself at the backs of his knees, but once again passed right through him.

Reaching down swiftly, the man seized Cateran and threw her past Vexyna.

"He seems solid enough when he wants to be," Vexyna commented over her shoulder to Cateran, who was now slumped against one wall.

After slowly rising from where she had been thrown, Cateran made her way back beside Vexyna.

"I'm not sure how we're supposed to fight this guy if we can't touch him."

"I'm feeling really tired," Cateran told Vexyna. "What's that red light doing to us?"

"I think it's somehow draining us or binding us. It could also be what's causing some form of spatial disturbance," Vexyna offered.

"Special detergent?" Cateran blinked at Vexyna.

"Spatial disturbance," Vexyna corrected. "He's making it so things aren't where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there."

Blank eyes blinked at Vexyna as Cateran queried, "Where do you come up with these words?"

"I'm not sure," confessed Vexyna. "Sometimes it feels like I know things I shouldn't. It's like I have a vast reservoir of knowledge I didn't personally collect. It's weird."

"But useful!" Cateran snapped back to full awareness. "So you think he's using magic?" she finally asked.

"Possibly," Vexyna said cautiously. "Maybe we should try fighting magic with magic."

"What do you mean, 'we'?"

"I only have these scrolls I received from Alexdander. They may contain some form of attack or binding spells."

From her cloak, Vexyna produced three scrolls and tried to choose between them. She waved her hand slowly over each of the parchments until finally coming to rest on the one she held on the far right. Replacing the other two, she unrolled the remaining scroll.

The words on the scroll in Vexyna's hands were unreadable. 'Relax', she heard Alexdander say in a memory in her mind. 'Focus on the task at hand and let everything else find its own place'.

Closing her eyes, Vexyna banished all thoughts save her concern for Cateran's safety. Re-opening her eyes, she gazed at the words on the scroll and read with confidence, "What matters not does not matter. From the former to the latter."

A flame of green light shot up to surround the man. The red light from his palms exploded into nothingness as he staggered back towards the throne.

Taking three deep breaths, Cateran once again propelled herself towards the man. One, two, three; Cateran's feet beat out a quick rhythm across the ground and up the man's chest. Kicking him twice more in the head, she continued her airborne journey up and around before landing squarely on both feet with her back to him.

Charging forward to counter-balance the impact that had sent him reeling, the stick-man was not prepared for the tiny legs that scissored his and forced an introduction of his face to the floor. Angrily, he spat at the girls as his form began to decay before their eyes, "Heed a dying man's last mumble. Cause this chamber now to crumble." Flesh and fabric dissolved away and the man was gone.

The room shuddered around the girls. Pieces of the ceiling gave way and came crashing down.

Flashing over to the doors, Cateran yelled to Vexyna, "We're locked in. Any ideas?"

Scanning the room, Vexyna replied, "I can't see any other exits."

"What are we gonna go?"

"Maybe I can find spell that'll open the door," Vexyna suggested as she once again reached for the scrolls in her cloak. This time, she produced only one. Around her, the walls were sliding down in tiny sheets and the columns looked as though they could buckle at any time. Amidst the chaos, Vexyna stood calmly with her eyes closed. Vexyna focused her mind on her will to protect herself and Cateran. Eyes that stared almost blankly opened to absorb the words upon the parchment and lead-thin lips to utter firmly, "To rock and metal we'll not yield. Strong and true is our magic shield."

A dome of blue light cascaded over the girls, deflecting the falling pieces of stone. Sparkles of light glistened in the air as the shield dissipated with the ending of the onslaught.

Standing unscathed amongst the rubble, Vexyna commented, "We sure know how to bring down the house, don't we?"

"You had to say it, didn't you?" Cateran shot back. She was about to say more when the doors to the chamber opened.

The girls picked their way through the debris and made their way toward the doors.

"By the way, how did you get here?" Cateran asked.

"Funny thing," Vexyna started to say as they passed through the doorway. Opening her eyes after just one blink, she found herself again in the room with Alexdander. "All this sudden traveling tires a person after a while, you know?"

"Sometimes getting there isn't what it's all cracked up to be," lazily imparted the large cat.

"What was that all about? Where is Cateran?"

"The Vag moppet is being put through her paces in the Battle Hall. In each of the chambers, she'll be guided or aided by someone she knows. She, too, is being prepared for what is to come. I am going to leave you now. Go back upstairs and see your grandfather." Air particles danced and glistened as Vexyna thought she could make out the glittering blue outline of Alexdander. The tracing of the cat said, "Fourth dimensional travel is a cat thing. Later, Nah." Dissolving lines washed away the image.

"No, wait, Alexdander," Vexyna cried out to the emptiness. With a sigh, she rose from her floor mat, exited the small room and headed towards the stairs toward the altar.

# Chapter 15: Vexyna's Awakening

Awaiting Vexyna at the top of the stairs was her grandfather. "Were you able to take in what Alexdander had to teach?"

"I think so," Vexyna replied hesitantly. She was still worried about Cateran.

"Good. Then prepare yourself for the madness of Dacreel. I am about to light the candle and release the side of you that flows from your mother, Langsuyar. Please stand in front of the altar."

Vexyna took up a position in front of the altar and was shocked when her grandfather moved around her, fastening her arms and legs to heavy golden chains attached to the base of the altar.

"Chains," she said despairingly. "Why?"

"There can be no predicting how violent the combining will be," Qrxyn intoned gravely. "The chains are meant as a precaution to safeguard us all."

Glancing up from her chains, Vexyna saw that the three she had left at the bottom of the stairs were now standing around the altar. She looked at them helplessly.

Igniting the candle, Qrxyn began reciting the Incantation of the Candle. He did not require Langsuyar's diary, for he already knew the spell. "Rebirth comes from the Twinning flame, come forth now and seek out your same." He continued chanting, but his words were lost in the roar of the flame.

A geyser of flame issued forth from the candlestick as Qrxyn's invocation reached a thundering climax.

From out of this massive flame stepped the image of a girl who, except for her eyes, which glowed a deep sapphire blue, was composed entirely of gray smoke. Her feet were still engulfed in flame as she leaned out and swiftly rotated around the flame while hissing at the assembled people. Abruptly, she swirled out from the flame until she was a point of blue-gray smoke penetrating Vexyna's chest.

Vexyna's body heaved with uncontrollable convulsions. The gold chains, which bound her, strained to their limit before snapping.

Collapsing to the ground, Vexyna lay in a heap breathing heavily. Without warning, she leaped to her feet and turned on the person closest to her: Phantasmine.

Steel fingers grasped the mane of white hair on Phantasmine's head and hoisted it high into the air. A tearing sound echoed through the chamber as a long, black pointed tail appeared from behind Vexyna. Swiftly, the jagged edge of the tail penetrated Phantasmine. Phantasmine gasped.

Pulling Phantasmine closer, Vexyna moaned deeply.

Phantasmine was letting out little gasps and seemed unable to move. She dangled helplessly in Vexyna's grip.

Moving in to separate the two girls, Lanton found himself pushed easily aside by Vexyna.

Qrxyn's efforts were also in vain. "We must get them apart for both of their sakes," Qrxyn informed Trulo. "It is your turn to try."

Trulo placed his fingers on the inside of his shirt front with his thumbs adding resistance to the outside. With a quick jerk, he puffed out his shirt and revealed more of his well-muscled chest. Striding over to the two girls, he forcefully grabbed Vexyna by the back of her head. He could not pry her off Phantasmine, but he did manage to get her to look at him.

Greeting Vexyna's gaze with a warm smile, Trulo suddenly found he was able to move Phantasmine away from Vexyna. He had Phantasmine by the shoulder and simply moved her away by turning around. Her wobbly, jerky movements resembled those of a puppet.

While Lanton and Qrxyn saw to Phantasmine, Vexyna and Trulo remained lost in each others' eyes. A swirl of blue could now be seen in Vexyna's brown eyes.

Vexyna's thoughts were barely focusing. She remembered up to the flame on the candle getting really big and the girl made of smoke hissing at everyone. After that, she recalled Trulo's smile, but nothing more.

A curious breeze at her hind quarters gave Vexyna a start. Reaching around behind her, she felt at the large bump at the base of her spine. The last of the blue was fading from her eyes as the amulet against her chest suddenly flashed a dark purple light. Sharp prongs popped from the amulet and embedded themselves in Vexyna's chest. Screams tore from her as the stone sank between her breasts until it had buried three quarters of itself. The platinum band had slithered away to wrap itself neatly around Vexyna's neck. It shone and expanded to form a shiny collar. Her hands went from her chest to her throat.

Horror ravaged Vexyna's face as she gathered in the view of Phantasmine lying on the ground, lightly twitching, with her head resting in Lanton's lap. "Phanta," she cried as rushed to her friend. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Lanton asked, cradling Phantasmine's head in his hands.

"No!" Vexyna shouted. The connection between the lump on her rump and Phantasmine's injuries occurred to her. "I didn't. I couldn't." She dropped to her knees and her body was racked with sobbing.

Comforting Vexyna by placing his hands on her shoulders, Trulo said softly, "No one knew that would happen."

Looking up at Trulo through tear-filled eyes, Vexyna tried to speak, but could only move her lips in a nonsensical fashion without uttering little more than gasps and sputters.

Vexyna jumped at the limp touch of another hand on hers. She snapped her gaze up the arm of the other person until she was eye to eye with Phantasmine.

Phantasmine smiled weakly at Vexyna. Her lips barely moved. "Do not worry. My little workers are replacing the lost fluids. I hate to sound like Cat, but some food would go down pretty good right now."

Tears splashed down Vexyna's cheeks. She threw her arms around Phantasmine and held her tight. A light grew inside Vexyna until it enshrouded her entire body. The light did not stop growing in size or intensity until it was half a meter around Vexyna. Phantasmine was bathed in the glow emanating from Vexyna. Inside their minds, the girls heard one word repeated simultaneously by many voices, both feminine and masculine. The word 'love' reverberated through their thoughts in a split second and left when the light from Vexyna sank into Phantasmine.

Clarity returned to Phantasmine's eyes and she sat up. Her hands felt where she had been pierced, but could find no traces of injury. She gaped in awe at Vexyna.

This turn of events did not appear to come as a surprise to the men.

"Let us adjourn to more comfortable quarters for food and conversation," suggested Qrxyn. He led them to the back of the altar room and ushered them all into a small room. Stepping inside, Qrxyn closed the door, then pressed a button on the wall. The room lurched into motion and moved down the building.

Huddled inside the tiny moving room, Phantasmine was crouched in Vexyna's arms while Vexyna was surrounded by Trulo's arms. The three gave strength to each other. The elder gentlemen stood stoically looking straight ahead at nothing.

The room jerked to a halt. Qrxyn opened the door and ushered out the ensemble.

Outside the tiny room lay an enormous and lavishly decorated chamber. Brightly colored tapestries adorned the columns throughout, and vines and ferns added brilliant greenery. Fountains sprang up everywhere. The floor was slabs of stone set through a lake the size of the room. Larger stone slats were grouped to form pedestals for the wrought-iron framed lounging chairs and tables that dotted the room. Softly lit crystals set behind the plants illuminated the chamber.

It was a comforting and relaxing atmosphere. The group took no time to find places to rest.

Phantasmine looked around suspiciously at the men and women who were busy serving food or fetching pillows for the group. Swiveling in her seat, she called out to Qrxyn, "Those people are Vags, are they not?"

"Yes, they are," Qrxyn replied calmly. "Do you fear the past, Illusian? Your effort to live as long as someone from Nogard is commendable, but did you really think you could outlive your connection to the events before the Forgetting?"

The Crystal Queen's visage turned sour, silent and brooding. "How much are you planning to tell Vexyna?" she finally asked.

Vexyna looked from Phantasmine over at Qrxyn.

"As much as Vexyna needs to know," came a response from Lanton. "There are pieces to this puzzle we must share with her because now, more than ever, Vexyna needs a clear mind. From here on out, she cannot be plagued by questions or doubts. This is much bigger than fighting over which group of Overseers gets to guide the people back to a world filled with technology or ferreting out the truth about what happened before the Great Fire."

Eyes widened as Vexyna gathered in her father's words.

"Agreed," Qrxyn confirmed. "Vexyna's mission outweighs everything else at the moment. We can deal with the case of the Illusians versus the Vags once Vexyna is able to seal the Throne of Life."

Fruits, breads, meats and cheeses of all kinds were served to them as they reclined on the softly padded chairs with the wrought-iron frames.

A heavy sigh came from Vexyna. She picked at her food. "Would someone please start as close to the beginning as possible and explain to me what is going on?"

"Where to begin is the hard part," Lanton said. "I know. You've been carrying around your mother's diary, haven't you?"

Nodding, Vexyna reached into her cloak and produced the volume. She waved it in the air a couple of times. Thankfully, nothing happened.

"Did you take the time to read any of it?" Vexyna's father asked.

"Some of it could only be read by the light of the candlestick from grandmother," Vexyna replied. "Yes, I did read some of the entries. You and mother met because of a storm."

"That's right," Lanton said. "Your mother was already a roving Langsuyar. She was supposed to be on her way back to the Throne of Life to take over the position from her mother. The light of Dazartan within me brought back enough of her humanity for her to fall in love with me. It also healed her enough to bear another child: you, Vexyna."

"Another child?" Vexyna repeated, looking for clarification. "I thought Langsuyars were only supposed to have one child."

"They are," Qrxyn interjected. "But Langsuyars don't often interact with people from Nogard."

"Wait, you mean I have a sister somewhere?" Vexyna thought about the question for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. Qrxyn's words from the altar room came back to her. "Din. Din is my sister?"

"Yes, you figured that out before," said Qrxyn. "Din is the one who has been gathering energies for the Throne of Life."

"Before being healed by Vexyna, I had the opportunity to run an analysis of my system to determine the cause of damage." Phantasmine explained, more to Vexyna than to anyone else. "It is as I thought. Langsuyars are not bloodsuckers. Your tail acts as more than just a means to pierce flesh. It provides an entryway for neurohormones. These neurohormones affect the endocrine glands and drain them of their secretions. It is a two-part process. First comes the piercing and the injection of neurohormones. Then comes the extraction of pheromones and other hormones. Some particularly vicious Langsuyar attacks have rendered the victims without their pituitary gland."

"Glandular secretions? That's what I was... was I?" Vexyna didn't want to think about it. Changing the subject back to the Red Empress, she asked, "What am I supposed to do about Din? Or am I supposed to do anything about her?"

"It is up to you to stop Din from taking her place on the Throne of Life," Qrxyn informed her.

"What about Din's control over the earth-beings?"

"The Earth Elementals? She must be tricking them somehow. The Elementals will not do the bidding of a flesh-bound being, or 'fleshling' as they call us," Qrxyn said.

"Since they are made of soil, is there anywhere these Earth Elementals cannot go?"

"Of course," Lanton chipped in. "The other Elemental types of beings, like Water and Fire, won't allow the Earth Elementals to venture in certain places."

"Earth Elementals, or any of the Elementals, are of little consequence at the moment," Qrxyn stated. "Vexyna, you must know about your lineage through Nogard." He turned slightly to indicate Phantasmine. "You might like to pay attention to this part. It involves your grandfather."

"Grandfather?" Phantasmine was startled. "My grandfather disappeared over two hundred and fifty years ago. What would you know about him?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Qrxyn said as he flicked the underside of his silver moustache with his upturned thumb. "He is my brother and another of the Avatars of Dazartan. It has also been much more than two hundred and fifty years since you last saw him."

"If that is so, why do I not have the same abilities bestowed upon Vexyna?" Phantasmine asked.

"Each of the three Avatars is blessed with a different set of gifts, which are then passed on to their bloodlines," Qrxyn explained. "Vexyna is blessed with the ability to wield powerful white and black magic. Though you do not know it, Phantasmine, you possess the means by which to cast healing magic more awesome than Vexyna has thus far demonstrated. Inside you beats a virtuous heart, no matter which organic body you are contained within. Stamina, loyalty and a keenly analytical mind; all of these you have inherited from your grandfather, Exuthron, my younger brother."

"Magic, Grandfather, when will I learn more about it?" Vexyna asked.

Qrxyn closed his eyes and appeared to focus them even though they remained closed. When he opened them, he said, "The use of magical forces will have to be taught to you over time. Alexdander has already started you with the basics and you'll work your way up to more elaborate conjurings in time."

"Will you be teaching me, Grandfather?" asked Vexyna.

"Some of the lessons will come from me," replied Qrxyn. "There are others who have things to teach you, as well."

"I wish Grandmother was one of them," Vexyna lamented.

"She is a possibility," Qrxyn mused.

"She is?" Vexyna asked in wonder. "I wasn't sure what had become of her."

"Your grandmother, Zuud-Akh'Do, prefers to dwell on a far off isle," Qrxyn stated a bit wistfully.

"Oh," Vexyna let out in a semi-whisper. "I'm really tired." She yawned uncontrollably. "Could the next step on this journey be a nap?"

"That would probably be a good idea," Phantasmine added. "After which we should find out how Dr. Deathbrain is progressing with the manufacture of the fogs and mists."

"Rest would do you both a great deal of good right now," Lanton agreed. "There are smaller sleep chambers off from this large hall." He pointed to the archways in two corners of the room. Each archway was a doorway leading off down a hallway filled with doors. "Those rooms are equipped with beds and there are baths between each sleeping room. When you are ready, you may choose any of them."

# Chapter 16: Trulo's Confessions

"I'm ready now," Vexyna said sleepily.

"I could also use some rest," Trulo hastily added. "Let me walk you to your room, Vexyna."

"Thank you. That would be appreciated."

Bidding the others adieu, they wandered slowly off across the stone slabs over the water to the resting rooms.

At the door to the first room through the archway in the corner of the large hall, Vexyna turned to Trulo and said, "There are still a great many things puzzling me. One of them is how you fit in to all this."

"I fit in because you fit in," Trulo replied as he swept up her hands in his. "I was trapped under a heap of rubble back in Shojiki. I'd been there for some time. There seemed to be no way anyone could help me. My thoughts kept turning to you. Suddenly, I was surrounded by this intense light. Serenity filled me as the light blinded me. When the light faded, I was out from under the rubble. I don't know what happened, but all I could think about was you." He squeezed her hands as he focused on the brown of her eyes. The swirl of blue was all but non-existent.

"Oh Trulo," Vexyna said, squeezing back. "There was this point in Dilbu when things seemed pretty bad and I thought about you really hard. Some sort of light grew out of me and shot to the heavens." She looked at him earnestly. "Do you think it is possible I somehow sent you help?"

"In my heart, I know it was you who saved me," Trulo told her. "I found your father and he managed to get us here. He was worried about you."

"Really? Worried?"

"Yes, he was constantly fretting about you." Trulo ran his fingers up and down the length of Vexyna's arm. "Your dad tried to raise you as a normal girl in the hope you might actually get to live your life as a normal girl."

"But I'm nowhere near being a normal girl," Vexyna said forcefully as she broke away from Trulo. "You've seen me. I'm not normal. Father is well aware of my genetic make-up. What made him think I could live a normal life?"

"There are always possibilities," Trulo replied as he moved toward her. Once again, he took her hands. "By cutting himself off from the knowledge of Nogard, Lanton thought he might be able to live a simple life among simple folk."

"You know a lot about my father," Vexyna observed.

"We've had quite a bit of time to get to know each other. I know how much he loves you. He also still loves your mother." Trulo looked thoughtful. "It's a pretty tragic tale when you think about it."

"Trulo," Vexyna said wearily, "I'm tired. I'll take this room. Where will you be?"

"I'll take the next room on the same side of the hallway," Trulo replied. "There is an adjoining bathroom. That means either of us can enter the bathroom from either of our two sleep rooms."

"So, you can get to your room from my room by going through the bathroom?"

"That's right."

"Good," Vexyna said with the twinge of a grin, "then you can tuck me in and tell me what you think is so tragic about my parents."

A simple bed with a couple of blankets and matching pillows greeted them inside the small room. A light aquamarine colored the top half of the walls. A darker blue washed its way around the bottom half of the room. Light flared from a crystal set behind an opaque shield on the wall in one corner.

"Blankets won't be necessary," Vexyna commented. She made herself comfortable on the bed. "How do I turn the light off?"

"The crystal senses your brainwaves," Trulo explained. "That way, it knows how much light you'll need at a given time."

"It'll know when I'm sleeping? That's weird." Vexyna shrugged. "Why should I be so surprised? I have a friend who turns out to be my cousin, I think, who's over two hundred years old and has machines running around inside her head." She stretched out on the bed with her hands behind her head.

Trulo sat beside her on the edge of the bed. "As I was mentioning before, your father still loves your mother. He knew she was a Langsuyar and he knew what your birth would mean. Lanton knows now that it was his Nogard blood that made it possible for your mother to be able to bear you. No one knew she had already borne a child."

"Din," Vexyna said quietly. "She's an absolute nut bar. There are volumes of unanswered questions about my half-sister." She paused a moment and had a silly thought. "Half-sister? What's the other half?" Giggling to herself, she added, "I wonder what her father was like."

"I don't know about Din's father, but I do know your father is a man caught in a tragic situation. Think about it. Lanton knew the woman he loved was doomed to be consumed by evil. He also knew it would be his own daughter who would be charged with releasing his wife from this evil, and there is, as there was, nothing he can or could do about it."

A thought suddenly occurred to Vexyna. "Trulo, did anyone tell you about my eyes?"

"About your power of suggestion? Yes, they told me."

"How can you look me straight in the naked eye and not be affected?"

Trulo shrugged and said with a grin, "After all these years of peering at them through those shaded glasses of yours, I guess I built up an immunity. Qrxyn said I'd be impervious to your gaze because you have no desire to bend my will."

"No desire to bend your will, no; I might help you straighten it out, though," Vexyna dribbled out with her eyes like slits. Her eyes popped open quickly and she stuttered, "B-boy am I ever tired." She forced a yawn. "Good night, Trulo. Get me up in a little while." Closing her eyes, she relaxed into the pillows, but kept her chin tilted slightly up.

"Part of your power of suggestion comes from your mother. When the part of your spirit that came from Langsuyar was bound in the candlestick, you lost your ability to control your power of suggestion. Now that you are whole again, you should have complete control of when you use that ability. Sleep well." Trulo touched her gently on the cheek before softly pressing his lips to hers for an immediate response. For both, it seemed a painfully brief moment. Then he was gone.

Sleep came swiftly to Vexyna. At first, it was a dead and dreamless slumber. Eventually, Vexyna ventured through several dream phases. They began with chaotic images that frightened her, then moved into gentle colors and feelings. Finally, she found herself sitting on a branch in a familiar tree.

Looking around, Vexyna could not find one thing out of place. It was Shojiki just as she remembered it. Something was odd about the lighting. Across from her in his usual perch sat Trulo.

"Trulo," she said imploringly, "Awful things are happening." For some reason, her vision was going askew. When she tried to look at Trulo, his image appeared to elongate, bend, twist and snap in half, with one half disappearing upward and the other half vanishing downward. Vexyna pressed her eyelids together tightly. Everything was normal again when she reopened her eyes.

"Vexyna," said the image of Trulo. "I love you."

"I love you," replied Vexyna. She found herself crying.

Wiping away her tears, she noticed her dreamscape had changed yet again. This time, it was a dark and fiery sky greeting her. Bizarre flashes of colored lightning lit the sky in spasmodic bursts. Brilliant red patches could be seen burning their way through cracks in the ground.

Laughing caught Vexyna's ears. She turned to see a massive throne built of human skulls. Upon the throne sat a huge woman. Vexyna had never seen a woman of her size. Oddly enough, the big woman had demure facial features and these made her rather fetching. It was the woman who had been laughing. She began to laugh again once she noticed Vexyna was aware of her presence.

"Oh, ho ho ho," said the woman laughingly. "I am so lucky to have two daughters." Her look turned serious as she continued. "I have one daughter who is desperate to find a way to destroy me without having to take my place and another who is just a pawn in the plans of others." Pausing a moment, she tilted her head slightly to one side before saying, "You cannot escape fate. One of you will take my place. One of you will die for my amusement." Laughter again poured forth from her throat as her image blurred and Vexyna's scenery changed.

Adjusting to her new surroundings, Vexyna saw an elaborately carved four poster bed. The sheers draped from the poles were red. A small glow emanated from within the sheers. On the bed inside, Vexyna could see the outline of a slender woman. "Give me your power," insisted the woman who was writhing on the bed. "With your power, I could control her. I could keep her fed and never be bound to that throne. Or if a daughter is required to take her place, we'll get you to produce offspring. You should be able to produce many children." A finely manicured hand thrust out from the sheers on the bed and pressed itself against Vexyna's stomach. Vexyna felt something growing inside her and watched in horror as her stomach expanded.

Pushing herself away from the outstretched hand, Vexyna toppled backwards into an awaiting chaise-lounge. Searing pain shot up her spine and she thought her bottom half would rip apart. Eyes rolling back in her head, Vexyna screamed, "Nooo!"

A familiar voice said, "That's a noise I haven't heard in quite a while. Still having nightmares, Vexyna?" Opening her eyes, Vexyna saw her father standing at the foot of her bed.

Before answering him, she gave a quick glance around the room. It was the one Trulo had left her in. The dreams were over. "Yes, more nightmares. But now the nightmares seem to be making sense. They appear to hold some of the answers I've been looking for."

"Be careful in the dreamscape," warned her father. "You'll learn more about that in your study of magic. Freshen up, then come out into the main hall for some breakfast."

After taking care of her business, Vexyna joined the others in the great hall.

Food was piled on tables here and there about the room. Vexyna grabbed a silver plate and helped herself to some refreshment before finding a seat beside Trulo.

"Good morning," she said before she thought about it. "Is it morning?"

"I'm not sure myself." Trulo grinned. "Time loses all meaning here."

"I've been having trouble keeping track of what day it is, never mind what time it is, for several weeks now," Vexyna admitted.

"That's the life of an adventurer," commented Trulo between bites of his breakfast. "Free as the breeze. Not tied to any clocks or calendars. That's how Aliyah chose to live her life."

"Aliyah," Vexyna repeated slowly. "Where is she with all this going on? All this sort of adventure is right up her alley."

"Even now, Aliyah quests for sacred artifacts on behalf of Exuthron," Qrxyn informed them. "Aliyah has been working for the Avatars of Dazartan for quite some time."

"Sacred artifacts? What kind? Like Grandmother's candlestick?" Vexyna was curious.

"Various relics exist amongst many islands and across all four continents. Each of these objects carries with it awesome magical forces. An example would be the Chalice of Ranboon. It houses teleportation and dimensional travel capabilities." Qrxyn went briefly back to his meal before continuing. "One must always be wary when one comes in contact with items such as those. Some even have the power to reshape people's bodies."

"You mentioned something about needing a holy artifact in order to summon the Tiger's Triangle," recalled Vexyna. She looked questioningly at Qrxyn.

"Aliyah," Phantasmine said with a start. She had been happily nibbling on a piece of cheese when the name struck her oddly. "What is her heritage? That name is passed along only one bloodline that I am aware of. Do you deny that fact?"

"I do not deny Aliyah's bloodline, but the time for that revelation is not yet at hand. Please keep that to yourself. The time for settling past differences will come. Do not let your guilt run your life," Qrxyn admonished Phantasmine.

Silently, Phantasmine returned to her breakfast as Vexyna and Trulo sat wondering what the exchange between Phantasmine and Qrxyn had been all about.

"Where are we going from here?" Vexyna asked the room in general. "And who is 'we' going to be comprised of?"

"I'm afraid I'd be little more than moral support to you," Trulo confessed. "I wish I could be of more help, but I'm purely human. I have no special abilities. I'd only get in your way."

"I must attend to things here," Qrxyn stated flatly.

"You and I shall return to Illusia," Phantasmine said between bites of a piece of meat pie, "to check on Doctor Deathbrain's progress."

Vexyna looked at her reclining friend and couldn't help teasing, "Keep eating like that and we'll have to let out your robes."

"Oh, I know," agreed Phantasmine. "But after not being able to really taste or feel anything for so long I just want to devour it all." Her eyes darted around the room at the men. She smiled slyly to herself before her look turned to one of disappointment. She realized all the men present were either relatives or already deeply in love with someone else. Phantasmine sighed. Then she thought of Raj. An image of his tanned face and gleaming white smile popped into her head. She saw the curves of the muscles in his chest. Yes, she thought, he will do quite nicely. Wiping bits of excess saliva up the sides of her mouth, Phantasmine pushed the last piece of meat pie slowly between her lips. She chewed and swallowed it with great satisfaction. She almost purred, "I suppose I will have to increase my amount of physical exertion." Her voice was back to normal when she said, "Actually, my brain is capable of monitoring my intake and ensuring whatever is consumed is used in its most useful capacity."

"There are still many things I need to know before I leave Nogard," said Vexyna. "When will I receive more lessons in magic? Who will be my teacher?"

"Your lessons will take place as you journey," Lanton told her. "Experience beats reading every time."

"Teachers are all around you. It is up to you to discover what it is they are teaching," Qrxyn cryptically intoned.

"Great," Vexyna shot back with her lips curled into a sarcastic expression. "Thanks for being so clear on all that." A sip of water interrupted her questions. "Doesn't Din have to bear a child before she can assume her place on the Throne of Life? There's supposed to be a daughter to carry on and take Din's place, right?"

"That is so," Phantasmine acknowledged. "Either you, or Din, must bear a child in order to open the Seal of Release on the Throne."

"Me? Don't look at me!" Vexyna stated flatly with her palms outstretched in front of her. "How much time does a Langsuyar-in-waiting have to collect energies for the Throne of Life?"

"A daughter of Langsuyar begins her collection of glandular secretions once she has come of childbearing age," Qrxyn explained matter-of-factly. "From then until she becomes pregnant, she is free to gather energies for Dacreel. After the child is born, it is said the new mother is driven to the Throne of Life by the tormented voices of all of the people she has drained."

"So, after the daughter of Langsuyar's child is born, this daughter becomes Langsuyar and gets stuck on the throne?"

"In a nutshell."

"No children, no screaming voices in the head." Vexyna looked for confirmation from someone among the group.

"You haven't drained anyone," Trulo put forth. "You wouldn't have any voices in your head."

"Let's stick with the 'no children' thought, shall we?" Vexyna zipped back at Trulo. Her mind flashed briefly back to the pain in her dream. Nope. Definitely no children, she thought.

Putting down the fork she had been picking at her salad with, Phantasmine said, "Wait one moment. Allow me to summarize the plan as set forth by the elders of Nogard. Vexyna was conceived to seal the Throne of Life with the Light of Nogard. To seal the Throne, the reigning Langsuyar must be removed. Removing a Langsuyar from the Throne means breaking the Seal of Release and that can only be done once the daughter of Langsuyar has borne a child. In order for this plan to continue, we must somehow get Din impregnated."

"No doubt the other side will try to do the same thing to Vexyna," Qrxyn agreed.

"Count on me to be extra-vigilante to make sure that does not happen," Phantasmine said quickly with a bit of a glazed look in her eyes.

"Your grandfather would be appalled at your behavior," Qrxyn chastised Phantasmine. "Have Illusians lost their dignity?"

"Look," Phantasmine said, leaning toward Qrxyn, "Grandfather has not been fleshless for over a quarter of a millennium. I have. This abstinence was bound to cause a backlash of overindulgence. It will subside in time."

"Don't let your excesses get either of you into trouble," Lanton warned.

"I have it all completely under control," Phantasmine said confidently. "Once we have finished eating, we will board the Senomar and depart for Illusia. Doctor Deathbrain should be preparing what we will require to further our quest."

"What would you do without all your technology?" Qrxyn asked quizzically.

"What would you do without all your magic?' Phantasmine shot back. "I have finished with this food." She pushed her plate across the small oblong table resting in front of her seat. "Now I will freshen up. Vexyna, come aboard Senomar whenever you are ready to depart. I need not remind you that this may be the last time you will ever see this place. Be absolutely positive you are ready when you ask to leave."

Vexyna nodded her understanding of the situation.

"Understood," said Phantasmine as she rose from her seat. "Gentlemen," she said to the three men, "one way or another, you will see me again. We have much unfinished business."

"Indeed we have," agreed Qrxyn, "and we shall."

The men nodded to Phantasmine.

She exited the grand hall and made her way across the stone courtyard to Senomar.

"Vexyna," Lanton said, "every father has said this to his daughter at one time or another, but please be extra careful with any extra-curricular activities you may find yourself caught up in. Losing your virtue could mean the end of all of us."

"I know, Dad," Vexyna replied. "But what with everything that's been happening lately, who's had time to think about boys?" She shrugged at her father as she smiled and winked at Trulo. The swirl of blue in her eyes had swallowed up the brown. Getting up from her seat, she sashayed over to where he was sitting. Without warning, she leaned over and pressed her lips tightly against his.

Trulo's eyes widened as he took in Vexyna's kiss. He found himself paralyzed.

Vexyna's hand slid through the hair on the back of Trulo's head. With a handful of hair, she kept his face immobilized. Her tail sprang forth and slithered its way into him to discover the bliss for which she was longing.

A feeling of buoyancy filled Vexyna as her vision became flooded with light. The flashing of her amulet was lost in the brilliance of the light. After her vision cleared, she glanced quickly around the room. "What...? What happened?"

"You succumbed to your darker half," Qrxyn told her. "Your father and I used the Light of Nogard to free Trulo from your grasp."

"Trulo, no!" She dropped to her knees beside him.

Resting his hand on her shoulder, he said, "It's okay. I'm fine. No harm done."

"But there could've been harm," she said. She looked up at him dolefully.

"You need help controlling your cravings," Lanton said to Vexyna. "Keep in mind your cravings will always increase whenever you are, um, stimulated."

Attention focused on Qrxyn, Vexyna asked, "Grandfather, is there anything else you wish to tell me before I depart?"

"Ask the Illusian doctor for gland supplements," Qrxyn responded.

"I beg your pardon?" Vexyna blinked at her grandfather.

"At times, you will be racked with cravings. The artificially produced supplements will keep your thirst at bay. Do your utmost not to give in to your thirst. Drinking too much will lead to madness and the ruin of all of our well-laid plans."

"I'm sure Doc Deathbrain will be able to help," Vexyna replied. She frowned. "I thought I would be able to withstand attacking Trulo. I thought he was immune to that sort of thing."

"You must have consumed more fluids than we thought from Phantasmine," Lanton observed. "That would explain an increase in the madness."

"There also appears to have been an odd increase in the pheromone levels in this room," Qrxyn commented. "That would also be a contributing factor to your breakdown. No one is safe from your need once your lust grabs hold."

"Exuthron's grandchild was behaving like a rutting fourteen-year-old," Lanton commented. "That's probably where the increased pheromones came from. It may not be wise to allow Vexyna to continue to travel with Phantasmine as long as Phantasmine is in such a state."

"Unfortunately, we have little choice at this time." Qrxyn coughed into his fist. "Phantasmine is Vexyna's best means of getting where she needs to go. Of course, I do not agree with the mode of transport. Genetically engineered vehicles with nanobot brains should be unheard of. It is unnatural. I cannot understand what has happened with Exuthron's offspring."

"Perhaps if he or his son were more attentive to the needs of their people instead of always being off in some distant land on a quest for this or that, his offspring might not have gotten out of hand with their technology and their attempts to play god," Lanton suggested.

"But they did get out of hand and they had to be dealt with," Qrxyn responded. "The time will come again when the children of Exuthron must stand trial for what they have done. Few of them remain because they were born too close to the Heart of Sin, an evil incarnation of Dacreel's gigantic heart. When Exuthron used the Holy Sword of Virtue to plunge his Light of Dazartan straight into the Heart of Sin, it weakened Exuthron greatly, but also changed the Heart of Sin into the Crystals of Change."

"Hold it a moment!" Vexyna interrupted. "Are you saying the Crystals of Change are really all shattered pieces of Dacreel's heart?"

"Yes, that is precisely what we are saying," her father replied. "Exuthron was too weary to travel, so he set up camp in the ruins of the castle that had housed the Heart of Sin. That is the castle that became Illusia thanks to the Crystals."

"For a long period of time, Phantasmine lived solely through one of those crystals," Vexyna informed the men. "Do you think they could've affected her in any way?"

"That is a possibility, but we will have to deal with that when it happens," Qrxyn said.

"You mean I'll have to deal with it when it happens," retorted Vexyna.

"More than likely nothing will happen," her father tried to reassure Vexyna. "Is she using the crystals for anything now?"

"Yes," Vexyna informed them, "she has one embedded in her brain. It was how her essence and memories were transferred to the nanobots that compose her brain."

"Even though the crystal has served its purpose, it is still embedded in her skull. Correct?"

"Correct. I think she's still using it the same way she has for years," commented Vexyna. "It would be hard for her to give up being able to do all the things she could do with the help of those crystals."

Sighing heavily, Qrxyn lamented, "What a mess. Enough chat. Go, Vexyna. Be strong. Be well." He held up his hand and waved at her.

Vexyna gave quick hugs to her father and Trulo, then turned and ran out of the great hall.

Quickly rising from his seat, Trulo excused himself to the other men and ran after Vexyna. He caught up to her halfway across the courtyard. "Vexyna!" he called. "Wait! I must speak with you."

Walking back towards Trulo, Vexyna asked, "What's up, Trulo?"

"Last night," Trulo said, "I had a strange experience and think I might have, um, that is to say, you and I...." Trulo was at a complete loss for words.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Vexyna could not understand Trulo's blathering.

"Last night in my room I heard your voice whispering to me over and over again to go to you. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I succumbed to the call."

"What exactly happened once you finally answered the call?" Vexyna was intrigued.

"Animal passion," Trulo blurted before hanging his head in shame. "I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Vexyna reassured him. "Nothing happened between you and me last night."

"It was a dream?"

"Sounds like it to me."

"I was so worried I might have gotten you..." His words trailed off.

"Not to worry. It was only a dream." Vexyna happened to notice that Senomar was set in pastel pinks overtop its usual pastel blues. "I must go now. We shouldn't get too close anyway. I'm dangerous, even if I do love you." She walked away from him and up the steps inside Senomar.

Before the entryway sealed, Trulo yelled, "I love you too, Vexyna! Please, come back to me!"

# Chapter 17: The Traveler Returns

Senomar's interior looked the same as it had the last time Vexyna had been there. She called out to Phantasmine, "Phanta? How long will it take us to reach Illusia?"

"Not long," came Phantasmine's voice from the wall. "I will be glad to be back in Illusia."

"Phanta, about your would-be husband, Span," Vexyna started to say.

"Leave it be," Phantasmine interrupted. "He is a pawn of the Red Empress now. For all we know, he is the one she has chosen to ultimately mate with." A sobbing snicker could be heard echoing quietly through the room.

"In that case, maybe we can put him to good use," Vexyna offered.

"Explain yourself in a few moments," Phantasmine interrupted again. "Prepare to disembark."

"Already? Why does the trip back always seem faster than the trip going to?"

Descending the stairs leading from Senomar, Vexyna spotted Raj and Doctor Deathbrain coming her way.

"Hi Raj! Hi Doc!" Vexyna called out and waved to them.

The two men waved back.

As Raj got closer to Vexyna, the wind caught his clothing. It opened his shirt and pressed his pants in as if they were a second skin.

Senomar's color changed to pastel reds from its usual pastel blues. Vexyna's nostrils flared as her eyelids fluttered. Her nose lifted, borne on a scent she could not get enough of. Sapphires now danced in her eyes.

Phantasmine exited Senomar in time to see Vexyna sink her tail into the side of the organic craft. Bracing herself, Phantasmine prepared to separate Vexyna from Senomar. Perhaps it is time for some illusions, she thought. She implanted the image of a depleted Senomar in Vexyna's mind, causing Vexyna to stop feeding long enough for Doctor Deathbrain to administer treatment.

Vexyna's pendant flashed as she promptly passed out and was carried to her room in the castle.

Later, in the darkness, a knock came to the door of Vexyna's room in the castle of Illusia. Slowly, the door opened and in crept Cateran.

Moving quietly, Cateran tiptoed over to Vexyna's bed. "Vex," she whisper-shouted. "Vex? Are you awake? Are you okay? Doc says Senomar is dead. Are you getting any of this? Meen told us what happened in Nogard so we'd be prepared if you ever flip out again."

Opening one eye, Vexyna said, "What do you mean 'dead'? Senomar is dead? As in lifeless?" She sat up in bed and was conscience enough to put her dark glasses on. It was too soon after waking up to worry about controlling anything.

"Doctor DeeBee says Senomar was drained of too many vital fluids and that caused Senomar's system to collapse beyond the point its little machines could repair."

"I'm afraid it's worse than that," Doctor Deathbrain said as he walked through the open door and turned on the lights. The lights flickered to a low glow, then brightened once again.

Phantasmine, with the help of Raj, came stumbling in through the door. She kept running her hands up and down his body, continuing to stare blindly straight ahead. Her lips were moving, but no words came from her throat. Repeating these motions, her eyes slowly closed as the lights in Vexyna's room faded out. In the darkness, Phantasmine stood motionless.

"What's going on?" Vexyna asked.

"The Red Empress has used Magno-Dust to render all electrical and electronic devices unusable. Electricity will no longer conduct itself as it normally would. It would take too long to explain the whole thing. All you need to know is none of the pieces of technology around this castle will work anymore." He looked over to where Phantasmine was propped up against Raj. "That also means the nanobots in Phantasmine's brain have ceased to function and, therefore, she, too, is out of commission."

Silence filled the room until a gasp came from Cateran. She pointed to Phantasmine.

A red glow came from Phantasmine's eyes. Suddenly, she snapped to attention. "My crystal still works even without outside electrical power." Phantasmine's voice came through the darkness. "Let us carry on. Doctor, how are you progressing with the production of mists and fogs?"

"Ample supplies of all types have already been prepared for use," Deathbrain informed her.

"Good. Have you prepared the necessary supplements for Vexyna? We can't have her sliding into madness."

"Everything is prepared. There are several methods of delivering the fluids," the doctor began to explain before Phantasmine waved him off.

"Knowing the medication is prepared is good enough for me," Phantasmine said, almost flippantly. She made faces at herself in the mirror above the make-up table. "How are we going to get around without Senomar?"

"We could always walk," Cateran suggested.

"Where are we going now?" Vexyna asked. "What exactly is our next move?"

"It's the middle of the night," Doctor Deathbrain reminded the others. "I suggest we each get some rest and talk about it in the morning."

The others agreed and left Vexyna to drift back to sleep. Before dozing off, it occurred to her that she was sleeping quite a bit lately.

Moaning accompanied by heavy breathing woke Vexyna. Horror filled her when she realized she had been chained spread-eagle to the four posts of her bed. Her superb night vision would've allowed her to look around the room, but to her chagrin someone had placed a cloth over her eyes. Footsteps shuffled closer and she heard a female voice say, "Rest up. When you're ready, you can do the job with her. You certainly did the job for me." There was a giggle and the sound of lips dancing.

"Get away from me," Vexyna warned the intruders. "Don't come anywhere near me."

A rough male hand placed itself against Vexyna's cheek. She jerked violently away from the caresses. The man sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss Vexyna gently on the lips.

Inside, Vexyna felt her hunger stirring. "Please go away. You don't know what you're doing."

"Oh, I think I know just what I'm doing," came the man's sneering reply.

Even through the cloth over her eyes, Vexyna caught two blinding flashes of silver. Her arms were free. Quickly, she removed her blindfold.

Standing in the darkness was a female figure that stretched two meters in height. Her red hair flowed down her back in a massive ponytail held together on her head by a jade crown. The flowing white pants she sported were connected on the sides just above the ankles, at the knees and around the waist. Silver striping accentuated the gold of her outfit. Slight heels elevated her calf-high sandals to add a touch of glamour to the ensemble. Stray bits of light glinted off the blade of the weapon in her hands. She was alone in the room.

"Are you all right?" asked the woman.

"Yes, thanks to you, I am," Vexyna responded. "Do you know how I ended up chained to this bed?"

"Dacreel plots against you," stated the woman. She used her weapon to sever the last of Vexyna's chains.

Surprise swept across Vexyna's face with the realization of her savior's identity. "Aliyah!" she cried as she tumbled out of bed to hold her long-lost friend. "Aliyah, it's so good to see you. So much has happened since we last saw each other. How have you been? Where have you been?" Vexyna began to overwhelm her old friend with questions.

"There will be time enough for catching up," Aliyah told her friend. "Right now, we need to figure out how someone got in here and managed to do what they did."

"How did you manage to get here?" Vexyna asked. "Qrxyn said you were off on a quest for the Avatars of Dazartan. Illusia isn't exactly what I'd call easy to find or get in. How did you do it?"

"Easy," said Aliyah, "for traveling, I had my grandmother drop me off."

"Your grandmother dropped you off?" Vexyna's face assumed a puzzled expression. "How is your grandma?"

"Good, not the way you remember her, but good. I suppose by now you know a thing or two about the 'real world' and who we really are. My grandmother can take the form of a dragon." Aliyah waited for a reaction from her friend before continuing. "She's always in good spirits. She's been hanging around a metal smith called Corbon. He makes excellent weapons. Like this," she said while twirling her blade. It was a long flat blade on the end of a short staff.

"Weapons? Someone still knows how to create weapons?"

"This place isn't any place around here, believe me," Aliyah assured Vexyna. "We live on one tiny continent. There are three others and several large islands. Not all the peoples of the planet went through the Forgetting, you know. Corbon the Carver lives on another continent."

"The Carver?" Vexyna repeated.

"He's a metal smith by trade, but also a master swordsman. Corbon is so skillful with his weapons that he can etch beautiful patterns into whatever he chooses in what seems like the blink of an eye. Corbon creates his weapons only for those who can prove they can use them with mastery. Corbon loves a good show." Aliyah was lost in thought about Corbon. She saw the dimples at the sides of his smile. His laugh drifted through her mind. "That's how I got this blade."

"You gave Corbon a good show, did you?" Vexyna enquired teasingly.

"Weapon prowess of considerable magnitude, is what Corbon said," Aliyah stated proudly as she stuffed her thumbs under the straps on either side of her bodice, between the shoulder pads and the breastplate, and gave them a push forward, causing them to stretch just a bit.

Lighting a candle on her bedside table, Vexyna turned back to look at her friend. From the angle of her vision, Vexyna couldn't see the long red ponytail gliding down Aliyah's back. All Vexyna could see of Aliyah's hair were the straight shiny glistening red bangs in front. They sparkled like a satin curtain and Vexyna realized she had seen that quality of hair before on Cateran. Pausing a moment to mentally compare the facial features of both girls, Vexyna was amazed at the similarities. "Aliyah, there's someone you must meet," she said after her pause.

"Oh? Someone special? Speaking of special people, how's Trulo?"

"Trulo is as fine as always." Vexyna smirked.

"I hear that," Aliyah replied with a wistful smile.

The door to Vexyna's room slowly opened and admitted a sleepy-eyed Cateran. Her usual coveralls were missing and in their place was a thick cloth robe. "What's going on? I kept thinking I was hearing things. Who's this?"

"Cat, this is Aliyah," Vexyna introduced the two. "Aliyah, this is Cateran."

Rubbing an eye with one hand, Cateran waved at Aliyah with the other. "Hello."

"Hello," Aliyah said as she gave a short nod in Cateran's direction.

Clambering onto the bed, Cateran maneuvered herself into a lotus position with the soles of her bare feet facing the ceiling. She yawned a sleepy smile at Vexyna. "What's up?"

"I was just about to mention you to Aliyah," Vexyna told Cateran. Catching sight of odd markings on the bottoms of Cateran's feet, Vexyna asked, "Are those stains on the bottoms of your feet, Cat?"

"Eh?" Cateran was surprised. She grabbed a foot and bent over until her face was a few centimeters from the surface of it. Releasing her foot, she straightened up while saying, "Those have always been there. Raj said those marks show I'm special. I always thought it was just his way of saying I'm special to him." She looked down at the covers on the bed.

"Aliyah," Vexyna said, looking at the taller redhead, "do you still have your paw prints from when you were a kid?"

"Paw prints? Yeah, I do," Aliyah said as she, too, sat on the bed. Removing one of her sandals, she turned her foot up so that the other two girls could see the tiny markings on the sole of the foot. Four dots over a curved line resembled a small paw print.

"No way." Cateran gaped at Aliyah's markings. "They're just like mine." Without thinking, she whipped one of her feet over to compare it with Aliyah's and managed to knock Vexyna out of the bed.

"Ouch, hey," Vexyna snapped. "Thanks for that. Suppose it's getting time to get up anyway." She rubbed various parts of her anatomy that had suffered collisions with pieces of furniture.

"They match!" Cateran said excitedly. "What does that mean?"

"It means you two are sisters," said Raj from the doorway.

"Raj!" Cateran exclaimed. "What got you up?"

"You did," he replied as he made his way to the bed. He stopped in front of Aliyah and took a short bow. "I am Raj," he introduced himself. "You must be Aliyah."

"Do you know me?" Aliyah was stunned.

"I know of you," Raj admitted. "We have never before met, yet the shape of your feet and the markings on the soles prove you are of a specific bloodline."

"It does?" Aliyah blinked innocently.

"Your direct ancestor was Max Fast, founder of the Vags and one of the three Avatars of Dazartan."

"How did you know?" gasped Aliyah. "I only found out about it recently myself."

Unable to believe her ears, Cateran interrupted, "Sisters? Founder of the Vags? Whaaaat?"

Standing between the two redheads, Raj tried to explain, "At some point during the Forgetting, Krajav's ancestors began using the Crimson Fog on the other Vags in order to seize control. Few of us remain who know the truth. Folktales foretold the coming of the Sister of Balance who would bring either peace or destruction. Krajav believes you, Vexyna, are the Sister of Balance." He paused to catch Vexyna's reaction, then continued. "At this same time, the tales also said, the Sacred Sisters would arrive to free the Vags from Krajav's clutches."

"Sacred Sisters?" Cateran was dubious until she looked at Aliyah.

Aliyah returned Cateran's look. Other than the size difference and clothing, there looked to be little difference between them.

"Cateran was given to a young couple to raise as their own amongst one of the tribes of Vags," Raj continued with his story. "Aliyah was left near Shojiki, where it was known she would be found by the couple who eventually raised her. Those of us who knew the truth were afraid for your lives because we had seen the Mark of the Tiger on your feet."

"I have a sister." Cateran blinked repeatedly. "Big Sis Ali," she said with a grin.

"Raj, what can you tell me about the Mark of the Tiger?" Aliyah asked.

"It is the sacred mark seared into Max Fast by the Crystal of Dazartan itself," Raj said with reverence. "It confers speed, agility, strength, confidence and certain other tiger-like qualities on his descendants who bear the mark."

"Coool," Cateran expelled. "When do my awesome powers kick in? Or do they work all the time?" She was excited about the prospect of not being just another ordinary person.

Cateran's older sister looked at her with bemusement. "Who said anything about 'awesome powers'? We're a little faster, stronger and confident than we normally might be. So what?" Aliyah shrugged.

"You'd both look good in tails," teased Vexyna. "Whiskers optional."

Red heads turned to issue sideways glances at Vexyna for those last comments.

"Where did you learn these things, Raj?" Aliyah asked.

"Yeah, Raj," Cateran chimed in. "You're not much older than me. When did you find out all this?"

"As soon as I was old enough to understand the significance of your life," Raj replied. "That is when I was told by my father about the Mark of the Tiger and the truth about the ruling houses. My family has served the royal household since the beginning of the Vag culture. I am sworn to protect you, Cateran. Now that I know for certain the other sister is alive, I must be prepared to give my life for her as well."

"Don't you worry about me," Aliyah assured Raj. "Just keep an eye out for my little sister." She smiled at Cateran, who was still enjoying how the morning was turning out.

Hands resting on his hips, head tilted slightly to one side, Raj accused, "So you are the Traveler. You are famous in some parts."

Aliyah considered the lacing of her sandal. "Yeah, I guess some of my parts are famous." She looked around at the others, grinning slyly. She cleared her throat and continued, "I get around. Right now, I'm here. And I'd like to know what was going on in this room just before I showed up."

"I was trying to sleep when a noise woke me up and I found myself chained to this bed," Vexyna recounted. "My eyes were covered, but I could hear a man coming towards me. Then you showed up."

"He must've disappeared out of a window or down the hallway somehow," Aliyah said.

"How did you manage to work your way this far into the castle of Illusia without being detected, Aliyah?" Vexyna asked.

"Flawless shadow techniques," Cateran said with certainty.

Nodding, Aliyah confirmed, "I have been trained by Max Fast himself."

Phantasmine stumbled through the open doorway. Her garments were in a state of disarray and it looked as though she had put on weight. "What's going on? Who's she?" she asked, indicating Aliyah.

"Meen," Cateran said, "this is my big sister, Aliyah. Ali, this is Phantasmine of Illusia."

The pair regarded each other coldly.

"Have you two met before?" Vexyna asked.

Answers would have to wait. Noises were coming from the courtyard below the window. They all agreed to get dressed and meet in the hallway before venturing forth into the courtyard.

The empty market stalls cast ghastly shadows in the light of the torches two burly men were carrying. Extremely dim sunlight was only just beginning to seep along the horizon.

Krajav, larger than life and bigger than his pants, stood flanked by two archers and two other guards. "Come along without any fuss and we can avoid bloodshed," he commanded.

"Not a chance," Vexyna spat back.

"It is on your head," Krajav said as he lowered his hand to signal his archers to kill two of the group.

A spinning blade sawed the arrows into bits. "Corbon taught me that trick," Aliyah admitted to the assembled crowd. Neatly, she went spinning forward, knocking the two archers flying into unconsciousness. She sprang back before again soaring forward through the air with her blade poised toward Krajav.

The mountain of a man blocked her incoming blade with a small knife and sent her reeling.

Getting up, Aliyah went to Cateran and said, "I am going to need your help." She gripped Cateran's wrists and Cateran gripped hers.

A warm glow washed through Cateran, filling her with tranquility and confidence. Ideas about her gymnastic abilities as fighting techniques flooded her mind. Blinking a few times, she cocked her head to one side and said, "Huh. I never thought of using moves like that before. Wonder if they'll work?"

"Krajav himself made sure I was able to fight because he knew he would need good fighters. But I am sworn to protect the sisters of the House of Fast." Raj leaped forward to strike at the fat man, but was easily sent spinning.

Tripping over a rock, Phantasmine tumbled forward.

Raj leaped towards her with his hands outstretched to catch her.

She landed with her chest neatly packed in both his hands. Phantasmine quickly grasped his arms with the pretext of regaining her balance, but really held his hands in place, causing Raj to feel indentations forming in his palms.

Shock stained Raj's face red.

Phantasmine pressed herself firmly against Raj's hands and slid them slowly down her body until releasing them just below her thighs. She flashed a devilish smile at him and said, "Thank you."

Turning and walking away from him, she flipped up the long tail of her butterfly shirt so he had a good view of her properly rounded posterior. Behind her, she heard Raj gasp. Quickly, she turned and ran back to him as her distraction formed an opening for a slash from Krajav's weapon.

Toppling over into the arms of Phantasmine, Raj gasped, "Protect..."

Cateran ran to Raj. "Raj," she said pleadingly. "Please be okay." She stood up and glared at Krajav. "You!" she screamed. "You've been causing trouble for a long time now." She rolled up her shirt sleeves. "It ends now."

"Fools," spewed Krajav. "As long as I wield the Tiger's Eye Dagger, nothing can come close to touching me." He laughed heartily.

Cradling Raj's head in her lap, Phantasmine tried to make him comfortable. "I am supposed to have incredible powers of healing." Phantasmine looked down despairingly at the blood on her hands that had snapped her back to a sense of her true self. "Why can't I get them to work?"

In her mind, Vexyna heard Phantasmine's pleas. Vexyna, help me! The will of Dacreel lays dormant deep within the substructure of the Crystals of Change in hopes that someday even one Illusian might be its puppet. Now I am that puppet.

What can I do, Vexyna thought back to the real Phantasmine.

If I could just activate my Light of Nogard, I am positive it would cleanse the Crystal of Dacreel's residue.

Again, I ask; what can I do, Vexyna repeated her question.

Try to find enough love in your heart for me to activate your own inner light. The healing light within you is powered by concern or love for the one being healed.

How will that affect the personality matrix within the crystal? Have your machines had time to transfer all of the information? Vexyna had a memory within that thought. It was of Doctor Deathbrain explaining how the person who was Phantasmine was having her information moved from the Crystal of Change to the organic brain.

'The information and personality matrix has to be transferred from the crystals to the nanobots. The nanobots then weave the organic brain cells and incorporate that information along the way. The person who is Phantasmine is literally in three different places within herself' was what Doctor Deathbrain had told Vexyna. 'Once the crystal has copied all of its information to the nanobots, the crystal is no longer required. Also, once the nanobots have finished implanting the information in the newly formed organic brain cells, the nanobots become redundant. At that time, Phantasmine will have a wholly organic body'.

The nanobots finally managed to finish synthesizing an organic brain. Removal of the machines is only a matter of time. With my release from the Crystal of Change, I would be completely free. That is why the loss of the ability to use electricity did not stop me for long, Phantasmine explained.

Closing her eyes to help block out the world, Vexyna began to concentrate on healing Phantasmine until some of Phanta's other thoughts started drifting into Vexyna's head. Sensual images and feelings washed through Vexyna. Opening her eyes, she watched as Phantasmine's hands explored Raj's inert body. Stunned and silent, Vexyna felt her thirst growing.

Looking her straight in the eyes through her dark glasses, Phantasmine said in a strange voice, "Yes. Come. Mate with this one."

Like a zombie, Vexyna lurched in the direction of Phantasmine and Raj. She then sat on Raj's groin and leaned forward to kiss him. Her tail whipped out from behind her and sank into the helpless man.

Aliyah and Cateran walloped Vexyna and Phantasmine on the backs of their heads, sending them to sleep.

Looking at Aliyah, Cateran stated, "Good thing we've got good hearing. I'm glad you knew what was happening. What were they doing? Did Meen really say the word 'mate'?" A sword struck the ground inches from Cateran. She flipped away and turned around to face her assailant.

The attacker's sword held firmly in the earth where he had struck it. He was tugging mightily upon the haft when Cateran crowned him with a stone and sent him to the ground.

Bending over Raj, Aliyah said a few brief words that Cateran could not hear. She held her hands with the palms facing each other on either end of Raj's wound. A pale green light grew between the palms of Aliyah's hands. It grew until it was slightly larger than the wound, then it melted its way into the gash.

In moments, Raj stirred and felt where his wound should have been. It was completely healed. He looked questioningly at the inert bodies of Vexyna and Phantasmine. When he saw the agent of Krajav that Cateran had recently sent to the land of slumber, he remembered the fat man was near. Rising to his feet, Raj checked for Cateran and Aliyah. They had gone back to attacking Krajav, who had been standing around laughing at them while the girls had to deal with Phantasmine, Vexyna and the last of Krajav's personal guard.

"We need to double-team this guy," Aliyah whisper-shouted to Cateran. "Up or down?"

Cateran put her right thumb up. Aliyah put her left thumb down. They nodded to each other and prepared to attack.

Aliyah dropped to the ground and swept her legs forward as she spun around. Simultaneously, Cateran leaped into the air and spun in the opposite direction, extending her foot to its fullest. Cateran's foot connected squarely with Krajav's face, viciously snapping his neck to one side and causing him to spin to the ground.

Using Krajav's face as a launching pad, Cateran leaped after the dagger, which had gone flying from Krajav's hand. She caught it easily. She was landing with her back to the others when she began to scream. What started as a cry of pain and shock became the wail of a cat by the time Cateran had landed.

Placing a hand to her face, Cateran realized something was not normal. Worse yet, something was wriggling around in the seat of her pants. She felt uncomfortable. Embarrassed, she picked at the fabric. With frustration, she tore a small slit in the seat of her pants and out popped a fuzzy red tail. Her luminescent green eyes were wide with amazement.

Cateran turned to face her comrades. Aliyah and Raj didn't look at all surprised to see Cateran's new fuzzy red and white cat-face. Bounding over to the others, Cateran asked, "Is there something you wanted to tell me about this dagger that you may have failed to mention earlier?" She tried to hand the dagger to Aliyah, who backed away with her palms up in front of her.

"I'll take care of the dagger," Raj said with his hand outstretched.

Releasing the weapon into Raj's care returned Cateran to normal. Hands swiftly moved to her rear as Cateran realized she could feel the breeze through her pants. A cheesy grin took its place on her face. "Would someone please tell me what all this is about?" she asked. She pressed her back against a worn stone pillar.

"Power, manipulation and greed," answered Krajav. He had managed to roll over onto his side, but still could not get to his feet.

"What was that about greed?" Phantasmine enquired of the assemblage. Her head wobbled as she took in her surroundings. With a hand at the back of her head, she stated, "Please refrain from violently jarring my new brain." She felt the front of her head before continuing. "Being a physical entity does have the occasional drawback."

"Ya think?" Vexyna asked sarcastically. Her head was also smarting from where Aliyah had whacked her. Vexyna and Phantasmine sat on the ground feeling their heads, laughing and moaning. "Did I flip out again?"

"You were caught in an unladylike position," Aliyah informed Vexyna.

Cateran glared at Phantasmine. "You didn't help, Meen."

Phantasmine drew their attention to the fact that Krajav and his men had all risen and were banding together.

"We need the doctor with treatment for Vexyna or she can't be left alone," Aliyah said.

"Raj, get Doctor Deathbrain," Cateran told him.

"But..." Raj started to say, indicating Krajav.

"Go!" Cateran commanded. "I'll be okay with Ali."

Raj dashed off towards the interior of the castle to fetch the doctor.

"Vex, stay away from Meen," Cateran said. She stepped right up to where Phantasmine was seated on the ground before saying, "Meen, don't you dare go anywhere near Vex or I will pound you."

Looking up into the glaring green eyes of Cateran, Phantasmine softly said, "I'll give you a pound or two." The waving of Phantasmine's arms caused Cateran to blink.

When she reopened her eyes, Cateran looked down at a body that was three times the size it should've been. "Whaaaaaa?" she gasped. So totally engrossed was she that she became oblivious to her surroundings.

"No one here," Phantasmine said while looking in Aliyah's direction and again waved her hand.

Aliyah suddenly found herself alone in the empty market of Illusia. She looked around hesitantly and remained quiet.

"Now to play with a little fire," Phantasmine said. She got to her feet and walked over to where Vexyna was sitting still trying to figure out what was going on. Thrusting her wrist under Vexyna's nose, Phantasmine commanded, "Take a good whiff."

Pheromones filled Vexyna's nostrils, sending the blue in her eyes into expansion.

Phantasmine made note of the size of blue in Vexyna's eyes and pulled her wrist away when the blue had created a thin circle around the exterior of the brown.

Vexyna sat wobbling as if in a daze. Her thirst told her to act, but she was unsure of herself. Around her, she thought she saw the bodies of men she had just drained. Her skin tingled ever so slightly.

Clapping made Phantasmine turn around.

Krajav's hands motioned in front of him. "Nice parlor tricks," he commended her. "Why couldn't you have done that earlier?"

"I don't always have the opportunity," came the strange voice from Phantasmine.

"The boy is what I came for," Krajav informed the Crystal Queen. "Those redheads have to be dealt with as well."

"The boy will come for me, I hope," Phantasmine replied. "Once I have finished with them, you may have them."

"Do you think your mind tricks will work on me?" Krajav threatened.

"They don't have to," Phantasmine hissed back as she indicated Vexyna. "Ever had your glands sucked out?" Her lips curved into a hideous smile.

"The Red Empress wants her dead," said Krajav.

"Din is a fool to kill Vexyna," Phantasmine replied. "She is worth much more to Dacreel if she remains alive. You are a fool for bringing the Tiger's Eye dagger. Now those ghastly Vag girls are aware of too much of their heritage. A heritage I thought you were trying to keep secret."

"The dagger grants great speed to the user," Krajav informed her. "I always carry it."

"Enough out of you. Memory blocks have been put in place so they will only remember what I want them to remember of what has transpired here this morning. Now, leave this place at once before the boy returns with the doctor." Phantasmine vented at Krajav. "If you are not gone soon, you will all know the glory of giving your lives for the resurrection of Dacreel."

This statement caused Krajav's men to fidget uneasily. "I shall expect those redheads and that boy delivered to me in short order. Do as you please with the girls, but Empress Din requires the boy alive. A great honor is to be bestowed upon him. He has been graciously chosen by our supreme Empress Din to be her Seeder," Krajav said before leading his men from the courtyard.

"Idiot," proclaimed the Crystal Queen. "Raj is to be Din's Seeder, is he?" She turned to the three other girls and planted a memory in their minds. The memory would tell them they had fought bravely and drove Krajav off into the morning sun, but they never did find out how he knew where Illusia was or how to get in.

Raj came running from the castle with Doctor Deathbrain ambling up behind.

Doctor Deathbrain quickly administered treatment to Vexyna and she began to return to normal. The others waited for the doctor to finish and Vexyna to regain some of her senses.

"Somehow Krajav knows about Illusia," Aliyah lamented.

"Krajav?" Doctor Deathbrain was quizzical. "Of the Vag lineage from the Great Fire?"

"He certainly displayed the countenance of someone of that bloodline," Phantasmine observed in her normal voice.

"If Krajav knows about Illusia, you can bet Din also knows," Vexyna added. "Illusia is no longer safe. I still need an explanation for what happened in my room earlier. I vote for getting out of here."

"Leaving Illusia is a given," Cateran agreed. "But where do we go from here? What is our next move?"

"The Red Empress is the one who has been making all of the offensive moves," Aliyah observed. "She is warlike and we need to start thinking along those lines if we want to defeat her. We need to take out some of her arsenal."

"Arse and all what?" Cateran asked innocently.

"What?" Aliyah looked at Cateran.

"You said 'we need to take out her arse and all'..." Cateran repeated.

"No," Aliyah corrected her. "I said 'we need to take out her arsenal."

"That's a word?"

"Yes. It means 'a place for making or storing arms'. A broader definition would include all weapons and personnel." She paused to make sure she had everyone's attention before she continued. "I heard through the grapevine that Din is using the Earth Elementals as her pawns. We must seek out the other Elementals to aid in the search for the missing earth formling."

"Searching for Elementals is foolish," Phantasmine stated flatly. "I will have no part in it. I shall remain here." She turned to walk away from the rest of the group.

"Phanta? You're leaving us? Why?" Vexyna called after her.

"I suggest you all leave Illusia at once," was Phantasmine's reply. Tension could be heard in her voice. "Please go swiftly before you are not allowed to leave."

"Not allowed?" Vexyna was puzzled.

"Go!" shouted Phantasmine before turning and running away.

"Electricity may be useless, but the Crystals of Change should provide Phanta with enough power to erect the castle defenses and we don't want to be around when that happens," Doctor Deathbrain let them know. "Let's get out of here and find those Elementals."

# Chapter 18: Braving the Elements

Without hesitation, the group marched out of the empty market and out of Illusia altogether. They ventured into the field across the road and stopped under some trees to compare notes.

"What's the deal with Meen?" Cateran asked, pulling a roll out of her coveralls. She looked from the roll down to her stomach and back up to the roll again. A strange chill ran through her and she had no idea why. Closing her eyes to calm herself, Cateran bit into the roll and ripped off a large piece. With satisfaction, she chewed and swallowed it.

"Illusians are best kept at arm's length," Aliyah advised her little sister. "No offence, Doctor."

"None taken," replied Doctor Deathbrain, who rested his back on the trunk of one of the trees. "I try not to get caught up in politics. I'm a scientist, remember."

"Phantasmine was acting rather strangely," Raj put forth. "I thought you guys were better friends than that, Vex."

Vexyna was sitting, knees at her chest, with her arms wrapped around her legs. Gently, she rocked forward and back. "I guess Phanta got what she wanted and had no more use for me... uh... us." There was a faraway look in her eyes. "She wanted me to do something for her. I can't remember what."

"If she wanted you to do something for her, why did she just kick you out of her castle?" Aliyah asked.

"I don't know," Vexyna had to answer. "There are so many things I just don't know." She rested her chin on her knees and continued to rock.

Aliyah walked over to Vexyna and bent to rest her hands on Vexyna's shoulders. "Phanta has her own agenda. The Crystals of Change are cursed. They are stained with Dacreel's pure essence. Even Exuthron couldn't completely purify the Heart of Sin. Within Phantasmine lurks another incarnation of Dacreel."

"It makes me wonder what sort of pawn Phanta is in the games of Nogard," the doctor mused.

"Pawn, Doctor?" Vexyna asked.

"By now, you should've realized there is a conflict going on between Illusia, Nogard and the Vag," Deathbrain clarified. "No details are necessary at the moment, but the people of Nogard have been known to manipulate people and events to their own ends."

"And the Illusians have never done that sort of thing," Aliyah shot back sarcastically.

"People of all cultures on this continent seem to be guilty of subterfuge," Vexyna commented. "Let's stick with what we know. One thing I know is that I need to be able to keep better control of my thirst. Doctor, please give me several of those pills filled with the serum you have been using on me. It would be a wise idea if I always kept some of those handy."

"Agreed," said the doctor as he went over to Vexyna and handed her some capsules. "It was something I had been meaning to do anyway. I grabbed everything and stored it in this satchel just in case we had to make a quick escape."

"Speaking of 'do', what do we do?" Cateran asked as she finished her second roll.

"We seek out all the different Elemental beings and ask their help," Vexyna replied.

"Where? How?" Raj raised his hands palms up, his shoulders scrunched at the neck as he waved his hands back and forth in front of him.

"You're asking?" Vexyna looked at him mockingly. "Mr. Been-everywhere doesn't know where the different Elementals hang out?" She was now sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her on the ground. She reached up with both hands to touch the tips of her fingers to her breastbone. "I'm shocked."

"That was a little rough, Vex," Aliyah said. "Even I haven't been everywhere. And I've seen quite a bit on a couple of continents and a few islands."

Raj's eyes bulged. "You've been off this continent?" He was dumbfounded. Shaking his head, he added, "Wait. Of course you have. You are the Traveler."

"So I appear to have been dubbed," Aliyah responded. "Back to matters at hand. There are three spots on this continent we need to visit. At those locations, we should be able to make contact with the three Elemental groups: Wind, Fire and Water."

"My impression of the situation is that we don't have a lot of time," interjected the doctor. "Without Senomar, I don't know how we are going to travel."

"You Illusians are too dependent on your technology," Vexyna commented.

"Spoken like a true Nogardian," came a mellow, masculine voice from the trees.

Everyone assembled under the trees quickly changed their positions and focused their attention into the branches above. "Excuse me?" Vexyna asked, peering around. Even she could not spot anyone in the trees.

"You're a half-breed," accused the voice. "Part of you is really good. Part of you is really bad. Have you decided which part to use most often?"

"Where are you? Show yourself?" Aliyah had removed her blade from its sheath and held it in a defensive position in front of her.

Leaves rustled as branches shook, but no one appeared. "Ali!" the voice half shouted in a happily surprised manner.

"You know me?" Aliyah was dubious. "Who are you?"

"We've met on the continent to the east and on a couple of islands," revealed the voice.

"I'm still not sure," Aliyah confessed.

"Think about it a moment," advised the voice. "So, you're going to ask the Fire, Water and Wind Elementals for help. I wish you luck with that. You might also consider enlisting the aid of the last Element."

"Last element? Which one is last?" Cateran was curious.

"Beyond Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, some cultures believe there is another state of being that may be considered an Element," the voice informed them.

"You mean wood," Vexyna answered. "Wood is sometimes considered an element."

"Good," the voice said. "Now, Ali, can you figure out who I am?"

Whenever Aliyah was concentrating really hard on something, she would stick the tip of her tongue between her front teeth so that it protruded slightly from her lips. Eyes and mouth snapped open wide as she came to a realization. "Pondish? Could it be? Here? After all this time?"

"In the bark," was the voice's happy reply.

"Bark?" Raj looked for clarification.

"I thought you were a Vag, not a dog," the voice shot back merrily.

"Everyone," Aliyah addressed the group, "I'd like you to meet the Tree of Pondish." She swept the palms of her hands up into the branches and the leaves gently caressed them.

"Tree?" Cateran was almost speechless.

"Better work on your reaction," commented the Tree. "The other Elementals aren't as easy going as I am."

"Wood as an Element?" Raj mulled the idea over.

"I don't care too much about whether or not you think of wood as an Element," the Tree tossed at them. "This world is in danger and you need my help. It's that simple."

"After the Great Fire, I thought you only existed off this continent," Aliyah mentioned to the Tree.

"Only now are my saplings large enough to be of any use on this continent," replied the Tree.

"Bet you and the Fire Elementals don't mingle much," Vexyna put forth.

"Fire isn't as bold you might think," said the Tree. "They need wind to survive and can be easily smothered or drowned by earth or water."

"How the Elements interact would be a good thing to remember," Aliyah offered. "What we just heard from the Tree of Pondish might be valuable. What else can you tell us about the other Elementals?"

"Earth Elementals are the most caring. I'm not surprised they're all up in arms at losing a formling," said the Tree.

"You know about that?" Cateran was impressed.

"Of course," replied the Tree, "my roots run throughout this entire planet. I'm fairly well informed about most things."

"Do your roots extend to Nogard?" Vexyna was curious.

"Nogard exists in the space between planes," the Tree answered. "It is everywhere and it is nowhere."

This thoroughly confused Cateran and she had no bones about admitting it. "How can a place be everywhere and nowhere at the same time? For that matter, how can one place be every place?"

"Just think of Nogard as an island and you'll be okay," Vexyna calmed Cateran.

Stopping to consider Vexyna's explanation, Cateran decided it would do for the moment. "I suppose. Which Elemental group are we going to look for first?"

"Any suggestions, my friend from Pondish?" Aliyah asked the Tree.

"Where is Pondish?" Cateran suddenly wanted to know.

"A long way from here," replied the Tree matter-of-factly. "If you're all planning on traveling together, I'd suggest you try the Water Elementals first. They're usually pretty easy going. They can seep into places most folks would forget about. You won't have time to recruit all of the Elementals. Pick and choose your allies carefully."

"Where do we find them and how do we approach them?" were the next questions coming from Raj.

"Water Elementals can be found everywhere," the Tree let them know. "They are friendly, easy going and curious about many things. Intrigue them with your story and they might help you."

"Can you be a bit more specific than 'everywhere'?" Vexyna asked.

"Through a pass in the mountains behind Illusia, you'll find a small lake," responded the Tree. "No humans go there because they don't know it exists. Illusia's transparency illusion covers the entrance to the pass."

Concern scowled its way across Raj's countenance. "Lake? I've never heard anything about a lake in that area. That's all just mountains, isn't it?"

"Like I said," repeated the Tree with a chuckle, "go to the lake."

"No one has ever been there?" Cateran was amazed.

"Folks used to gather at the lake all the time," the Tree reminisced, "a long time ago."

"Before the Great Fire?" Cateran asked innocently.

Leaves rustled and branches swayed. "Yes, before that time."

"How much of the events surrounding the Great Fire do you remember?" Vexyna probed.

"Everything up to the searing pain of losing a large part of myself," said the Tree with slight anguish.

Stepping into the conversation, Aliyah said, "Let's stay focused on what we need to accomplish. How far away is the lake?"

"It'll only take you a couple of hours walking," replied the Tree.

Rumbling spread through the group until everyone turned to face Cateran because she was the source of the noise.

"What?" She looked back at them. "I'm a little hungry; that's all."

"Didn't you just eat?" Vexyna asked.

"Those were only rolls," Cateran explained. "And I only had a couple."

"Would you care to try one of these?" Three branches bent down to Cateran. Each presented her with a bounty of fruit.

"Three kinds of fruit from the same tree?" Cateran was beside herself with delight. She ran on the spot for a few seconds before dashing towards the nearest tree trunk. Wrapping her arms around the trunk, Cateran gave it a big squeeze, saying, "You're the greatest!"

"Can you tell that Cateran likes fruit?" Raj asked, slightly embarrassed.

"So she is Cateran," observed the Tree. "You look like a miniature version of Ali." There was a smile in the Tree's voice. "I somehow knew you would. We got swept up into conversation so rapidly you never did get around to introducing me to all of your friends, Ali."

Introductions were made all around while the troupe sat enjoying the fruit that the Tree provided.

"I still can't get over your ability to produce three different fruits from the same tree," commented Vexyna.

"That's nothing." The Tree laughed. "You should see me dance." The whole grove shook as the Tree guffawed at its own joke. "The fruits all come from different trees. I just helped the branches make their way here."

"Other than your obvious aversion to the Fire Elementals, what other things can you tell us about the Elementals?" Vexyna asked.

"Water is curious and easy going," the Tree said.

"You mentioned that," Aliyah reminded the Tree. "How do we get them to show themselves?"

"Arrive without a lot of noise and you should be able to catch them lounging about the lake," informed the Tree.

"Use cat-like stealth to sneak up them, huh?" Cateran asked with a crafty look in her eyes.

"How are your shadow techniques?" Aliyah asked.

"Well, they're..." Cateran started to say.

"Improving," Vexyna interrupted.

"Your martial arts skills seem adequate," commented Aliyah.

Shrugging, Cateran said, "It suddenly occurred to me that some of my leaping and tumbling could be used in either a defensive or offensive way. Don't ask me how it came to me."

"Phantasmine's ability to render people invisible would come in handy," Vexyna thought aloud.

"Not really," corrected the Tree. "Elementals can sense changes and irregularities in the harmonics around them. They'd be able to tell something wasn't right."

"You can't fool nature," Aliyah chipped in. "And we're better off without her for the moment."

"Phantasmine has to have time to adjust to the sensations available to be experienced," Doctor Deathbrain slipped in. "It seems perfectly natural to me that she would overindulge in the beginning. Such overindulgences cause massive chemical imbalances in the brain."

"Her imbalances have been causing me to become unbalanced myself," Vexyna said. "There must be a way for me to control my thirst without the aid of the treatment. It's hard to control what happens when I give in to my cravings," she lamented. "I get lost in the moment."

"It's okay to get caught up in the moment as long as the moment doesn't last too long or go too far," Aliyah advised. "Try always to remember the consequences of your actions. Determine the repercussions before you act."

"Head to the lake," urged the Tree. "Stop wasting time."

After packing some fruit for their short trip, the troupe took off for the lake. Along the way, Vexyna said, "Doctor, the nanobots inside Phanta have completed their construction of her organic brain. What will happen to them now?"

"Her system will flush them out naturally just as it has with the other nanobots that came before them," Deathbrain responded. "Many nanobots serve only one specific function and are discarded immediately after that function has been performed."

"Now we have to get that crystal out of her," Vexyna stated determinedly.

"Ah, yes," replied the doctor thoughtfully, "the crystal. That will prove more challenging."

It didn't take them long to reach a little tree-laden valley. In the midst of the greenery lay a large oval-shaped body of water.

Two figures stood on the sand and rocks beside the water. Each stood easily three meters high. One seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and almost got lost in the background of the lake. The other resembled more the earth beneath its feet.

The team crept silently closer to the two figures. From their vantage point, the travelers could hear what the figures were saying.

"If you wanted help tracking down one of your kids, why didn't you come to us sooner?" asked the one whose body surface rippled the shades of blues and greens.

"We are asking now," replied the one with the dirty brown body.

"Those two are Elementals," whispered Aliyah. "Earth and Water."

"It sounds like they're also looking for the Earth kid," Cateran piped in.

From behind each of the travelers, large branches rose up and plucked them from the ground. The branches grew and carried all of them from their hiding spots down toward the Elementals by the lake. The troupe was stunned and no one knew what to do.

The branches deposited the travelers gently on the beach before twisting together to form one large thick branch on the end of which a face formed.

Caught off guard, the Elementals waited for the wooden face to provide them with an explanation as to why their private conversation had been interrupted.

"These fleshlings also seek the Earth child," the voice of the Tree of Pondish told the Elementals.

"Why do you seek the child?" the Earth Elemental asked of the group.

"To return it to you." Vexyna stepped forward. "We know Din is using the child in order to get you Earth Elementals to do whatever she wants."

"It is true," said the Earth Elemental. "At first, we thought she was truly trying to help us in our quest, but now we realize she probably has our child already and is just using us."

"We must find the child in order to relinquish Din's hold over you," Vexyna said.

"Why do you care?" the Water Elemental asked. "Fleshlings don't usually take an interest in the affairs of the elements."

"Din is a fleshling," Vexyna told the Water Elemental. "She seeks to bring about the resurrection of Dacreel."

At the sound of the name Dacreel, another humanoid form swirled into cohesiveness. It was made of undulating patches of wind. "Dacreel must not come again," stated the wind form.

"We care not about the plight of the flesh bound," said the Earth Elemental.

"You mean you don't mind if Dacreel comes back? Isn't he one of the only beings around who can control the Elementals and make them do whatever he pleases?" Aliyah asked.

"Let him come. What has it to do with us?"

"No. Idiots. Do you want to stop knowing who you are? Being able to do as you please? No. We, the Water Elementals, will not stand for this."

"Nor will we, the Wind Elementals. The winds must be allowed to blow free."

"Now that we all have a vested interest in the events currently happening, you may call upon us when you need us," the Water Elemental informed Vexyna.

The Wind Elemental caught a glimpse of the dagger tucked in Raj's sash. "The Tiger's Eye Dagger. Where did you find the blade that can damage an Elemental?"

"This holy relic belongs to the Sacred Sisters; I am merely its keeper until they desire to make use of it," Raj told the Wind.

"Such a weapon is dangerous in the hands of fleshlings. You should give it to us," the Wind Elemental commanded as it stretched out its long arm towards Raj.

"Hold!" Aliyah ordered, stepping between them. She had grasped Cateran's right hand with her left and was leading her forward. "We are the Sacred Sisters. We claim the dagger as our own."

Gingerly, yet firmly, grasping the rounded blade of the knife, Raj held it out so the sisters could place their palms against the haft. Raj released his hold the instant the two girls' had theirs.

Coming from opposite directions, they each managed to touch one side of the handle simultaneously. It was as if they passed right through each other and, when they came out the other side, they had transformed into a new being.

Standing on its hind quarters was a three-meter-tall winged tiger. The dagger dangled as a silver charm in the middle of a black band draped across the creature's forehead.

Twin voices emanated from the beast. "Vexyna, you have been granted the favor of the Elements. The rest is up to you. We have our own destiny to follow," their harmonious voices cried out as the massive wings began to beat. Huge paws gripped Raj, lifting him by his shoulders. "Remember the consequences of your actions at all times, Vexyna," the beast advised her, "and you'll be okay." With that, it turned in the air and flew off to the west, disappearing over the hills.

"Doctor, it is also time we dealt with the fogs and mists," Vexyna said as she turned her attention to the last remaining member of her troupe. "The Wind Elementals should be helpful in spreading whatever is required."

"First, we need to know what has been used in order to administer the proper antidote," replied the doctor. "I would have to visit the site in order to make a diagnosis."

"Ride the wind to wherever you need to go," offered the Wind Elemental.

"Get the Gargantuans back up in Ninim," Vexyna said.

Two more Wind Elementals formed around the doctor. "Ninim?" asked one of them.

"I suppose, yes," answered the doctor.

"Ninim it is then," said the other Wind Elemental. The two locked hands, facing each other, with Doctor Deathbrain between them. Their forms blurred together until only the doctor held a discernable shape.

Deathbrain was off the ground and speeding away before anything else could happen.

"Somehow, I have a feeling you'll not see him again," commented the Water Elemental.

Alone with the Elements, Vexyna sat down on a rock to consider her next move.

# Chapter 19: Family Reunion

"We demand the return of our child first," stated the Earth Elemental flatly.

"Din would want to keep the formling somewhere she was certain the Earth Elementals couldn't stumble over it. It would have to be someplace she knew well and felt safe," Vexyna related to the Elementals.

"The Earth formling is held where you need to venture next, Vexyna," said Trulo from through the trees.

"Trulo." Vexyna was startled. "Where? How?"

"Answers to those questions and many more will be coming your way in a moment, but first let's talk about the Castle of Langsuyar," Trulo answered as he strode towards Vexyna.

"Langsuyar?" the Water Elemental asked. "That is where the Coffer of Essence is found. It's on a remote island to the east of this continent."

"Do you both desire to be transported to the Castle of Langsuyar?" the Wind asked.

"I think so," Vexyna answered, looking at Trulo for approval. "That is a good possibility for where Din might've hidden the Earth child."

"We will need the Water to part in order for us to pass to the island," said the Earth before flattening into the ground and disappearing.

"A path shall be granted," replied the Water before it was absorbed by the lake.

"The Castle of Langsuyar it is," said Trulo. In a breath, he and Vexyna were caught up in the chariot of the wind.

Vexyna's heart was in her throat due to the excessive speed at which the wind was taking her. "Close your eyes," she heard the wind blowing in her ear. "We'll get you there safely. Don't worry." She took the voice's advice and it helped, but only somewhat.

They were speeding across the top of the water when Vexyna next opened her eyes. Up they swiftly soared before meeting the stones walls outside the castle. Over the wall the Wind carried them. Slowing before stopping, the Wind deposited Vexyna and Trulo in the courtyard just outside the enormous wooden doors leading to the castle's interior.

"Holler if you need anything," they heard the Wind say before it blew away.

Unyielding iron door knockers forty-eight centimeters around faced the lone duo.

"Nice of you to join us," said a voice from further down the stone wall into which the giant door was set.

Standing just outside a smaller wooden door was Phantasmine. Beside her was the blond soldier, Span. "Let's get on with the festivities now that the gang's all here," Phantasmine said in her strange voice.

"How?" Vexyna's mouth was agape as she stared at Phantasmine.

"Never mind that now," Phantasmine snapped. "Come this way." She turned and stepped over the thirty-centimeter-high frame of the door.

Span waited for the other two to step inside the castle before he entered.

Once the door was closed behind him, Span hastened to where Phantasmine was standing. From beneath his cloak, he produced two small vials. Popping the stoppers out of each with his thumbs, he proceeded to shake the contents up into Phantasmine's nose. Sneezing lead to snoring as Phantasmine drooped into Span's arms.

"We haven't much time before we're discovered," Span said to Vexyna as he cradled Phantasmine in his arms.

"What's going on?" Vexyna asked.

"Vexyna," said Span, leading them down a dark hall, "I was Din's right-hand man, so I know all about what is going on. Thanks to Doctor Deathbrain's innovations, I was able to regain my wits and realize the gravity of the situation. I will help in any way possible."

Slowly, Phantasmine's body began to change. Her hair grew darker and thinner. A darker tone took hold of her flesh as her eyes assumed an almond shape. She had become what Cinnamon would've looked like as an adult.

Gaping at Phantasmine's new image, Span said, "Unbelievable. That is exactly what Doctor Minihara looked like."

"Who was Doctor Minihara?" Vexyna asked.

"She was a teacher, colleague, friend and confidant while I was doing research in Illusia. That was before she returned to Vangrash and I went off with the cryogenics team."

"I take it you two knew each other well," Vexyna probed.

"We became quite close." His eyes betrayed him. It was obvious in his expression that he and Doctor Minihara had been much closer than he was admitting. "It was a long time ago. It's better left in the past."

Not one to let a mystery this intriguing just slide by, Vexyna accused, "You two were having an affair, weren't you?"

"No, we..." Span sank to his knees. "Yes. We were lovers. I betrayed Phanta and Minihara betrayed Deathbrain. To this day, I do not believe either one knows. Please keep it that way."

"It must be odd, then, seeing your lover's body with your betrothed's mind," Trulo added.

"You don't know the half of it. What if that body is able to call upon genetic memories and somewhere inside it realizes who I am and what I've done?" Span was working himself into a state because he was thinking too much.

"How did Doctor Deathbrain help you? I didn't even know you two were acquainted with one another." Vexyna was finding it hard to trust the man who had brought destruction to her quiet village.

"When Phanta first got here, she was, um..." Span hesitated. "...A little bit frisky. Apparently she had nanobots in her system, created by Doctor Deathbrain, which were transferred to mine. They repaired the damage done to my brain by the cryogenic process and allowed me to break free from Din's spell."

"That's incredible," Trulo marveled. "How did you know Doctor Deathbrain created the nanobots?"

"He is the only one in my memory capable of such a thing," Span replied matter-of-factly. "The doctor is, after all, an Illusian like Phantasmine or me. The Earth formling was being held here. If it weren't for the co-operation of the Water Elementals, the Earth Elementals would never have been able to make it to this island to claim their offspring. Here," he said as he handed Trulo the staff Vexyna had seen Span use in Shojiki. "I do not believe that I shall have any further use of that. Pound it on the ground to summon the Earth Elementals."

Before Trulo could ask how the staff worked, Vexyna piped in, "So the Elementals have been taken care of, good. Why did you knock out Phanta?"

"She is still controlled by the Crystal of Change inside her head," explained Span. "As long as the crystal remains, she will always be a servant of Dacreel." The group had been cautiously marching down a long corridor lined with banners created from fabric with dull colors. Span stopped in front of a small, red-stained door. Hinges complained as the door, which was showing obvious signs of aging, swung open slowly. "In here," he said, indicating the other side of the weathered door.

Inside was a tiny room fitted with a single cot, chair and porcelain pot. Dusty chains with empty shackles hung from the walls. Span put Phantasmine on the cot. After affixing one of the shackles to her wrist, he turned to Vexyna and Trulo to say, "From just outside the door, turn left and keep going until you come to a large central hallway. The throne is in the chamber beyond the great hall. Be warned. Din will be waiting in the great hall. I shall escort you in as my prisoners. This will give us the element of surprise."

Leaving Phantasmine in the tiny room, the three others made their way to the great hall. Once brightly colored a lush red, the carpet now lay stained with age. Tattered pennants and banners waved idly as they passed.

The Red Empress, resplendent in her usual garb, greeted them cheerily. "Hi!" She waved. "It's so nice of you to come. Take the boy to Langsuyar. Leave the girl to me," she commanded Span.

"Yes, ma'am," snapped Span as he led Trulo to the doors beyond the three thrones sitting at the far end of the great hall.

Vexyna was not impressed with the way things were proceeding. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands with the index fingers extended. "Colo omit monto..." she began to murmur.

"Magic doesn't work here, dear," Din informed her. "There are anti-magic chambers surrounding the room containing the Coffer of Essence."

Hands relaxed at her sides again, Vexyna glared at Din.

Pacing slowly around Vexyna, Din tapped the tips of her lips with edge of her forefinger. "Well, sister dear, it's time for a family chat."

"We have nothing to talk about," Vexyna stated flatly.

"Oh, but we do," Din retorted. She stopped pacing. "Let's talk about how you're here to become a baby factory for Dacreel."

"Not hardly," Vexyna spat back. "Why were you massing troops and goods?"

"To protect your offspring when they were not out feeding," answered Din. "I was building an army and fortresses for your children."

"My children? Loosen your bra.Your brain needs oxygen. I'm not squeezing out any puppies anytime soon."

"Ah, but you will."

"Where'd you come from, anyway? Where were you raised? Did you know your father?"

"You see," said Din as she took a seat, "we do have much to talk about." Her red velvet chair with brass tacks holding down the green satin trim sat gracefully on its dark wooden legs. The Red Empress was almost swallowed by the sea of red flowing between her wardrobe and her chair. "I'm from the other side of the Oweesh desert. Mother blessed one of the miners and I was raised as a geologist and mineralogist."

"Is that how you came across the Earth Elementals?"

"One of my jobs was that of scientific investigator for the extreme digs. Those digs went miles underground. On one such particularly deep exploration, I chanced upon an ancient chamber. Within the chamber were strange scratching on the walls. Curiously, I sketched the scratchings in my notebook. Later study revealed the markings to be a dead language. It was directions on how to find a much larger cavern. That large cavern was one of the Earth Elementals' homes."

"So you broke in and stole one of their children?" Vexyna accused Din.

"Pretty much," replied Din glibly. "Then I went back to the Earth forms and told them I'd help them find the child on the surface. I was the one who devised the staff I entrusted to Span. Colored lights on the bands of the staff let the user know whether or not they have keyed in the proper sequence to get the desired response from the Earth Elementals."

"Span." Vexyna was caught in thought for half a second about Phantasmine and her would-be husband. "Where has he taken Trulo?"

"Mother wanted him, so she has him," Din replied casually. She took great delight in seeing Vexyna's reaction. "She can't leave the throne, but she can still have fun with a live snack."

"Out of my way," Vexyna proclaimed as she tried to push her way past Din.

Grabbing Vexyna's wrist, Din flipped her away while rising from the velvet seat.

After landing with a thud, Vexyna sat rubbing her lower back. "Let's try that again," she said, rising to her feet.

Striding swiftly over to Din, Vexyna firmly grasped Din by her shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "Obey me," she commanded.

From beneath Din's waistcoat rose a thin, shiny, black, multi-faceted tail. A sharp tip darted about in the air before securing itself in Vexyna's back. "Suck pheromones," Din hissed.

Control began to seep from Vexyna as Din pumped her full of the stimulating chemicals. To Din's dismay, Vexyna began to robotically pull her closer.

Focusing her thoughts with extreme effort, Vexyna leaned her chin down and managed to extract one of the capsules Doctor Deathbrain had given her into her mouth from its resting place in a shoulder pouch of her cloak. The doctor's treatment took effect swiftly, but Din was still producing a dangerous amount of stimulation for Vexyna to handle.

With hands locked together at the waist and shoulder, Vexyna and Din engaged in a passionate dance.

"Give in already," Vexyna exhaled with narrowed brow.

"Dacreel gives me the strength of will to defeat you, dear sibling," Din replied through clenched teeth.

"There's Dac in my background, too, you know?" Vexyna's body surged with a pulsing, greenish-white glow. Determination gripped her face and she proudly announced, "But Dazartan is also on my side. You cannot win."

Searing white light ripped through Vexyna's hands. Grasping Din's tail with both hands, she pulled in opposite directions with all her might.

A scream tore from Din's throat. She staggered back clutching the bloody stinger-less end of her tail. Her face contorted with rage as she flung herself at Vexyna. Viciously, Din gripped Vexyna's hair.

Returning the move, Vexyna resumed her stare into Din's eyes. "Obey me," she repeated. The pupils of Vexyna's eyes exploded in a kaleidoscope of swirling colors. Her hypnotic gaze held Din motionless. If I can't get her to do what I want her to do, I guess I'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way, thought Vexyna. She slowly backed Din up against a cold stone wall. Vexyna released her grip on Din's hair only to take an even firmer hold of her shoulders. She shoved Din's shoulders forwards and backwards, repeatedly smashing the back of Din's skull into the wall. This process was completed several times until Din slumped in Vexyna's arms.

Dumping Din's body on the soiled carpet, Vexyna thought of Trulo and raced to the doors behind the three thrones.

Span's staff rested just inside the wide, short doors. There was no sign of Span. Blackened walls scarred with hundreds of tormented faces seemed to rise out of sight. In the center of the room sat the throne. It was a massive stone structure with metal bands forming ribs around the occupant.

Trulo sat on his knees beside the throne. A collar had been strung around his neck. The lead rested lightly in the aged palm of Langsuyar.

Tall and graceful, Langsuyar sat stoically on the throne. Her clothes were all black with red and gray highlights. The high back of her cape's collar accentuated the length of her slender neck. In the middle of her chest lay an amulet similar to Vexyna's. "Welcome, my child," said Langsuyar as Vexyna's amulet tore itself from her chest and joined with Langsuyar's.

Pain ripped through Vexyna, causing her knees to buckle. Clutching at her chest, she could find no evidence the amulet had ever made its home within her flesh.

"Where is your sister?" Langsuyar asked when she noticed Din was not with Vexyna.

"Taking a nap," Vexyna replied while she continued to check her chest for holes. "Mother, you have a lot to answer for."

Waving a hand in front of her, Langsuyar stopped Vexyna. "You were created to serve the great lord, Dacreel. That is all you need to know."

Moving closer to the throne made it possible for Vexyna to notice the rings on her mother's left hand. "Are those the wedding bands my father gave you?" Leaning forward in her stance, Vexyna glared with nostrils flared and added, "Or are they from another lover?"

"Your father's bands cannot be removed without severing the fingers," Langsuyar informed her daughter. She watched her words slow her daughter's pace. "I am bound to him as he is bound to me. Our souls will melt together in eternity."

"Release Trulo," Vexyna demanded.

"He is mine now. I will not give him up."

An explosion of light gave way to the clang of metal. Tiny pieces of chain could be seen glittering between Trulo and Langsuyar. No longer captive, Trulo moved quickly away from the throne.

Heads pulled back in reaction to the tall figure that had slid so silently up to the throne.

Standing defiantly before Langsuyar was Aliyah, blade still spinning in her hand.

"You dare free my pet?" Langsuyar glared at the Traveler.

Bolos encircled Langsuyar's neck, causing her to jerk. "We do," Cateran's voice rang out as she cart wheeled into view.

"You guys!" Vexyna cried. "Ali, that was amazing! Nice new trick you've got there, Cat. I thought you two were off working on your own destinies."

"Our destinies are intertwined," explained Aliyah. "Yours is a part of ours."

Langsuyar seethed as Cateran's bolo melted from her neck. Eyes glowing with a gaseous blue flame shot forth their fury and knocked the group back several meters.

Rubbing the various spots on her body that had bumped against the wall and floor, Vexyna asked, "Where's Raj?"

"Helping Doctor Deathbrain deal with the fogs and mists," Cateran answered as she, too, tended to some bruises.

Already on her feet again, Aliyah advanced on Langsuyar.

Seven-centimeter-long black energy shards ejected themselves from Langsuyar's fingertips.

The Traveler's blade was too fast for all but one of them. One managed to penetrate Aliyah's defenses and ripped a chunk out her left leg, causing her to spin hurriedly to the ground. She pulled herself to a wall away from the throne. With her back to the wall, she tended to her wound.

Back flipping across the stone floor, Cateran managed to spring off the edge of the throne and high into the air. She was descending heavily onto Langsuyar's head when Langsuyar swiveled to one side and spewed forth a noxious green gas.

Choking, but otherwise unharmed, Cateran flipped back off the throne and landed with the group. She quickly dropped to her knees, clutching her throat.

It was Vexyna's turn to advance on her mother. Before she could reach the throne or even speak, a majestic jade dragon swooped out of the inordinately high ceiling.

"Lanton," gasped Langsuyar.

"Father?" Vexyna's eyes were wide with wonder.

"Then you are not dead," continued Langsuyar. "I thought the girl had been released to me. I had no idea you would come to claim her back."

"My mission is far graver than that, I'm afraid," intoned Lanton. The dragon landed softly and, as it did, it changed into the human form of Lanton. Walking towards Langsuyar, he said, "For the good of all, you must relinquish the throne to Vexyna."

"No, my love," replied Langsuyar. "Din must take this place." Her eyes flared with a gaseous blue flame. "Vexyna will be used to produce many offspring to serve the will of Dacreel." With the tips of her fingers pointing upwards, she thrust her arms forward with palms toward Lanton, causing a yellow ball of energy to fire across the chamber.

Doubling over after the impact of the energy ball, Lanton dropped to his knees.

"It is time to extinguish your light, my love," Langsuyar said coldly. She raised her hands in preparation of delivering Lanton to Heaven. Her arms were held high over her head. Between her two palms, a bluish-yellow ball of energy grew larger.

Flipping forward quickly, Lanton grabbed Langsuyar's wrists and held her arms in place. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said softly, "Enna, you cannot harm our child." A deeply hued green aura was building around Lanton.

"Enna?" Langsuyar gaped. "You still remember my original name."

"Of course." Lanton smiled into her eyes. "Do you remember building snowmen?"

"And the way you always kept me warm," Langsuyar replied, somewhat dreamily. Her energy ball had stopped growing, but Lanton's aura had continued to envelope them.

"Let me warm you up now," Lanton said as he leaned forward to press his lips against Langsuyar's. Crossing his arms in front of him, he interlaced his fingers with hers and caused their wedding bands to connect.

Langsuyar's energy ball fizzled out as both rings began to send out chimes. As their lips met, he slowly pulled their arms down.

The couple dissolved into a fine yellow-green mist as their hands passed along their bodies. Soon, all that was left of them was a bit of lingering mist and the faint tinkling of chimes.

"Father!" cried Vexyna as she sank to her knees.

A bubbling red mist poured forth from the Coffer of Essence and filled the throne once again with the form of Langsuyar. "Ah." She belched. "Free from love at last. Now, let us deal with the children."

Glowing with rage, Vexyna advanced slowly towards her mother. Bits of silver flame danced in and out of her entire body.

Langsuyar extended her index finger towards Vexyna, then slowly curled it up.

Vexyna was halted in her tracks. She stood trembling, grasping at the platinum band around her neck.

"A precaution, you might say," explained Langsuyar. "We don't need any more interference from that side of the family."

"That's too bad," echoed a stern female voice from nowhere.

"Zuud-Akh'Du," Langsuyar seethed.

"Correct for fifty points. Are you ready for the lightning round?" Shards of light crashed from above all around the throne.

"This is not your fight," Langsuyar cried at the air.

"You extinguished my son and now you have taken an unfair advantage over my granddaughter. I'm here to even the odds."

Dots of multi-colored light danced about Vexyna's neck. The platinum collar vanished.

"Now you are free, Vexyna. Free to call upon the gifts Dazartan has given you. The rest is up to you."

Still feeling her neck where the band had bound her, Vexyna spoke to the air. "Thank you, Grandmother."

There was no reply.

"You will all die!" Langsuyar screamed. She rose from the throne and thrust her hands over her head. Dark purple and black volleys of jagged light shot between her upturned palms.

Bits of silver flame resumed their dance in and out of Vexyna's body. Soon, her entire frame had been consumed by the silver sheath. Glowing green eyes pierced the veil.

Vexyna continued to move slowly toward Langsuyar. All the while, Langsuyar lobbed balls of pulsing energy at Vexyna. None appeared to have any effect on the advancing girl.

Soon, Vexyna was upon Langsuyar. "Time you were de-throned," she announced. Vexyna shook with power and rage. Grasping her mother firmly by the neck, she tilted her head back and both began to moan.

Moaning quickly gave way to wailing and screeching on Langsuyar's part.

Oddly shaped bits and pieces of Langsuyar's flesh began to break away and fly in the air. Her screams intensified the less of her there was to see.

Soon, all that was left of her were her empty echoes in the huge chamber.

"No!" exclaimed the Red Empress as she staggered into the chamber. "It's too soon. There are no offspring to continue the line."

"One of you two has to take the throne soon or Dacreel will automatically begin his attempt to emerge on this plane," Aliyah told Vexyna and Din.

"No," repeated Din, "I want to remain free."

"Vexyna must take the throne," Trulo stated. "Qrxyn said that was her destiny."

"No, Qrxyn said it was her destiny to seal the Coffer of Essence," Aliyah corrected.

"Does anybody know how I'm supposed to seal the Well?" Vexyna asked.

"I don't know," answered Cateran, "and there's something else I want to know. Spinning storm clouds shouldn't form inside a building, right?"

"Clouds? What are you talking about, Cat?" Vexyna was puzzled.

Pointing at the ceiling, Cateran repeated, "Storm clouds. Spinning storm clouds."

High above them in the center of the ceiling, tiny wisps of cloud were gradually growing larger as they swirled about in the air.

"Does the word 'vortex' mean anything to you?" Aliyah asked Vexyna rhetorically.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Vexyna wondered.

"I vote for running away," Din shouted while hastening towards the doors.

"Form the Tiger's Triangle," Aliyah said in a grave tone of voice. "That is the only way for us to close the gate." She indicated that Vexyna should remove the dagger from Aliyah's sash.

Grasping the dagger firmly, Vexyna soon found herself surrounded by the two redheads. They were seated facing opposite each other. They had removed their footwear and had placed the soles of their feet against each other so their Marks of the Tiger rested together. Vexyna held dagger's blade between her palms with the handle pointing towards the floor. Each Vag reached up and touched the handle at the same instant.

From high above the trio, a handful of scaly claws reached through the ever-increasing cloud mass to swipe at the occupants of the room. Din, who had been caught up in watching the activities, was trapped in the grasp of the giant claws and torn screaming from the room through the clouds. Light flashed violently through the clouds as Din's screams of torment died out.

Silently, Trulo watched as the trio of girls levitated until they were situated between the Coffer of Essence' throne and the clouds in the ceiling. A golden pyramid of energy had enveloped them.

Inside the pyramid of light, Vexyna felt only warmth, calm and serenity. She thought about the loss of her father and grieved for the fact she still had so much to say to him. She thought about Trulo and how much she wanted to make sure he was safe. Outside the pyramid, its light grew more intense.

Huge cracks began to form in the chamber's walls and floor. Great chunks of pillars and walls began to crash down around the occupants.

Grasping the staff Span had given him, Trulo banged the end into the ground rapidly three times. The bands on the staff quickly changed colors. Trulo looked anxiously about the chamber in search of reply. None came.

Plumes of dust billowed through the room as the castle continued to disintegrate. Soon, all that was left was a small patch of stone floor containing the throne over the Coffer of Essence, the levitating girls and Trulo. Above were only darkened sky and the whirling vortex. Below, the inky water surrounding the island crashed madly against what remained of the supports to the last piece of castle.

Searing, brilliant white light exploded skyward from the Triangle and pierced the gateway in the sky. A thousand simultaneous screams of torment were heard before the vortex vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Triangle's light began to fade rapidly and the girls dropped quickly back to the floor. Each of the girls slumped backwards into unconsciousness, thus losing their grips on the dagger. Tumbling off the edge of what remained of the floor, the dagger splashed into the sea.

Trulo dashed from girl to girl in order to rouse them from their slumber. They would not wake up. He tried calling out for aid from the Wind Elementals, but it was the wind itself that pushed his cries back into his throat.

Sinking to his knees, Trulo cradled Vexyna's motionless head in his arms. He began to sob uncontrollably as the floor beneath them started slowly eating itself away.

One by one, the girls tumbled into the dark waters. Trulo still clutched Vexyna tightly as they, too, plunged deeply into the water. Down they dropped until the floor of the sea rose up to meet them.

# Chapter 20: Final Words

The floor of the sea was, in fact, rising to meet them. Mud and sand gave way to a massive rock that pushed the four soaked travelers back up past the surface of the water.

Oddly enough, Trulo was not sputtering for air. His lungs functioned perfectly normally. Trulo quickly set about reviving the girls and making sure they were breathing properly. Having accomplished that task, he sat back to notice he was surrounded by four Earth Elementals and two Water Elementals.

"Which one of you fleshlings told us to go play with ourselves?" one Earth Elemental asked.

"Sorry," Trulo said with a sheepish grin. "I wasn't sure how that thing worked, but I knew we needed help."

"No harm done," replied the Earth Elemental. "Thanks to you lot, we were able to retrieve our child and get that dizzy fleshling off our backs."

"We have now saved your lives and returned the debt," stated another Earth form. The Earth forms melted into the rock.

Above Trulo and the girls, four Wind Elementals took shape. "Come on," said the first one that had formed. "Just because we're free..." The Wind paused for a moment to see how quick Trulo was to catch the wordplay. "...We'll do you one last favor and take you and the fleshling females anywhere you'd like to go."

"Do you think he got it?" one Wind Elemental muttered to another.

"Too subtle for fleshlings," replied the other.

"Home," replied Trulo. "I'd like to go home. Shojiki is the name of the village. Do you know it?"

"You bet," responded the first Wind. The four Winds surrounded the travelers and lifted them high into the sky.

As they rose out of sight, they could barely hear the Water Elementals below them talking. "We didn't even get in so much as a 'howdya do'. And after us making sure you didn't drown when you touched bottom."

"Ungrateful, if you ask me," replied the another Water.

Popping its head through the surface of the sea water, a third Water Elemental spoke. "Good news. We have the dagger now." This news pleased all three and they laughed heartily.

The four travelers were whisked swiftly back to the remains of Shojiki.

Setting the travelers on the ground, the Wind began to depart when Trulo shouted after them, "I did get it, you know. You said 'because we are free', referring to being 'free as the wind', because you are wind."

"That's pretty dry," commented Vexyna.

"Lame," Cateran piped in.

"What would you expect from Wind but dry humor," Aliyah offered.

Even the Wind groaned. "I suppose you could do better?"

"Did the Wind that brought you here seem okay to you?" Cateran asked Aliyah.

"Yes. Why? Was something wrong with yours?" Aliyah replied.

"I'm not sure. My Elemental seemed, I don't know, off somehow."

"Did it smell funny?"

"Smell funny? Come to think of it, yes."

"There you go then," concluded Aliyah. "A funny smell is a sure sign that you've broken Wind."

The Wind roared. "Good one. A bit crude, but humorous. Just remember you owe us a favor."

"There's always a catch," Vexyna muttered under her breath. Loudly, she asked, "What would you like?"

"We'll let you know," said one as the four Winds vanished.

Standing outside the rubble-strewn gates of Shojiki, the four weary travelers took a moment to look at each other and survey their surroundings. Giant boulders and heaps of soil were piled up against the stone walls of the village. Entrance was now possible through an opening four meters wide, which was almost as wide as the gates had been.

Passing through the opening revealed village residents hurriedly decorating the village square. Brightly colored ribbons and bows had been strung about freshly erected torch poles. These new poles didn't have a traditional torch in the socket. Instead, these poles were furnished with crystals.

Doctor Deathbrain was spotted underneath one of those poles chatting with Norlen about the new lights for the village. "The current runs through and makes the crystal light up."

"But it's not one your Illusian change crystals, is it?" Norlen was wary.

"No, it is not a Crystal of Change," reassured the doctor. Noticing the group advancing toward him, Deathbrain exclaimed, "Vexyna! Welcome home."

"Yes, Vexyna," added Norlen quickly. "It is good to have you home. And you as well, Trulo. All these fancy trimmings in the square are for you two coming home. What news of your father, Vexyna?"

"Hello D.B., hi Norlon," Vexyna replied wearily. "My father is dead. He died with my mother at the Coffer of Essence."

"What of the Red Empress?" Doctor Deathbrain inquired.

"Swallowed up, presumably by Dacreel himself," Aliyah relayed. "Gone, anyhow."

"Aliyah!" Norlen burst forth. "It has been a long time. Let me look at you." He tilted his head around to give Aliyah a good going-over. "Tirlig will be pleased to hear of your exploits. I'm afraid that boy has been struck with a bit of wanderlust after being trapped inside this village for so long."

"It is good to see you too, Norlen," Aliyah cheerfully replied. "I have plenty of tales to tell everyone. First tale belongs to my sister."

"Sister?" Norlen was surprised.

"Yes," responded Aliyah. "Sister. Right here. Her name is Cateran."

"Hello," said Cateran, giving a little wave.

"By the suns, she does look like you." Norlen was amazed. "Welcome, young Cateran. I am Norlen. My virile son's name is Tirlig. You'll be sure to meet him."

Not knowing how to interpret those last statements, Cateran simply smiled and pulled a flat piece of fruit from her coveralls.

"What is that?" Vexyna asked.

"What?" Cateran asked, innocently looking over the fruit.

"What you have in your hands," Vexyna clarified.

"What I have in my hands, what?" probed Cateran before mushing the fruit into a ball and popping it in her mouth.

"What do you have in your hands?" Vexyna was about at the end of her tether.

Swallowing swiftly, Cateran responded, "In my hands? Nothing." She displayed her hands, palms up, for Vexyna's inspection. Movement caught in Vexyna's glasses alerted Cateran to someone approaching from behind. Whirling to face the encroacher, Cateran quickly found herself in Raj's arms.

"Hello, Fancypants." Raj smiled down at Cateran.

"Don't you mean fancy feet?" Cateran coyly replied, swinging one sandaled foot forward.

"What happened to Krajav?" Aliyah asked.

"Unfortunately, life for Krajav continues much as it usually does," Raj told her. "The effect of the Crimson Fog that Krajav and his people have been using on the Vags for so many years will take time to fully disperse from their systems."

"There is another problem," Deathbrain interrupted. "Because the Vags have been exposed to the Crimson Fog for so many generations, the Vags are now somehow dependent upon it for their survival."

"Don't you know of any way to help the Vags, Doctor?" Cateran asked.

"I'm afraid not," stated the doctor.

"A way must be found," said Aliyah. "And I shall find it. Goodbye again, everyone."

"Aliyah." Vexyna was taken aback. "You mean you are leaving us again so soon?"

"My people need me. I'll not rest until they are well. Besides, I still haven't finished the quest I was originally on for Exuthron. I have things to do!"

"I'll go with you," Cateran piped in. "They've been my people longer than they've been your people. You know what I mean."

"I understand," replied Aliyah. "It will be good to have you along."

"Then I must also accompany you," Raj interrupted.

"How much use are you going to be to us?" Aliyah asked.

"He can cook," Cateran offered.

"You're in." Aliyah indicated with a jerk of her thumb over her shoulder.

The group laughed. "Let's go," said Aliyah to Cateran and Raj.

"Aliyah." Vexyna stopped her friend with a hand on her wrist. "I'll meet up with you sometime out there somewhere."

"Yes," affirmed Aliyah. "Somewhere." The three Vags took their leave of Shojiki.

Soon, only Vexyna, Trulo, Doctor Deathbrain and Norlen remained in that small area of the village square. Other villagers milled about other areas.

"Norlen," Vexyna asked, "what happened after the upheaval? Was anyone hurt?"

"A few were hurt quite badly," Norlen reported. "Nobody was killed or anything. My boy, Tirlig, was a great help," he said proudly. "You were a boon to us, too, Trulo," he added.

"Thanks, Norlen," said Trulo. "We all did our parts to help."

"I'd like to speak with Trulo alone," Vexyna announced to the two men.

"Take your time, Vex," said the doctor in a comforting tone.

Walking out of the town square and over to the base of their favorite tree, Vexyna lamented to Trulo, "Things have changed a great deal. I'm a much different person than I was a short time ago."

"We've all had to change, Vex," Trulo said softly.

"I don't know if I can handle the way I've changed. I don't know if people around me are going to be able to handle the way I've changed."

"People will always take you as you are, Vex," Trulo reassured her, with his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"I don't want to depend on Doctor D.B.'s pills for the rest of my life," Vexyna said, looking fully into his eyes.

"There must be a way to control your urges," Trulo replied, gazing back just as intently. "And we'll find it."

"But, Trulo," Vexyna said, with a hint of despair in her voice, "our feelings for each other have grown. What if we become intimate? I can't face the thought of the possibility I might lose control and drain you of life."

"Qryxn said there were teachers everywhere," a low voice said from the tree.

"Tree of Pondish?" asked Vexyna.

"That would be me," replied the Tree.

"You mean you've been here the whole time?" Trulo gaped.

"Since before you or your village got here," the Tree stated.

"Then you already knew everything that was going on," Vexyna theorized.

"Pretty much," said the Tree.

"You could've been more help," Vexyna said flatly.

"What would you have learned if I had given you all the answers?" responded the Tree. "I merely allowed you to open up your own doors of opportunity. Vexyna, there are answers to questions you haven't even thought of, waiting for you across this globe called Antasta."

"The Tree is right," Trulo confirmed. "One of those answers is to the question of how to suppress your desire to collect glands."

"Go back to your other comrades," commanded the Tree. "We'll speak again in time."

"Thank you, Tree," the pair called up into the branches. They slowly made their way back to the village square.

The village square had been sectioned into smaller areas by poles and brightly lit lanterns. One area contained a large table piled high with refreshments. Another was simply a large flat surface intended to provide people with a place to dance. A six-piece band occupied yet a third area. The band was unpacking their instruments.

Vexyna and Trulo found seats for themselves around a table with Doctor Deathbrain. A hush had fallen over the square.

Doctor Deathbrain leaned over the table to get closer to Vexyna.

Vexyna leaned away from Trulo to hear what the doctor had to say.

"I've been conducting regular tests on different sample tissues I've obtained from you," Doctor Deathbrain quietly informed Vexyna. "The most recent tests indicate your system is ready to reproduce. You're pregnant."

Evening stillness shattered, pierced by screams erupting from a girl's throat.

# After Words

Thank you for reading Vexyna's Awakening.

The story you just read started life as a treatment for a video game back in 1992. Although several companies expressed a keen interest in developing the game, they all confessed that they did not have the technology necessary to bring my work to life.

In 1994, the first draft of this novel was completed and left to sit for another two years.

With 1996 came a new computer and a refreshing of this work.

So it has gone on until today: a new computer and a new re-working of these words.

There are still many changes that I would like to make, but there comes a time when one must put forth one's efforts in order to discover whether or not one is moving in the right direction.

Such it is with this tome.

I do hope you enjoyed your journey through the fantastic land that I have created for you.

Keep your eyes open for Book 2, Cateran's Calling, and the final work in the trilogy, Phantasmine's Fate. In the meantime, you may enjoy another tale from Antasta titled The Master of Dimensional Intrigue. In it, you will get to meet the sword master, Corbon the Carver, and get to know Syngrine a little better.

Your thoughts, both good and bad, can only help me in my effort to grow as a writer and as a person, and I welcome emails at: mailto:alphyacing@darlamittler.com

