 
LEGENDS OF ORIGIN

BOOK 1

Sanctuary for the Devil

Vanessa Finaughty

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 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.

Many thanks to:

Alaric Finaughty, my husband, for being ever-understanding and beta reading.

My editor, friend and author of _The Queen's Blade_ series, T.C. Southwell, for your input and editing skills.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

If the Devil came knocking, would you give him sanctuary?

"Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there He placed the man He had made. The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground – trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden, He placed the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches."

The Christian Bible – Genesis 2, Verses 8 – 10

CHAPTER 1

Thirty-three-year-old Liam MacAskill hurried across the desert sand, imposing mountain peaks at his back, their size dwindling as he progressed. He did his best to ignore the howling wind ripping at his clothes and whipping his dark hair into his face, often stinging his eyes and blinding him. He ignored the relentless rain and hailstones, pelting his face and adding to the bruises and gashes he knew must cover him from head to toe. He also paid no heed to the throbbing in his wounded leg, knowing that to acknowledge its existence would empower it to control him. How pathetic it would be to escape Sah's wrath only to be ended by a minor wound such as the one his captors had given him during his escape.

It was a flesh wound, really. Nothing more. Just the tip of a guard's sword had slashed Liam's left thigh, and it hadn't hindered his escape in the least. In fact, the flash of pain he'd felt as the wound had been inflicted had made new adrenaline course through him, enabling him to overpower three guards – all at least twice his size, and armed with Earth technology, too. Making his way over the mountain range bordering the enemy palace was what had made the wound a problem.

Gensshei Mountains were usually easy to traverse, he'd been told – if you had a horse to carry you along the winding pathways for the three days it took to reach the other side. Liam had been forced to climb its towering peaks, causing his injured leg to go into spasm so many times he'd lost count, albeit saving him two days' journey. The soldiers would have pursued on horseback along the mountains' main path, splitting up to explore the narrower, lesser-used paths. He doubted they would have expected him to attempt the climb – or survive it.

A soft chuckle escaped Liam, and he choked it back, increasing his pace and lowering his head further to protect his face from the hail, although his neck ached from being in that position for almost twenty-four hours. He had not come this far to give himself away with insane, foolish laughter. Liam had nothing to laugh about, and he could be wrong – his enemies could, right at that moment, be climbing the mountains towards him. His leg throbbed more the closer he got to his destination.

The end of the desert came into sight.

Waves thundered just over the sand dunes ahead.

He was almost there. Almost safe. Just over the dunes, a short way down the beach, was the sanctuary he sought.

The sky darkened rapidly now as night came, and Liam found a new surge of energy as lightning fragmented the sky and a sharp thunderclap vibrated the ground. Everything forgotten but the need to reach the dunes, he drew his royal blue coat tighter around him, crossed his arms to keep it in place, then increased his pace to a jog, his bones protesting every movement. He had a bad feeling, and, the sooner he reached safety, the sooner it would go away. He hoped.

<><><>

Liam stood atop the dune, panting and staring down at the tableau before him in dismay. The beach below, which should have been soft, white sand, was covered in what looked like broken glass. Dark coldness crept into his heart, spreading its tendrils to chill him further. He looked down at his bare feet, already bleeding from the climb and walk through the desert's sand. This was bad.

Gathering his senses, Liam made his way down the dune, slipping and sliding a few times. He bent to examine the shimmering sand, and frowned. It was glass. Shattered glass, covering his only route to safety. Safety, about a kilometre down the beach, where Gensshei Mountains wrapped around to meet the ocean. The dunes on either side were too steep for him to climb in his current condition, making this glittering carpet his only route. Liam cursed under his breath. How could this be? Despair grasped his mind as he straightened to gaze around in panic-induced madness.

The shattered pieces were all clear glass and all clean looking, with no indication of where they had come from. Liam's frown deepened as he pondered his predicament. If he turned back now, he was a guaranteed dead man. He would never make it over the peaks a second time, and would walk straight into Sah's men if he turned back to go along the path. Those being his only two options, Liam sucked in a deep breath, and, the decision not quite taken form yet, dashed onto the glass fragments in the direction of Tridor Monastery... where he could claim sanctuary under this land's laws of God.

Liam barely noticed as sand dunes melted into scattered rocks, then solid rock face. His injured leg threatened to cave in, but he sprinted forward, focussed on speed and his destination. Being able to focus so single-mindedly was one of the many benefits he'd gained from daily meditation for the last three years – a requirement at the dojo where he had trained in Ki Aikido and Ninjitsu, amongst other martial arts. He'd hated it at first, but it had been a condition of employment at the private investigation company he had worked for up until recently... Up until he'd met Joshua.

The hail stopped abruptly, and, along with it, the hail and wind, almost as if nature held its breath to see if he'd make it, and his surprise slowed him for a moment, but he rectified that quickly. His coat came loose as he came around the beach's curve, where a small natural harbour blocked the way forward. The wind came back with a vengeance and whipped his coat up into his face, causing him to stumble. Just then, his leg gave in and he collapsed on the sand, his lungs on fire and his heart beating wildly. He couldn't feel his feet, which he figured was probably for the best.

Liam pulled himself onto his hands and knees. He glanced at the harbour's enormous waves in front of him. Lightning struck in the distance. On the harbour's far shore, something glistened as it snaked inland – a river? He blinked and it was gone. He looked to his right. The narrow stretch of sand that extended towards his right, leading back towards the mountains – what would be considered part of the 'holy land' the monastery stood on – was free of glass. Odd. A frown creased his brow again. When he tried to stand, Liam realised that his feet would take no more punishment. He caught a glimpse of one as he collapsed again; he couldn't see his flesh for blood. He decided not to look at them again.

With a shuddering breath, Liam began to crawl towards the monastery. Walking along the stretch of sand bordering the harbour and up the short, gradually inclining pathway that led up the mountain towards the monastery would have taken a mere few minutes. Crawling along it, however, and in the middle of a strange mixed-weather storm, was another story. Liam grimaced as he dragged his feet along the sand. He was injuring himself further, but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was reaching the monastery. Everything would be okay then. The healers would heal him with their magic when he got there. Every time he moved forward, he was convinced he could go no further. Eventually, his knees gave in on him, too, and he heaved himself onwards with his elbows, determined to reach safety.

Liam finally reached the bottom of the mountain pathway. Without pause, he dragged himself along it. If he stopped, however briefly, he wouldn't find the strength to continue. He knew this without a doubt. After what felt like days of torture, worse, even, than that he had endured at Sah's hands, the monastery came into view, partly hidden by hanging tree branches and bushes. Built mostly into the mountain, the stone-walled monastery rose three storeys, with a round two-storey tower, the top floor windowless, extending from the roof in the centre.

Tears of relief streamed down Liam's cheeks to mingle with rain water as he dragged himself towards the monastery at a faster pace, all pain forgotten. If he could just reach the front steps, he would be able to claim sanctuary. He collapsed just a few paces from the steps, his aching arms unable to take any more punishment. Just as the bitterness of failure was about to consume him, a voice called out nearby, "Look! Over there!"

Without warning, the wind picked up, tearing at Liam's clothes as if trying to claim him for itself. Seconds later, gentle hands turned him onto his back, and he looked into the concerned blue eyes of a blond monk.

"He's hurt! Call the healer!"

A second voice shouted something back that Liam couldn't hear above the howling wind. He reached up, grabbed the monk's collar and rasped, "Sanctuary. I claim sanctuary."

Then he fell back and passed out.

<><><>

The blond monk, Arthean, looked down at the stranger, perplexed. From whom did he claim sanctuary? He was the second stranger in the last week to claim sanctuary here, and the first had fallen into a coma before they could question him. Before that, the last time anyone had claimed sanctuary at Tridor Monastery had been at least thirteen years ago, at which time it had done the unfortunate soul no good, as the Lord of the Land at that time had been a Godless man named Kyain who had no respect for the law and had invaded the premises to claim his prize. Since sanctuary had meant nothing under Kyain's rule, nobody had attempted to claim it after that, and, after the war that had seen the fall of Kyain and the rise of Sah, nobody had needed sanctuary. Sah ruled fairly, and none had ever opposed his rule.

So from what, then, did this stranger claim sanctuary? Arthean shivered violently and glanced back down the pathway to his left, then towards the harbour below. Both were empty. He stared down at the man again; his expensive-looking coat was torn so badly that it was now worth no more than rags, his right trouser leg was blood stained, wet sand crusted his eyes, his face was covered in red, rapidly swelling lumps – presumably gifts from the hailstones earlier – and his feet were caked in so much blood and sand that it was difficult to see the full extent of his injuries. Whatever he claimed sanctuary from, it was understandable.

Certhon – Tridor's healer – arrived with two monks and placed the stranger on a stretcher to carry him inside. Arthean followed, sensing an omen in the second stranger's arrival, as he had with the first. An omen more powerful than any he'd been sent in all of his thirty-five years. Whether it was good or bad was yet to be seen.

<><><>

The pounding in Liam's head woke him. The room was dark; angry clouds presumably still hid the moon and stars. A light sea breeze wafted in from the window to the left of his bed, easing his headache somewhat as he savoured slow, deep breaths of it. When he tried to turn his head, his neck went into spasm and an involuntary cry of pain escaped him. Hurried footsteps approached, and a thin, blond, blue-eyed monk appeared in the doorway and rushed to his bedside. It was the same monk who had found him – earlier that same night, Liam presumed.

"Are you okay, friend?"

Liam tried to answer, but an itch pricked his throat and a fit of coughs racked him, sending his neck muscles into further spasm and making his eyes water. The monk reached for a jug of water on the small block of wood that served as a bedside table, poured some into a wooden mug and held it to Liam's lips. Liam took two sips and choked, then endured another coughing fit before falling back onto the soft pillow in exhaustion. His ribs ached as much as his leg and pain lanced his chest every time he breathed, and he wondered if he'd broken a few ribs.

The monk hovered over him now. It irritated Liam. A lot. Liam frowned, resisting the urge to order the man to leave. It wasn't his fault that everything irritated Liam lately. Instead, he swallowed, cleared his throat, and asked, "So... how are my feet?"

The monk hesitated and glanced at Liam's feet, which Liam now noticed were bandaged.

"Certhon, our healer, says we'll only know in a few days if they'll heal right. He says no bones were broken, so it bodes well, but there were strange, sharp crystals embedded in the flesh that caused a lot of damage, so we'll just have to wait and see." The monk paused, possibly because he caught a glint in Liam's eyes that said he knew what those 'sharp crystals' were. "My name's Arthean, by the way. May I take this opportunity to welcome you to Tridor Monastery, where-"

"Where I have sanctuary, right?" gasped Liam.

Arthean appeared taken aback. "Well, yes. You claimed it, and no one is denied it."

"Ever? No matter what they've done or who they've wronged?" Liam rasped.

The monk stared at him with puzzled, curious eyes. "No one is denied sanctuary. Ever. God does not turn away anyone who comes to Him for salvation, friend. Not ever. It's not in His nature to turn His back on His people."

A frown briefly crossed Liam's face, then he relaxed, smiled weakly and passed out again.

<><><>

Two days later, in the late afternoon, Arthean stood partially behind a pillar just inside the monastery's main recreation room, watching the stranger who sat on the room's second-floor balcony, staring out over the natural harbour, the waters of which were now calm and clear again after two days' raging during the worst lightning storm the land had ever witnessed. The stranger, who he'd learnt was called Liam – an odd name and one Arthean had never heard before – had, thus far, refused to reveal who he ran from or anything about himself. He was convinced that, if they knew who was after him, they'd deny him sanctuary. Nothing could persuade him otherwise. Each time anyone asked, he got moody and contemplative, and a faraway look crept into his eyes, filling them with too many emotions for Arthean to read.

There was something about the newcomer that Arthean couldn't put his finger on. It bothered him and, because of that, he knew it was important. Nothing much ever bothered him anymore, so, when it did, he took note – the bothered feeling was a message from God, and those should never be ignored or taken lightly.

Uncannily, Liam turned and met his gaze, almost as if he had sensed Arthean watching. Arthean shivered, then moved towards where Liam sat and joined him on the rock floor. "How do you feel today, friend?"

Liam shrugged, then winced.

"Your neck is still paining you, I see. Don't worry; it's only bruising. The muscles will recover, maybe stronger than before. It'll just take some time; that's all."

"Yeah, I know." Liam scowled. "I'm just not sure I have time. Don't you have any medicine that will speed my recovery, or at least dull the pain? This tea Certhon brings me hardly does anything at all. Why doesn't he use his magic?"

"One should only call on God for a miracle when one is direly needed. You will be perfectly okay without one. As for the tea, that is because your pain is too intense. The tea is only meant for headaches, stomach aches and the likes. Not for major injuries."

Liam's scowl deepened. "Well, why doesn't he bring me something stronger, then?"

Arthean was taken aback by Liam's attitude. Surely he knew there were hardly any Hislia plants left in the land, so strong pain remedies were hard to come by. When he hesitatingly told Liam this, he laughed. Arthean was certain this was the laugh of a crazy person.

Liam's laughter stopped abruptly and he turned to Arthean. "They'll be here soon, you know. Today. Around sunset, probably."

"Those from whom you claimed sanctuary?" Arthean asked.

"Yes." Liam seemed to retreat into another world for a while, then turned to Arthean and asked, "How long can I legally claim sanctuary here?"

Arthean blinked. "You must be from a land far, far away."

Liam guffawed.

Arthean was confused. What was funny about what he'd just said?

Liam must have seen his confusion, because he said, "A land far, far away. Get it?"

Arthean frowned. "No, I don't."

This made Liam laugh even harder. "Argh! Of course you don't get it. Yes, I'm from a land far, far away." He snorted. "Never Never Land." He grinned at Arthean.

"How far away is it?"

Liam broke into another fit of mad laughter. "Far, far away." He squealed, half choking and half giggling as he held his sides.

Arthean frowned again. "You have a strange sense of humour where you come from, friend. To answer your question, you have sanctuary for as long as you need it."

Liam stopped laughing. "Really? What if that means forever?"

"Then Tridor is your home."

"Really?"

Arthean was incredulous. Why did Liam keep asking 'really'? Did he think a monk would lie to him? "Monks don't lie," he stated solemnly.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "That's good to know." He worried at the bandages covering his feet, apparently trying to find a piece thin enough for him to scratch the itching flesh through. "So, what's the fee I pay for sanctuary?"

Arthean chuckled. "Friend, I don't know what type of land you come from, but in this land, sanctuary is free. No man has the right to charge another for God-given sanctuary. We are not the ones who provide the sanctuary. We are merely the ones placed in charge of it."

Liam smiled. "This just keeps getting better.... Tell me, do you think God sees right and wrong in terms of black and white, or are there shades of grey?"

The question caught Arthean off guard, and he considered it, then replied carefully, "I think each situation should be considered as it arises, and the choices that serve God and others, the choices that hurt no one, or the least number of people, should be made. I think that's all we can do, really, without a handbook detailing every possible situation one might be faced with."

Liam nodded slightly, as if satisfied with the answer. "What about if you murdered someone just because you could?"

Arthean flinched. "Is that what you've done?"

"Tried to."

Arthean studied the floor. "Just because you could?"

"Yes."

Without a hint of mirth, Arthean countered, "Well, clearly you couldn't, since you didn't succeed."

Liam smiled. "Well, I thought I could."

"No other reason? Just opportunity?"

"Of course there was another reason," Liam scoffed. "I'm not a psychopath, you know! He intends to do something really bad, and, if I had killed him, he wouldn't be alive to do it anymore." He turned to Arthean. "Will God forgive me for the deaths this man will cause? Will He forgive me for the suffering this man will cause? Will He forgive me for my failure? Or is He the one who made me fail because murder is wrong no matter what the reasons?"

Arthean responded, "That's not your sin to be forgiven. What matters is that you tried to do what you thought was right. That you did your best. More than your best is not expected. And if murder is wrong no matter what, you have nothing to worry about, either, because you haven't committed murder."

"What if it's the fact that I tried that I need forgiveness for?"

Arthean blinked. After a few moments of silence, he said, "I don't know. If your actions were for no other reason than to save lives, perhaps there is nothing to be forgiven in that regard, either. Only God can tell you that, friend."

Liam made a rude noise. "What if I had other sins, sins that are mine alone, sins that I'd hoped the murder of this killer would absolve?"

"God doesn't expect you to do more than your best. To expect the impossible is ridiculous."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "This whole universe is ridiculous. What I've seen of it so far, anyway."

Voices came from below, and Liam went rigid. Arthean recognised the voices of his fellow monks, and smiled. "Vareck and Shyla. You met them at supper last night."

Liam gave a half nod, then asked, "If the army of your land... decides to help this man... would the soldiers raid the monastery to get to me?"

Arthean, still trying to determine what it was about the newcomer he wasn't seeing, feeling it almost within his grasp, stammered, "They wou-wouldn't d-do that. Why would they interfere with God's laws? Everyone knows God's law comes above men's laws."

Liam remained silent, as if considering the reply and not entirely convinced. He went rigid again as hoof beats were heard nearby, quickly drawing closer. A few minutes later, eleven riders came into view, ten clad in Sah's green and dark grey uniforms, and the lead rider in dark red and black – Sah.

Arthean frowned, truly alarmed for the first time. "Tell me, please... who exactly did you attempt to kill?"

"The one in front."

Arthean gasped. "But Sah is a good, fair and God-fearing ruler. Even now, when the land suffers at the hands of the weather, anyone can go to Sah for help; he never turns anyone away. What could he possibly be planning that God would want stopped?"

Liam appeared to shrink. He whispered, barely audibly, "He bargains with..." He seemed to struggle to find the right word, then, his voice stronger, said, "He bargains with the Devil."

Arthean's heart clenched at the words. It couldn't be... "Surely you are wro-"

"I'm not. I saw it with my own eyes."

Arthean gaped. "Surely he can't know..."

"Oh, he knows, all right."

"How do you know that?"

"He cannot not know."

<><><>

"We seek the dark-eyed stranger. Bring him to us. Now."

Vareck's voice came from below. "We cannot do that. He has claimed sanctuary."

He defends me without even asking what my crime was, Liam thought. Now that wouldn't happen on Earth! Liam shrank back against the balcony wall, afraid to be seen. He noticed the strange look Arthean gave him, as if he didn't understand what he was afraid of.

Sah's cold voice replied, "He is a traitor who tried to murder your ruler. Will you allow an enemy of the land to hide inside your walls?"

Vareck's voice faltered. "We refuse no one sanctuary. It is the law."

Sah snapped, "Don't speak to me of the law, monk! I am on God's side, which makes this man an enemy of God, too. Now bring him to me, or would you have God punish you for harbouring His enemies?"

Jergor, Tridor's abbot, arrived on the scene and took over from the struggling Vareck. "My Lord, with all due respect, God is a forgiving God. If this man managed to find his way here, it's probably God giving him the opportunity to seek forgiveness. Surely, considering his injuries, he would otherwise not have made it this far?"

Sah began, "Are you lis-?"

"There was even an obstacle of strange crystal fragments that cut like knives, which covered almost the whole beach," Abbot Jergor interrupted, "yet he somehow made it past. Impossible, unless God helped him. Wouldn't you say?"

Liam imagined the abbot cocking an eyebrow at Sah, and thought the conversation must be angering the ruler in a big way. His lips twitched in a vague smile.

"What are you talking about, Abbot? There were no obstacles in our way now!"

Liam glanced at Arthean, an obvious silent question about the glass shards, but Arthean just shrugged; the last time he'd looked, the shards had blanketed the beach.

"They were there when we looked two days ago. Perhaps the Devil's magic faded once they were no longer needed to hinder."

Sah tried to sway the head monk a bit more, but soon gave up and left in a scowling huff. Liam's bad feeling intensified as he watched the riders dwindle into the distance. This was not over yet.

CHAPTER 2

That evening, Liam sat on a cushion on his room's balcony, meditating. It helped to keep his mind off everything, particularly the hollow ache of loss. A knock on the door disturbed him, and he almost ignored it, but changed his mind when he heard footsteps leaving. "Who is it?" he called.

The footsteps returned, and Arthean replied through the door, "It is I, Arthean."

"Come in."

The monk entered, clad, as always, in his brown monk's robes. Amazing how similar religions, beliefs and attire are, even across the galaxy, Liam mused.

"May I?" Arthean gestured to the pillow next to Liam's.

Liam nodded.

The monk sat. "It's a lovely night, is it not?"

"Did you come here to talk about the weather?" Liam snapped, annoyed at being disturbed only minutes into his meditation.

A slight frown and an indiscernible emotion played across Arthean's face, but it faded quickly and he replied, "No. Although it has been strange of late."

Liam sat up straight, turning to the monk. "How so?"

Arthean looked surprised at his interest. "The hail, for one. We hardly ever get hail here and, when we do, the hailstones aren't even half the size of the other night's stones. Certainly not big enough to do any damage. The hailstorm this time damaged parts of the monastery. Abbot Jergor thinks it was the Devil's work. He says he can actually feel his presence lately. Last week, just before the other stranger arrived to claim sanctuary, a gigantic wave crashed onto the beach, sweeping two of our brothers away. We can only presume that they no longer live, as they have not returned and our searches did not find them washed up on the shore."

Liam frowned. Was it the Devil's work, or just normal planetary changes? To him, it stank of Lucifer, which meant that, even if he had killed Sah, he would have stopped nothing. "What else?" he demanded.

Arthean's eyes grew dark. "Lightning that seems to strike something dead each time, without fail. Be it tree, bear, deer, rabbit or man. And..."

"And what?"

Arthean took a deep breath. "Snow. I know it's hard to believe, impossible... but it's true. Three times in the last week alone. And, on the nights it snows, by morning, it's already so hot that the snow melts sometimes even before we wake up. You'd only know it snowed if you got up during the night or were up late praying."

Liam blinked. Snow at the ocean. It defied the laws of nature as he knew it on this planet. He was right. It had to be Lucifer's work, and now only one thing could stop it – he had to kill the human who Lucifer used to wreak his havoc. He jumped up, wincing as his still-healing feet took his weight. "Damn it! Why?" He raised a fist at the sky. "Why? Answer me, damn you! Why did you let this happen! How could you...?" His voice broke and he dropped to one knee, his head bowed.

Arthean asked softly, his voice quavering, "It is of the Devil, isn't it?"

Liam held his head, despair washing through him. He whispered, "Yes. Oh yes."

Arthean cleared his throat. "I've been thinking... The stranger who arrived to claim sanctuary before you... You and he have something in common."

Liam looked up at the monk in surprise. "We do?"

Arthean nodded. "You both survived strange obstacles. He, the great wave, and you, the sharp crystals."

Liam's eyes widened. "Did anyone die the day I arrived?"

"No."

"How did he survive the wave?"

"We do not know. He was near our brothers who were washed away. I saw it from the balcony. The wave covered them all, and, when it retreated into the ocean, he stood alone on the beach."

"And you didn't think that was odd?" Liam asked sarcastically.

"Well, no... There's nothing odd about a miracle."

Liam snorted. "So two of your brothers dying is a miracle?"

"It was their time. They were called home."

Liam glared at the monk. "Do you think the Devil can't perform miracles?"

Arthean blinked. Tiny beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. "Why would the Devil do that? Miracles help people, make lives better, and..."

"How do your brothers' deaths make anyone's life better?" Liam interrupted.

"It is their lives made better. They are with-"

"Do you know what the definition of a miracle is where I come from?" Liam interrupted again, harsher this time.

The monk was clearly unhappy at the turn the conversation had taken.

Liam said, "We call it 'a perceptible interruption in the laws of nature'. Do you know what that means? What it really means?"

Arthean's forehead now glistened with sweat droplets.

"It's something that happens in the physical world – meaning we can see it – something that surpasses all human knowledge of the world we live in and that isn't a regular occurrence. Do you know what that means?"

Arthean scowled. "I'm sure you're going to tell me."

Liam scowled back. "It means that, if we don't understand it, we call it a miracle and claim it's from God. Or, if we aren't religious, we call it 'supernatural' or 'evil' or give aliens credit for it. It's because humans are inherently stupid and arrogant. Too stupid and arrogant to understand that we can't box something up into a category just because it suits us."

<><><>

Arthean sat alone in his room later that night, listening to the howling wind and pelting hailstones. He contemplated the conversation he'd had with Liam. The strange man was obviously troubled deeply. Arthean didn't understand, and, he suspected, still wouldn't understand even if it was explained to him. Liam was certainly like no other Arthean had ever come across, or even heard of. Flashes of guilt, loss, regret, hopelessness, bitterness and anger flashed across Liam's face from time to time, usually when he thought he wasn't being watched, and Arthean wondered what thoughts plagued him in those moments. What was it in his past that haunted him so? It seemed to Arthean as if it was more than he had already shared with them. Much more...

Certainly, he had issues with God and the world at large. That much was clear. That must be the reason he'd been spared death and allowed to reach the monastery, where he could, perhaps, find peace and truth. It bothered Arthean that he had been unable to answer Liam's questions near the end of their conversation. The man had said some startling things that sounded right to Arthean, although some of them went against everything he had believed in since he'd become a monk.

Maybe Liam had been sent to test Arthean's faith, to teach him why his faith was right. That must be it. He decided that, come morning, he would prise every last piece of information from Liam that he could. He spent the next hour praying for the right words to open the stranger's heart to him, so he could learn the lesson he was supposed to learn from Liam. So he could, if he was successful, also show Liam that his view of God was distorted. After all, who needed to know how the universe worked, as long as it did?

<><><>

Liam woke up with a headache the next morning. The wind still whistled its eerie tune outside, but he no longer heard the pelting hailstones. He wondered how much damage it had done to the monastery overnight. He lay in bed until well past breakfast time, and wasn't surprised when someone knocked at his door about two hours after breakfast. The monks had no respect for his need for privacy and some alone time. It was as if they thought sleeping late was a sin and talking would somehow magically fix everything wrong in his life. Arthean was the worst, and Liam guessed it was him at the door. The knock came again.

"Yeah, yeah, come in already," he growled.

The door opened and Arthean entered with a tray of fruit. At least they had the manners to knock and wait for an answer, Liam thought. That was something.

"I brought you breakfast." Arthean set the tray on the bedside table.

"Why?" Liam asked hoarsely, his head still throbbing.

Arthean hesitated. "You missed breakfast."

"That's because I'm not hungry."

"You must eat if you are to regain your strength. You've hardly eaten anything since you arrived."

"I'm not hungry!" Liam snapped.

"May I sit?"

Liam replied sarcastically, "Why, want to make sure I eat, Dad?"

Arthean blinked. "I'm not your-"

Liam rubbed his temples. "Argh! I know that! It's called sarcasm! Don't tell me you've never heard of it!"

"N-not really. I mean, I understand the concept, but... Well, we have no need for sarcasm here."

"And you've never left the monastery? Not ever?"

The monk shook his head. "Not since I first arrived as a young teenager. I've explored some of the land's more remote areas surrounding Tridor, but nobody lives in those places. There's been no need to travel further, except for the odd pilgrimage. My place is here, and it's where I'm happiest."

Liam scoffed, "Then you've had a sheltered life and know nothing about anything useful."

Arthean appeared taken aback. "I wouldn't say that."

Irritated, Liam changed the subject to something he had contemplated for many months. "Where I come from, some people think we were genetically engineered – created – by aliens."

"Aliens?"

"Beings from another planet. Does anyone in this land think that, too?"

Arthean looked shocked. "No. How did they come to that conclusion?"

"There's substantial proof where I'm from that we were visited by aliens – beings from other planets – in our past."

Arthean seemed thoughtful. "That, I can say for sure, is true. There are many types of beings in creation. Still, I don't understand why that would lead anyone to think we were created by other beings."

"Well, scientists in my... land have successfully swapped the head of one monkey with another, and added a second head to a dog. Each of these genetically engineered animals lived for a few days. They even cloned a sheep a few years ago, and probably much more that they don't tell the rest of the world about for fear of moral outrage or terror."

Arthean looked sick. "Not so successful if you're the poor animal."

Liam felt as ill as the monk looked – the morals of these scientists were dubious, to put it mildly. "Agreed."

"So you think because your scientists can warp creation in such a way, other beings must have done so, too?"

"Not necessarily, but it's certainly possible, don't you think?"

Arthean frowned. "Perhaps. Surely that's not the only reason people believe it, though? On a mere possibility?"

Liam shook his head. "No, but, where I come from, we have many myths about creatures that our general population don't believe ever existed. However, a large portion believes that these creatures did, in fact, once walk the face of the Earth. For example, there are countless legends, such as the Medusa, who is said to be a human woman with snakes growing from her head instead of hair. Also the Gorgons, who are mythical sisters who are also said to have had snakes for hair, plus they had wings and claws, and could supposedly turn someone to stone with a mere look. Then there are winged horses, and unicorns, which are 'horses' with a horn growing from their heads, centaurs, which have the body of a horse and torso of a man, Cerberus, the three-headed giant hound that's said to guard the gates of Hell, and countless other creatures of myth that are depicted with various mixed animal parts." Liam paused for breath. "Oh! And there's the Bible story of creation, where a rib was taken from Adam to create Eve." He looked at Arthean intensely, gauging his reaction. "Wouldn't you say that's reason to believe that we, too, could be engineered using parts that don't belong to our original form, or that our entire being was created from scratch by some other race?"

Arthean frowned. "I see how these myths could provide reasoning behind your conclusions, but I don't see how they led you to the conclusion in the first place."

Liam said, "Where I come from, we've traced our origins from the oldest human skeletons we've discovered. However, there's a missing link. Many believe we just evolved over time, but it isn't mathematically possible for that to have happened given the time frames in question."

"Are you saying no one where you come from believes in God or the story of creation?" The monk looked mortified.

Liam shook his head and massaged his aching temples. "Not at all. Many believe in God, but our population believes in various gods, and the exact beliefs for each religion differ a bit. The problem is that we have no direct contact with any Great Creator or God, so there's no solid proof for any theory or belief, and many view God as just another theory or myth of creation."

A few moments of silence passed, then Arthean seemed to brighten. "The ways of God are more mysterious than I ever imagined! Even if humans were created by another species, it doesn't mean there is no God. Who, then, created the species that created humans?"

Thoughtful, Liam replied, "That's a good question." His headache had intensified by now. "Do you think, then, that the ultimate Creator of all is pissed about His creations playing God and creating other species or manipulating our make-up?"

Arthean frowned. "I imagine He would be, yes."

Liam stretched his neck forward so his chin touched his chest. "This conversation is making my headache worse."

"You have a headache? Here, let me..." Arthean reached towards Liam, then stopped when Liam cringed. "Do not worry. I only wish to take your headache away."

Liam was suspicious. "How do you plan to do that? You're not a healer. Are you?"

Arthean laughed. "We all have the capacity to be healers of some sort, on occasion. I know a little of something... pressure points, in this case."

"I've seen what fiddling with pressure points can do. It can drop a man instantly, even kill him."

Arthean looked serious. "Do you really think I would kill you? Me, a servant of God?"

Liam had to admit the monk had a point. It was taking his paranoia a tad too far. Then again, you never knew... Shortly after the last time he'd admitted to himself that he was too paranoid, Sah had proven that he wasn't paranoid enough.

Liam whispered, "The Devil comes in many disguises."

Arthean frowned. "Does it feel like I'm the Devil in disguise?"

Reluctantly, Liam shook his head, immediately regretting it as a wave of nausea swept through him.

Arthean smiled gently. "Okay, just close your eyes and take a deep breath."

Liam did as he was told. The monk moved behind him, then placed his thumbs at the base of Liam's skull, lightly pressing to the side of the eyes with his fingers. He applied a gentle, steady pressure in small circular motions, and Liam felt almost instant relief. The headache was still there, but not so bad that it made him want to throw up anymore. After what Liam guessed to be five to ten minutes, Arthean stopped.

"Better," the monk stated, grinning.

Liam tried not to scowl. He hated smugness. "How did you learn that?"

Arthean's smile widened. "It's something Certhon showed me."

"How does he know?"

Arthean shrugged. "The healer's knowledge has been passed down from one generation to the next since before we remember. The history books say it was God Himself who gave us the knowledge."

Liam considered this. Perhaps at some point these people had been more knowledgeable, but surely no race would be able to reject the other advancements that came with knowledge? He looked up at Arthean and met his eyes. "So you know how to manipulate pressure points, but do you understand how it works?"

"Through the power of God, of course."

Liam fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Which means you don't know."

Arthean hesitated, then smiled again. "Why do I need to know? It works without me knowing its intricate workings."

"Which means you don't care about anything outside your bubble world!" Liam snapped. Then, seeing the hurt look in the monk's eyes, he mumbled, "Anyway, thanks for almost getting rid of my headache."

"You're welcome." Arthean paused, then indicated the tray. "Has your appetite not returned now that the headache is gone?"

"Not really."

"Perhaps if you speak what's on your mind, whatever pain you hold close will be released? Then you'd regain your appetite. I don't mean to pry, but at times you seem like a man in mourning. Who is it you mourn? What happened to you? Where do you come from?" Once Arthean started, the questions came tumbling out one after the other, until he appeared to run out of breath. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak again.

Liam held a hand up, murmuring, "Stop! Before you bring my headache back again."

Arthean looked at him in silence.

"Tell me something," Liam said. "Is it common practice to interrogate everyone who claims sanctuary here?" It sounded harsher than he'd meant it and, in fact, after the second day, nobody other than Arthean had asked him anything more than 'would you like a mug of tea', 'how are your wounds healing', or 'did you sleep well last night'.

As if reading his mind, Arthean asked mildly, "Don't you think 'interrogate' is too harsh a word?"

Liam felt guilty. "Maybe..."

Arthean smiled.

"Why do you want to know so much about me?"

"To be of use to you, I must first understand you. To understand you, I must first know you."

Liam blinked. "Be of use to me? Why is that your duty? Why do you care about being of use to me? You don't even know me!"

"Exactly what I said. So, does that mean you're going to answer my questions?"

"Hello! Not before you answer mine!" Liam frowned. "Why do you give a shit about being of use to a stranger – one who tried to murder your beloved ruler, no less?"

Arthean appeared to think the question stupid. "It's in a monk's nature, of course. A monk's sole purpose for existing is to be of use to others. To help them on their journey to find the Creator, whatever that help may be, in whatever way I'm able."

"Nature? You mean you're taught that from birth, don't you?"

Arthean frowned. "You really are from terribly far away, aren't you?"

"So I keep saying."

"Firstly, all monks are sworn to celibacy. Any who break that vow are banished. Those here have all come from different places, called by God to a life of service. Only those whose nature it is to help others are called. So no, we're not taught from birth. It's who we are. I admit that some bring young children with them, but those are free to follow their own path when they come of age – be it to remain with us and serve God or to leave us and serve themselves."

"I think my headache's coming back."

It can't be... Have I found the place? Have I really...?

Arthean cleared his throat. "Is something wrong? Please do not tell me the land you come from is so depraved that you do not believe there are those who are simply not happy or fulfilled if they are not helping others?"

Liam almost said 'yes', but, when he looked into the monk's eyes, such compassion shone from them that he closed his mouth and sighed instead. He believed him. He couldn't help it. He was trying not to – to trust was to be weak. He did the only thing he could. He lashed out. "Maybe there's something wrong with you. Wanting to be a slave to anyone who comes along!"

Arthean's voice was amazingly calm. "Perhaps. But what does it matter? I'm happy and fulfilled, and I hurt no one."

The monk's lack of anger made Liam remorseful, and he finally asked, "Do you know what the word 'planet' means?"

Arthean nodded.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief – he wasn't quite sure if he would've done a good job explaining that one. "I'm from another planet."

Arthean gaped.

The words spilt from Liam against his will. "It's not too far away, actually. Just out of satellite range. In other words, just a little too far for our technology to see." He paused. "Well, I suppose it is very far, actually. Anyway..."

Arthean jumped up and moved to stand at the balcony door. He gazed out over the harbour and suspiciously asked, "You're not playing a joke on me, are you? Or trying to get information out of me?"

The corner of Liam's lip twitched, but he refused to smile. He had heavy burdens to share. "Information? Exactly what information would I be trying to get out of you?"

Arthean shrugged.

"Look into my eyes, and, if you still think I'm trying to trick you, I'm not saying another word and you must promise never to ask me anything again. Ever."

Arthean's shoulders tensed. After a moment's hesitation, he turned to stare at Liam, then his curiosity appeared to get the better of him as Liam had hoped it would, and he walked towards Liam and stopped, searching his eyes for lies, it seemed. Moments later, he appeared satisfied. He relaxed and smiled. "Please, go on."

"You believe me?"

"Yes."

Liam was still hesitant to bare his soul.

Arthean sat. "Friend, you have my vow of secrecy regarding anything you say to me from this moment on. And you know I will not judge you."

"Everyone judges everyone."

"If I was going to judge you, do you not think I would have already done so when you admitted to the attempted murder of someone I hold in high regard?"

I must have found the place...It must be on this planet...

Liam was faint with excitement at the thought.

And Lucifer fouls it with his presence.

He scowled.

Arthean said, "You've got that look again. What are you thinking about?"

Not yet. Better to be sure first...

Liam cleared his throat. "You asked who I mourn." He took a shuddering breath. "Zac. His name is Zac. He was my friend, my brother, in the sense that you monks call each other brothers. He's dead. Because of me. He's the one I mourn the most, though there are others. Many others. You could say that his loyalty to me is what killed him. You could say that's what killed everyone who was loyal to me. They're all dead now. Zac was the most loyal." Liam's voice turned bitter. "Guess the universe thought it'd save the best till last, huh?"

Arthean patted Liam's arm. "How did it happen?"

Liam shuddered and his eyes misted with unshed tears. "The day I met Sah... Zac tried to protect me. Sah's guards didn't know what hit them. It was the last thing they expected from a scruffy thing like him!" He half smiled. "There were just too many of them. He was shot before the life left the eyes of the first man he'd attacked. It was my fault," he lamented. "If I'd just kept him close, he wouldn't have attacked and he wouldn't be dead." He grew angry. "My fucking arrogance killed him! I was stupid enough to think I could take on seven men armed with technological weapons!"

"It wasn't your fault. If you had known..."

Liam snapped, "I would have known if my head hadn't been up my arse!" His shoulders drooped, and he whispered, "I tried to stop him... but it was too late."

Arthean placed a hand on Liam's arm, and he shook it off angrily.

"The past is gone, and your brother lives on."

"In my memories? What good is a fucking memory?"

Arthean shook his head. "No, I mean in reality. He's just somewhere else now. Somewhere you cannot perceive with your mortal body."

"What good is that to me?"

"Are you not happier knowing he's okay?"

Liam had to admit the thought brought some semblance of relief, but it seemed a bit much to believe. There were those who believed that friends of Zac's kind would simply cease to exist after physical death – what if they were right?

Perhaps sensing that the topic was too raw to discuss further, Arthean interrupted Liam's thoughts. "Will you tell me now what happened to you? Why you came to our planet and how you came to know what you say about Sah?"

Liam wondered if the monk was merely humouring him... He seemed to believe fully, though. Unsure if he was ready to answer the question, Liam was saved by shouts from down the passage. "He's awake! Quick, call Certhon!"

CHAPTER 3

Arthean sprang to his feet. As much as he wanted to hear the rest of Liam's story, the first stranger to come seeking sanctuary was a mystery all were eager to have solved, particularly now that he was not the only one. He was halfway out of the door when he thought to ask Liam to come with him. The first stranger had worn strange clothes similar to Liam's, so may feel more comfortable with Liam around, and his reason for needing sanctuary may be the same, although Sah hadn't asked about him when he'd come for Liam. He turned back to see Liam standing uncertainly. "Coming?"

Liam nodded, then followed him down the passage to where the other newcomer was. When they entered the room and drew near the bed, Liam gasped and Arthean turned to look at him. His face displayed clear recognition... and shock. Liam had obviously not expected to find this man here.

"You know him?"

Certhon strode in and ordered everyone out. "Shame on you lot! He needs his rest! You can pester him tomorrow!"

"But-" Arthean protested.

"No buts! Out! Now! The lot of you!"

When Arthean turned to leave, Liam was gone. Drat! Clearly he didn't want to answer the question, which intensified Arthean's curiosity.

<><><>

Over the next two days, Arthean was unable to catch Liam alone so they could continue their conversation, though not through lack of trying. Despite the raging winds, the stranger, uncharacteristically, was up earlier than Arthean both mornings – which was early indeed – and spent his time walking around the monastery's extensive gardens or sitting in a meditative state in the prayer room when the weather got too bad. Although Arthean suspected he wasn't actually praying, he was still unable to bring himself to break the rules and disturb Liam in this room.

On a number of occasions, Arthean spotted Liam lurking around the other stranger's room, as if he intended to enter. Something always held him back, though, and he looked increasingly unhappy. The first newcomer was still too weak to say much more than 'please' and 'thank you', and had lost his memory too, so perhaps Liam was waiting for him to be in good health and regain his memory of who he was. When Liam spotted Arthean approaching, he would pretend not to see him and stride in the opposite direction, vanishing around the corner and back into the gardens.

Near the end of the second day, Arthean briefly thought he'd got Liam when he'd walked into his room unannounced – to avoid his knock being ignored again – and caught Liam looking at a shiny piece of paper with a realistic colour drawing of a large, fearsome animal he'd never seen before. The fury in Liam's eyes had terrified him, and, for a moment, he'd been afraid for his life. Liam had chased him from the room – literally – and he had since given up for fear of breaking the tenuous bond they had begun to form.

<><><>

At twilight that same day, a scrawny messenger on horseback arrived with foreboding news. He was clearly nervous and struggled to read the message. Eventually, Abbot Jergor asked him for the piece of paper, which the boy handed over with obvious gratitude.

Liam went numb as the abbot read it out for them. "The High Council has passed an amended sanctuary law. From this day forth, sanctuary may only be claimed for a period of thirty days. Once this period of grace is over, monasteries are obligated by law to evict the person or persons in question. Any monastery not complying with this law shall be burnt to the ground for the treasonous crime of harbouring enemies of God and the land."

A hush fell over the crowd of Tridorians, broken only by a few gasps of horror. The numbness that pervaded Liam's body now spread to his mind, and he didn't notice Arthean arrive at his side until the monk touched his arm to get his attention. Liam jumped and spun away.

Arthean whispered, "It's just me."

Liam stared at him, forgetting for a moment why he'd been avoiding the monk, who he now stared dumbly at, unable to find his tongue.

"To alter the laws of sanctuary is just not done. It's unthinkable," Arthean said gravely, loud enough for all to hear. "It's sacrilege! This cannot be God's will. What will we do?" He turned to look at Abbot Jergor.

Liam and the others automatically turned to the abbot, too, waiting for his answer.

Abbot Jergor's face was white, his usual confidence seemingly drained. He opened his mouth a few times, shut it each time without saying anything, then turned to the messenger. "Do you-?" His voice caught, and he cleared his throat. "Do you know what brought this on? Why would the High Council do such a thing?"

The messenger shuffled his feet, his eyes on the ground.

Abbot Jergor snapped, "Speak!"

The boy looked up and scanned the crowd, his gaze coming to rest on Liam. He nodded at Liam, and all eyes turned to the foreigner. Finally, he found the nerve to speak. "Sah wants him. Badly. He tried to kill Sah, you know. That's why the High Council agreed to the new law. In fact, Sah wanted to make it against the law to give sanctuary at all to anyone who tries to kill the ruler, but the council voted against it."

Abbot Jergor scowled. "What nonsense do you speak? Who would want to kill a ruler as kind-hearted as Sah?"

"Why would Sah lie?" the messenger asked.

The crowd murmured as Abbot Jergor stood open-mouthed, clearly unable to answer. He turned to Liam. "What do you have to say about this accusation?"

"It's true."

More gasps and mutterings came from the group.

Liam stepped forward, his resolve strengthening. "If you knew my reasons, you would understand." He glanced at Arthean, who looked unsure and worried.

Despite this, the monk strode towards Abbot Jergor and stood beside him, facing the group. "I'm told that our 'good' ruler bargains with the Devil himself."

Further gasps rippled through the group.

Liam added, "That's not all. He's a murderer and a thief, and he's trying to destroy your world."

Abbot Jergor's scowl deepened and his lips drew tight. "Do you have proof of your accusations?"

Liam met the abbot's gaze. "Oh yes..."

Silence once again descended over the small group as they waited for him to elaborate. How was he supposed to tell them? Who would believe him? Nobody – he was sure of it.

"It's... Well... Send the messenger away. I won't speak in front of the Devil's courier." Liam glared at the poor messenger, who lowered his eyes.

Abbot Jergor seemed unsure, then Arthean's voice rang out. "We should hear him out. His heart is that of a good man, and I see no deceit in his eyes now. This is not news to me, for he recently told me this of his own accord.... I've prayed about it, and I believe he speaks the truth."

Abbot Jergor nodded, turning to the messenger. "Your message has been received." He waved the message in front of the boy's face. "May we keep this?"

The messenger nodded dumbly.

"Thank you. You may go now."

"Uhm..." The messenger fidgeted and shuffled his feet, glanced at Liam again, then back at the abbot. "How shall I say the news was received?"

"Messenger on horseback – the way it was sent," Abbot Jergor replied sarcastically.

Liam almost smiled. So much for monks not needing sarcasm.

The messenger stuttered, "I-I m-mean..."

Abbot Jergor snapped, "I know what you mean! I saw no request in writing from the council requesting a response from any monastery, including Tridor. On whose behalf do you ask, then?"

"I w-was j-j-just curious," stammered the messenger.

Liam turned cold eyes on him. "Curiosity killed the cat." He smiled pitilessly.

The messenger turned and fled back to his horse a few paces away, sprang onto its back and galloped away without looking back.

Abbot Jergor turned to Liam. "Did you just threaten him? That was not wise..."

Arthean asked, "What's a cat?"

Liam was startled. He'd assumed all the animals on this planet would match those on Earth, since he'd recognised every animal he'd encountered here thus far. He saw everyone was waiting for him to answer, so he said, "It's a small domestic animal with fur. A companion to humans. A pet." He shrugged. "Quite harmless animals, really. Unless you piss them off." He grinned.

Abbot Jergor's voice was strained. "Come. To the meeting hall, everyone – the stranger will tell his story." He turned to glare at Liam. "This time, you will not deny us answers to our questions, for we will not break the law of the land for a deceiver."

Another round of murmurs spread through the group. Liam nodded, flabbergasted. Did that mean the abbot was considering breaking the new law? It sure sounded like it. Why would he put his entire order at risk for a man he barely knew? Why would he believe a stranger's word above that of a ruler he held in high esteem? If this is it... If this planet is home to the root of all good...

Arthean walked by his side to the meeting hall, and Liam mumbled, "Seems you're about to get your wish, after all, monk."

Arthean nodded, his distress obvious from the lines around his eyes and tautness of his expression. He replied softly, "I would rather not know than know under these circumstances, friend."

"You still call me 'friend' – how can you be so sure of me and who I am to you?"

"I have looked into your eyes, remember, into your very soul. God has placed a burden on my heart to ensure your safety. That is enough for me."

"Perhaps you should tell your fellow monks, then, before they hang me out to dry." Liam stopped walking abruptly. "In fact, what am I even thinking? I must leave, before it's too late."

Arthean put a hand on his arm. "There are many sunrises to come before thirty days are over."

"He won't wait thirty days. He is a dishonourable brute who considers the Devil a friend. His word means nothing."

Someone tapped Liam's back, and he turned to face Vareck. The monk looked worried as he fingered a black pouch hanging from his waist sash and said, "Whatever you know of Sah, nobody believes he would burn a place of God to the ground, or that he knowingly works for the Devil."

Liam turned back and continued walking without a word.

In the meeting hall, a hush descended as Abbot Jergor addressed them. "We will let him speak." He glanced at Liam, who stood next to him at the lectern. "May God open our eyes to the truth.... whatever it may be."

Perspiration trickled down Liam's sides, cooling the heat of fear. "Tell me one thing before I start – if you believe me, will you help me?"

The abbot hesitated, but Arthean, at the front of the group, stated firmly, "I will."

Abbot Jergor looked concerned, but nodded at Liam. "Very big if..."

Liam nodded, grateful for Arthean's support. "I need to start at the beginning, or you won't understand any of it." He cleared his throat. "I was hiking in the mountains near my home about seven years ago. Zac was with me..." His voice caught, and he cleared his throat again. "My best friend, Zac, was with me. He heard something up ahead and ran to see what it was. I didn't take much note, because he's... He was always doing things like that. Nothing dangerous lives in those mountains and Zac always came back, so it didn't concern me."

A nun near the front asked, "Why would he always run to see what something is if there was never any risk of danger?"

Liam scowled and replied icily, "That's what dogs do."

"Dogs?"

"Yeah, man's best friend – dog!" Liam's scowl intensified. "Far better than any human friend, I might add! A thousand times more loyal, and you can rest assured that a dog would never betray you or desert you... no matter what your reasons for doing something." He glared at Abbot Jergor accusingly.

Arthean stepped forward and faced the group. "Please, let him finish before you question him. More questions will only bring more confusion at this point."

Abbot Jergor appeared taken aback by the monk's brashness, but said, "He's right. Ask your questions when he's done, or we'll never get anywhere."

Liam took a shaky breath, doing his best to control the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him at the remembrance of Zac's death. "As I was saying..." He glowered at the nun who had asked the question, daring her to interrupt again. She looked away, and he continued, "I heard Zac snarl, and it sounded as if he was attacking something. When I rounded a bend in the trail ahead, I saw he had dragged something out of the bushes and was worrying with it." He saw the Tridorians' confusion at his choice of words, and elaborated, "He was shaking it around, biting it and growling at it. When I came closer, I saw that it was a young child, no more than three or four years of age."

Gasps of horror came from the group.

Liam went on, "At first, I was horror-struck. Zac was always a gentle animal, and he loved children. I called him away, and he came at once. When I bent over it to see if it was alive, I realised why Zac had attacked it – it wasn't human. It had the body of a child, but the face of pig. And it wasn't dead. It reached up to grab my throat and began choking me. I was convinced I was about to die. Zac attacked it again, but it was strong. It threw him away as if he weighed no more than an empty sack. He must have surprised it initially, maybe stunned it, to get hold of it the way he had.

"From out of nowhere, a man appeared, holding what looked like a spear. A bolt of energy shot from the tip, hitting the child-demon in the face. Its hand fell from my neck and it sank back, obviously dead. Zac got lucky that time – he'd landed on a patch of long grass, which cushioned his fall, although he was stunned. The man told me that he had been hunting the creature for some time, but it had eluded him constantly, as if it always knew what he would do next and where he would be next. These demons, he told me, were searching for the place from where all good originates, and he claimed it was his job to stop them."

Liam stopped to catch his breath. What he had to say next was even more unbelievable, and he wasn't sure if he believed it himself, so why would the Tridorians? "Anyway, this man, Joshua, claimed that he had died some time before, and had been offered the opportunity to come back, live again, on condition that he spent his days chasing demons to ensure they never find the origin of good."

Arthean obviously couldn't help himself. "Are you talking about the place where God resides? How can that be? God is everywhere."

Liam shrugged. "I don't think so. The only ancient texts I had time to look at said that this is the place from which the universe and everything in it was created. The starting point of all creation. According to legend, if pure evil ever had to set foot in this place, the balance of good and evil would be destroyed and chaos would rule... or the fabric of time would unravel and the universe would be destroyed. There are a few other theories, too, none of them pleasant."

Liam hesitated. Should he tell them what he suspected? No, they weren't ready to hear that yet.

Abbot Jergor said impatiently, "Go on."

"Joshua told me that he had been given a dream message to get help, to find this place of peace. His exact words, if I remember correctly, were to seek help from 'a man whose true power walks in his shadow, loyal to him and only him unto the end'. According to him, that was me; since Zac was physically stronger than me – being the unusually muscular cross-breed he was, he was my 'power'. It made sense to me at the time, because Zac was also the only reason I ever bothered trying to be a good person, really. He was my true power, because he was the one who made me want to be as good a person as he already saw me."

Arthean interrupted again, "Wouldn't that make any man with a dog the one he needed to ask for help? How did he know it was you?"

Liam shrugged. "I asked him the same thing. He said he 'just knew'. Anyway, he had my interest, so I agreed to help him, and for the last six months I've been researching this place from where all good is said to have been created. I haven't found out much more than I've already told you, except that it doesn't appear to be on our planet."

This brought more gasps and murmurs from the group.

Abbot Jergor asked, "So you're saying it cannot be found? It's in the spiritual world?"

"No. I'm saying it's probably not on our planet. On my planet. Earth."

Abbot Jergor scowled. "We are on Earth."

Liam shook his head. "No, we are not. Joshua had been teaching me how to teleport, and once I'd finally got the hang of using the-"

"Teleport?" another monk interrupted.

Liam sighed. "Yes, teleport – it means disappear from one place and appear in another place, instantly – that's the quickest way to explain it."

Abbot Jergor snapped, "You speak of the powers of God. Who are you to use God's power? Do you expect us to believe that you even can? That He would allow it?"

"It's not God's power – it may be power given by God, but it's not stolen power, as you insinuate! Even you have the ability to teleport. It's like anything else – it just needs to be learnt and you need to have the right equipment. Some of our ancient religious manuscripts say that if the mind can imagine it, it's possible. So..."

Abbot Jergor opened his mouth, presumably to object again, but Arthean murmured, "Please, brothers and sisters, we must let him finish. We can debate the details after."

The abbot closed his mouth and glared at Arthean. "Yes, yes." He looked at Liam disapprovingly. "Go on, and make it quick – it's getting late."

"As I was saying, once my body was used to teleporting, Joshua gave me stronger crystals so I could teleport far enough to reach other planets. That was about a year ago. Since then, I've lost track of how many planets I've teleported to. It takes a lot out of you, a lot of energy, and there's also no way of knowing for sure if the planet you're going to can even support life. Joshua got hold of a spacesuit for me, and, if not for that, I'd be dead already, since this planet is the first I've come to that can support human life.

"It doesn't surprise me that you call this planet Earth, too – there are a lot of similarities between our two planets. Anyway, when I got here a few weeks ago, after discovering the air was breathable, I went back for Zac and Joshua. The three of us explored for a few days, and eventually 'settled down' in a small village called Dreal, where the villagers were welcoming and eager to share their knowledge of the land with strangers. There, we learnt a little of your history, of the tyrant ruler, Kyain, and of the man who had slain him and brought peace to the land – Sah."

Another monk said, "So you admit Sah is a good man."

Liam scowled. "I admitted nothing of the sort! He may have been a good man, but good men don't always remain good, especially those who are granted great power. Power corrupts, and the greater the power, the greater the extent of corruption. I've looked Sah in the eyes, and he is a man who craves nothing but more power, and he doesn't care how he gets it." He paused. "Even if it means getting in bed with the Devil."

Abbot Jergor said frostily, "Get on with the story. What happened?"

Liam rubbed his temples.

Arthean touched his shoulder. "Speak freely, Brother. God is your only judge."

"Are you sure about that?"

Arthean smiled. "I will remind any who forget."

Liam squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. "After about a week in the village, we asked to meet Sah. We'd heard all the stories of your history, and were convinced that this place of great peace was on your planet. I thought the entire planet was the beginning of all good in the universe, but Joshua was convinced it was a single place on the planet. From what we'd been told about the laws of your land and from what we'd seen of the people, one of us had to be right.

"You see, where we come from, our Planet Earth, you cannot really trust anyone. Some cannot even trust their own parents or siblings, their best friends – unless your best friend happens to be a dog, that is. On our planet, most humans put themselves first, and, when it comes to the crunch, the only person you can rely on to always be there is yourself. The times anyone goes against the norm, they're usually made to regret it, either by the very ones they've helped or some external event. It's like negativity seeps into everything. Of course, there are exceptions, but evil lurks somewhere within the hearts of all humans. I think so, anyway. Even the best amongst us, the most pure hearted, retain some semblance of evil deep inside. It's hard not to when you're surrounded by spiritual filth. We say it's 'part of being human'.

"But here, on your planet, we observed nothing but honesty, loyalty, empathy and love. Nothing but peace and honour. There are few people on Earth, on our Earth, who would be one hundred percent happy with their ruler or life in general. On our Earth, there are always conflicts in government, always something someone isn't happy about. Here, the unhappy ones are the exception, whereas on my Earth the truly happy ones are the exception. Based on this alone, I'm convinced that one of us is right – either this entire planet is the place where all good was first created, or somewhere on this planet is that place.

"After meeting Sah, I've come to believe that Joshua's theory is the most likely, since Sah is anything but good." More muttering came from the group, and Liam went on before he could be interrupted again. "The villagers took us to see Sah the next day. When we first met him, Zac bared his teeth at him and growled almost non-stop. Eventually, Sah insisted that he be removed from his presence. I waited outside the compound with Zac – I never leave him alone in strange places. I already didn't like Sah – anyone Zac dislikes is not worth knowing, and I've learnt that from experience. Dogs just know, you know.

"Anyway, after a long while of waiting, one of the guards outside made the mistake of pointing at Zac – him and his fellow soldier were obviously discussing him. Anyway, Zac hates being pointed at, so he snarled at him and barked. The guard got a fright and raised his weapon, which I suddenly noticed was a weapon of Earth – my Earth. Up until then, I hadn't seen any sort of technology on this planet, and it shocked me to see that some guards were armed with firearms – guns."

Liam realised that he was again speaking in terms they couldn't understand, and added, "Guns are dangerous weapons that can kill from a distance... like seriously short arrows that shoot from a barrel... err... 'tube'. Anyway, I could have smoothed the situation, explained to them how Zac's mind worked so they could understand him and not be afraid, and not do foolish things like pointing weapons at him – he may be a dog, but he's not stupid; he knows what a gun is and what it can do. Instead, I became angry that they dared point a weapon at my best friend. I hit the weapon from the guard's hand and struck him across the face.

"All in all, I think there were about five guards, all armed with weapons new to your planet. A second guard pointed his weapon at me, and Zac launched himself at the guard's throat to protect me. That was when..." Liam choked on the words. "That was when the bastards shot him in the head. He died instantly." Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over. He didn't bother fighting them this time. "The bastards killed him for protecting me. Because I was too stupid to see what would happen. Because I couldn't control my anger."

Liam was surprised to see Arthean's eyes glistening with unshed tears. Pretending not to notice, he went on, "I was hit over the back of the head and woke up in a prison cell. Needless to say, this was not our intention when we arrived. Obviously. We'd expected to be greeted in the same way the villagers had greeted us, and to make another new friend, one who could possibly be of more use in helping us find the origin of all good. There was no sign of Joshua, and, when I asked about him, the guards would only laugh and refuse to answer, so I assumed that he, too, was dead.

"I'm not sure how many nights I spent in that cell, but one morning I was released for an audience with Sah. He wanted to know everything I knew about the place of peace. I can only assume that Joshua had told him the overall story already, because that's the only way he could have known we were looking for it. Clearly Joshua, too, had realised that Zac's disliking of Sah, along with my arrest, meant no good would come of associating with him, and had refused to give him enough details to aid him in finding the place. Sah told me that he could return Zac to me, alive and well, if I helped him to find the place of peace. I didn't believe him, so refused." Liam's eyes clouded further as he recalled what had happened next.

CHAPTER 4

The room grew cold and Sah's eyes glittered with malice. "You will talk."

Liam replied, "First tell me where you got those weapons from. They aren't from this planet, are they?"

Sah smiled icily. "How astute. I've been visited by a being of your planet for some time now. He seeks the same thing you do. How convenient that he brought you here to aid us in our search."

Liam thought for one terrible moment that Sah referred to Joshua, which meant that Joshua had used and betrayed him, but then the ruler straightened and announced breathlessly, "He comes. You will tell him what you won't tell me."

"Who comes?"

Sah flashed a malicious grin. "You'll see."

Liam scowled. "What do you get out of it?"

"Power, of course. More power than any man has ever had before."

"Are you not powerful enough? The people of this land bow to your will without questioning it. They think only good things of you, and would defend you with their lives. Are you sure that making them unhappy and throwing their world into chaos would bring you more power?"

"Who says I will throw their world into chaos and make them unhappy?"

"What else would you do with more power?"

Sah hesitated, then looked up as the door behind Liam opened. Sah bowed. "My Lord."

Liam turned to see a creature so repulsive that not even the darkest human mind could have imagined it. Its overall features were reptilian, although its skin was dark grey, and its beady eyes glowed yellow. Sharp claws caught the light from the ends of four fingers on each hand – no thumbs – and its flat face had only a slit for the mouth and two sunken holes that formed nostrils. A layer of grey slime covered it from head to toe.

When it smiled, Liam's throat constricted and his heart felt like a lump of ice. If ever he had been in the presence of pure evil, it was now. Liam did not have to ask who this creature was. It could only be...

Sah drew his attention. "Let me introduce you."

Liam growled, "I know who this is."

Sah appeared surprised. "How-?"

"How could I not?"

The creature laughed, a grating sound that vibrated painfully in Liam's chest.

"Tell him, Liam MacAskill. Tell him who I am."

Liam wasn't surprised that the creature knew his name, but Sah obviously was.

"How do you know his name? Even I did not know his full name."

Liam interrupted, "You are revered, Sah. Your people love you. What do you hope to gain from dealing with evil? Why do you need weapons when everyone adores you? No good will come of your union."

"He can give me things no man has even had the imagination to dream of."

The creature squealed in obvious delight at these words.

"What things? You'd be better off with a dog!"

Sah guffawed. "You mean that ugly animal you brought with you? I think not! Look how much good it did you having one!"

Liam glared. "A dog would never betray you – not even if you betrayed him first, not even if you kicked him half to death, not even if you turned your back on him! This thing will turn on you the moment it has what it wants – and what it wants will bring chaos and death to your world. Mark my words – you will come to regret having met it."

The creature laughed again, and Liam's knees weakened in terror. He would not walk away from this encounter. Perhaps if he had been a man of God... He wasn't, but he tried praying anyway. Please, please God, please protect me.

The guttural laugh filled the room again. The pain it caused forced Liam to his knees.

"He prays to a God his kind created in their minds! How cute!"

Sudden anger gave Liam the strength to raise his head and look the creature in the eyes. "If God is a product of our imagination, so are you! Yet here you are, fouling the place with your presence!"

"Insolence!"

The vehemence in the word drove Liam further to the ground, so that now his face was inches from the floor, but his spirit would not be cowed. Zac had been no coward and had not seen Liam as one, and it was up to him to go on being the person Zac had seen him as – or to at least try.

Insane laughter cut the air, riddled with pain, anger, contempt and loathing, and Liam realised it was his own. His head felt heavy, as if his neck was no longer strong enough to bear it, but somehow he found the strength to raise it again and meet the creature's eyes.

"Perhaps my kind invented the finer details of our religions, but I do not believe we invented God Himself. Your existence alone is proof of that. Thank you for giving me more faith than I had moments ago. I'm certain that He will come for you one day... Lucifer."

<><><>

Speaking of his encounter for the first time had exhausted Liam and dried his mouth. He asked for some water, which Shyla brought him. After draining half the mug, he continued, "They tried to probe my mind for the information – a painful experience – but found nothing of use, since I don't know enough to find the place. I was thrown back into the cell and left to die of starvation. I couldn't teleport out, because Joshua had the technology we'd used to teleport here. Three days later, there was a disturbance – I'm not sure what exactly – and the guards rushed from the prison to see to it. The cell door was..."

Liam cleared his throat. Even he would not have believed the sheer convenience of the next part of his story, if it had been another's story. "The cell door just opened. There was a click as the lock disengaged, and it just swung open. Just like that." He snapped his fingers, then paused in awe at the memory. "I made a run for it, of course. I only got a few minutes' head start before I heard them shouting that I'd escaped." He looked at the sea of disbelieving faces. "And you know the rest."

<><><>

After a few moments of silence, Abbot Jergor asked, "Just like that?"

Arthean had been searching Liam's eyes for any hint of lies the entire time he had spoken, and had found none. In fact, every word the stranger had spoken was confirmation that it was the monks' God-bound duty to help him in any way they could. He replied on Liam's behalf. "Surely you cannot doubt that God answered his prayer for help?"

Abbot Jergor hesitated, obviously contemplating Arthean's words. Finally, he relented. "It is possible."

Arthean knew he had to speak his mind now, before any firm decisions were made. "Abbot Jergor... I've been commissioned by God Himself to help this man. It is something I know I must do. I've learnt much about him in the short time he's been here, and I believe he speaks the truth. If the Devil himself is here, looking for the place from which God created all good, he must believe it to be here, too. If this much is true and he finds this place and sets foot in it, our land and everything in it will be overrun by evil, if there's anything to the ancient texts Liam read, and there will be nothing we can do to stop it. Perhaps God has put us in a position to hear these things so that we may lay to waste any plans the Devil has, while we still can."

The abbot shook his head. "If God has hidden it, no man – or the Devil himself – could ever hope to find it."

Arthean replied, "Unless God wants us to find it..."

Abbot Jergor frowned. "Why would He want us to find it? Surely if we did, we'd just lead the Devil right to it."

Liam interrupted, "We could debate the 'what ifs' until the end of time and still know nothing more than we already do. What I do know for a fact is this: Sah is no longer the good man you once knew him to be. He seeks his own power and doesn't care how he gets it or who he hurts in the process. You've noticed the dangerous weather lately, I'm sure... Well, Sah's bargained away certain laws of logic for weapons from my Earth. If we don't stop him, everything on your planet will be destroyed as his greed grows. I know this sounds like madness, but he signed a contract with the Devil – if I can just get to it and destroy it, it might fix everything... break the bargain."

Abbot Jergor sighed. "You said you already had proof. So far, I've heard nothing but stories and accusations."

Arthean hesitated – the abbot was right.

Shyla stepped forward. "Last night, I dreamt that someone was telling me a hard-to-believe story, some of which went against everything we believe. In the dream, an angel told me to not only listen, but to hear."

Abbot Jergor raised an eyebrow, studying Shyla, then seemed to come to a decision. "So be it. Two of our number have been instructed by God to help this man. We cannot go against that." He hesitated. "I cannot, however, place all our lives at risk to help him. He cannot stay here."

Arthean protested, "But-"

Abbot Jergor held up a hand. "Hear me out.... One of us can lead him through the catacombs to the other side of the mountains. He'll be safe there. Then we can let Sah search the premises, and, when he doesn't find him, he'll just leave and Liam can come back."

Liam made a rude noise through his nose and the abbot scowled at him.

Before either could speak, Arthean said, "Abbot, our friend here does not believe that Sah will give up so easily."

Liam added, "And he won't let you get away with helping me, either."

Abbot Jergor's scowl deepened. "What are you saying?"

"He'll kill you all anyway. Or, at least, some of you."

Arthean found that hard to visualise. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he can," Liam stated. "And to prove a point."

Abbot Jergor demanded, "And what point would that be?"

Liam crossed his arms. "That anyone who helps me will suffer. That way, all the kind-hearted, good people on your planet who would ordinarily jump to help someone will mind their own business, and my chances of survival will decrease."

Arthean couldn't bring himself to believe that. "I don't think he'll go that far. To burn a house of God to the ground or kill men and women of God will be to lose the faith and support of his people. It could lead to his reign ending in a similar manner to that of Kyain. He wouldn't risk it."

Liam asked sarcastically, "Oh, you don't think threatening to burn you to the ground will do the same thing?"

Abbot Jergor, still scowling, retorted, "I suspect he didn't send that out to all monasteries, although it appears that way. As you say, he wouldn't risk it. The people would rise up against him and he hasn't got the army to overcome us all. He's just trying to scare us. That's all."

Liam met the abbot's gaze. "Didn't expect that either, though, did you?"

Abbot Jergor stared at him in silence. Then he straightened and glared at Liam. "He won't do it. Threatening us and actually doing it will get entirely different reactions from the people."

"Can't you fight him?" Liam asked despairingly.

A murmur arose from the group, and the abbot raised his hand for silence.

Arthean placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Come, friend. We don't have time to argue. As you say, he may not wait the full time allotted. Perhaps he will come for you tonight, while we're all at ease thinking we have more time. I suspect that was the plan all along – to put us at ease so he can sneak in and get you under cover of darkness."

"Sacrilege!" Abbot Jergor snapped.

"Yes," Arthean agreed. "But so is the message he sent."

The abbot nodded, clearly unhappy about the situation.

Since the messenger had arrived, even before Abbot Jergor had read the news to them, Arthean had felt a strong urge to run. To leave. To get as far away from Tridor as possible. He had learnt long ago that his strange, sudden urges were warnings or instructions from his Maker. He didn't get them often – since he'd made Tridor his home, that is – but, when he did, he listened. He turned to Liam. "Come. We must prepare to leave immediately."

Liam's brow furrowed. "And what then? What after I escape? I can't get home without Joshua, and I can't run forever!"

Arthean shrugged. "The Creator will lead the way."

Liam scoffed, "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah." Arthean smiled gently. "I know you don't believe... yet... but you will. You'll see."

Liam glowered at the monk.

Arthean asked softly, "Would you prefer to stay and wait for Sah?"

Liam was about to reply when a young, red-haired monk rushed in, shouting, "Abbot Jergor! Abbot Jergor!"

The abbot turned to the monk with a look of concern. Arthean's chest tightened. What now?

"Abbot Jergor!" The red-haired youth made his way to the abbot, panting. "They've blocked the beach!"

The abbot's eyes widened.

"And the pass up the mountain!" the youth added breathlessly. "No one can leave without passing them!"

Arthean wasn't sure what to make of this new development. He'd received no warnings from God about this, although the urge to leave as soon as possible was now stronger. Had he waited too long to take action? A revelation hit him. "Friend, this just proves the catacombs are your only way to freedom. Whether Sah respects the time frame given or not, he will not allow you to leave safely... That much is clear."

Perspiration beaded Liam's forehead. "That's what I've been telling you!"

Abbot Jergor ordered, "Prepare to leave. Don't dally – go!" He bowed his head and closed his eyes for a few moments, and Arthean knew he'd said a silent prayer.

Arthean turned to the young monk who had brought the news. "Kian, what are they doing... exactly?"

Kian appeared taken aback by the question. "They've got some fires going. It looks like they're getting ready to settle in for the night."

Arthean heaved a sigh of relief. They still had time. "Good. That means they have no plans to attack tonight." He turned to Liam. "Fetch anything you need from your room."

Abbot Jergor instructed, "Not your clothes – they're too noticeable in our land. I'll organise that for you." He nodded to Arthean to continue.

"Sealah?" Arthean scanned the crowd for their head cook.

"Yes?" Sealah raised her hand near the back.

Arthean turned to her. "Would you mind putting together some provisions for us, please? We'll be ready to go in..." He glanced at Liam.

Liam said, "Ten minutes."

Arthean looked at Sealah again. "One hour."

The nun rushed off to the kitchen, beckoning to a few monks to follow her, and Arthean turned back to Liam. "We'll change clothes first. Wait for me in your room – I'll bring them to you." He turned to leave, but Abbot Jergor stopped him with a hand on his arm. Surprised that his abbot was delaying him after agreeing they should leave without delay, Arthean raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You cannot wear monk's robes. Sah may expect him to change attire and he may also notice you're gone... which means a lone monk or two may attract his attention."

Arthean wavered – Abbot Jergor was right. He battled to subdue the hopelessness that flooded him.

"Do not look so fearful, Brother." The abbot smiled, turning to Liam. "You have more aid than you know. Get your things. Arthean will be there shortly."

Liam nodded and left the room. Arthean stared after him, his mind numb. Abbot Jergor beckoned for Arthean to follow him, and led the way to the catacombs. Arthean didn't have to wonder what the abbot had in mind for long. When they reached the small rock-carved room that held the catacomb entrance, Abbot Jergor lit one of the torches set into the wall, then reached behind a box and pulled on something. A loud grating sound filled the air.

Without hesitation, the abbot took the two steps he needed to reach the other side of the room, reached into the small cavity that had been exposed, and extracted a bundle wrapped in goat skin. "You'll need this. I thought it was just a dream, but now..."

Arthean blinked. "You thought what was a dream?"

Abbot Jergor sighed. "I dreamt you were attacked by a shadow... creature. Shadow creature." He shuddered. "You were unarmed. But for that, you may have survived."

Arthean flinched. "I didn't survive in your dream?"

The abbot shook his head. "But now I've evened the odds. If it comes to pass, you must use the dagger. You must fight."

It hit Arthean that his abbot was offering him a weapon. It was forbidden for weapons of any sort to taint the house of God. Yet Abbot Jergor had kept one hidden.

As if anticipating Arthean's thoughts, the abbot added, "Technically, this room isn't on the monastery premises."

"B-b-but... we're forbidden to kill!"

"No, we're forbidden to murder. Self-defence is an entirely different matter. And I doubt shadow creatures, probably from the bowels of Hell itself, are counted in the 'do not kill' commandment."

Arthean relaxed a little. "True." Why, though, would the abbot risk the wrath of God over a 'technicality'? He must truly believe his dream had been sent by his Creator. "Wh-?"

Abbot Jergor raised a hand. "There's no time to explain further. Let's just say that I was forewarned of the need for this some time ago. I just didn't know who of our number would need it or why. Now I do."

"And the dream where I died? When did you have that?"

The abbot unwrapped the dagger. Its silver blade glittered menacingly in the flames that danced across the walls. "The day the stranger arrived."

"Liam?"

"The first stranger."

"Oh..." What did the first stranger have to do with anything? He'd been in a coma for most of his stay, and was still unable to speak much. Not to mention his seeming memory loss.

Abbot Jergor interrupted his thoughts. "That's all I know. Come, I have something else for you."

The abbot handed Arthean the dagger. Its hilt, black and studded with small silver knobs to give a better grip, was cold and uncomfortable in Arthean's hand.

Abbot Jergor led the way back upstairs, to his sleeping chambers, and rummaged under his bed for a few moments while Arthean stood waiting, glancing anxiously out of the balcony door at where Sah's troops' fire was clearly visible on the beach. The dagger was now safely tucked into his waist sash.

The abbot pulled a bundle out and handed it to Arthean. "There are three sets of clothes in there. One for each of you, and one spare. I'm sorry I don't have more."

"Clothes?" Arthean blinked, his mind still numb from all the events.

What would Abbot Jergor be doing with old clothes stuck under his bed? When one moved into the monastery as a monk or nun, they were expected to burn all their old attire as an act of devotion. Had the abbot expected to need them again?

Abbot Jergor smiled. "It was another one of my 'feelings'. The day I was to burn them, my mind was consumed by the thought of needing them again at some point. Not for me, but for another. I thought it was the will of God, so I obeyed and only burnt some of them. Take it to Liam. By the time you've both changed, your supplies should be ready." As Arthean followed him out of the door, the abbot added, "We'll supply you with some coins, too. Your provisions won't last forever, and you may need to purchase more before you return."

Arthean nodded, grateful for the unexpected help. He just wasn't sure if he would be returning...

Abbot Jergor added, "One more thing... Soon, you will be faced with a difficult decision. You must follow your heart and go against the norm if Tridor is to survive." He turned to leave before Arthean could question him.

CHAPTER 5

Liam and Arthean were ready to leave just under an hour later. For a change, the sky was sunny and the wind gentle – typical that they were heading underground on the first day of good weather, Liam thought gloomily. On the plus side, he was gobsmacked at the Tridorians' willingness – and ability – to aid him. They appeared 'backwards' at a glance, but were quite resourceful and clever when the need arose. Liam was dressed in loose-fitting, black cotton trousers, with a wide black belt that had hooks for attaching various items, such as the two sheepskin pouches that now hung from them. In one pouch was his precious photo of Zac, some peppermints he'd had in his pocket the day he'd arrived at the monastery, and a small tub of herbal cream for his feet, compliments of Certhon. The other was filled with walnuts. A white cotton shirt, open at the neck, finished the ensemble, together with plain, flat brown sandals and a worn, dark green coat. Arthean's attire was similar, although his trousers, belt and coat were light brown and he had a black-hilted, silver-studded dagger attached to his belt by its leather sheath.

Across his back, Arthean had a backpack containing the spare set of clothes, his Bible, a jar of black and green beetles – Liam assumed it was a delicacy here, although the thought of eating one revolted him – and some food. Liam carried the bulk of their stash. Sealah had been generous with the provisions, and, between them, they had three blocks of cheese, four packages of dried meat and plenty of pears, dates, sour pomegranates, apricots, peaches, grapes, strawberries, bananas and almonds, some of which grew wild on the lower, gentle slopes of the mountainside surrounding the monastery, and some that were grown in the monastery gardens. They also each had a thick blanket and spare torch strapped under their backpacks – between them, the monks really had thought of everything they may need.

It seemed the entire monastery had come to see them off. Abbot Jergor handed Arthean a money bag, and the monk blinked in apparent astonishment at the sight of the glittering gold coins in it.

Arthean exclaimed, "Abbot! We can't afford to spare nearly this much!"

Liam was surprised – although full, the pouch was rather small, so couldn't hold too many coins.

Smiling, Abbot Jergor said, "You'll need it more than we will, Brother."

Clearly unhappy, Arthean nodded and thanked the abbot, then attached the money bag to his belt. He turned to Liam and asked, "Ready?"

Liam nodded.

<><><>

Abbot Jergor walked with them in silence to the catacombs' entrance, where he handed each a torch. "Be careful they don't go out," he warned. "It'll be difficult to create new flame in the dark."

Arthean nodded. It would be a long time before either of them slept. The catacombs wound right up to the top of the mountain and, while there were other entrances that came out onto some of the mountain's plateaus, he knew their best bet was to put as much distance between them and the monastery as possible before they emerged into fresh air again. The plateaus would be the first place Sah would look, because it was possible to traverse the mountain's steep slopes to get to them – although the slopes were so steep and with so few foot and handholds that not many who had attempted it had survived. Sure, Sah's men blocked the only path up the mountain, but, if the ruler was this desperate to get to Liam, he probably wouldn't take any chances.

Arthean gave Abbot Jergor a quick hug, thanked him again, then led the way into the catacombs' gaping maw. Monk and outlaw walked in sombre silence for the first few minutes, then Liam's voice cut the darkness, startling Arthean. "So where do these catacombs come out?"

Arthean gave him a breakdown of where all the entrances were, how many there were, and which one they were heading for.

"How long will it take to get there?"

"A day and a half."

Liam was silent for a few moments before asking, "How are we going to keep the torches alight when we sleep?"

"We can't."

"Are you saying we'll have to walk the last half a day in the dark?"

Arthean smiled to himself. He knew Liam liked his sleep. He wasn't going to be impressed. "No. I'm saying we can't sleep."

"What! Are you mad? What if we run into trouble? We'll be too tired to even think straight, let alone defend ourselves!"

"We won't run into trouble before we leave the catacombs."

"How do you know?"

"There's no trouble here for a monk of Tridor who knows his way."

Liam huffed, "How can you be so sure about that?"

Arthean chuckled. "I used to play in these tunnels as a teenager. The only danger here is the possibility of losing your way."

Liam sounded nervous as he asked, "So... just how well do you know these tunnels?"

Arthean replied, "Better than anyone." He hesitated. "I was a bit of a loner as a teenager, so I spent most of my time alone exploring the tunnels. No one else has spent even a quarter of the time I have down here. Why do you think there were no objections to me being the one to guide you through them? In fact, everyone expected me to be the one."

"So you won't get lost, right?"

"Not a chance," Arthean responded confidently.

As a teenager, Arthean had been drawn to the catacombs, from a need to be alone in constant silent reparation for his sins and for fear that spending too much time around others might open their eyes to the darker side of who he was – had been. He had explored the tunnels and caverns many times, until he knew every twist and turn, every nook and cranny, and every dip in the ground that might cause one to stumble. He knew its inhabitants and its water sources, its plant life – where light allowed – and its exits, every natural fresh air vent and every secret it held.

"Not even a small chance?"

Arthean smiled to himself again. "I could find my way in the dark, should the need arise."

"Let's not test that," Liam said.

Arthean's smile widened. "No, let's not. I much prefer the light, although you needn't worry... When I was young, my torch went out quite frequently when I forgot to bring beetles with or when I ran out of torches because I'd forgotten the time and stayed underground too long. I always found my way back without a problem."

"So I have the best guide around, then." Liam sounded relieved.

"God wouldn't provide you with anything less in these tunnels."

They fell silent, and Arthean listened for sounds of pursuit. He couldn't see Sah breaking the new law and coming to look for Liam before the allotted time was up, but then again, he couldn't see Sah passing the new law in the first place, or bargaining with the Devil, either. Yet that seemed to be true, judging by his dream messages and the sincerity in Liam's voice and eyes when he'd told his story. It was best to be on the safe side in matters of the soul.

Arthean resisted the urge to increase their pace – if they spent too much energy at once, they wouldn't be able to walk the entire day and a half without at least one long period of rest, which he didn't want to waste time on. The faster they moved, the further away they'd be by the time Sah realised Liam had escaped his clutches. Arthean lamented the fact that they'd have no idea when that would be, though. For all they knew, Liam's escape could already be known, or it may only be discovered in a few weeks' time. Not knowing stressed Arthean.

<><><>

After what seemed like hours of walking, with only the steady sound of their footfalls and their increasingly laboured breathing to break the silence, Arthean finally turned into a narrower tunnel that Liam hadn't even noticed. The tunnel was so narrow that their packs scraped the sides and torches had to be held in front of them. Liam found the torch's heat on his face and neck almost unbearable. After only a few minutes, the tunnel opened into a small cavern, at the far end of which a natural rock pool shimmered in the torchlight. It was only about half a metre wide, and just deep enough to dip one's legs into. Liam estimated the water wouldn't go much past his knees.

"It's fed by an underground river," Arthean explained. "And it's rich in minerals, too, so it's better than normal water. Once we've drunk our fill and washed our faces, place your feet in the water for a few minutes. It'll speed the healing process."

Liam nodded as Arthean placed his torch in an empty niche on the wall clearly meant for that purpose, then shrugged his pack off. Liam did the same, eager to wash the catacombs' dust from his face and quench his burning thirst. They hurried, and, after Liam had soaked his feet for a few minutes, were on their way back down the narrow tunnel. All in all, the stop had taken less than fifteen minutes, by Liam's estimation.

As they made a right turn back into the main tunnel, which was often wide enough for them to walk side by side, Liam asked, "What time do you think it is now?"

"It must be around two hours before midnight, at least," Arthean replied.

"What? Are you sure? It feels like at least midnight to me, if not later. We've been walking for ages already!"

Liam wasn't sure his feet could take much more. They were healing quite nicely and faster than he'd expected, but were still raw in places and ached something terrible. The constant walking wasn't helping.

Arthean replied, "Not a hundred percent. But pretty sure, yes. Are your feet giving you trouble?"

"You could say that."

"Can you last for another two hours?"

Liam grimaced. "If I must."

Arthean looked relieved. "Okay. About two hours' walk from here, there's another mineral pool cavern. It's a little bigger than the one we were just in. We can rest there, have a snack, and you can submerge yourself entirely in the water there, if you like. In fact, I think it's a good idea if we both have a quick swim. It'll refresh us."

"That sounds like a fair trade for another two hours' walking." Liam grinned at the monk, feeling decidedly better now that he had a more immediate goal.

The tunnel narrowed again, and Liam fell in behind Arthean. He wondered if the Creator of all had really provided this particular monk to help him, and, if so, who would He provide next? Liam doubted the monk would know much about surviving as an outlaw, considering the sheltered life he'd led, so there'd have to be others to aid him then, surely? Time would tell.

<><><>

Just when Liam thought his feet would refuse to walk another step, Arthean turned sharply to his left and vanished.

Panicking, Liam called, "Arthean? Arthean!"

The monk's seemingly disembodied head popped out of the rock and looked at him. "What? Come on!"

Arthean's head vanished again, and Liam took a step forward. Once he faced the rock, a narrow opening was visible. He heaved a sigh of relief. The opening turned immediately to the right, then to the left three paces down, and opened into a fair-sized cavern. Along the left wall, a pond of clear water sparkled invitingly. Pure white stalactites hung from the ceiling and stalagmites rose from the floor like silent guardians of the pond.

Liam gasped. "Awesome!"

Arthean smiled at him. "It is, isn't it?"

As Arthean led the way through the maze of stalagmites, Liam asked, "How did you even find this place?"

"I told you. I meant it when I said I know every inch of these tunnels. It's practically all I was interested in as a teenager... besides learning about God, obviously."

Excited at the thought of getting some sleep, Liam exclaimed, "It's almost impossible to find the entrance to this place – we could even sleep here safely, and no one would find us!"

"Certainly, no one would find us. But we still can't sleep here."

"Oh come on!"

Arthean placed his backpack on the ground next to the pond. Its waters were big enough to swim at least five strokes from end to end, and two strokes from the edge to its back wall, which they now faced.

"Firstly, there aren't enough spare torches in here to use as spares and keep lighted while we sleep. Unless you want to walk the rest of the way in the dark, that is?"

Liam cringed at the thought. "Err... no, thanks."

Arthean nodded. "I didn't think so. And secondly, if you fell asleep at this stage, I'd probably have a hard time waking you until a good few hours had passed. We can't afford to waste that much time."

Liam frowned. He was so exhausted that he hated admitting it, but Arthean was right. If he slept now, the monk would have a better chance of waking the rocks. Plus, they had to move fast to gain the advantage of distance. "I guess so. So how long are we going to rest for, then?"

"Let's have a drink and a swim, then a snack. You can soak your feet again while we eat – almost all the water in the catacombs is mineral rich. That's all the time we can spare, I fear."

"Just enough to do what must be done," Liam said dejectedly.

"Perhaps one day I'll be able to bring you back here, when we can spend more time exploring. If you think this cavern is awesome, you should see the one near the east plateau!"

Liam smiled. "Tell me about it?"

As they undressed, laying their clothes neatly near the edge of the rock pond, Arthean began, "It's about ten times bigger than this cavern. The stalactites and stalagmites are at least seven times the thickness of these." He swept his arm around the cavern. "And the walls are illuminated by millions of glow worms." He jumped into the pond and came up grinning. "This will wake you up. Guaranteed!"

Liam followed suit and came up gasping from the icy water. Arthean's grin widened, contorting his face into a menacing mask of twisted teeth and lips flickering in the torchlight. Liam shuddered. It reminded him of Lucifer's smile.

Arthean continued to describe the other cavern. "It has three rock pools. One is so deep you can't even hold your breath long enough to reach the bottom. I can't, anyway, nor any of the other monks and nuns who have tried."

"How far is it from here?"

Arthean floated on his back. "About ten minutes."

"Can't we go see it? It's so close – surely a quick stop wouldn't hurt?"

"We're already delaying. We can't afford another stop. Ten minutes can easily turn into twenty, then half an hour... Once we stop there, you won't want to leave anytime soon. We'll do that next time."

"Next time? You think we'll have to walk through here again?"

Arthean chuckled. "Not like this, hopefully. I meant when all this is over and life is back to normal. There's a shorter route if we're going directly there, though. I didn't take it this time, because it's steep and would have tired us more than the longer walk has. There's a rope attached to a boulder in the cavern, which hangs down the tunnels, and you have to pull yourself up with it in places, else you'd just slip down again, and the vertical tunnel is a good few hundred metres high, so it's a good idea not to fall. We could also climb the mountain to get there, but that would be even more difficult."

It didn't sound at all appealing to Liam. "Even more reason to just go see it now. Please? We won't be long. Just a quick look..."

"It's a bad idea." Arthean turned onto his stomach and swam lazily across the pond's length.

Liam swam breaststroke next to him. "How much of those ten minutes is out of our way?"

They reached the end and Arthean flipped neatly to face the other way, continuing his swim. Liam did the same.

"Well?"

Halfway across, Arthean stopped swimming and treaded water. He looked worried. "Only about half of it. But-"

"Then it's only five minutes we're wasting."

"Yes, but-"

"That's not too bad, is it?"

"Five minutes can mean the difference between life and death. I'm not sure we should risk it."

"Oh, come on. Let's have a little fun, since we've been forced on this 'adventure'. Else what's the point of being alive?"

<><><>

They finished their swim without Liam letting up nagging. Perched on flattish boulders, they ate some fruit and nuts, and Liam continued his pestering. Arthean grimaced. Liam nagged worse than any woman the monk had ever known. He had a really bad feeling about making the detour, slight as it was, but his resolve weakened the more Liam begged. When Arthean stood to retrieve his pack and torch, Liam grasped his arm. " _Please?_ We won't spend more than two minutes there. Scout's honour."

"Scout's?"

Liam looked confused for a second, then explained, "Oh... A Scout is a particular type of person on my Earth who always keeps their word, does the right thing and helps others. It's a sort of club. A _survival_ club."

Arthean looked at him dubiously. "And you're a member?"

"Well... No... But that's not the point. Argh. It's just a saying that means 'I promise'. Come _on_ , Arthean! What harm could it do?"

Arthean's head was beginning to hurt from the effort of repeating his reasons for not stopping, and he finally decided it would take less energy to delay their journey with the short detour. "Fine. But when I say it's time to leave, we leave. Got it?"

Liam grinned. " _Awesome!_ Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get going!"

Liam jumped up and was ready to leave within moments. Arthean couldn't help but smile at his excitement. It was infectious, and it wasn't long before the monk felt it, too, even though he'd visited the large cavern many times. Five minutes later, Arthean stopped next to a hole in the cave wall where it met the floor. It was barely wider than the average human shoulder width, and so low that one had to crawl on one's stomach to get through. He placed his torch in a niche in the wall, then removed his backpack and instructed Liam to do the same.

"What's going on? Why have we stopped?" Liam asked, looking around.

"You have to push your pack in front of you. You won't fit through if it's on your back." Arthean pointed at the hole. "And we can't take our torches in there. Firstly, we won't need them, and secondly, many of the glow worms may stop glowing if we bring firelight inside. Then you wouldn't see the full beauty of the place."

Liam took a step back, his horror obvious from his contorted expression. "You must be joking? I can't crawl through that! I'm claustrophobic!"

Arthean laughed. "It's not a tunnel. Just a hole. You can push your pack all the way to the other side before your head's even through. It's like crawling through a doorway."

Liam got down on his hands and knees and peered into the opening. "I can't see anything. None of the glow worms you mentioned. No light. It's a tunnel!"

Arthean laughed again. "It isn't. There's a natural overhang just above, and a man-made dividing wall almost immediately in front, built out of rocks. If you don't know where to look, it's almost impossible to find – from the inside, it looks like part of the cave wall. This and the overhang block the light. The glow worms tend to stay away from the opening on this side – the wind from the small natural skylight just above, although slight, would break their nests' threads."

"Man-made? Why would anyone spend time doing that?" Liam asked.

Arthean got down on his hands and knees, then shoved his backpack through the hole. He turned his head to look at Liam. "Apparently some monk who died long before I was born had a dream telling him to build it. We still don't know why." He turned back to the hole and crawled into it.

<><><>

Arthean's feet vanished into the hole and his head popped back out moments later. "Coming, Mr. I'm So Desperate to See the Cavern?"

Liam relaxed. It seemed the monk knew what he was talking about. He followed Arthean through. The monk warned him just in time to avoid a nasty bump on his head as he rose to his feet – the overhang was too low for a man to stand up straight. He took two steps forward and stood next to Arthean. They left their backpacks at the entrance, and Arthean led the way around the dividing wall. They were standing with two thirds of the cavern on their right, and about a third on the left. The sight that met them took Liam's breath away.

The majestic cavern stretched out so far that it would take at least five minutes' walk to reach the opposite side. Much longer if one walked the breadth. The high, curved ceiling radiated light in most places where tiny cocoon-like objects dangled from it, emitting a greenish-yellow glow that bathed much of the cavern, some areas brighter than others. In some places, where the glow worms were more scattered, it looked to Liam as if he was staring at a starry sky.

Arthean said, "Those are the glow worms' nests. They're made of silk. You'd usually find less of them near a cave entrance, but this roof is so high that it doesn't matter." He pointed to the opposite wall, which looked the same as the rest of the walls to Liam. "See that slightly lighter patch over there on the wall? That's the exit onto the plateau. The tunnel is about three strides forward, two left, then four right."

"Ah. I see it now."

Liam ached to feel the wind on his skin, even if only for a moment. Being in the catacombs for so long had depleted what little tolerance he had for small spaces. He turned to Arthean, who must have anticipated the question, because he said sternly, "We _are absolutely not_ setting a foot outside until we reach the top."

Liam's chest tightened. He didn't argue this time, though, because he knew they might be spotted by Sah's men from the lower slopes. They weren't far enough away to be out of the woods yet. He couldn't handle getting this far only to be captured because he couldn't control his fears. Liam took a deep breath and tried to ignore his tight chest by taking in more of the cavern's magnificence.

Further illumination was cast by the ghostly, semi-transparent mushrooms that dotted the floor and jutted out from between rocks and boulders. Many stalactites and stalagmites met at the tips or just short thereof, while others wound around each other, forming pillars that reached from roof to floor, some thicker than Liam's torso. A few strides to their left, a gigantic rock pool took up almost half of the left wall – almost a third of the cavern's length – following the cavern's curve almost halfway across. In front, about a quarter of the way to the opposite end, was another rock pond, decidedly smaller than the one to their left, but a bit bigger than the one they'd swum in earlier.

"There's a miniature rock pool behind those rocks over there." Arthean pointed diagonally to their right. "It's only big enough to soak your legs and feet in, though."

Liam looked at where the monk pointed. One of the rocks in the vicinity had a rope tied around and under it. "Is that where the other entrance is?"

"Yes." Arthean started towards the rope. "Mind you don't step on the mushrooms."

Liam followed the monk to where the rope dropped into a gaping mouth of pitch black. "I can see why you need the rope." He shuddered. "And why you took the long route."

Arthean nodded. "I suppose you may as well soak your feet for a few minutes, since we're here." He raised his left eyebrow.

"Sounds like a plan."

Arthean led the way, and Liam had just caught sight of the shallow pool when the monk halted, then grabbed a rock to steady himself as Liam walked into his back.

"Ssh!" Arthean hissed, turning and pulling Liam to the floor with him.

The fear in the monk's voice made Liam obey without question. They had barely ducked when footfalls marred the cavern's silence from the far side. Liam's chest went cold. Surely Sah hadn't sent his men _here?_ Not already, anyway? Arthean peered around the boulder, and Liam's fears were confirmed when the monk turned to face him with fear-filled eyes, placed a finger over his lips and raised two fingers, presumably to indicate two men.

Liam thought, _only two?_ Were the rest waiting outside, or was Sah just taking precautions and blocking off any potential escape route? Maybe the others had fallen to their deaths while climbing the mountain's unsympathetic slopes. He tried to calm himself – Sah probably didn't know they were in here. He _couldn't_ know.

Unless Lucifer knew and told him.

Liam shifted his right shoulder against the boulder and peeked out from behind it. The two men had split up, and each made his way along the cavern walls on opposite sides of the entrance. They appeared to be examining the walls.

_Shit!_ They were searching for an entrance to the catacombs.

After a few frustrating minutes of gesticulating, Liam managed to convey this to Arthean, whose eyes widened. The monk opened his mouth as if to speak, then shoved his hand in front of it as if it was the only way to prevent himself from talking.

Arthean cupped his hands around Liam's left ear and whispered, "They're trying to find a way to sneak into the monastery." He pointed a shaking finger at the rope, which was now a fair distance away.

An icy wave of fear flooded Liam, chilling him from the inside out. If they found the entrance to the monastery, they'd know how he had escaped, and they'd also know the Tridorians had helped him. What would the holy people's fate be, then? Would it cost them their lives? Were their lives worth so much less than his that they had to die to save him? Were they to be next on the list of those who suffered for helping him?

He resisted the urge to scream.

CHAPTER 6

Arthean was angry with himself. If he'd listened to his bad feeling, they wouldn't be stuck in a cavern with two of Sah's soldiers and no clear escape. Nobody aside from the monks was supposed to even know about the catacombs, so how did Sah know there was something to look for in the first place? Surely none of his brothers or sisters had betrayed their closely guarded secret? It pained him to think they might have, yet he saw no other explanation.

Tall boulders surrounded the rock pool, and there were enough to shield them for at least half the distance to the rope entrance. They'd have to move quickly, though, because the man walking along the wall to their right would see them soon.

Arthean thought quickly. He doubted Sah's men would find the hidden entrance and, even if they did, they'd get lost and die in the catacombs long before they found their way out. Because the quick route was only one long tunnel, though, the shortcut to the monastery could be navigated easily enough even if one didn't know the way... unless, of course, Sah's men were unlucky and turned in the opposite direction to follow the route Liam and he had first taken. Then they'd get lost and die, too. There was a fifty-fifty chance of either. He couldn't take that chance.

Gesturing for Liam to follow, Arthean crouched lower and inched his way across the floor. He took a roundabout route, weaving through stalactites and mushrooms, and keeping two rocks on either side of them where possible in an attempt to hide them from both sets of eyes. It wasn't easy. One of Sah's men moved faster than the other, and the slow one quickened his pace at times. After what seemed like too long, they reached the rope and Arthean unsheathed the dagger on his belt and began to cut the thick, durable rope, which took a while. When the rope was finally severed, Arthean pulled it to release it from the top of the boulder, and it snaked down the hole with a 'thwack' that echoed back up to them.

The nearest soldier shouted, "What was that?"

"It came from over there!" the second man yelled.

Footsteps hastened towards the cavern's centre. Arthean was only vaguely relieved. Sah's men were heading in the wrong direction, but still closer to Liam and him. This wasn't at all good. He gauged the distance to the entrance. There weren't that many rocks or boulders near it, and, although the area wasn't as well lighted as the rest of the cavern, it wasn't dark enough to fully hide them. Panic overwhelmed him. He couldn't let them catch Liam.

They'd have to make a run for it.

Liam must have sensed his intention, because he gripped Arthean's arm and shook his head. Arthean scowled, something he didn't do very often and that made his face ache. It wouldn't be long before the men spotted them, but if they were quick enough they could make it to the exit before they were caught. The advantage of a large space...

Arthean shook Liam's hand off, motioned for him to follow, then turned his back and, crouching as much as possible, ran clumsily towards the entrance.

<><><>

The monk moved crab-like from side to side, losing his balance, then righting himself without slowing, and Liam resisted the hysterical giggle clawing his throat. They were going to die. Trust a monk uneducated in the ways of survival to do something stupid like exposing their position. Arthean didn't look back, and Liam suspected he might end up stuck in the cave, possibly unable to find the exit without the monk's help, if he didn't follow.

Silently cursing Arthean, Liam crouched as low as he could and hastened after his guide, who was a few metres ahead by now. Fearful of being left behind, however unintentionally, Liam straightened a little so he could move faster. He noticed Arthean still took care not to squash the semi-transparent mushrooms underfoot, but Liam didn't slow his pace for them – all he cared about right then was escape. He'd almost caught up with the monk when a shout broke the silence.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!"

All attempts to hide instantly abandoned, the hunted men straightened simultaneously and broke into a sprint. Arthean glanced to his left and increased speed. Liam raced after him, not bothering to check how close Sah's men were. It didn't matter anymore. The cave wall loomed a few strides ahead. They were almost home free.

A shot shattered the air, and indignant squealing came from above.

_What the-?_ Liam didn't slow long enough to find out what was squealing. In fact, the thought of some angry cave creature only served to spur him on. The men had guns. Earth weapons – new technology for this planet. _Shit!_ Another shot rang out, then another, causing much shuffling and squealing from somewhere above.

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

You're already shooting, fuckhead.

It seemed Sah's men only had one gun between them, a handgun that could only fire one shot at a time. At least that was something in Liam and Arthean's favour. Arthean reached the wall as another shot was fired. He slammed into the rock face headfirst, bounced back and slumped to the ground like a rag doll. Liam's breath caught and his chest constricted. _No. No. No-no-no-no-no._ He reached his guide seconds later, dropped to his knees and tried to lift him by his shoulders. Arthean didn't budge.

Liam shook the monk. "Come on! Wake up!" When the monk still didn't move, Liam placed his ear next to Arthean's mouth. Shallow breaths fanned his ear. Arthean was alive. Liam slapped his face as hard as he could. "Wake up, damn you!"

He turned to see Sah's men approaching. They'd be caught in under a minute, judging by the distance the men still had to cover. He looked up and saw the edge of the man-made dividing wall in front of him. _Thank you, Arthean._ Grabbing Arthean under the arms, Liam dragged him behind the wall. It would take a while for the soldiers to find it. Liam knew they would struggle, particularly since this section of the wall was so dark and they had no torches, but, since they now knew it was there, they _would_ find it eventually.

Liam shoved their backpacks back out of the 'doorway', then dragged Arthean to it and tried to push him through feet first. It was difficult and awkward, and Liam's shoulders burnt before the monk was even halfway through. He was deliberately rough, hoping Arthean would wake up so he could help. He didn't.

Arthean was two thirds of the way out when Sah's soldiers reached the dividing wall. Liam tried not to make any noise as he continued to struggle with the monk. It was an impossible task. Each time he turned to check behind him, he expected to see Sah's soldiers standing there smirking and pointing their guns at him. He cursed his bad luck, prayed for Arthean to wake up, cursed God, cursed Arthean, begged God to help him, cursed himself for wanting to see the cavern so badly, then cursed his bad luck some more.

"They're behind the wall. I can hear the bastards!"

"Do you think it's him?"

"One way to find out."

Liam jumped and turned to look again. No menacing faces stared back at him. _Oh well. No point in being quiet anymore._ With a spurt of adrenaline-fuelled strength, he gave one last heave and Arthean's head vanished to the other side. Liam followed, but not as quickly as he'd hoped. He had to crawl over Arthean once his head emerged on the other side. By the time he was back in the tunnel, his hands were soaked with the monk's blood, his shoulders were on fire, his neck was stiff, his head and temples throbbed, and he felt queasy. Arthean remained unconscious, the dark patch of blood staining his right shoulder flickering in the torchlight.

Liam contemplated his options as he shrugged the backpack on and slung Arthean's across his right shoulder. He wasn't sure he could carry two torches, two backpacks _and_ a person. _Of course!_ He removed Arthean's pack and, with great difficulty, placed it on the monk's back. Voices came from the hole and Liam glanced at it anxiously. Sah's men were behind the dividing wall. Liam hoped they'd take longer to find the 'doorway'. As silently as possible, he dragged Arthean up and slung him over his shoulder. He would have preferred to drag him on his back by his arms, but that would probably make the bleeding worse... and Sah's men would hear them and be able to follow. The monk's weight combined with the weight of two backpacks almost crippled Liam, but he forced his agonised feet to bear the burden as he reached up to grab his torch, then contemplated taking Arthean's, too.

No, he'd risk dropping both torches and being left in complete darkness. Liam shuddered. He couldn't leave it for Sah's men to use, though. He doubted they'd expected to find a cave – they would have brought torches if they had – which meant Arthean's theory of them searching for a way into the monastery was probably wrong. _Now_ they knew there was one, though, and all because he'd acted like a child and been stupid enough to ignore the monk's bad feeling so he could see the cavern. He hoped he hadn't put the monks and nuns at the monastery in any more danger than he already had by claiming sanctuary.

With great difficulty, Liam knocked Arthean's torch from the wall and stamped out the flame. Dousing one of their only two light sources in the catacombs was depressing. Holding his torch in his left hand and with Arthean balanced on his right shoulder, Liam turned in the opposite direction from which they'd arrived, hoping he wouldn't lead them too far out of their way. He would wander endlessly until he died of thirst if the monk died. They hadn't brought any water, because Arthean knew where to find water in the tunnels. Nobody had considered that the monk may not survive the journey.

Liam prayed that Arthean's knowledge of the catacombs was as excellent as he'd claimed, because they'd probably be far from where they were meant to be by the time the monk woke up. _If_ he woke up, Liam reminded himself morosely. He had to get enough distance between them and Sah's soldiers, though, before they found the 'doorway'. They wouldn't be foolish enough to walk through the tunnels with no light, but they'd be back with torches soon enough, and Liam risked walking in circles, so he might run into them. He had to put some distance between them, then try to revive Arthean.

Numerous tunnels branched off the tunnel they were in, some wide and some narrow, but Liam didn't take any of them. He knew he probably should, to make it harder for Sah's men to find them. The problem was that it would also make it harder for him to help Arthean get his bearings when he came to. He'd never remember which turns he'd taken and which ones he hadn't, and, although he held hope that the monk's knowledge of the catacombs was sound, he wasn't entirely convinced of it. Almost all the tunnels had looked the same to him since the start of their journey, the only difference being their width and length, the roof height and how many side tunnels each had. How could the monk possibly know where he was without some source of reference?

Liam's shoulders, back and feet had burnt when he'd first picked up Arthean, but now every fibre in his body screamed in protest with each movement he made. His feet were cold and moist; Liam presumed they were bleeding again. Each laboured step was like stepping on broken glass all over again, his legs were rubbery and unstable, his back felt broken, he could no longer turn his neck, his head was going to explode, agony lanced his sides with each step and his arms were leaden. He wanted to stop for a break, but fear of being caught and the certainty that he wouldn't be able to pick Arthean up again kept him going.

<><><>

Liam opened his eyes to darkness. He didn't recall falling or passing out, but he must have. He was partly on his stomach and partly on his left side on the rock floor with Arthean half on top of him and his left cheek pressed into the cold rock. He tried to push the monk off, but violent spasms paralysed him and he fought the urge to vomit out the pain. He closed his eyes, but the throbbing, stabbing cold pain behind his eyes refused to recede, and his head knocked against the floor as he shuddered – it felt like someone was smashing it into the rock.

Something growled near his ears, and Liam's eyes shot open in fright. He tried to hold his breath, but that just made the spasms – and headache – worse. He tried to shout at the creature, but his tongue wouldn't work and whatever stalked him growled again, louder this time. Liam's anger rose. _Oh come on! Chased by the Devil's people, lost in the dark, dying, and now food for some cave animal! Give me a break!_ Then he remembered that the Creator was the only one who could help him now. Was he worthy of His help? _I'm sorry. Please... forgive me. Please don't let it eat me; please..._

Liam tasted bile through his hypocrisy. It was funny how people could curse someone one moment and expect help from them the next. Everyone did it. Most just wouldn't admit it, even to themselves. No wonder none were deemed worthy of face-to-face conversation with their Maker. Minutes passed while Liam listened intently, but the only sound was his strained breathing and Arthean's shallow, irregular breaths. He shifted, and the creature growled again, but now Liam realised he was the one 'growling' each time the agony consumed him.

He tried to shove Arthean off again, and the pain brought sweet oblivion.

<><><>

When Liam opened his eyes again, he had no idea how much time had gone by since he'd lost consciousness... or if Arthean was still alive. He was in even greater agony than before, though he hadn't thought it possible. Nothing had eaten him while he'd been out cold. With a pang of shame, he recalled how his own howls of pain had frightened him. He remembered to say a quick 'thank you' in case the Creator was listening – rather stupid and alive than clever and dead.

Arthean weighed heavily on him, and, after a while of psyching himself up for it, Liam sucked in a deep breath and heaved, then promptly blacked out again as the other man's weight shifted off him.

<><><>

Liam awoke to groaning and shuffling. He kept his eyes closed until he realised it was Arthean. _He's alive!_ Liam's heart leapt. "Arthean?"

"Finally, you're awake," Arthean rasped. "It burns." He groaned again. "My head hurts."

Liam smiled, and pain stabbed his face. He whispered, "You have a nasty bump on your forehead. And I think you were shot. I thought you were dead."

At least his tongue was working again, even if it was dry and swollen, and the rest of him was now only plagued by throbbing interspersed with random stabs of pain.

"There's no pain in death. Only in life," Arthean wheezed.

Trust the monk to come up with profound dry humour at a time like this.

Liam asked, "Are you still bleeding?"

Moron. Of course he isn't. He'd be dead by now if he was.

After a moment, Arthean replied, "I don't think so."

"Okay. Try not to move. It might open the wound."

"I discovered that earlier. But I can't just lie here."

Liam shifted into a sitting position. "I wouldn't want you to. It's just until I bandage it for you." Now that he was upright, the fact that they had no light hit Liam fully for the first time. The darkness seemed to close in and he choked on it. "I don't suppose you have a way to light the spare torches?"

"My pack."

Liam felt around until he found Arthean, then fumbled with his backpack's straps.

"No. Take it off my back. If you break it, it might burst into flame."

Crap.

By the time Liam had got Arthean's pack off his back, every one of his bones felt broken again, and his muscles burnt so badly they may as well have literally been on fire. "What am I looking for?" Liam asked as he undid the straps.

"A glass jar."

"How will I be able to tell it apart from the beetle jar?" Liam shuddered at the thought of touching one of them. He didn't mind bugs too much, but the thought of having lots of them crawl over him in the dark freaked him out.

"It _is_ the beetle jar. We call them fire beetles."

"Oh... I don't have to take them out, do I?"

Arthean chuckled, then groaned. "No."

Liam groped inside the bag until his hands touched cold glass. "Got it."

"Give it to me."

<><><>

Arthean removed the lid and placed a few fingers inside the jar. He waited for a beetle to crawl onto his hand, which didn't take long. They tended to go for body heat, which made them easy to catch. "Pass me a torch, please."

Liam shuffled around. "I'm holding it in front of you. I think..."

Arthean reached out and felt for it. He grasped the torch and placed it upright between his legs, with the animal fat-soaked rag a safe distance from his face. "Thanks."

Arthean placed the beetle on the rag, then grasped it between two fingers, one at the head end and the other the back end. With a quick movement, he crushed it and pulled his hand back as the rag burst into flame. He used his burning torch to light Liam's one. Liam sighed, gave Arthean a demented firelight grin and looked at his torch.

"Did you just make fire by squashing bugs?" Liam asked as he removed the spare shirt from Arthean's backpack and began to tear it into strips.

Arthean leant back against the tunnel wall. "Yes. They have two sacs, one near their head and one in the abdomen. When the fluid inside mixes, it catches fire. They're easy to catch and plentiful, since they breed so quickly, and it's a far better way of making fire than using a flint. You just have to mind your fingers." He smiled.

"Can they make fire, though? Without being squashed, I mean." Liam stood and placed his torch into a crevice in the wall, then moved over to Arthean with his home-made bandages and the cream Certhon had given him for his feet. "Some beetles on my Earth can do that."

"Oh yes. It's how they catch their prey. The liquids mix in a third sac just near the stomach and the combo is ejected through the rectum to burn the prey alive – their prey is usually much bigger than they are – grasshoppers, praying mantids and sometimes even small birds, snakes or rodents – so they need to disable the prey fast."

"So they shit fire."

Arthean smiled despite himself. "You could put it that way, yes."

Liam asked, "So how do they avoid burning their backsides or insides when they need an actual shit, or while they're ejecting fire?"

Arthean shook his head. "They continuously secrete a substance to protect against that."

Liam lifted Arthean's shirt and checked the wound, then smeared some cream on it. "It's not much, but I guess it's better than nothing and it'll heal it faster. Lean forward a bit." Liam wrapped the shirt strips around Arthean's shoulder. It had begun bleeding again earlier when Liam had taken the backpack off his back.

Liam said, "But then there's nothing left but charred flesh. Surely they don't eat it then?"

Arthean winced as Liam tied the bandage in a knot to keep it in place. "Well-done flesh suits them just fine. They're funny little creatures – they don't eat raw meat. Not even if they're starving."

"Speaking of starving, I think we should eat something."

"Not a bad idea. Then we need some water."

"You're very lucky, you know. The bullet went straight through."

"So I'll live?" Arthean asked, although he already knew he would. The Creator wouldn't have given Liam this much help only to leave him stranded in the catacombs.

"Yup." Liam grinned.

Arthean glanced around as Liam unpacked some food. His charge had walked quite far from the large cavern, and he must have carried him, too. He noticed the burnt-out torch nearby. "How did that go out? You came a far distance, but not far enough for it to have burnt out along the way."

"Probably while I was blacked out. How do you know how far I came?" Liam handed Arthean a bunch of grapes. Half of them had been squashed by now.

They sat facing each other, their feet almost touching as they leant back against the tunnel walls and stretched out their legs.

"I told you... I know these tunnels better than the back of my hand."

Liam looked around. "This looks exactly the same as all the other tunnels. What _specifically_ tells you where we are?"

Arthean savoured a grape before replying. "There's always some distinguishing feature if you know it's there. In this instance, look over there." He pointed a little to Liam's left. "See that thin groove?"

Liam leant closer to look, then nodded.

"There's only one _exactly_ like that. That's how I know where we are. There are other grooves that are similar, but they're different lengths and thicknesses, and positioned at various heights and angles, so I can tell them apart."

Liam frowned. "And how would you have seen it in the dark?"

"With my hands."

"Hmmm. Okay. What else?" Liam took two bananas, also partially squashed, from his bag and threw one to Arthean.

"In some places, there are fossils embedded in the walls, floor or roof – mostly bones or shells. One wall even has what looks like a petrified rib bone. It's huge. Probably a sea monster, or maybe a whale or shark. Then there are rock paintings in some areas, some of which are ancient and some that I drew as a teenager. If the paint is thicker, I know it's one of mine. The stalactites and stalagmites also have different features. Each is unique, though they may not look that way to the untrained eye. Then there are sometimes needle-like structures or knobs on the roof, precious stones embedded in some areas, mostly the walls and floors, and each passage turns at a different angle or has a protrusion that gives the location away. There are rock falls in places, too. I could go on, but it wouldn't help you, really. You'd have to spend years here to even begin to find your way around."

Liam finished his banana and closed his pack again. "How close are we to water?"

Talk of water reminded Arthean of the cavern they'd just visited. Sah's soldiers... "We need to move. It's not far. Help me up. You can tell me on the way what happened back there."

Liam helped him to stand and handed him his backpack. "It might be better for you to just carry that on one shoulder,' he advised. "Otherwise, the weight might make your wound bleed again."

CHAPTER 7

It could only have been a few minutes' walk, but it seemed like hours to Liam. His bloody feet slid around in his sandals, and he was unsure how much more abuse they could take. He mentioned this to Arthean after he'd filled him in on the events of earlier, and the monk went silent in apparent contemplation. Liam let him be, hoping he would come up with a miracle cure if left to ponder it for long enough – you never knew on _this_ Earth.

Arthean turned right into a wider tunnel, which twisted sharply from left to right for a few metres, then ended in a large cavern, most of which was covered by a lake. The surface area was much less than the previous one, but Liam could tell from the inky depths that it was at least as deep, if not deeper. They had to duck to enter, and there was barely enough space for them to kneel next to the edge.

Liam gulped a few handfuls of water to ease his burning throat.

Arthean warned, "Not so quickly; you'll give yourself cramps."

"I can't help it. My throat feels like it's on fire."

"Mine too. We can rest here for a few minutes. Then have some more water and be on our way."

"How far is the next water stop?" Liam asked.

"There's a pond on the mountaintop, near the catacomb exit. We can get more there."

"And what then? We didn't bring any water bottles." So much for the Tridorians thinking of everything.

Arthean smiled. "We'll get some from the nearby village."

Liam frowned. "I can't go near any village. Sah will find me, then all this would have been for nothing."

Arthean's eyes twinkled in the torchlight. "This one is safe. Sah doesn't even know it exists."

"How is that possible? He rules this land; surely he knows all its villages?" Liam's frown deepened.

"He does. This village is not a village of this land." Arthean chuckled. "In fact, it's not even _on_ his land."

"What do you mean?"

"What I said."

Liam scowled. The monk was infuriating at times. Arthean refused to say more on the matter. They had another drink of water, then headed back the way they'd come. They walked for a few minutes, and Liam tried hard not to pay attention to his burning feet. His curiosity ate at him until he could take it no more and badgered his guide further about the village, but Arthean wouldn't budge, other than to say the villagers would fetch them when they arrived at the pond. Of course, he didn't explain just _how_ the villagers would even know they were waiting to be 'fetched'.

"All will be revealed when the time is right."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Arthean smiled. "I'm ashamed to say a part of me is. There's a good reason I cannot speak of this village, though. The walls have ears, even down here."

"What?" Started by that proclamation, Liam glanced around.

"I don't mean literally." Arthean chuckled.

Liam refused to feel stupid – you never knew with this world... "Then what do you mean?"

"I mean that one should never be complacent and loose tongued just because one is out of apparent earshot of others. You never know when you'll be overheard saying something that's best kept secret. It's a good idea never to break that habit, lest you be caught off guard."

"Then haven't you already said too much?" Liam asked, upset with the monk for telling him only half a story. He'd have preferred it if he had said nothing, rather. He glanced at Arthean, who frowned.

"Yes, you're probably right. We shall speak no more of it."

To take his mind off the irritation of not knowing something that sounded remarkably interesting, Liam asked, "How much further before we reach the exit?"

"Not long now. You managed to carry me quite far, thankfully. If we keep up this pace, we'll be there within the hour."

"Do you think it's still night, or has the sun risen yet?"

"I have no idea. It's hard to tell when you're underground with no sense of time," Arthean said.

Liam smiled. Sarcasm from a monk. Truly, what was the universe coming to?

"What are we going to do if it's night?"

"The same as we would if it's day. Head for the pond and wait for the villagers to come for us."

"Come for us?" That sounded ominous.

Arthean smiled. "As in come fetch us. We'd never find the village without their help."

"So you've never been there?"

Arthean scoffed, "Of course I have. Many times. It's very well hidden." He paused. "And it keeps moving. Anyway, I've again said too much. You are very good at manipulating me into talking about something I have no intention of talking about."

"Clearly not good enough."

Arthean laughed. "Given time, I have no doubt you'd hack away at my common sense and better judgement and get it all out of me." He pressed a hand against his wound, which had started bleeding again.

"So... how much time are we talking?"

Arthean smiled and shook his head. "More than it will take us to reach the exit."

Liam contemplated his next move. Sure, the obvious thing was to get as far out of Sah's reach as possible, but then what? He was on the run from that which he had sworn to destroy. What good was he? He had failed in his mission, and, to make matters worse, he'd lost Zac, and Joshua, too, and with him, his way home. He was stuck on this planet, and, the last time he'd seen Joshua, the man had reeked of evil. He _wasn't_ evil, though – Liam had felt no skin-crawling, heart-clenching internal warning the first time he'd met Joshua, nor any of the many times they'd spent discussing their plan and working together. More importantly, _Zac_ had liked Joshua.

Sah had done something to Joshua. He must have. The man he'd seen had Joshua's body, but another, darker soul now resided in it. Liam turned to Arthean, and his neck went into spasm.

The monk, perhaps sensing he had something important to say, looked at him and asked, "What is it?"

Liam hesitated. If he told Arthean, the mere knowledge might place the monk's life at risk. Then again, he had already placed his life in danger by claiming sanctuary, then by accepting his help to escape, and yet again by insisting on seeing the cavern. The proof was the dark stain that spread across Arthean's shoulder. What would Arthean think of him leaving what he believed to be evil within the monastery walls, and without so much as a warning to the monks and nuns? _The hell with it! I can't do this alone._

Liam took a deep breath. "Remember I told you Joshua was dead?"

Arthean nodded.

"I've discovered that he... his body still lives..."

After a moment's tense silence, Arthean asked, "So he's not dead?"

Liam sighed. "No, he is dead. I think. The Joshua I knew, the one with a good soul, the defender of all that's good, recruited by God himself... _that_ Joshua is dead. But his body still lives."

"I don't understand. The body cannot live without the soul. Once the silver cord is broken, the soul leaves and the body dies. That's how it works."

"Maybe that's how it _usually_ works. But not this time."

"When and how did you discover this? After you told us that story, you remained in the monastery. Now you're with me." Arthean paused. "Did you see him when I was passed out earlier?"

Liam's voice broke. "I-I..." He took a moment to steady his nerves, then blurted, "He's at the monastery."

_"What?_ "

"Evil uses his body now. Before, he was a good man – I know this for a fact because Zac liked him, and Zac didn't like most people. Evil inhabits-"

"What do you mean he's at the monastery? Evil cannot set foot within the boundaries of Tridor."

"Clearly _that's_ not true!" Liam snapped.

"Yes, it _is_ true. It's said that any evil that steps inside the walls of Tridor will be driven mad and destroyed by the Creator Himself."

"I'm not wrong," Liam insisted. "And what's more, your people are helping him to recover. Maybe stealing Joshua's body took more out of the body than was anticipated, hence the need for recovery. The Devil isn't infallible. And don't think for a second that the amnesia is real!"

"Wait, wait." Arthean stopped walking and turned to Liam, his expression one of sheer horror in the flickering torchlight. "Are you saying that the red-haired stranger who was in a coma is Joshua?"

Liam scowled. "Don't you listen? No, I'm saying that the red-haired stranger is pure evil using my dead friend's body!"

Arthean's eyebrows drew together. "That's Joshua?"

Liam's scowl intensified, and with it his headache. "No, that's Joshua's _body_! I assure you, Joshua himself, the soul, is gone from the body! I'd never have left him there if I thought it was still Joshua!" Liam wished Zac was still alive. Besides the companionship the dog had provided, he would most certainly have proven his point with Joshua. Plus, Zac would have liked Arthean, Liam thought. "Please, can we keep walking?"

An unreadable look crossed Arthean's face. "So you now want me to believe that evil can penetrate the walls of God?"

"Perhaps if the walls' keepers were complacent..."

"Are you saying it's _our_ fault he entered?"

"Well, who carried him in?"

They stared at each other for a moment, then Arthean said, "He was saved from being washed away by the giant wave, when two monks weren't. Why would the Creator spare evil and let good die?"

"Who knows? Maybe it was _evil_ that let two monks die and saved evil. I don't have all the answers, and neither do you, so stop acting like you do. It may be the death of you!" Arthean looked troubled, and Liam felt guilty. "Look, Lucifer is clever. He draws men in by appearing to be good, innocent and helpless. He fools us by acting good. He's an _excellent_ liar. On our Earth, we call him the Angel of _Light_. Surely not even God Himself can blame you for believing the believable, even if it's a bunch of lies. I mean, that would hardly be fair, would it? But I promise you, he isn't anything good. I could smell the evil emanating from him in the monastery. It made my skin crawl and my soul feel dirty just being within the same walls. Just knowing he was near. Remember when I met the Devil in Sah's palace?"

Arthean nodded.

"When I followed you to his room at Tridor, I felt evil seeping through the walls, and I knew before I saw him that what I'd find in that room wouldn't be anything good. When I saw Joshua's body in that bed, something inside me snapped. I _knew_. I know what evil feels like – how could I _not_ after being in the presence of Lucifer himself?"

Arthean insisted, "We would have sensed the presence of evil. We're people of God – if anyone can sense evil, we can. How do you explain that in this case we feel nothing, yet you do? It makes no sense." He shook his head.

Liam shrugged. "Maybe because I've seen him in his true form. Minus a stolen body. That kind of evil is hard to forget and impossible to miss once you've looked upon it, smelt it, felt it touch you... Plus, Joshua was touched by God Himself, so maybe there's some 'God residue' on his body that masks the evil from you. In fact, now that I think about it, maybe the amnesia is real and that's what gave him amnesia. Maybe even combined with being around so many holy people. Who knows?"

"B-bu-"

"There's something more."

Arthean looked incredulous. " _More?_ What is it?"

"Please... Can we go on while we talk?"

Arthean looked hesitant, then scowled and continued walking. "Go on," he said. "Leave nothing out this time."

"It felt like... I can't be sure, but... Well..." Liam sighed. There was no easy way to say this. "I don't know if all demons give off the same... aura – the child demon I mentioned didn't – but whatever's in Joshua's body felt almost exactly like... Lucifer."

Arthean turned left down a narrow tunnel that forced them to walk in single file again. "Look, I get what you're saying and why you think your friend is dead and this guy is evil, but the fact is that he claimed sanctuary, and nobody is denied."

Liam scoffed, "Sanctuary for the Devil? That's a joke, right?"

Arthean's shoulders stiffened. "No, it is not. Furthermore, he _has_ lost his memory. I could see the confusion and fear in his eyes. He's afraid of something, but does not remember what."

"Afraid of being discovered for the evil, body snatching impostor he is!" Liam snapped.

"Perhaps... but there is good in that body yet. I saw it in his eyes. I'm not wrong."

Liam grabbed Arthean's shoulder and spun him around to face him. "Are you saying Joshua is still in there somewhere?"

Arthean met his gaze. "Perhaps. I don't know. I just know I saw a good man behind those eyes."

"Then one of us is demented or blinded, or both! I know evil when I feel it! Especially after-"

"He was brought to us for a reason. Perhaps we are being tested, but I think it's more likely that we're meant to save him."

"Save who? The Devil or Joshua?"

Arthean stared at Liam. "Perhaps both."

Arthean walked on, and Liam followed reluctantly. The tunnel wound steeply upwards now. Although he hadn't thought it possible, Liam's legs and ankles throbbed more painfully at the extra effort required. It was like walking up a flight of stairs minus the stairs.

After a brief silence, Arthean asked, "Especially after what?"

Liam shuddered. "After speaking to Lucifer face to face. The feeling he gave me... that's how I felt when I neared the room Joshua's body was in. You must understand... I felt it before I saw whose body it was in. That _isn't_ Joshua. I would stake my life on it."

"Or that of my brothers and sisters at Tridor?"

If the remark was meant to make Liam feel guilty, it worked. "Look, I'm on a strange planet, amongst strange people, and the ruler who everyone adores is out to get me. And what's more is that he has the Devil on his side. Now while that ally may work to his detriment in the long run, it's not as if God is here zapping the evil out the way so you can go on as usual, is it? I hate to admit it, but..."

Arthean sighed. "But?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared, and I don't know what to do. I thought I had all the answers, but what now? Now, if I pursue my quest, I may lead evil right to the Garden of Origin and be the reason the universe goes to shit! What if I'm meant to and I don't? What if I'm not meant to and I do? How the hell am I meant to know what to do? If I don't pursue my quest, I may never know the truth about why we exist!"

"We exist to learn."

"Ha! Learn what? Come on, Arthean, get real! What do we really know about anything? Nothing, that's what! We like to think we know so much, yet we've not even scratched the surface of reality."

"We know all we need to know."

Liam exclaimed, "Like what!"

"Like how to take care of and cherish our home, Earth. Like how good it feels when someone is nice to you, and how bad it feels when someone isn't. How to treat others right. How to treat _yourself_ right. That's all that's important. Taking care of and valuing life. Living in harmony. Once that lesson is learnt, nothing else matters."

Arthean stopped and Liam almost walked into his back.

"We have to climb here."

"What?" Liam looked up, but saw nowhere to climb to.

"It's hard to spot. We need only climb a third of the way up the wall, then there's another tunnel that leads to the surface."

"I'm not good with heights," Liam said. "And I've never rock climbed before."

"Don't worry – it's easy if you know where the hand and footholds are. I'll go first so I can guide you. We won't be able to take the torches, though."

Dread rushed through Liam. Being underground was bad enough, but in the dark? _Not again._ "You want us to walk the rest of the way in the dark?" he asked incredulously. "Surely we can carry the torches?"

"You're a better climber than I am if you can. Or do you have a third hand I'm not aware of?"

Liam stared at the monk, panic rising into his throat. "Are you sure you can find the way? How narrow is the tunnel? How many turns are there?"

"You worry too much. I got you this far, did I not?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts. You need to work on your trust issues. Just relax. Within the next fifteen minutes, you'll be breathing fresh air. Besides, the climb is more difficult than the walk. It's easy going after this."

Liam liked the idea of walking on flat ground again. "How will we see the handholds? You can't guide me to something neither of us can see."

Arthean sighed. "Don't be ridiculous. You'll keep your torch for now, of course, so I can see the way." He snuffed his torch and placed it in a crack to their left, just above head height. "Once I'm up, place your torch in this one to light your way." He pointed at another crack to their right. "We'll leave it to burn out."

"What if we need to come back?"

"We won't be coming back this way."

"You can't be sure of tha-"

"I'm as sure as one can be of anything. Now come on; let's get going."

Liam nodded, glad that he wouldn't have to climb without light, but still anxious about walking the rest of the way in darkness, even though it would only be for a few minutes. He hoped the monk was right about them not having to go back into the catacombs. Arthean scaled the tunnel wall with apparent ease, and was soon perched on an almost invisible ledge peering down at Liam. The monk's agility was impressive. Arthean directed him, and, after much difficulty and a few slips and scrapes, he sat next to his guide with cold sweat running down his sides and face. He shivered.

Arthean patted his shoulder. "We're almost there. Just another ten minutes or so."

Liam stared down the tunnel. Gloom seemed to stare back at him. He suppressed a shudder.

The tunnel they were now in was too low to do more than crouch or crawl in. "I thought you said we'd be _walking_ the rest of the way? Please don't tell me the roof is this low all the way?"

Arthean got onto his hands and knees. "There's a bend a few paces ahead. Once we round it, the roof is high enough for us to stand. From there, we take the main tunnel out. There are other tunnels branching off, so keep one hand on my shoulder, or you may end up walking into one without even realising it. This tunnel makes a few turns along the way."

Liam turned to Arthean, whose face he could only just make out in the torchlight coming from below. "Look, I know you're mad at me for not telling you about Joshua earlier. If it's any consolation, I think he'll probably have left the monastery by now. Sah must have anticipated I'd go there – he must have known it was the closest place where I'd be safe. With me gone, whatever demon inhabits Joshua's body has no reason to stay... I hope."

Arthean looked doubtful. "It bothers me that I was unable to sense this evil you speak of. I am a man of God, so I should have been one of the first to see it. Perhaps our eyes were blinded to it, but why? I hope you are wrong about your friend being possessed. If that's true, he's trapped in there with the demon."

"What?" Liam's breath caught. Surely the Creator wouldn't let a good man like Joshua be trapped with a disgusting demon, or worse, Lucifer. This time, he couldn't suppress the shudder. "What makes you think that?"

"You say you felt and smelt the evil, and looked into his eyes. Well, I, too, looked into his eyes. They were hard to read, but there was innocence there. I'm certain of it."

"I hope you're wrong." Liam got onto his hands and knees next to the monk. "I can't breathe. Let's get the hell out of here."

<><><>

Arthean hadn't realised how bad Liam's claustrophobia was. Although Liam complained about a lot of things, he tended to deal with them well enough. Now, though, the stranger's breath came in ragged, shallow gasps, and Arthean was sure that, if he could see his face, it would be a mask of pure panic. After a while, the darkness grew vaguely light. Moonlight or sunlight – it was impossible to tell which – crept into the tunnel from the natural fissures above, melting the gloom away.

Nervousness tainting his voice, Liam asked, "Are my eyes just getting used to the dark, or is there light coming from somewhere?"

"Probably a bit of both. We're close to the surface now; there are fissures in the ground above. They let in more light than you'd think."

"And still nobody has found the entrance?"

"It's well hidden. You'll see when we get there. Not long now."

"Thank fuck. My feet are killing me."

A few minutes later, Arthean stopped. Before him was a thick tree trunk only just visible through a slit in the rock that was barely wide enough to slip through sideways. He knew Liam probably wouldn't be able to see either from behind him.

"Keep hold of me, and turn sideways," Arthean instructed.

Liam's hand tightened on his shoulder. "What now? I thought you said the worst part was over?"

"Just do it. You'll be glad you did."

Liam sighed and did as he was told, and Arthean slipped through the crack and into fresh twilight air. A cool breeze blew off the sea, rustling the trees' leaves. A great oak rose to their immediate right, its thick trunk hiding the opening through which they'd just come. Behind them, moss-covered rock spread out for a short distance before rising into a mini mountain peak. Dense shrubs and tall, bushy ferns grew along the clearing's right border, partly obscuring the sheer drop to the ocean on that side. Shrubs grew thickly along the rock face behind them and between the bordering trees, and more trees surrounded the grassy clearing, effectively hiding it from prying eyes. There was no obvious path out. Liam dropped to the ground next to Arthean. He wished he could do something to ease the stranger's pain, especially in his feet. He would be able to rest them soon, at least.

"Come on," Arthean urged. "It's a few minutes' walk to the pond, and we can rest there until the villagers come for us." He didn't want to draw Liam's attention to his feet, but knew they'd need to be bandaged as soon as possible to avoid infection. The sooner they got to the designated pick-up point, the better.

Liam groaned. "Can't we just rest here a bit first?"

"No. It's hard to find in the dark."

"Since when do you have a problem finding your way around in the dark?"

Arthean smiled. "Only in the catacombs. I'd probably still find the pond, but it would take longer, which means longer before you can rest."

Liam groaned again. Arthean helped him to stand, then led the way to the far side of the clearing. He weaved through the vegetation, and, before long, they were standing on a low hilltop looking down into another clearing, larger than the one they'd just come from. In the centre, a pond glistened in the fading light. The vegetation bordering this clearing was denser than that they'd just walked through, too thick to navigate without clearing a path. Besides the catacombs, this clearing was probably the best-kept secret on the planet, since it could only be accessed via the tunnels.

Arthean led the way down and dropped to his knees at the pond's edge to quench his thirst. Liam joined him after shrugging his backpack off.

Once they'd had their fill, Arthean also put his pack on the ground, then gestured to Liam's feet. "We need to clean those and bandage them."

Liam glanced down and an unreadable look flickered across his face. He looked up at Arthean. "We need to bandage _that_ again, too."

Arthean looked at his shoulder. It was bleeding again. The blood had soaked through the bandages and spread halfway down his shirt. "Your feet first. They may get infected otherwise."

"So might your shoulder."

"Yes, but not as likely as your feet, since I haven't been using my shoulder to walk on, gathering dirt along the way."

Arthean removed his shirt and Liam tore the blood-free parts into strips and bandaged his shoulder again. It was chilly without a shirt, but at least he was clean again.

Using the remainder of the shirt to bandage his feet again, Liam said, "We should have brought cloaks."

Arthean nodded. It would have been a good idea, but they'd had no cloaks to take. None that Sah and his men wouldn't recognise as Tridor attire, at any rate. "The villagers will give us fresh clothes."

"That would be nice."

"We may have a bit of a wait. Let's have something to eat in the meantime."

Arthean removed a leaf-wrapped package of dried meat from his pack while Liam spread his blanket out for them to sit on. Arthean unfolded the large leaf and placed it on the ground between them. They polished the savoury treat off quickly, along with the rest of the grapes and some cheese. It felt good to have a full stomach again.

Arthean gauged Liam's mood and decided it was safe to finally ask what had been at the back of his mind since the stranger had mentioned it. "So... you said everyone loyal to you died... Do you want to talk about it?"

Liam's relaxed expression turned sour. "No."

"Sharing burdens means sharing the weight of them too."

"Not always."

"Well, I don't see how it could be your fault."

Liam looked up. "How can you see anything when you don't know any of the facts?"

"You told me enough. Everyone loyal to you couldn't have died. Not all of them. And certainly not _because_ they were loyal to you."

Liam exclaimed, "You don't know the half of it!"

"Why don't you tell me, then?"

"You're awfully manipulative for a monk."

Arthean smiled. He supposed he _was_ manipulating Liam, in a way. "Sorry. I am a man of God, though, so talking to me about personal matters means whatever secrets you share will remain secrets."

"You aren't going to leave it alone, are you?"

Arthean smiled at Liam. Perhaps he should let the stranger keep his secrets, but he believed it would be a bad idea in this case, since the matter seemed to be of such great consequence.

Liam sighed. "Fine. But I don't want to hear a word about it afterwards."

Arthean nodded.

"You already know about Joshua and Zac. Those are the two most important. And the two most recent... The others..." Liam sighed. "Well, it just seems that everything I touch turns to shit in one way or another. It's like I'm cursed or something."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"I think it might be. You don't get it."

Arthean said patiently, "I'm waiting for you to tell me so I _can_ get it."

Liam flung up his hands. "My boss did me a huge favour and gave me six months off work with the guarantee of my job waiting for me when I get back. He got hit by a car that same day."

"A car?"

"Yeah, it's a metal machine that we use as transport. It goes very fast and can easily kill a man."

"So it killed him?"

"Yes. Then there's my colleague who stayed late one night to help me out with some research on a case – an investigation – I was involved in. The office was robbed that night and we were both shot. He died. I didn't."

Arthean said, "But you aren't the one who shot him."

"I may as well have been – he wouldn't have been there to be shot if I hadn't asked him to!"

"These all sound like accidents to me. Or coincidence."

"Oh yeah? So do you also think it's a coincidence that the restaurant owner who cut me some slack when I was short a few cents paying for my meal had a heart attack moments later, the cop who let me off with a warning when my car was double parked got knifed walking back to her car, and even a fucking kid who did nothing more than smile at me got snatched from her mother mid-smile? The list goes on! Everyone who ever put their neck out for me or was nice to me when I needed it is dead. Anyone who thinks that's coincidence is blind! Even you got shot, Arthean. Why? For helping me!" Liam glared at him. "You'd have been better off denying me sanctuary."

Arthean smiled. "I might have been shot, but I'm not dead."

Liam muttered, "Not yet."

Arthean sighed. Liam could be so morbid sometimes. Perhaps some entity _had_ taken an interest in the stranger's life and hurt those who helped him in any way. That could only be the Devil's work, though. He frowned. If the Prince of Darkness was that interested in Liam, it could only mean one thing – he must be of significance to the Creator and capable of a great deal of good, so ensuring his safety was even more vital.

Liam broke into his thoughts. "Remember. Not another word about this. I'm not interested in talking about it. Ever!"

Liam lay back and closed his eyes, and Arthean removed his Bible from his backpack. Within moments, Liam snored softly next to him. Arthean blocked the sound from his mind, opened his Bible and began to read. He needed guidance for what was to come.

_CHAPTER 8_

Nearby whispers woke Liam, and he went rigid in alarm, immediately wide awake. He squinted to see three shadowy figures standing a short distance to his right in the pitch-dark. He thought he recognised one voice as Arthean's, but couldn't be sure. He strained to hear what they were saying. When he couldn't, he grew irritated, reached for Arthean's belt and drew the dagger. Liam sat up, not caring anymore about drawing attention to himself.

All three figures turned towards Liam, and one said, "Ah. You're awake! Perfect timing."

Arthean. Liam heaved a sigh of relief. The villagers must have arrived.

Liam clambered to his feet, no longer wide awake now that he knew there was no danger, but dull-headed from the lack of sleep and too much exercise. Every cell in his body screamed curses at him each time he moved. Before he could shuffle over to the group, they walked towards him, and Liam could only just make out their features in the night. They were small boned, had pointy ears and large, flat nostrils set into their faces, and their blue-tinged skin gave them a mystical appearance. Their expressions and voices were human-like, but smoother. Both wore flowing cloaks and tight-fitting trousers and tunics, and each carried a spear.

Arthean chastised, "Sit. Sit. You must rest your feet."

"It's rude to greet someone when you're sitting," Liam muttered.

One of the others chuckled. "We will not be offended, Searcher. Arthean has explained the situation, and we understand. My name is Jolither." He gestured to his companion, who stood between himself and Arthean. "And this is Shalise."

A woman's voice answered, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Liam MacAskill."

"Likewise," Liam replied, sinking to the ground again at the insistence of his feet. Why had the man called him Searcher?

Jolither sat cross-legged in front of Liam, and the others followed his lead as he said, "We've heard of your plight and found your cause worthy, and have discussed it with our High Council. We all agree we should assist you in any way we can."

Liam blinked. Discussed it with their High Council? Just how long had he been asleep? "Err... You found us, heard the story from Arthean, went back to the village, told _them_ the story _and_ came back here, all while I was sleeping?"

Shalise laughed. "No. We communicated from here."

_Of course. I'm such an idiot._ "Ah, you have mobile phones or radios."

All three laughed this time, and Jolither said, "No. We have no need for technology. We wish for someone to know something, and they do."

The conversation made Liam's head hurt. "What? Like magic? Or telepathy?"

Shalise chuckled. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

Liam scowled. "What's another way?"

Jolither smiled, displaying human-like teeth, and said, "The One you seek has given us all the gifts we have. We were chosen carefully, for we are not the type to abuse the power we've been granted. There are only two occasions we're allowed to use our abilities – one, if we're in danger or need it to survive and escape to our village, and two, to help those the Creator chooses to receive our help."

Liam's stomach fluttered. "Are you saying you have a direct link to the Creator of everything? That you can literally talk to Him the way you're talking to me right now? Or, at least, the way you talked with your High Council?"

Jolither shook his head. "Not exactly. Our ancestors did, though. We have instructions that have been passed from generation to generation. Those instructions came from a face to face verbal conversation, such as you speak of."

Liam opened his mouth to ask more, but Shalise said, "Come. We must take you to the village to recuperate, and then we will tell you how we plan to aid you."

Arthean asked, "How long do you think his feet will need to recover?"

Shalise glanced at Arthean's bloody shoulder and replied sternly, "You'll _both_ only need two days."

Liam groaned. "Two days? My feet will be covered in scabs in two days." He stared down at them in dismay. "I need a whole lot more than two days for these things to be one hundred percent back to normal."

Shalise giggled. "You will see. It's one of the many abilities we've been given to ensure the survival of our villagers and others. Now come; I know you have an enquiring mind, but we dawdle." She whistled, and the answering call of what sounded like a large cat cut the air.

Liam sensed the animal's presence before the rush of its wings swept through his hair. It landed a little to their left and tucked its legs underneath as it lowered itself to the ground, where it settled with what sounded like a happy greeting growl and a shake of its massive head. Moments later, a second creature joined it, its muscles rippling as it landed.

Liam's hair stood on end – these creatures looked deadly.

Standing on their thick legs, their heads were at least three times his height, and lying with their heads raised, they were just taller than Liam. With coats of thick, golden fur, each creature had the torso and head of what Liam could only think of as a sabre-toothed tiger – minus the stripes – complete with long, curved maxillary canine teeth, which extended from their mouths even when closed. Powerful golden-brown wings adorned their backs, spanning at least five times their tree-thick torsos. Their flicking tails were cat-like, and looked strong enough to knock a man off his feet.

Shalise stood. "Come on. You will go with Jolither, and Arthean with me."

Liam hesitated. Even the thought of walking on his bleeding feet for another few kilometres sounded more appealing than being high in the sky at the mercy of an unknown sabre-toothed bird-cat. Icy fear choked and froze him, and he stared dumbly up at Shalise.

Shalise said, "They don't bite, you know." She grinned. "Not unless someone threatens their riders, anyway."

Liam was so focussed on his fear of heights that he hadn't considered they might bite. Those teeth could probably slice him in half like he was butter. "Are you _sure_ they won't bite?"

"Of course. Now get up. Here, let me help you."

"No, no. I don't need help," Liam protested.

Shalise reached down and grabbed him firmly by the wrist, then pulled him to his feet with surprising strength for a woman.

"What about our bags?" Liam asked, trying to delay the flight.

"We'll see to it that a nearby village gets them. You won't need them where we're going, and the villagers could do with some extra food right about now. Sah's soldiers destroyed half their crops a few weeks ago, digging up the place with no regard for their only food source up here."

Arthean asked, "What? Sah ordered that? Why would he?"

Jolither replied, "He was looking for an entrance to something." He looked at Liam. "The same thing you're looking for."

Liam's heart fluttered. "You mean he was looking for it before I got here? Before he knew we were?"

"Yes," Jolither said.

Arthean said, "It could be why you were compelled to find the place – to stop the Devil from gaining access."

Jolither added, "Oh, and by the way, you need not have fear of falling from Sor's back." He gestured to one of the animals. "It's hard to see in the dark, but, when you climb onto his back, you'll see his wings have natural handholds to use for climbing, and his back has natural indents where your legs slip into. When he takes to the air, he has skin flaps that automatically close over your legs. This keeps you from falling off. And you don't need to worry about hurting him when you climb on either, so grip as hard as you need to, for they feel no pain around the natural handholds."

"Are you saying he's literally made to be ridden?" Liam asked, dumbfounded.

Shalise answered, "Absolutely. He's another one of our many gifts."

Arthean retrieved his Bible from his bag as Jolither added, "And you can hang onto his thick neck fur to stop yourself from being jerked all over the place. Else you might end up with whiplash or a broken back – they aren't known to be gentle flyers."

Liam couldn't imagine a winged sabre-tooth being gentle _anything_.

Arthean put a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Come on. It will only take us a few minutes to get there."

Shalise said, "Besides, there is no other way."

"What do you mean?"

"The village is up there." She pointed skywards with a grin.

<><><>

Liam kept his eyes squeezed shut for most of the journey. He clung to Jolither, who, in turn, held onto the animal's thick fur. Although Liam hadn't thought it possible, when Jolither shouted for him to look at the floating village as it came into view, he was stiffer than before. The village, illuminated by a soft yellow glow, was even more unbelievable than the mythical-type animal whose back he sat on. Floating above the clouds was a circular, flat, smooth-bottomed rock upon which grew the greenest grass, tallest trees and brightest flowers Liam had ever seen. Small stone huts were scattered across its surface, with a few larger wooden buildings in between.

Sor landed gracefully near the rock's perimeter, making Liam nervous about climbing off in case he fell over the edge. Jolither sprang off and laughed at Liam's expression. He clicked his tongue and walked away, and Sor followed. When Jolither stopped, so did Sor, and Liam got off the animal's back and hastily moved away from it in case it decided he looked like a good meal. Arthean and Shalise had already disembarked and stood waiting for them.

Jolither led them into the village, which seemed empty. Liam assumed everyone was indoors sleeping, since it was technically night, although he had a nasty feeling of being watched. Curtains covered most huts' windows, and the yellow glow wasn't too bright. Liam wondered where it came from.

As if reading his thoughts, Jolither said, "Some things are not for you to know." He smiled.

Liam frowned. "That's the second time you've read my mind."

Jolither raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, how did you know earlier I was scared of heights?"

Shalise giggled and Jolither smiled. "It was all over your face and seeping from your pores."

"Seeping fr-?"

"There's a time for everything," Jolither interrupted, "and now is the time for healing and rest." He entered one of the huts without window coverings, and the others followed.

Shalise settled Liam and Arthean into beds and Jolither sat on the earthen floor with his palms pressed into it. He closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. Liam wondered what he was doing.

Shalise said, "He draws healing energy from the ground."

Liam stared at her crossly. "I didn't ask that out loud."

"You don't like your mind being read?" she asked.

"Who would?" Liam snapped.

"Those without things to hide."

"Everyone has things to hide."

Shalise smiled. "There's no need to worry; we aren't able to read all your thoughts. Only your questions or those you aim at us. When the Creator blessed us with telepathy, He remembered the need for privacy in some matters."

Liam glared at her, suspicious.

Jolither rose to his feet, and Shalise spread her arms, opened her mouth and closed her eyes. Liam watched her curiously, noting that Arthean wasn't all that interested. Maybe the monk had seen the villagers do this before. She looked like Jolither had when sitting on the floor, and Liam wondered if she was drawing energy from the air. _If your mind can imagine it, it's possible._

The two stood over Liam's bed and stretched their arms out so their hands were palm-down over Liam's torso.

Shalise said, "When you awake, you'll be as good as new."

They moved their hands along Liam's torso. Calmness spread through him, and a floating sensation crept over him as he grew groggy. He fought it, trying to keep his eyes open. He wanted to see what they were doing. To trust strangers so completely was madness.

Shalise said, "Don't fight it. Relax into it. Let it take you away into bliss."

Liam found himself unable to disobey.

<><><>

When Liam opened his eyes again, two days had passed. His feet were fully healed, as promised, and the aches and pains were gone with the wounds. Arthean's shoulder was also wholly healed, and the monk had a spring in his step again that Liam found he, too, had. Someone had also trimmed their hair and shaved them while they slept. They had been magically rejuvenated. No amount of begging would get the villagers to reveal more of their secret other than what he had already been told – they had drawn healing energy from their natural surroundings, something that Liam had always thought was possible and ached to know the details of.

Liam saw nothing natural about a floating village, though, much to the villagers' amusement. They also refused to tell him how they'd known he and Arthean were waiting in the clearing for them. They were more infuriating than the monk. Liam supposed it had something to do with telepathic communication... which meant Arthean was also telepathic, at least enough to have mental chats with the villagers.

They were given new clothes by a shifty looking man whose smile did not reach his eyes. The man made Liam's skin crawl. Now they appeared to be well-to-do traders with their dark brown trousers and tunics, brown walking boots, heavy duty belts and cream-coloured, wide-brimmed hats. Still no capes, Liam noted glumly. After they had changed and eaten a hot meal of potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach and cheese, washed down with red wine, Jolither called them over to one of the larger buildings, which turned out to be the village hall. He looked sombre, which concerned Liam. Arthean must have noticed it too, because he looked worried when he glanced at Liam.

They sat at a triangular wooden table with an old, white-bearded villager at the tip. Three others sat on either side, including Jolither and Shalise, leaving the triangle base for Liam and Arthean. Other than the nine, the room was empty. As the two new friends took their seats, the white-bearded villager gestured to the centre of the table, where mugs surrounded a tin kettle with steam wafting from its spout. "There's green tea, if you'd like. Help yourself."

Arthean poured two mugs of tea and gave one to Liam, making Liam hope the monk hadn't read his mind, because he did, in fact, feel like tea. He hated the thought of having his mind read by anyone; then they'd know how pathetic and cursed he really was.

The old villager waited for them to settle, then cleared his throat and said, "My name is Koris, and I am the head of the High Council of Ilanenor, this village. We have some disheartening news."

Liam leant forward, the mug of tea halfway to his lips.

His voice solemn, Koris continued, "It's come to our attention that Sah intends to burn Tridor Monastery and everyone in it."

Arthean gasped.

Liam's breath caught in his throat. He put the mug back on the table, no longer thirsty. "Do you know when?"

Koris nodded. "His men prepare to start the fire as we speak. Tridor will be surrounded and engulfed by flames. Without aid, all inside will surely die."

Arthean sprang to his feet and shouted, "He can't do that! We still have plenty of time before his ultimatum date arrives! Never mind that the passing of this new law goes against everything we believe in! What gives him the right to-?"

Koris raised a hand and said, "Please, calm yourself. Sah's plan will not come to pass."

Arthean paced the length of the table, waving his arms about. " _But he can't do this!_ I have no doubt that you can save my brothers and sisters, and perhaps even the monastery itself, but what then? If he's prepared to go this far, he won't stop there! Each time you defeat him, he'll get more relentless and vicious in his attacks. He won't stop until he has what he wants. What will become of us if we are no longer safe at Tridor? What?"

Arthean was so upset that Liam didn't have the heart to say 'I told you so', though it was all he could think at that moment.

Shalise said, "Sah's reign must end, of course."

Liam asked, "How do you intend to do that?"

The woman looked at Koris to answer, and he said, "We prioritise. First, we save Tridor. _Then_ we worry about Sah. We have been tasked with protecting this planet and ensuring only good reigns. Once before, evil slipped into power under our noses, but that was rectified in due course. Sometimes the Creator reminds us how blessed we are. And how strong, if we stand on the side of good. That's all that's happening now. Once the evil is dealt with, all will go back to normal and life will go on – but many who don't truly appreciate peace now will do so after."

Liam stared at the faces around the table for a moment before asking, "If you're so sure of this, why does Jolither look so worried?"

Arthean added, "He isn't the only one, either. You, Koris, _ooze_ concern. What aren't you telling us?"

Koris hesitated. "Usually, we can see a person's future clearly, but..."

Liam felt like jumping up to pace with Arthean. He grasped the tea mug. "But you can't see mine, right?"

Koris looked startled. "That's right. How did you know?"

"I guessed," Liam said despondently as Arthean turned to stare at him. "Story of my life. If you could see my future, I wouldn't have to _wonder_ what to do! Nothing in my life is that easy."

Arthean turned to Koris. "What about mine? Can you see mine?"

Koris shook his head. "Your journey and Liam's are linked. One cannot take place without the other. Though you each have your personal journey, your paths were the same from the moment you met. You are the Sentinel of legend, and Liam the Searcher."

Arthean frowned. "Of legend? What legend is this?"

Liam tensed. There was a legend about him? _No freaking way. Not me._

Koris glanced at Liam, then took a sip of tea. "Jolither, would you mind explaining? My old throat has almost had enough talking for the day."

Jolither nodded. "In the instructions our ancestors left us, there is a legend that tells of a monk with a dark past, but who is now filled with the light of innocence, who travels with a hard-hearted but well-meaning friend in search of the Creator."

Liam interrupted, "Isn't _everyone_ searching for the Creator in one way or another? And there are plenty of monks on the planet. How can you be sure it's us?"

Jolither looked at Liam and smiled. "The legend describes the bloodied clothes you'd be wearing, right down to the colours and the black-hilted, silver-studded dagger Arthean carries. It tells of your bleeding feet and the monk's wounded shoulder. It tells of your fear of heights. The legend calls you two Searcher and Sentinel, as if those are your names. Searcher, who searches for the great truth amidst the many lies, and Sentinel, who is always on guard against evil and is equipped to warn Searcher of danger." He turned to Arthean. "You must always trust your instincts, friend. They have served you well thus far, and will continue to do so." He looked at Liam again. "There is no doubt that it is you two our legend speaks of."

There was a charged silence, then Arthean whispered, "What else does it say?"

Jolither replied, "Just that we are to aid you any way we can. And..."

Liam prompted, "And?"

"It says you are the only ones who can stop evil from spreading across the entire universe. While evil may be rife, there are places and people who are shining examples of good, and as long as they exist, evil _cannot_ reign supreme. However..."

Impatient, Liam prodded, " _Yes?_ "

Jolither cleared his throat. "However, should evil take over the Garden of Origin, the place from which all of creation was brought into being, it will be unstoppable, and all good in the universe will be smothered by it. Only the presence of the Searcher in the garden can prevent this. If evil enters the garden and you aren't there, all Hell will break loose – literally. It is the fault of sentient beings across the universe that this place is lost to us, and, thus, it is our responsibility to ensure this doesn't happen. Your journey will take you to many splits in the path where you must make decisions that will affect the outcome of this war. And believe me, this _is_ war. Very soon, it will involve the whole land, the living _and_ the dead. Sah will make sure of that, because he knows you don't want innocent blood spilt because of you, so he will spill as much as he can. However, should you fail to keep Sah from the Garden of Origin, you seal the doom of all."

Arthean asked, "Are you saying the fate of _everything_ is in our hands and ours alone?"

A young blond Ilanenorian said, "Yours and those who help you. No one is expected to save the universe alone." He smiled. "All sentient beings have a responsibility to help you. You are merely our leaders in this war. Wherever your hearts lead you is where the rest of us must follow."

Liam demanded, "And just how are we meant to know what to do?"

Shyla said, "You were chosen for who you are – who you are will ensure you choose the right path. Only you would make the choices you make, and you make each choice based on who you are – your personality, experiences, morals and so much more."

Koris said, "You must ready yourselves for the journey to Tridor. Time is running out for those within its walls."

Liam's mind reeled.

Koris said, "Searcher and Sentinel, you will be transported to Tridor Monastery, where you can tell your friends that there is no need for panic. Get them all into one room so we can update them together. Jolither and the others..." He gestured around the table. "...Will take care of the fire and Sah's army."

Liam and Arthean asked together, "How?"

Koris replied, "There is no time for further talk. You must go now, or you will be too late."

Liam asked, "Just how do you expect us to get there on time?"

A tall, brown-haired Ilanenorian said, "The ryokin, of course."

Liam asked, "The what?"

Arthean replied, "The animals that brought us here."

"I barely survived one journey; I can't fly on that thing again! Do you know how fast it will have to fly to get us there in time? Besides, they look dangerous!"

Koris' blue eyes twinkled. "You'll be fine just as long as you don't give one reason to bite you."

Liam jolted. "And what reason-?"

"You made it just fine," Arthean interrupted, heading for the door already. "You have more strength than you give yourself credit for."

"Yeah, but not enough to say no," Liam muttered as he followed the monk.

The six Ilanenorians led them to the ryokin stables, where they found eight ryokin waiting outside, one sprawled a short distance from the others. Liam's heart climbed into his throat. "You don't expect me to ride one of those things _alone_ , do you?"

The short, brown-haired Ilanenorian, whose name Liam had learnt was Eindar, said, "It's easy. Ryokin can read your thoughts, so you merely have to wish your steed to do something, and it will."

Liam was dubious. "Telepathy? How do I know it will obey?"

Eindar said, "They will obey. They exist for this purpose."

"You mean they exist to serve?"

Jolither laughed, and Eindar said, "No; they _agreed_ to serve. Their appearance may make it hard to believe, but they are sentient beings with more intelligence than some humans I've met."

_Sounds like Zac,_ Liam thought with a sad smile.

Mounting his ryokin, Arthean said over his shoulder, "You would do well to view your new friend as just that, for, when a ryokin chooses a rider, from that moment on, he or she is your friend, your partner, your defender and anything else you need him or her to be."

The ryokin Arthean rode rose gracefully, then disappeared over the floating land's edge.

What does he mean 'chooses a rider'? Lost in contemplation, comparing ryokin and dog traits, Liam was, by now, the only one not mounted. Shalise urged him to hurry, then her steed rose and, with one graceful flap of its majestic wings, carried her below the clouds and out of sight.

Before Jolither took off after her, he called down to Liam, "Your ride is called Nairel. Fear not; he is ready to do your bidding. Just be sure to keep your eyes open." He chuckled. "They have a wicked sense of humour if they know you're scared."

Liam stood next to Nairel, trying to breathe. Only Arthean's reminder of Joshua enabled Liam to bring himself to mount. If Joshua is trapped inside his body, he's in grave danger.

With those words ringing in his ears, Liam climbed onto Nairel's back, his legs easily slipping into the natural grooves in the animal's side, and the ryokin's flesh closed over his legs to keep him from falling. They were in the air before Liam could blink. The animal taking off without his command worried him, and he hoped the Ilanenorians knew the ryokin as well as they claimed. Within moments, he was below cloud height with Arthean flying to his right and the red-haired woman, Jaeda, to his left. The ryokin she rode looked even more ferocious than the others, if that was possible – something in its eyes hinted at internal darkness and malice the others didn't have. Liam and his ryokin steed caught up to the others quickly, with Liam displaying an incredible amount of 'won't power' by not shutting his eyes.

Liam clung to the ryokin's thick, golden fur, and focussed only on his hands and the lead ryokin, Sor, which Jolither rode. If not for the animal's thick neck, which blocked the worst of the wind, Liam would have been forced to close his eyes. The wind lashed him, and, for once, he was glad he wore no cloak, although the Ilanenorians didn't seem all that bothered by their cloaks whipping around them. They flew much faster than before, keeping the mountain slopes to their right, and, just when Liam thought his chest could take no more of the fear that clenched it, Tridor Monastery came into view on the horizon.

Liam hoped whatever the Ilanenorians had planned would work. He didn't see how two women and six men could defeat an army, but these beings lived in a floating village and rode creatures that no myth even spoke of. Plus, they had healed him and Arthean, in too short a time for it to have been natural. Tridor's peril was his fault, and the Ilanenorians were his only hope of fixing it. He had no choice but to trust them. He didn't like having no choice, though, and contemplated a mass escape through the catacombs, just in case the plan to stop Sah's army fell through, although he didn't relish the thought of torturing his newly healed feet again.

As they drew closer, Sah's men came into view, tiny dots scattered along the beach and the forest bordering Tridor. The Ilanenorians move swiftly ahead, and Nairel slowed. Liam mentally urged him to go faster, but the animal refused to listen. Arthean's steed kept pace with Nairel, and it popped into Liam's head that maybe the others going ahead was part of their plan. _It would have been nice to be kept informed,_ he thought irritably.

They were just over Tridor when a wall of flickering green flame rushed up from the ground, forming a boundary wall around the monastery. Liam stared in awe as the two ryokin landed inside the fiery wall, and Arthean jumped down and sprinted towards the main monastery building. As Liam dismounted, Nairel danced sideways, and he lost his grasp and tumbled to the ground with a grunt. Nairel turned to look at him, curling his lips in what might have been a grin if he'd been human. For a moment, it seemed like a snarl, then the animal chittered, and Liam could swear it was laughing at him.

Giving Nairel a quick glare, Liam raced after Arthean, who was already inside. When Liam entered, the monk was ushering everyone into the main prayer room. Abbot Jergor wasn't in sight, but Vareck was there, loudly demanding to know what was going on. It seemed nobody had noticed the green perimeter wall yet, because they were all panicking about the impending attack, of which they had apparently been given notice: _send Liam MacAskill out, or burn_. The soldiers had called them liars when they'd said Liam had left, and still thought they harboured him, even after being invited to search the premises, so Liam guessed those who had attacked them in the cavern hadn't made it back, which gave him some satisfaction.

The chorus of voices gave Liam an almost immediate headache, and Arthean wasn't having any luck quieting them.

Still shaking from the flight and not in the mood for dramatics, Liam screamed, " _Shut up!_ Just shut up and do what he says, or do you all _want_ to die?"

The entrance hallway went quiet and everyone stared at Liam in surprise.

Liam glared at them. "The quicker you get into the prayer room, the quicker you'll have your answers. Now get your arses in there!"

The monks and nuns muttered amongst themselves, but obeyed, casting irritated glances at the stranger who had brought them so much trouble. Soon, most were inside the prayer room, and a few others had gone to call their brothers and sisters who were elsewhere in the monastery.

Arthean insisted they wait until everyone was present before he started speaking. "I've had a difficult time, and I don't have the energy to say this more than once."

CHAPTER 9

Before long, muttering, concerned monks and nuns filled the room. Arthean raised his hands for silence, scanning the room. When all were silent, he asked, "Where is Abbot Jergor?"

Arthean's brothers and sisters stared at him, and fear swept through him at the despair on their faces.

Liam, standing beside him, snapped at them, "Answer him!"

Vareck stepped forward, the black pouch at his waist swinging. He placed a hand on it to stop the motion. "You! This is your fault! You should have left Tridor sooner!"

Blame casting was one of Arthean's pet dislikes, and he scowled at Vareck. "This is not the time or place, _Brother_. _Where is Abbot Jergor?_ "

Shyla spoke from their midst, her voice clear and emotionless. "They hanged him when they couldn't find Liam here."

Arthean's mind went numb at her words and a wave of dread froze his chest. Somewhere in the fog of thoughts rushing through his head, the weeping of nuns reached him. Abbot Jergor _couldn't_ be dead. They'd all be lost without his guidance and wisdom. It couldn't be... "Are you s-sure?" he asked.

A tall, broad-shouldered monk called Ortho moved to stand next to Vareck and said angrily, "Of course we're sure! We were forced to watch!"

Liam, his face flushed, snapped, "You mean you did nothing to prevent it?"

Arthean's rubbery legs threatened to cave in under him. He massaged his temples. Every time he opened his mouth to say something, it shut again, words lost to him.

Ortho asked bitterly, "What were we supposed to do? They would have shot us with those magical weapons if we had come any closer!"

Liam shouted back, "How do you know that if you didn't try? Oh wait, you're foolish enough to take the word of evil at face value, aren't you!" Grumbles of objection rippled through the crowd, but, before anyone could respond, Liam continued, "And it's not magic, you fools! It's called a gun, and it's a man-made weapon from my Earth! _Clearly_ you weren't paying attention when I told you about them the first time!"

Arthean placed a restraining hand on Liam's shoulder when he opened his mouth to continue. Liam glanced at him and Arthean shook his head.

Shyla's clear voice brought calm to the room again. "Please. Abbot Jergor would not want us to fight amongst ourselves. Let Arthean finish."

Arthean wiped unshed tears from his eyes and gazed around the room. "When did this happen?"

Shyla replied, "A few hours after you left. Shortly before sunrise."

"D-did he s-s-suffer?"

Shyla paused. "No. It was quick."

Arthean stifled a sob.

Shyla's voice rose, but remained steady and a calming influence over the crowd. "Mourn him not, for he is with his Maker now, and there is no better place to be."

Arthean knew she was right; Abbot Jergor was in a better place. What would become of the rest of them, though? They could barely function without their abbot. For the first time, he realised how heavily they relied on one person to lead them. He was still trying to find his voice when Jolither and the other Ilanenorians entered the room. A few nuns shrieked in fright at their otherworldly appearance, and some of the monks gasped. All took a step back from them.

Liam commanded, "Let them through. They're friends."

Nobody moved.

Shyla came to stand next to Arthean. "Please, do as he says."

When the Ilanenorians stood beside Arthean, Shalise stared into his eyes, her gaze probing. "What has happened?"

Arthean gulped. "Abbot Jergor has been mur..." His voice cracked and unbidden tears streamed down his cheeks.

Liam said, "Sah's men hanged the abbot because they couldn't find me, and were convinced I was being hidden."

The pity in Shalise's eyes snapped Arthean out of his daze. He wanted nobody's pity. "He's with the Creator now. It's just..." He scanned the crowd again. "Who has taken his place?"

Shyla replied, "We have yet to decide. We were only allowed to retrieve his corpse after sunset yesterday to bury him."

Arthean almost choked. "You mean they left him there for the flies for two days?"

Ortho shouted, "Yes! And it's all _his_ fault!" He pointed at Liam.

Arthean looked at Liam. Guilt was written all over the man's face, although it _hadn't_ been his fault – he could never have anticipated the consequences of claiming sanctuary. Even if he could have, it still wouldn't have been his fault – his was not the hand that had slain Arthean's mentor, friend and abbot.

For the first time in many years, Arthean lost his temper. "You blame a _man_ for the work of the _Devil_!" He stared accusingly at Ortho. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Abbot Jergor will be digging himself out of his grave soon enough to set you straight if you don't stop this!"

A number of shocked gasps rose from the gathering.

Jolither whispered to Arthean, "May I address them?"

Arthean nodded, then turned back to the crowd. "This is Jolither. He's been sent by God Himself to help us. Please afford him more respect than you did me." He looked around pointedly.

Liam added, "In other words, don't interrupt!"

Ortho glared at Liam, and Arthean motioned for Jolither to begin.

Jolither said, "Firstly, we have taken care of Sah's army. Tridor is no longer in immediate danger."

Placing a hand on the pouch at his waist again, as if to make sure it was still there, Vareck asked, "How did you do that? Are there more of you outside?"

Liam snapped, "What part of 'don't interrupt' wasn't clear to you?"

Before Vareck could respond, Jolither said, "We have raised a wall of green earth fire to protect you. None who wish you harm can pass through it, though _you_ may walk through at will, as can any who wish you no ill. Sah's army has been given a message to take back to its leader – desist from all attacks on Tridor, or suffer the consequences." He paused to look around. "They were..." He smiled. "... _Impressed_ by the wall of flame. They'll take that fear back to Sah and hopefully infect him with it."

Liam interrupted, "If Sah fears us, he'll just get more violent and vicious in his attacks. A man of his calibre can't handle feeling inferior in any way, and he will become even more relentless and violent. And there's no guarantee he will be afraid at all, since he has the most powerful evil in existence at his side."

Arthean didn't have the heart to point out that he was disobeying his instructions not to interrupt just as much as the others had. After all, in this situation, Liam had become his rock and voice.

Joyli, a timid young nun who stood near the front, raised her hand, and Jolither looked at her. "Yes?"

"How long will the fire wall last?"

Jolither smiled. "As long as there is need for it, it will remain. Not even Lucifer himself can tear _this_ wall down, for Mother Nature and the Creator work together to hold it up."

Joyli looked as relieved as Arthean felt.

Vareck asked, "How did you know about the fire they planned on setting? We hadn't even got around to telling you yet."

Jolither replied, "There is much we know, but not all is important to tell. What's important is that you are now safe. Take this time, since you are all already here, to choose a new leader, and then to decide who among you will aid these two..." He gestured to Liam and Arthean. "...In whatever path they choose. For the fate of all is in their hands. But, no matter what, the war must go to Sah."

Liam's eyes widened. "You want to take the war to Sah?"

Jolither asked, "Would you rather sit around here while he ravages the land and kills innocents in his anger and frustration at not being able to get to you? Neutral men are the Devil's allies – don't become one by becoming complacent; I don't think it would agree with you."

Liam flinched. Arthean knew as well as Jolither that Liam could never sit complacent while others died because of him. In fact, Abbot Jergor's passing would be what spurred Liam to take the necessary action, Arthean suspected. Perhaps the abbot's death had been ordained by the Creator, then...

Liam asked, "So the Creator encourages war?"

Shyla's steady voice replied, "Only against the Devil, and it's not a matter of encouraging – Lucifer leaves us with no alternative. We are encouraged to _defend_ ourselves and those who cannot do so for themselves."

Arthean took a deep breath. "We have no choice. I agree with Liam – Sah will not stop, no matter what. If he can't get what he wants, he'll go on a rampage, like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum. I can't believe I never saw that in him before, but it's as clear as day now. No living thing shall escape his wrath. Plus..." He glanced at Liam. "He knows Liam could never sit back and let that happen because of him."

Ortho yelled, "So you agree it's his fault!"

Arthean snapped, "I agree on no such thing, and I'll thank you not to twist my words, _Brother_!"

Shyla murmured, "If you want to cast blame, cast it on those who _are_ to blame – Lucifer and Sah."

Arthean said frostily, "But mostly Lucifer. It's _his_ hand that steers Sah's."

Jolither said, "We're getting ahead of ourselves. First, you must choose your new leader." He turned to Liam. "And you must decide if you will continue your search for the Garden of Origin, or if you wish to find the Devil's contract with Sah and destroy it – I'm not convinced that will work, though. It... It feels wrong, somehow."

Arthean said, "I also doubt that will work."

Liam agreed, "Yeah, maybe not. I mean, I suppose there's a chance – it's what I initially thought – but I don't think a piece of paper will thwart the Devil. I guess I was just grasping at straws there, looking for an easy way out."

Silence descended over the gathering as they contemplated the options.

Shyla turned to stare at Liam. "You seek the Garden of Origin?"

Liam nodded.

Shyla asked, "For what purpose?"

Liam shrugged. "I want to find my Creator. Find out why I exist. My purpose."

After a moment, Ortho stated, "That changes everything."

Arthean had known it would. Men and women of God were obligated to aid any who sought the Creator for Liam's reasons.

Jolither said, "You've already discovered why you exist, Searcher."

Arthean chewed his lower lip.

Liam said, "So you say, but I find it hard to believe that me, a good for nothing nobody who turns everything he goes near to shit, is the only one who can stop evil from spreading everywhere. I was too useless to save my two best friends – in fact, it's my fault at least one of them is dead in the first place – so how am I supposed to save _everyone_? Besides, it's incredibly unfair to place the fate of everyone in one man's hands – what if he isn't up to the task? How can all suffer for the failure of one? Mark my words – it _will_ happen if I'm the one you trust with the 'great mission'."

Jolither said, "Consider that the Creator chose you and Arthean for the task because He knew you _wouldn't_ fail. He sees all, past, present and future, remember. You were given the qualities you need to succeed in the task, and all your experiences up until now have honed those qualities."

"If He truly sees the future, why did He create us in the first place? Surely He saw what a bunch of fuckups we'd become."

A few monks and nuns glared at Liam, clearly unimpressed with his foul language and the points he made.

Arthean grew impatient – another unusual emotion for him. "If you were good for nothing, I'd be dead right now."

Shyla's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Jolither said, "Again, now is not the time for answers. You must choose your new leader and you must do it now. The ryokin will be back from quenching their thirst shortly. When they return, we must be ready to leave, wherever our destination."

Before anyone could ask what a ryokin was, Arthean started the selection process, and Jolither and the other Ilanenorians went to wait outside.

Arthean cleared his throat. "We all know Abbot Jergor refused to choose the next abbot. He always said the time would come when we would have to make the choice under duress and amidst much argument. Now is that time. Now..." Arthean paused to make sure everyone was paying attention. "We all remember the clues Abbot Jergor gave regarding the one we should choose."

Shyla reminded them, "As with all abbots, our new leader should be brave and wise beyond imagination, have an aura of calmness, peace and love, passion for saving innocents and bringing them into the fold, and, above all, should be capable of quick decisions and staring danger in the face without losing his head."

Liam interrupted, "Or _her_ head."

Appalled objections rippled through the group. No woman had ever been placed in charge of a monastery, with the exception of a prioress who took charge when the abbot was away. It was only acceptable when the abbot instructed it and when all knew it wasn't a permanent leadership, but, even then, men were preferred.

Arthean noticed the disgust on Liam's face and considered his words; perhaps he had a point. Shyla _had_ basically just described herself, after all. Abbot Jergor's words on the day they had left Tridor swept through Arthean's thoughts. _Soon, you will be faced with a difficult decision. You must follow your heart and go against the norm if Tridor is to survive._ He froze. Had Abbot Jergor foreseen his own death?

Driven by unexpected conviction, Arthean asked, "Does anyone here know anyone braver than Shyla? Remember when some of you were travelling to the villages a few months ago and Vareck was cornered by the great wolf? Which of you was willing to step in and chase it off?"

As expected, nobody said a word. Only Shyla had been brave enough.

Arthean continued, "Which of you was wise enough to know that fire and shouting would scare such a fearsome creature?"

The silence was uncomfortable. Arthean was well aware that they knew what he was getting at and didn't like it one bit.

Liam said, "Shyla, obviously."

Arthean exclaimed, "Exactly! And which of you did not complain, judge or blame when we returned? Which of you remained calm when facing the great wolf?" He glared around the room, but none would meet his gaze. "Out of all of you, only Shyla can say she did."

A short, chubby monk named Almorak yelled, "You can, too!"

Arthean shouted, "I do not count!"

Ortho asked, "Why not?"

Arthean's face went hot. "I've been prompted by the Creator to help Liam – do you think I would be asked to help an evil person? I have also conversed with Liam for many hours. I _know_ him. Shyla refrained from judging _without_ the Creator's request or getting to know Liam. _That_ is truly commendable... more so than not judging your _friends_ , which is what my time spent with Liam has made him to me." He placed a hand on Liam's shoulder.

Almorak said, "She may be all those things, but she's still a woman!"

Liam muttered so only Arthean could hear, "Sexist pig."

Arthean flinched, then glared at Almorak. "Remember when she was in charge of our travelling party a few years ago, and we got stuck in the middle of that thunderstorm? The horses were slipping down the banks of an overflowing river, and we saw only two options. Urge them in and hope they could swim to the far bank, or turn them away and risk them slipping and tumbling down the banks. If that had happened, we'd possibly have been dead before we even hit the water. The only reason we didn't die was because Shyla thought to dismount and lead the horses away. That way, whether _they_ slipped or not, _we'd_ be safe."

Almorak folded his arms. "So what? That was just once-off luck. Women aren't capable of leading anything important. Everyone knows that."

Arthean retorted, "Are you saying our pilgrimages were unimportant?"

Ortho stepped in, "No, no, he's just saying that women aren't capable of making important decisions..."

Arthean cut in, "I'd be dead right now if that was true. So would you." He pointed at a young, blond monk, then at a middle-aged, stick-thin monk. "And you. And you." He paused for effect. "If you recall, most of the horses ended up slipping down the bank. We aren't dead _because we listened to her_. So tell me, isn't a life or death situation important, then? She seemed quite capable of making that decision."

Almorak said, "But I bet she was shaken up after that and you had to pacify her."

Shyla smiled at that.

Arthean glowered. " _She_ had to pacify some of the younger _monks_ , actually."

Arthean had been oblivious to his brothers' sexism until now. He had blindly accepted the way things were without ever really thinking about it. Now that he had thought about it, he couldn't silence his indignation. He wondered what Abbot Jergor would have said about it. _You must follow your heart and go against the norm if Tridor is to survive._

Arthean glared around the room, daring someone to say something. Most faces were troubled, which made him think they had received the same revelation he had and now agreed with his sentiments, and, as with him, hadn't really thought about _why_ things were the way they were until now. "That she fits the criteria Abbot Jergor gave us is reason enough to select her to succeed him. However, I have another _excellent_ reason. Shortly before we began our journey into the catacombs, Abbot Jergor told me that I would soon be faced with a difficult decision. He said I must follow my heart and go against the norm if Tridor is to survive. My heart tells me that it isn't right to think of women as less than men. I've never really thought about why they can't be in positions of power, but, now that I have, I see _no reason_ why."

Almorak began, "Beca-"

Arthean raised his voice. "So, my heart tells me women should be allowed the equal rights we preach, and, in selecting Shyla, we will be going against the norm. Do I need to spell the implication out?" He raised an eyebrow.

Liam said tersely, "Failure to follow this advice will lead to Tridor's downfall."

Arthean nodded and folded his arms. "Exactly! Abbot Jergor predicted it."

Ortho said, "Sah isn't following the rules anymore. _We_ should! If we start breaking laws too, we'll be just like him."

Arthean snapped, "We will _never_ be like him! Sah breaks the laws of God, the laws of peace, the laws that keep us all safe. I'm not asking you to hurt anyone or do something bad! It's not even _in_ the laws, so we wouldn't be breaking any! I'm asking you to do something _different_! That's all!"

Liam added, "You'd be going against Abbot Jergor's wisdom if you don't agree with Arthean. If you're going to do that, why did you elect him as abbot in the first place?"

Arthean resisted a smile. Liam was goading them, manipulating their focus. He had experienced similar when he'd been hounded to go to the large cavern where he'd been shot. His brothers and sisters didn't stand a chance against Liam's logic.

The corners of Arthean's lips twitched and he continued, "Furthermore, Shyla will be happy regardless of what we decide. She neither fears leadership like some of us, nor craves it like others. Abbot Jergor always said that the best leaders neither fear nor crave power. She fits _all_ the criteria. I see no other amongst us who does, so the choice is obvious."

Ortho started to say something, but Liam interrupted, "To select anyone else would be to ignore all the signs God has given you to ensure your survival."

That would settle it, Arthean thought.

<><><>

Less than three hours later, for the first time in the history of the planet, a woman had been sworn in as abbess – Liam had suggested the title, since the Tridorians had no female version of 'abbot'. He was surprised that Arthean didn't want the position of abbot for himself, but the monk had waved away his query with a laugh, saying that it 'wasn't his thing'. Liam thought Arthean would be a great leader, with the way he had managed to gain the others' attention and sway them. Liam had selfishly pushed for Shyla's selection because he feared failure without Arthean at his side – especially with what the prophecy said about their paths being the same. As a newly appointed abbot, Arthean wouldn't have been able to travel further with him. Liam's reasons had been self-serving, but he had no regrets.

The induction ceremony had been grand, with plenty of food afterwards. Liam wondered how the Tridorians had been able to produce so much food on such short notice. Jolither and the other villages had been invited, and had graciously accepted and delayed their planned departure, even though the ryokin had returned by then. Biv, the muscular, blond Ilanenorian who had flown in with them, waited outside on guard duty. Liam pondered that – did the Ilanenorians expect trouble in spite of the flame wall?

Shyla seemed neither pleased nor displeased with the decision to make her abbess, and had already informed everyone that daily activities should proceed as usual. She wasn't interested in changing the way Abbot Jergor had run things, which Liam could see pleased Arthean.

Immediately after the ceremony, Jolither went outside and the new abbess drew Liam and Arthean aside. "You must heed your friend's advice."

Liam asked, "What friend? What advice?"

Shyla smiled. "Your friend, Jolither, said that the fate of all is in your hands. I somehow think he wasn't just being dramatic." She looked at Liam. "Despite how much you may wish or believe that to be the case."

Arthean said excitably, "Yes, we must decide what to do about the Garden of Origin and Sah. These are not decisions to be made lightly. We must meditate."

Liam groaned. His mind was cluttered with too many problems to meditate, although it would probably do him good. Time was running out, though – he knew that as surely as he knew he still drew breath.

Shyla's eyes twinkled. "Take some food and go into the garden. There is no time for meditation, for I fear innocent people will suffer for each moment spent in delay. These are difficult choices and making them quickly is not preferable, but it seems the best option, don't you agree?"

Arthean nodded glumly. Liam knew the monk disliked rushing into anything, but Shyla was right – the longer the situation took to be resolved, the more innocent people would be hurt.

Liam turned to Shyla. "Just one thing..."

"Yes?"

"Where is the other who claimed sanctuary?"

Shyla went pale. "Sah took him."

Arthean gaped. "Why would he do that?"

The abbess shrugged. "They didn't say. When they searched for you..." She looked at Liam. "...They found him still recovering in bed, and just... took him."

Stunned, Liam asked, "Did he look happy about being taken away?"

Shyla appeared to be surprised by the question. "Not in the least. When they found him, they whispered with him for a short while, then, without warning, dragged him from the bed and out of the door. He yelled and struggled all the way down the corridor."

Liam asked, "And nobody tried to stop them?"

"We wanted to..." Shyla's eyes took on a faraway, hazy look. "But they had those... guns, you say they're called?"

Liam nodded.

"We knew we'd die trying, and our deaths would be in vain, because they'd take him anyway."

A dull ache threatened to become a painful throb in Liam's temples. It seemed that Arthean was right – Joshua had to still be in there somewhere, or perhaps the evil had left his body to its rightful owner again. Either way, _pure_ evil would certainly have been able to escape the mortal clutches of Sah's soldiers, and probably wouldn't have had the need or want to escape in the first place, since Lucifer worked with Sah. He turned to Arthean. "I don't need to discuss my next move anymore. I have to rescue Joshua."

Arthean gave a half nod, and Liam could see the monk wasn't surprised by his decision.

"You don't disagree?"

Arthean looked surprised. "Not at all. Did you forget the legend already?"

Liam asked, "Which part are you referring to?"

Arthean replied, "You are the one searching for truth amidst lies. I'm merely here to guard against evil and be on the lookout for danger." He stared at Liam for a second. "Don't let that make you complacent, though. You must always keep your guard up – there may come a time when I'm not here anymore-"

"This is the first I've heard of a legend," Abbess Shyla interrupted. "Do tell."

CHAPTER 10

Arthean filled Abbess Shyla in on the legend while Liam went to find Jolither. He wanted to let him know the plan so they'd be ready to go by the time Arthean had finished the story and said his goodbyes. He had to explain the whole Joshua story to Jolither, who looked dubious, but agreed to escort them to Sah's palace.

"By the way," Jolither said, "once a ryokin has allowed someone to ride it, they allow no other for the rest of their lifetimes. Each ryokin only ever has one rider, so please be sure to treat Nairel with the utmost respect, for he has rejected many potential riders before you."

Horrified, Liam asked, "What if I never intend to ride him again after this? You _do_ remember I'm terrified of heights, right? Flying isn't exactly the sort of thing I'd do for fun. Besides, I don't think he likes me very much."

Jolither laughed. "Not to worry. He will remain within calling distance, but won't be offended or put out if you never ride him again. He just won't ever let anyone _else_ get on his back. They're amazing creatures, really, quite happy on their own or in company of any almost sort, be it human, ryokin or other. Anyway, he's as proud as I am to know the part he plays in the old legend. It's got something to do with pheromones, as I understand it. Theirs somehow melds with their first rider's, and any other lone rider but the first would then be included in the pheromone mix, which creates a bit of confusion and chaos, I'm told."

Liam asked, "Then why can two people ride one at the same time?"

"Because the first rider's aura, or whatever you want to call it, will override any other nearby auras. It's only in the absence of the first rider that it's a problem."

Liam heaved a sigh of relief, then asked, "You say he chose me, yet he was waiting for me before he'd even laid eyes on me. So how, then, did he choose me without meeting me?"

Jolither smiled. "He sensed your aura from far away and informed us of his choice before we even knew Arthean needed our help."

Arthean and Abbess Shyla exited the monastery and strode towards them. Liam was impatient to get going, despite the method of transport.

Arthean said, "I'm ready to go when you are."

Liam glanced around. They had few weapons. Jolither and the other Ilanenorians had their spears, and Arthean had a dagger, but the dagger and spears were hardly weapons to wield against an army, and Liam had nothing at all. The army would make short work of them. He turned to Abbess Shyla. "I don't suppose you happen to have any weapons we can borrow? Or know a secret way into Sah's palace?"

Shyla shook her head. "Sorry, I can't help you with either."

Shalise came up to them and said, "You won't need a weapon. Sah won't see you coming. We'll land a short distance from the palace and you'll walk from there... invisible to all eyes but ours." She grinned.

Liam's eyes widened in disbelief. "Invisible?"

Jolither whispered dramatically, "Invisible! You'll be able to walk right in. It's up to you to make sure nobody realises an invisible person is walking under their noses."

Eindar's ryokin strolled up to them. Seated on its broad back, Eindar added, "In other words, don't walk into anything... or _anyone_. Don't open Joshua's cell, if that's where he is, with anyone around to witness the doors magically opening 'by themselves'... You get the drift."

Liam thought back to when a cell door had mysteriously opened to free _him_. He frowned as Eindar's words sank in and the others mounted their ryokin. Had an invisible someone freed him? Who, though? He forced his thoughts back to the issue at hand. It sounded like he would get inside easily enough, but how would Joshua get _out_ without being seen? The Ilanenorians were already in the air, so the question would have to wait until they landed.

As Arthean mounted his ryokin, a young male called Noka, Liam shouted up to him, "Did you know they only let one person ride them... _ever_?"

"Oh yes... I've been riding Noka for many years now. He befriended me shortly after I joined Tridor. He's how I met the Ilanenorians, actually."

Arthean took off, and Liam, once more the last on the ground, stared dismally up at Nairel. The last flight had left him with weak legs, and he didn't relish his heart being stuck in his throat again. Not to mention the animal's little trick when he'd tried to dismount the last time. Although Liam anticipated more mischief of the same sort, Nairel let him mount easily and took off as soon as Liam grasped his neck fur.

Again, Liam fought his natural reflex to close his eyes, knowing he'd have to tell Nairel when and where to land. Or think it, at least.

<><><>

After what Liam estimated to be a two-hour flight, the imposing turrets of Sah's palace came into view in the distance. Jolither's ryokin, again in the lead, swooped towards the forest below, and the other ryokin followed, including Nairel. Not for the first time, Liam worried about Nairel's lack of needing guidance.

When they landed in a small, grassy clearing, Nairel did his little dance again, and Liam once again tumbled to the ground. The others laughed at him.

Shalise said, "He's playing with you."

Liam scowled. "I don't call that playing. I could break my neck like that."

Smiling, Arthean said, "That won't happen. He wouldn't play if he'd landed on hard ground, for example, or on a cliff edge. He knew the grass would pad your fall."

"And what's _my_ part in this game? Clown? Toy?"

Jolither grinned. "That's for you to figure out. There are little things that annoy him, too, and, once you know what they are, you can return the 'favour'. The game is for each to prevent the other from achieving their goal." The others gathered around, and Jolither got down to business. "We're just a few kilometres from the palace now. There's a footpath a short distance from here. We'll take you to it, and you can follow it right up to the edge of the forest bordering the palace. Once you enter the palace, you're on your own, although Nairel will be close by to carry you back to us."

Liam nodded, glancing at Nairel, whose twinkling eyes still gave the impression of laughing at him. "Before we go on... tell me, why does Nairel land without my command? You said I had to keep my eyes open to instruct him, but so far he's just landed on his own."

Arthean replied, "That's because he's following the others. He knows you travel together. Ryokin are like horses in that regard – they'll just follow the one in front unless you instruct them otherwise."

Liam stared at Nairel, unconvinced. "And how will I get Joshua out without being seen?"

Jolither replied, "That's for you to figure out when you get there."

Liam frowned. "So there's no hidden exit or anything like that?"

Jolither smiled sympathetically. "No such luck, I'm afraid."

_I'm never going to get it right. He'll die just like Zac did._ Liam massaged his temples with two fingers.

Arthean warned, "And be careful... You don't know if Joshua will still be Joshua."

Like an idiot, Liam hadn't considered that.

Shalise asked, "What will you do if Joshua is possessed again, if that is, in fact, what happened the first time?"

Without thinking, Liam said, "Kidnap him and bring him somewhere safe where we can fix him."

Arthean frowned. "Fix him?"

"Yes, drive the evil from him."

Arthean said, "Kidnapping him will be next to impossible. He'd either make a racket trying to stop you from taking him, or you'd have to knock him out and carry him." He gave Liam a meaningful look. "Haven't you had enough of carrying other people on your back?"

Liam stared into the distance. "I have. But I'll do whatever I have to. I'm not leaving him there, even if it kills me."

Jolither slapped Liam on the back. "Make sure it doesn't come to that. Heed Arthean's warning. Remember, his purpose is to warn you of danger."

Arthean said, "Perhaps I should go with him."

Jolither shook his head. "It won't be possible. We will have to use our gifts many times in the coming days. We cannot wear out Mother Nature – like all of us, she only has so much to give before it hurts her. We can take a lot without doing damage, but we'll need a lot in the near future, so we must ration our usage, like you'd ration food if you had a limited supply. We can use her power far quicker than she can replenish it, and we've already used a substantial amount healing you and raising the firewall."

Liam asked, "So you're doing that gathering energy thing again? Is that how you plan to make me invisible?"

"Yes," Jolither said. "We should get on with it. There's no reason to delay further."

The Ilanenorians gathered in a circle with their arms outstretched, their palms facing outwards and their fingertips touching. They all closed their eyes and, after a while, Liam thought he saw a turquoise glow discharge from the earth to reach for their fingertips, but it was so dim and sudden that he couldn't be certain. After what seemed like too long to the impatient Liam, the Ilanenorians opened their eyes and Jolither beckoned him into the centre of the circle.

When Liam stood surrounded by the Ilanenorians, they reached for him and placed their palms against his chest and back. Energy surged through him and, for a moment, he felt invincible. Then they stepped back with satisfied smiles. He looked down at himself. "How do we know if it worked, if we can all see me anyway?"

Jolither said, "It worked. Trust me."

"How do you know?"

Biv said, "It always works."

Liam sighed. Would he _ever_ get a straight answer out of this lot? "I take it the walk isn't far, since we brought no food?"

Shalise replied, "It's not too far, but you should eat something before you start. Here..." She walked over to a nearby bush and picked a handful of pink berries, then handed them to Liam. "They're sour, but quite nutritious. Just a handful like the one you hold now will give you enough energy for the walk there and back, with plenty to spare."

<><><>

Liam had been walking for at least three quarters of an hour, and whoever said individual body parts were incapable of memory was wrong. His feet remembered the pain from before, and were once again aching more than he thought they should after such a short walk. He surprised himself by wishing he could have flown on Nairel instead. At least the berries had given him the promised stamina, though the ferocious wind slowed his pace considerably.

Voices floated through the trees, drawing closer. He must be close to the palace. Liam battled to decide whether he should test his invisibility or hide. The choice was taken from him when he rounded a sharp bend in the path and almost walked straight into three of Sah's soldiers. The men walked in single file, and Liam sprang aside to avoid colliding with one of them. Luck was on his side – there was a clear patch of hard sand at the side of the path, so his 'escape' wasn't betrayed by rustling foliage. The soldiers' conversation didn't falter, and the voices were soon out of earshot.

_It works,_ Liam thought incredulously. He had believed it before, or he wouldn't have risked going in alone, but a part of him had doubted. A part of him doubted pretty much everything. Especially since Zac's death...

Liam proceeded more carefully now, in case he ran into more of the enemy. It wasn't long before brighter light ahead warned of the forest's edge, and Liam stopped to listen. All was quiet save for the birds' chirping and the rustling trees and bushes. He would have found it peaceful if not for the magnitude of his mission.

A guard on horseback nearly flattened Liam as he walked onto the edge of the neatly manicured palace gardens. He jumped back and the horse cantered on, its rider oblivious to his presence, although the animal had glanced at him as it came past. He began to trust what Jolither had said – the invisibility worked and would last. Liam strode across the gardens towards the palace as if he owned the place, confident in his newfound trust of the Ilanenorians' Earth Magic. He would try the dungeons first, and, if Joshua wasn't there, he'd search the palace room by room until he found him. Whatever happened, if his friend was there, he wasn't leaving without him.

Liam increased his pace, wondering how they got the lawn so short – surely not more technology? He entered the palace through the front entrance and headed for the dungeons. He had to dart aside a few times to avoid bumping into one of Sah's soldiers, and Sah himself walked right by without as much as a glance in his direction. Liam entered the dungeon's guard room, and his heart sank when he saw the gates barring the way down were locked. Two guards sat at a table to his left, playing some sort of game with various types of nuts on a circular board. Some whips, chains, a few other nasty looking objects and a bunch of keys hung on the right-hand wall, tempting Liam to grab them.

Liam quelled a sigh that the guards would surely have heard otherwise. He would have to wait until someone opened the gate and then slip inside, though there would be another long wait until someone opened it again for him to get out, he assumed. How would he get Joshua out unseen, though? He grimaced. His first priorities were to let Joshua know he was there and ascertain if he was himself or not. He would figure it out from there as he went along. The 'play it by ear' method had mostly worked for him up until now, so hopefully fate, luck, the Creator or whatever watched his life would not disappoint this time, either.

Liam strolled to the far corner, careful not to knock over any of the empty wine bottles littering the area, and settled on the cold stone floor to wait.

<><><>

By the time a beefy guard dragged in a teenage girl of about seventeen covered with bruises and dried blood, Liam's legs and backside had gone numb and he struggled to remain still. When he rose to his feet, his legs went into spasm and he had to brace himself against the wall. It must be night time by now, he imagined, but it was hard to tell from within the windowless guard room. The girl's eyes were a striking bright yellow Liam had never seen before. She might have been pretty once, but now her swollen face gave her the grotesque appearance of a gargoyle. Liam wondered if her wounds were bad enough that she'd never look right again. He flinched; he wasn't convinced one _could_ recover from such a severe beating. He wondered why she'd been beaten so badly. Had Sah been torturing people in secret before his arrival on this planet?

Liam barely managed to slip in after the guard without being caught. As the man turned to lock the gate behind him, he shoved the girl to the floor, and Liam had to dance aside to avoid her falling into him. His back slammed into the wall, but the girl's shriek of indignation masked the sound. Talk about lucky...

"Shut up or I'll make sure all the men get a turn with you," the guard snarled at her, spittle flying from his mouth.

The girl started to retort, but the guard kicked her in the mouth. She went limp, and he grabbed her by her long brown hair and hauled her down the passage to the end cell. _Same problem I have – don't know when to keep my mouth shut,_ Liam thought sadly, remembering how Zac had died. Having her hair pulled so hard and being bumped down the short stone staircase didn't rouse the teenager, and Liam hoped she was okay. Maybe he could find a way to free her, too... He felt compelled to try.

Afraid of making a betraying noise, Liam waited until the guard left before he went down the passage, peering into each cell as he passed. Joshua was in a cell third from the end. Liam was glad he didn't have to go down any of the dark passageways off the main one – he'd surely have got lost in the massive dungeon. _Like the catacombs of Hell..._ He shivered at the thought.

Joshua lay on his side on the stone floor, facing the bars. In the dim light from the passage torch, Liam could make out that his friend's eyes were closed and his face and arms covered in bruises. It seemed that Sah liked to inflict pain, no matter who the victim was. The bruises were a good sign, though, that Joshua was probably Joshua again.

Liam took a deep breath – he hoped Joshua wouldn't give him away by his reaction to hearing a disembodied voice calling his name. "Joshua," he whispered. "Are you awake?"

Joshua remained motionless.

Liam called him again, more urgently and a bit louder, and Joshua shifted in his sleep with a groan, but didn't wake up.

"Joshua! Wake up!"

Joshua opened his eyes and stared ahead. Seeing nothing, he closed them again, probably thinking he'd dreamt the voice.

"Joshua, it's me, Liam. Wake up if you want to get out of here."

Joshua sat up, rigid and scanning the gloom.

"Come closer to the bars, or the guards might hear me."

Joshua frowned, but didn't move.

"Joshua! For fuck's sakes! It's me, Liam! You can't see me because I'm invisible! Just come to the bars, please!"

Joshua's expression turned suspicious and he backed away, muttering, "Tricks, more tricks."

"It's no trick. I don't know what they did to you, but I'm your friend, Liam, and I'm going to get you out of here. I'm just not sure how, yet, since I can't make you invisible, too."

Joshua clenched his hands as he huddled against the back wall. "Of course you can't."

"I was hoping you could help me with that."

Joshua sneered, "Of course you were."

Liam sighed. "You were always good at thinking of ways to do the impossible."

Joshua whispered, "Of course I was. But not anymore."

Liam thought hard. What could he say to convince his friend he was real? Something only the two of them knew... His mind refused to pull the relevant memory to the surface, so Liam tried his luck. "Okay, I'll prove it to you. Ask me anything. Something only I would know."

Joshua bit his fingernails and stared into the passageway as if considering the offer. After a long while, he took a step forward and said, "Zac isn't dead."

A shudder swept through Liam, tightening his chest and blackening his vision as his head exploded with pain. He gagged on bile, and his eyes watered at the strain it took to stop himself from vomiting. He choked for breath as he gripped the cell bars so hard his fingers became numb from the pressure.

His tone venomous, Liam rasped, " _You_ aren't Joshua. I should leave you here to rot! Tell me what happened to the real Joshua and I won't kill you slowly."

Joshua screeched, and Liam realised he was laughing. _He's mad._

Liam cast a fleeting look down the passage, worried the guards would hear the madman's hysterics.

"You must get past these bars to kill me slowly." He sniggered. "I've lost all memory of who I am or am not." Joshua shrieked with laughter again, waving a finger across the passage. "I don't know if I'm Joshua or not. I don't know where he is if I'm not him. I know nothing about anything." He cackled, then bellowed, "See, none of your tricks will work, because I'm not lying when I say I don't remember anything!" He seemed to recall something. "It was that flaming monastery, I tell you!" He scowled, then burst into another fit of laughter.

Liam took a step back. The monks had said Joshua had amnesia. He'd sensed evil from the amnesiac, though, but nothing of the sort now. Had Joshua been possessed at the time, but not anymore? If so, why had the demon left him? Then again, what other than a demon would tell such cruel a lie about Zac?

The anger flooded back, and Liam rattled the bars, disregarding the fact that the guards might come to see what the racket was. "You listen to me, you piece of pig shit! I _know_ you aren't Joshua. _Joshua_ wouldn't be as cruel as you just were!" He shook his fist at the prisoner, forgetting for a moment that he was invisible. _"_ _Joshua_ isn't the type of inbreed who would use Zac's death as a weapon! How dare you give me false hope like that, no matter how fleeting? You son of a bitch!"

Joshua took a step forward and stared in Liam's general direction. He spoke in an almost reverent hush. "You really _are_ Liam..."

Liam glared at him. "No shit, scum. And you really _aren't_ Joshua!"

Joshua said, "Forgive me. I had to know. Only _you_ would react that way to my statement about Zac being alive. This lot aren't capable of understanding love for what they think are 'lesser animals'."

Liam clenched his hands at his sides.

"Besides, it's the truth. Zac _isn't_ dead." Joshua grinned.

Liam choked back bile again. "I _saw_ him die! Your mockery just cost you your life, bottom feeder!"

Joshua whispered, "Yes, you did. But you didn't see what _I_ saw."

Despite himself, Liam asked, "And what was that?"

Joshua's eyes glinted in the weak light as he stepped forward. "Him coming back to life."

As Joshua came up to the bars, evil seemed to spring from him and wash over Liam, and the bile came all the way up this time. Liam spat a few times as he backed away, gagging on the revolting bitter taste, then wiped his mouth and glowered at the evil before him. _This_ was what he'd sensed at Tridor. _This_ was what he'd sensed when face to face with Lucifer. _This..._

Hold on...

At the monastery, he had been able to feel the evil before he was even in the same room. Why hadn't he felt it until Joshua had come close this time?

Liam was indecisive. Not even the doubting part of him had any uncertainties about the evil that stood before him now. Malevolence swirled through the room. Joshua met Liam's eyes and smiled. Liam shuddered, torn between fleeing and completing his mission. If there was the smallest chance that Zac was alive, Liam was quite happy to make a possible fool of himself making sure. He would lose nothing, since he didn't care what most people thought of him anyway, yet he had a precious life to regain if, by some miracle, the evil possessing Joshua had spoken the truth. Goodness knew he'd seen enough _other_ unbelievable things in the last few days.

Liam made his decision. "Do you want my help escaping or not?"

Joshua cocked his head and seemed to think about it.

"Yes or no. It's not a difficult question. Just yes or no."

Without warning, the touch of malice drew back and the air seemed cleaner.

"Always so impatient." A look of confusion flickered across Joshua's face. It was gone so quickly that Liam wasn't sure he'd actually seen it.

The words were barely out when the terrifying caress returned, raising Liam's flesh in goose bumps. He frowned. Fleetingly, the evil presence had vanished, and Joshua's expression had changed from one of barely disguised evil to one of confusion as if a switch had been flipped. Liam tried to clear his head. Arthean was right... Joshua was still somewhere inside there. No other explanation made sense.

He would have time to question Joshua later; now, they had to think of a way out of the dungeon.

"Do you want out or not? I'm not asking again," Liam bluffed, hoping Joshua would get on with it and say 'yes' so they could start planning the escape.

Liam figured that neither Joshua nor the evil presence would want to remain in the damp cell surrounded by his own waste. Regardless of who was in control of the body, the answer would probably be yes.

Joshua drawled, "Sure, why not? The accommodation here leaves much to be desired." He grinned, once again looking at Liam.

Liam panicked, only just realising that this wasn't the first time Joshua – or Lucifer – had looked straight at him. Had the invisibility worn off? Determined not to find out, he sank to his haunches by the cell bars. "Any idea how we can get out of here?"

Joshua looked thoughtful. "I see only one way out of here."

"Yes?"

"I must request an audience with Sah. They'll lead me across the entrance foyer. I'll make a run for it and you can slow their pursuit, since they can't see you."

Liam frowned. "That sounds risky. I can still be grabbed and will still bleed if hit by a bullet."

"Invisible blood." The evil in Joshua grinned.

Liam shuddered again, then hissed, "Invisible blood is still blood! Sounds like you _want_ me to die or get caught while you escape."

Joshua cackled. "Not a bad plan, but no, I have a feeling I'll need you to get off the palace grounds. I'm merely confident in your ability to get the job done."

Liam clenched his jaw and took a deep breath to steady his nerves and quiet his anger. He had known freeing Joshua wouldn't be easy, but this was ludicrous. He also wouldn't be able to free the girl with this plan, and he still had a strange itch to do so, almost as if she was someone who meant something to him.

Joshua continued, "They'll lead me from here diagonally across to the left, towards the door set into the far corner."

Liam snapped, "I know where Sah's audience chamber is!"

Joshua smiled malevolently again. "Yes, you do."

Just then, a guard's voice called down the passage from the guard room, "You in there! Shut up or you'll be whipped!"

Joshua pressed his face against the bars and yelled, "Try it! Take me to Sah! I remember everything now, and I'm ready to have that conversation again."

The guards whispered what sounded like an argument, from their tones. Then one set of footsteps walked away, fading into silence. Liam held his breath. He couldn't trust Joshua, knowing it wasn't really Joshua, yet their whole plan depended on total trust and working together. A horrible certainty that he would be betrayed settled over Liam. Once he was in the entrance hall, he could make a dash for safety and forget about Joshua.

_No._ Although unintentionally, Liam had left Joshua behind once before. He couldn't do that again, even if helping his friend meant working with Lucifer himself, for Liam was now certain it was him. Lucifer just didn't seem to be in control _all_ the time. Either Joshua was fighting him, perhaps with a little help 'from above', or being in the monastery had done something to weaken his hold on his human host. Besides... what if Zac really was alive? Only Joshua – or Lucifer – could tell him where to find his furry friend. He'd got this far; he had to hope his luck would hold out.

The guard returned and the key grated in the lock, then the dungeon gate swung open with a squeak and the two guards strode down the passage towards them. Liam shrank back against the far cell, grateful that it was empty. Although the dungeons were enormous, they held few people.

The larger of the two guards opened Joshua's cell. "Hurry up. We don't have all day."

Joshua straightened and stared coldly at the guard who had spoken. "I said I remember who I am now, and you still think you can talk to me in that manner?"

The guard smirked. "Sah has yet to confirm that."

Joshua smiled. "Let me."

A chill ran down Liam's spine as both guards clawed at their throats, choking as if invisible fingers squeezed. Liam's blood ran cold. If Joshua had this amount of power, why did he need _Liam's_ help to escape? He didn't, obviously. The guards collapsed.

Joshua clicked his tongue and stepped out of the cell. "Didn't know I could still do that." He grinned. "Blasted power avoids this body, for some annoying reason." He frowned.

"What would you have done if it hadn't worked, then?"

Joshua shrugged. "Take his sword and slit his throat. Stick his eyes out. Whatever."

"I see."

Joshua gestured towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Liam decided to use the situation to his advantage – or the teenage girl's advantage, anyway. "Since you've changed the plan without warning me," he said, "there's someone else I want to save."

"There's no time for heroics."

Liam retorted, "You're the reason I'm able to save this someone else, so you can hardly complain. Anyway, I'm doing it whether you like it or not."

"Do you think I can't stop you?"

Liam grabbed the keys from the guard and moved two cells down, where the girl lay unconscious. "Honestly? I have no idea. Do I look like I give a damn right now?"

Joshua's expression was unsure. Clearly he – or, rather, whatever possessed him – wasn't used to _not_ being feared. Liam almost laughed at what must be going through the Devil's head right now, especially after he had just killed two guards without touching them, yet here was this frail mortal from another planet who simply _didn't care_. Liam unlocked the girl's cell and bent to shake her. Her breathing was shallow and she didn't stir. He would have to carry her. He picked the teenager up as gently as he could and carried her to where Joshua stood scowling. "Now I'm ready."

"You know she's not invisible, right?"

Liam hesitated, then placed the girl gently on the floor. "Help me undress this guy. He looks about your size."

"Whatever for?"

"You're walking out of here as a guard, with her as your 'prisoner'. Tell them you killed her while having fun with her or something, if anyone questions you on the way out." Liam wondered if Nairel could – or would – carry three.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Liam pulled the man's trousers off and tossed them to Joshua. "Probably, but that's beside the point. It's a better plan than your 'make a run for it'."

CHAPTER 11

Keeping his head turned away from any of Sah's soldiers they passed, Joshua carried the girl outside without incident, with Liam walking a few steps ahead and to the side. Apparently, these days, seeing a guard carrying a battered person around wasn't all that out of the ordinary here. Liam still had the uncanny feeling that Joshua could see him, but ignored the urgent warnings in his head. When they were halfway across the gardens, heading towards the forest's edge, Liam remembered to call Nairel, and whistled like he'd heard Jolither and Shalise do on many occasions. A series of distant answering 'click-click-clicks' echoed back to him, and he urged Joshua to walk faster.

Joshua's steps faltered. "What was that?"

"Our ride out of here. Hurry up. We're almost there."

<><><>

A few minutes later, Liam and Joshua entered a small clearing, where Nairel waited. When Joshua saw the ryokin, he dropped the girl and backed away.

Liam snarled, "What the fuck? You'll give her a fucking concussion if she doesn't already have one!"

Wide-eyed, Joshua looked from Nairel to Liam and back again. He jabbed a finger at the ryokin and spoke through gritted teeth. "What is _that_ doing here?"

Liam knelt at the girl's side and glared up at Joshua. Unsympathetic, he said, "He's our ride out of here."

"You must be joking."

Satisfied that the girl still breathed, Liam stood and faced Joshua. "No, I'm not. I don't have a sense of humour right now! Come on." He bent to pick up the teenager, then strode towards Nairel.

The ryokin lowered itself and leant a little to the side to make it easier for Liam to manoeuvre the girl onto his back and place her legs in the right position for the skin flaps to close over them. Once that was done, Liam turned to Joshua, who still stood at the clearing's edge staring with hate-filled eyes at Nairel.

Liam snapped, "Are you coming or not?"

Joshua's tone was disgusted. "I'm not getting on that _thing_!"

Liam stamped across to his possessed friend. "You're working on my last nerve! What is your problem? Do you want to walk and risk Sah discovering your escape before we have time to put enough distance between us and the dogs?"

Joshua nodded at the girl. "If we leave her behind, we can move faster and she'll act as bait and delay them, too."

"You revolt me."

The evil presence emanating from Joshua vanished, and he slumped to the ground. Liam took a step back as Joshua looked up dazedly.

"Where am I?" Joshua focussed on Nairel and his eyes widened. His voice hushed by fear and awe, he asked, "And what is _that_?"

Liam hesitated. Was it really his friend in control now, and, if so, how long would Joshua with amnesia remain in control? Joshua frowned as he rose to his feet. He edged away from Liam, who hurriedly said, "Wait."

Joshua stopped, clearly uncertain.

"I'm a friend. I've just broken you out of Sah's dungeon. Do you remember?"

"Sah? Is he the blond, blue-eyed bastard who had me beaten?"

Liam nodded. "They'll be sending the dogs after us soon. We must hurry. Come, Nairel is our transport out of here." He gestured at the ryokin, who eyed Joshua suspiciously.

Joshua's eyes sparkled. "Nice!"

The two approached Nairel, and the ryokin danced away with an indignant expression and a low growl.

Liam asked, "Now what? What's _your_ problem?"

Nairel pawed the ground, his powerful muscles rippling. Each time Joshua took a step towards him, the ryokin recoiled and pounced away, sometimes so fast he seemed to levitate. The girl flopped around on his back, which upset Liam even more, considering her weakened condition – the last thing the poor girl needed was to be tossed about like that.

Joshua lamented, "He doesn't like me."

Liam snapped, "We don't have time for this bullshit. We're walking."

He couldn't leave the girl alone on Nairel's back, so he took her in his arms again and, ignoring the infuriating ryokin's upset snorts, walked out of the clearing and towards the path as briskly as he was able with the extra weight.

When they reached the path, Joshua walked beside Liam. "Why can't I remember anything?" he asked.

Liam glanced sideways at his friend. If _he_ woke up with amnesia one day and someone told him he was possessed by the Devil, he'd probably flip. "I'm not sure," he lied. "You were fine when we arrived at the palace. Then we got separated and you ended up at Tridor Monastery, where you claimed sanctuary before collapsing into a coma. Then you were captured by Sah's men again, and now you're here. The amnesia happened somewhere in between when we were separated and your arrival at Tridor."

Joshua was silent for a while, then offered to carry the girl.

Liam considered it, then said, "Last time you carried her, you dumped her on the ground like she was a piece of dog shit you'd picked up by accident."

Joshua looked appalled. "What? Clearly I wasn't myself! I'd never do anything like that!"

"No, I don't think you _were_ yourself." Liam's arms and back ached by now, but he decided to play it safe. "I think I'd better carry her... just in case you have another... episode."

Joshua shrugged. "Okay. I guess."

Nairel's call could be heard now and then, sometimes near and sometimes far. Liam considered the ryokin's refusal to carry Joshua. Was the evil still there, just somehow hidden now, and Nairel sensed it? Or was his winged friend merely nervous about the previous evil returning whilst in mid-flight?

Or maybe he's just being full of shit.

<><><>

They surprised Arthean and the Ilanenorians when they arrived on foot, causing Jolither and Biv to reach for their spears while Eindar and Shalise leapt to their feet, weapons already in hand and blue eyes wide. Jaeda exclaimed in fright and Noka, Arthean's ryokin, took to the air with a surprised snarl, then circled the clearing before landing again, looking embarrassed. Liam had to smile at such a formidable creature being startled so easily. Everyone relaxed when they saw Liam, but eyed the uniform Joshua wore distrustfully. Soon, they were surrounded and the girl was taken from Liam's aching arms and placed gently on the ground.

Giving Joshua a nervous glance, Jolither gestured at the teenager and asked Liam, "Who is she?"

"I have no idea."

Shalise asked, "Well, where did you find her?"

"I saw her being beaten and felt sorry for her, so I rescued her from the dungeon when the opportunity presented itself."

Arthean asked, "How did you get out?"

Nobody asked why he hadn't flown Nairel back, and Liam guessed it was obvious – the ryokin probably wouldn't have carried all three of them anyway, now that he thought about it.

"Joshua..." Liam formulated his answer carefully; he couldn't tell them the whole truth with Joshua standing there. "Joshua lied to the guards... said he remembered who he was. They came to take him to Sah, and... we knocked them out and stole a uniform so he could carry the girl out without being stopped."

Arthean stared at him, and Liam could tell the monk knew he had omitted important parts of the story. The others also exchanged wary glances, except Jaeda, who appeared to be at ease. Thankfully, all had the presence of mind to keep their questions to themselves. Liam was glad he wasn't in their position – not knowing the whole story would have driven him crazy.

Liam wasn't sure how wise it was go back to Tridor with Joshua, who could literally turn into the enemy at a moment's notice, but thought it might be better to have all those extra eyes watching his every move, and there was always the chance that being on holy ground would force the Devil out. After all, it couldn't be much fun possessing a body you couldn't do anything with.

The girl would ride with Shalise, who voiced her concern over how long Liam told her the teenager had been unconscious. None of the ryokin would allow Joshua near them no matter how much their riders tried to persuade them. Jaeda's winged friend hesitated long enough to glare at her before prancing away. Irritated, Liam finally suggested that he walk with Joshua.

Jolither frowned. "It's almost a week's walk, or a day if you feel like climbing – and then there's the high chance you'd fall to your deaths. Sah's probably let the dogs loose by now... What if they-?"

"What if we could get some horses?" Jaeda interrupted.

Shalise asked, "Where would we get horses?"

Jolither exclaimed, "That'll still take three days!"

Jaeda shrugged. "I see no other option."

Arthean said, "I have a better idea."

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"It will take maybe half a day's walk, but the dogs won't be able to follow us."

Jolither frowned.

"There's an entrance to the Gensshei Catacombs nearby. If we can make it there, we can cut through the mountains."

Jolither and Liam asked together, "We?"

"Liam, Joshua and myself. They'll never find their way without me."

Liam groaned. Not the catacombs again.

Arthean seemed to read his mind. "Did you prefer the run when you first came to Tridor? Being chased by dogs that want to rip you apart and all that?"

There wasn't much to think about. Obviously, Liam hadn't enjoyed that one bit and had no intention of repeating it if there was any way around it, even if that meant facing his fear of heights and riding Nairel... or walking through Gensshei Mountains' dark tunnels again. He sighed. "Point taken."

<><><>

The catacomb entrance Arthean led them to would have been impossible to find for anyone who didn't know where to look. They had to wade through a stream to get to it – the dogs would lose their scent in the water, and wouldn't be able to find it again, since the entrance was hidden in the rock that was the stream's source. Shrubs covered the dark entrance, and more grew a few paces inside and clogged the opening, so they had to squeeze through clawing branches with nasty thorns. Liam ended up with a mouthful of leaves, which Arthean thought was hilarious. "If you were hungry, you should have just said so."

Liam spat out the leaves as he struggled past the foliage growing in the tunnel's entrance. "Ha, ha," he said, not amused.

Arthean grinned, then glanced at Joshua, who also smiled. Once they were past the shrubs, the monk led the way at as brisk a pace as he could in the dark. They could have made torches, but had no means of lighting them, much to Liam's dismay. They walked in single file, with Liam's hand on Arthean's shoulder, and Joshua holding onto Liam's.

There'd been no sign of the dogs or a search party, but Liam was certain their escape must have been noticed by now. It was just a matter of time before they'd be found if they stayed put. They'd only walked for a few minutes when Arthean told them they'd have to climb into a hole at head height, and Liam understood why the dogs couldn't follow them, even on the off chance they traced their scent. Once through the hole, they had to crawl the first few metres on their stomachs, with the roof scraping against their backs and bits of protruding rock hooking their clothes.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief when they were able to stand again, and Arthean led them more slowly this time. Liam soon decided that being chased by Sah's hunting dogs would have been preferable, after all, to the walk in utter darkness. To keep his mind off the maddening blackness, Liam told Joshua everything he knew about him and their journey together, but Joshua still remembered none of it. They stopped for water sometime later, but Liam was leery of sticking his mouth or hands into water he couldn't see, especially after Arthean mentioned the transparent snakes that inhabited the underground pools, many of which were venomous. He opted to go thirsty – they would be back at Tridor soon enough, and the sooner the better.

<><><>

When they exited the catacombs within the safety of Tridor's walls, Liam breathed properly for the first time since they'd entered. After the long period of darkness, his eyes took a few moments to adjust to the dim light, which felt harsh at first.

They surprised an elderly monk when they stepped into the main passageway. "Oh! Gosh! When did you get back?"

Arthean replied, "Just a moment ago."

The monk said, "Your friends said you were coming through the catacombs. We left a torch burning in the room they lead into. I hope it was still going."

Arthean patted his arm. "Yes, thank you. It was."

They found the others and were greeted by relieved smiles, and Shalise even gave Arthean a brief hug, which made him turn crimson.

After a hearty meal and some wine to help them relax, Jolither, who sat next to Liam at the long wooden table, whispered, "Can we talk in private?"

Liam knew he wanted to ask about Joshua. He nodded, and they rose and headed outside into the gardens. Arthean looked up as they left, caught Liam's eye and stood to follow them.

They sat on a stone bench out of earshot of anyone inside.

Jolither crouched before them. "So, is it Joshua or not?" he asked. "I can't quite tell. I don't know the man, but something about him seems a bit... off."

Liam stared at the wall of green fire still flickering around the garden's perimeter. "Right now... I think he's Joshua... with amnesia. When I found him..."

Jolither prompted, "Yes?"

"When I first saw him here, when he woke up from the coma, he _was_ possessed for sure, but had no memory, or so he claimed."

Arthean asked, "A demon with amnesia?"

Liam shrugged. "It seems that way. Anyway, when I found him in Sah's dungeon, he wasn't possessed. Then he was possessed. I felt it without a doubt. Then he was Joshua, then he wasn't, and now he is again. For all I know, he could be Lucifer or a demon again at any time."

Arthean frowned. "So you're saying whatever's possessing him isn't in total control."

Liam shrugged again. "It appears to be the case. I can't know for sure." He paused, then added, "When he's... Lucifer... he doesn't seem to have amnesia anymore."

Arthean said, "But you just said Lucifer had amnesia after the coma."

Liam flung up his hands. "I don't know! It seems to change. I really can't say for sure what's going on with him. I'm guessing here, just like the rest of you."

Jolither said, "Maybe the evil's gone for good."

Liam shook his head. "I doubt it."

Arthean's frown intensified. "We must extract the evil."

Liam stared at him. "How?"

Arthean replied, "Jolither and his kind have many gifts, and we at Tridor have just one. But ours is the greatest gift of all."

Jolither looked surprised, and Liam got the impression he hadn't known about this.

The Ilanenorian asked, "What gift do you speak of?"

Arthean smiled. "The gift of a second chance. We're able to draw evil out like pus from a wound and send it back to Hell, sealing its doom in a special place that not even Lucifer can release it from again."

Liam asked, "If Lucifer can't release it, how did it get here in the first place?"

"Oh, he can release the demons and hounds of Hell, but not from the corner of Hell _we_ send them to."

Liam asked, "Is it safe?"

Arthean grinned. "Not for the demon. For us, yes. Once we're done, Joshua will be Joshua again, and he'll be protected from re-possession for a while, to give him a chance to change whatever way it was that opened the door to possession in the first place."

Jolither said, "Liam thinks Lucifer himself possesses Joshua. Do you not think this will make it more difficult? And are you saying we could trap Lucifer in Hell forever, _never_ again to walk the lands?"

Arthean paused. "I'm not sure. In theory, yes. The only problem is getting him to the ceremony chamber."

Liam shifted. "Why do you need a special chamber for it?"

"The shrieks of a demon being extracted are enough to stop your heart or burst your eardrums – if you're lucky. The room is insulated, so only the extractor may be present."

Liam asked, "And how does the exorcist's... I mean, extractor's heart not stop or ears burst?"

Arthean smiled. "We don't understand the how of it, but the extractor is always deaf to that. It's part of the gift."

Jolither stood and stretched. "My, you're full of surprises." He smiled. "I think we should do it. It's the best option we have, the way I see it."

Arthean turned to Liam. "What do you think? Are you with me on this?"

Liam nodded. "Will Joshua feel any pain?"

"Yes. Quite a bit. But it's a small sacrifice to pay for getting rid of something that possesses you, torturing your soul."

"Okay. When are we doing this?"

Jolither said, "Wait, there's another issue we need words on. Sah..."

Liam stood, too – his backside had gone numb from the cold stone bench. "Don't you think that's obvious now?"

Arthean and Jolither looked at him in apparent confusion, then Arthean's eyes brightened and he jumped up, exclaiming, "Of course! If we trap Lucifer in Hell, we can continue your search for the Garden of Origin with one less concern. It should be easy enough to evade Sah's men if they don't have demonic help. Goodness knows, we've done it well enough so far!"

Liam smiled. The monk was quick.

Jolither asked, "How will we know for sure that he's trapped there? If it's really Lucifer possessing Joshua, he may be powerful enough to break out."

Arthean said, "Perhaps, but he isn't powerful enough to break his underlings out, so-"

"So logic dictates that he won't be strong enough to free himself, either," Liam interrupted.

Jolither appeared satisfied with the answer. "Okay, so when shall the ceremony be performed, and who will do it?"

Arthean started back towards the main building. "I'd like to do it, but the ultimate choice is Abbess Shyla's."

Liam asked, "Will it work if Joshua is currently in control of his body?"

Arthean replied, "It should. As long as he's possessed, there's a demon to extract. There's only one way to find out, though."

<><><>

Abbess Shyla was hesitant to allow Arthean to perform the extraction, as he'd only done one before and it seemed this was Lucifer himself, who would be a lot harder to draw out. After much pleading and convincing, she finally agreed to it. Arthean went to his room to meditate and pray for three hours before the ceremony, while Liam and the Ilanenorians kept a close eye on Joshua by luring him into a game of kickball, which some of the monks joined in. The Ilanenorians' small physique made them excellent players, easily able to dodge their opponents, and Joshua seemed to have a natural talent for the game, which made him want to play for longer. This suited everyone perfectly. He couldn't suspect anything.

Liam didn't play for too long, because his muscles protested at the first signs of physical activity, despite the Ilanenorians' healing – his body had a long memory, Liam thought gloomily. He sat cross-legged on the grass watching the others play, paying particular attention to Joshua. He seemed almost himself, just minus the weight of the many burdens he carried in his heart and the drive to find the Garden of Origin and hunt demons.

Across the lawn, Jaeda's dark-eyed ryokin once again sprawled alone while the other ryokin play-fought or groomed each other. Liam frowned. Jaeda was a quiet woman who seemed to prefer her own company, so it made sense that her ryokin would have the same personality – like dogs often had the same personality as their human friends. However, something about the way the ryokin stared at the others made Liam uncomfortable. Its head swivelled to face him, as if it sensed his gaze or heard his thoughts. Liam shivered and looked away.

<><><>

Some time later, Vareck came to 'call them for lunch'. The plan was that Jolither would lead Joshua to the ceremony chamber, where Arthean would be waiting.

Liam and Vareck walked behind the others, just out of earshot.

Absent-mindedly fingering the black pouch strung from his sash, Vareck whispered, "Arthean shouldn't be doing this. Someone more experienced should."

Liam scowled and shot back, "Like you, you mean?"

Vareck looked surprised. "No. Why would you assume I want to perform the exorcism? I've never even done it before."

Liam snorted. "Err... Why else would you be going on about it after the abbess has okayed it?"

Vareck seemed lost for words.

"Let me guess – you were going to ask me to talk him out of it so _you_ could be the one to be remembered for banishing Lucifer once and for all." Liam paused, looking at Vareck. "Right?"

Vareck looked taken aback. "Wrong!"

Liam shook his head, certain he was right. This monk wasn't like the others at Tridor – he seemed almost calculating at times, and Liam got the feeling he was hiding something.

They entered the monastery and followed the others down the passage to the ceremony chamber. Jolither ushered Joshua inside, then slammed the door and stepped back, looking guilty for his deception – Joshua was still Joshua right now, and Liam could tell Jolither had come to like him.

Liam was equally guilt-ridden, though he knew Joshua would thank them if it worked. He turned to Jolither. "Do you think he'll have his memory back once the evil is gone?"

Jolither shrugged. "I have no idea. There's no precedent for this, to the best of my knowledge."

CHAPTER 12

Wearing a tiger's eye pendant to protect him from possession, Arthean stood on a ledge set about halfway up the wall at the far side of the circular room. Behind him was the locked door he had entered through, for which only he had the key, also hanging around his neck. The walls and floor had been padded with feather mattresses to prevent the victim from being hurt as the demon was drawn out – when they realised they weren't going to keep their hold on the human they possessed, all demons, without exception, tried to kill, or at least injure, the person.

The windowless room was brightened by a skylight that covered the whole roof, and, beneath the mattresses, the walls were covered in ancient binding texts that would trap the demon in the room once it left its victim. The skylight was the only way out, and within the opening swirled an invisible portal that led straight to the darkest corner of Hell. Immediately below the room was the prayer room, where many of the monks and nuns had gathered to sing special vanquishing and praise songs. Though inaudible to the human ear due to the soundproofing, they would be torture to the demon.

Joshua whirled as the door slammed behind him. Arthean pitied him, for he knew that, as far as Joshua was concerned, he was innocent of any wrongdoing and had just been betrayed by those he thought were friends. This was the worst part for Arthean. It would get easier once the demon – or Lucifer – took control. He would feel no pity for the vileness that took over.

"Demon, what is your name?"

Joshua spun to face the voice's owner, looking confused when he saw an empty room. His eyes were drawn upwards when Arthean raised his arms, palms up. The second-hardest part was getting the demon to admit its name, which it would only do when tortured.

Joshua's voice quivered. "W-what are you doing?"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"I-I'm n-n-no demon!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

Joshua yelled, "What is your problem? Let me out of here _now_! Where the hell is Liam?"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"I'm not a damn demon, you screw-loose monk!"

Arthean was relentless. The only way to get the demon out was to refuse to interact with it in any way other than the ritual demanded. Sooner or later, Joshua would lose control to the demon, and Arthean would be ready. He asked the question again.

After about half an hour of Joshua swearing at Arthean and begging for release, an evil presence invaded the room and lightning sliced the air above the skylight. _As if the bad weather welcomes its master._ Arthean started at the unbidden thought. His skin crawled, the hairs on his arms stood on end and his heart seemed to leap into his throat. Good. Empathy would no longer cloud his judgement, for Joshua was now aware of what was truly going on. Although he wasn't in control of his body anymore, he would be glad that the demon possessing him was trapped.

"Demon, what is your name?"

The demon smiled maliciously. " _You!_ You think you can vanquish _me_?" It laughed, a horrible grating sound that Arthean didn't think possible for the human larynx to make.

"Demon, what is your name?"

It covered Joshua's ears. "What is that awful racket?"

Arthean's heart lightened; the singing was tormenting it. He asked again.

Obscenities poured from Joshua's mouth.

Arthean resisted the urge to get as far away as he could, and repeated the question.

"Fucking cunt!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Go stick your dick in a cheese grater!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Go fuck a cow, Lord of the Donkeys!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Shit-stained arse face!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"The worms will eat you."

"Demon, what is your name?"

"A thousand cocks in your arse, you elephant's cunt!"

Arthean cringed and repeated the question yet again. Lucifer replied in a foreign, guttural language. From the hatred in his eyes, Arthean knew he'd said nothing pleasant.

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Your mother sucks bull dicks."

"Demon, what is your name?"

Again, Lucifer spat foreign words at Arthean.

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Yutz."

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Fuck off, you sheep shagger. Go shit in the ocean!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Kiss my dick, cock-head!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

_"Khange_ _khodah_."

Arthean was glad he couldn't understand half of what Lucifer said. He knew it would probably give him nightmares forever if he could, and he said a silent prayer of thanks as he repeated the question once more.

"Fuck you and fuck your God!"

Arthean cringed again, wishing he could break the ritual and tell Lucifer to shut up, though he knew that was exactly what the demon wanted. "Demon, what is your name?"

"Stop that motherfucking noise and I'll tell you!"

"Demon, what is your name?"

Spittle flew from Joshua's mouth as the demon screamed, "Fuck off, cunt! _I'll rip your fucking heart out and eat it!_ "

Arthean had never heard so much foul language in his entire life as he'd heard in the short time he'd been in the extraction chamber. Not even the rogues his mother had hung out with sometimes had cursed as much. The first demon he'd extracted had been vile mouthed, but not _nearly_ this bad.

The demon seemed to lose some of its anger and appeared dejected. It muttered, "You're going to die horribly. The lot of you."

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Slowly and painfully."

"Demon, what is your name?"

"Fucking cunts! _Stop that fucking noise!_ Stop it! Stop it! _Fucking stop it!_ " It began to weep hysterically, clawing at Joshua's ears.

"Demon, what is your name?"

When the demon began hurling curses at God, Arthean reached his endurance limit and decided that perhaps a change of tactics was in order. To break the ritual with new additions was unheard of, but this case was unique – they already had the demon's name. At least, they thought they might have. If he was wrong, it would have dire consequences. He hesitated. What if Liam was mistaken in his identification of the evil that possessed Joshua?

"I raped your mother to get you – you were mine even before your birth."

Arthean knew the revolting thing was lying – at least, he hoped it was – but it made the task no easier. He tried the question one last time.

"Fucking cunts! _Stop that fucking noise!_ "

Arthean couldn't take it anymore. He lowered his arms and stretched them in front of him, his palms towards the demon. "Lucifer, I bind you."

The evil went quiet, staring up at Arthean with hate-filled, cautious eyes.

"Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

The demon cackled, another inhuman sound.

"Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

"Fool! I am not he! Would _he_ have been trapped by a bastard son of a cunt? Fool!"

Arthean repeated the command.

"Next time you see your father, remember you're the reason your mother is dead. He knows and he hates you for it."

Arthean baulked. Was his mother truly dead? He forced the thought from his mind and said, "Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

"I'll drag her to Hell with me and torture her for all eternity, and it will be your fault."

"Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

"You'll burn to death."

"Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

"Then you'll burn eternally in Hell."

"Lucifer, I command you in the name of the Creator to leave this body."

"Oh, just fuck off!"

Arthean now knew that it was, indeed, Lucifer who possessed Joshua. If it wasn't, the demon would have been gleeful at being called by the wrong name, and would be gloating, not cursing or denying it. It was time to move on to the next step. Knowing he was protected from what was to follow by the tiger's eye pendant he wore, Arthean pulled a bag of salt from his robes.

Lucifer screeched, "What are you doing? Hell and damnation will be yours!"

Arthean took a handful of salt and tossed it at Joshua. "With this salt I sprinkle about, I force you, Lucifer, out. Within this body, you may not stay. I command you now, go on your way."

Lucifer flung Joshua against the wall, shrieking in anger when he bounced back unharmed. The screaming to which Arthean's ears would be immune would soon begin.

"Face Hellfire's scorn. Your departure we shall not mourn. Wind of God, free us of this evil. No more shall Joshua's soul be in upheaval."

A gust of supernatural wind swept into the room from nowhere, almost sweeping Lucifer off Joshua's feet. The presence of God flooded the room, and a sense of all being well pervaded Arthean, giving him the strength he needed to complete the extraction.

"Creator in nature, drive Lucifer back to Hell; his evil do dispel."

The wind grew stronger, though it didn't touch Arthean.

"Return to Hell this creature of sin. Separate him from Joshua's skin."

Lucifer hurled Joshua around, even attempting to claw his way up the walls to the skylight. When this didn't work, he sank to his knees, raised his head and opened his mouth wider than Arthean would have thought possible. The hellish screams began. He shuddered. Despite being unable to hear it, the vibrations rattled his ribcage and choked his voice.

"Two warring souls compete inside, where only one should reside. Creator, I call upon you as your eternal devotee. Save this man and set him free."

Arthean emptied the rest of the salt and the wind swept it up, dashing it against Joshua's face. Arthean produced a bell from his robes and shook it as he repeated the last part of the chant. The ringing, on top of the singing, chanting and presence of God in the wind, would drive Lucifer over the edge and he would leave Joshua's body and head for the skylight – where the vortex waited to consume him.

Joshua slumped to the floor, apparently unconscious. The wind vanished, signifying the end of the ritual, but Arthean hesitated. The last time he'd extracted a demon, he had seen the black smoke that was its soul rise and be sucked into Hell. This time, however, no smoke had appeared. Had he failed?

<><><>

An hour later, Arthean wearily exited the extraction room, locked the door and joined the others.

Liam asked, "Well?"

Arthean sank onto the nearest chair. "I... I don't know."

Abbess Shyla stepped forward. "What do you mean you don't know? You know how it works. Did you see the demon leave or not?"

"No."

The abbess frowned. "Then it's not done."

Arthean met her concerned gaze. "Everything worked just like the last time. The only difference was there was no black cloud of demon soul rising from Joshua."

Liam asked anxiously, "Where is he now? He's okay, right?"

"I think so. Usually, you see the evil spirit leave the body, then the victim collapses into a long sleep. This time, he just collapsed."

Liam asked, "How long a sleep?"

"It depends on the person and how long they've been possessed for. In this case, since it's Lucifer-"

"So you're sure it's him, now?" Shyla interrupted.

Arthean nodded. "No doubt about it."

Liam prodded, "How long a sleep?"

Arthean replied, "There's no way of telling, since we've never extracted Lucifer from anyone before. He's obviously much more powerful than the other demons."

Jolither reminded them, "And Joshua might not be free of possession, either."

Liam thumped his fist on the table. "Damn it!"

Arthean cringed. He'd heard enough cursing to last him a lifetime. Liam must have noticed, because, against his usual nature, he guiltily said, "Sorry."

Arthean waved a hand and sighed. "It's okay." It wasn't, but what else was he supposed to say under the circumstances?

Abbess Shyla said, "The only way to tell for sure if the evil is gone is to wait until he wakes up."

Arthean asked, "And what if he's still possessed?"

The abbess looked thoughtful. "It always works. If it didn't this time, it means we're being tested."

Liam scoffed, "Tested? How? By destroying a good man so Lucifer can fu-?" He glanced at Arthean. "So Lucifer can mess with us?"

Abbess Shyla shrugged. "The Creator works in mysterious ways. They are not for us to question."

Liam stood and left the room without another word, his expression livid and his face pale.

<><><>

The three days it took for Joshua to awaken tested Liam's patience beyond what he thought he could endure. His nights were mostly sleepless, and the little sleep he did get was disrupted by nightmares of Zac's distant bark, or Joshua with glowing red eyes, surrounded by white-hot flames. He'd found a small, peaceful, wind-free garden behind the monastery, separated from the central gardens by the main monastery building. The monastery windows on that side were high, so nobody could look out at him. Gensshei Mountains rose steeply on two sides, leaving only one entrance to the garden. Liam spent most of the days there hiding from Arthean and the others. He preferred to fret in private, particularly since he didn't have many positive thoughts right then and thought Arthean had been through enough without him abusing him, too, which he knew would happen, especially since the stress of knowing Zac might be out there somewhere, alone, was eating away at him on top of his worry for Joshua.

Liam spent much of the time thinking about Zac. Was his best friend really still alive? If so, how had he been resurrected, and by whom? If he'd been given life again, why hadn't he found Liam yet? Then again, that would be next to impossible. Why hadn't whoever had raised him from the dead sent him to Liam? Why bring him back just to leave him alone in a strange world? _Why, why, why...?_ There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers. Each time he did get a straight answer, it only brought more questions, and still no definite information.

Arthean entered the garden and said, "He's awake. Come quickly."

Liam jumped up in fright. So much for hiding. Arthean must have known where he was the whole time.

Arthean said, "Only you can tell for sure who inhabits his body now."

Liam nodded and followed the monk to the room where Joshua had first been placed while in a coma.

When they arrived, Abbess Shyla asked Liam, "Well? Do you feel it?"

Liam was indecisive. Something was different. The reek of evil still shrouded his friend, but it seemed... restrained. He frowned. Joshua looked around the room.

The abbess said, "He claims to have no memory again. Tell us what you feel, Liam."

Liam stepped closer to the bed and stared into Joshua's eyes, searching for telltale signs of deceit. The brown eyes staring back at him appeared confused, frightened and wary. Finally, he took a deep breath and replied, "I don't know."

Concrete silence invaded the room. Liam could almost taste the indecision in the air at that moment.

Abbess Shyla asked, "Are you sure it's not just the _resonance_ of evil that you sense? Sometimes, if the demon is particularly treacherous and powerful, its stench remains for some time afterwards. It's the job of the previously possessed person to reach a point in their spiritual journey where it fades entirely."

Liam looked at her. "I guess it's possible. I... I don't have any previous experience with this stuff. I just know what I felt when I was confronted by Lucifer in his own flesh." He shuddered at the memory.

Jolither nodded at Joshua and said, "Maybe we should hear from him."

Abbess Shyla turned to Joshua. "You still don't recall your name?"

Joshua shook his head.

"Or anything else?"

Joshua replied, eyeing the others, "No."

The abbess asked, "So you don't know how you came to be here?"

Joshua became agitated. "How many times and in how many different ways are you going to ask me the same thing before you understand that the answer won't change simply because you won't accept it!"

Abbess Shyla looked taken aback, but Liam smiled and closed the rest of the distance to the bed in one stride. This was _Joshua's_ personality. "It's him."

A chorus of voices asked, "Who?"

"Joshua, of course! Would I be smiling if it was Lucifer?"

Joshua frowned.

Liam's smile widened. "Your name sound familiar?"

"Sort of. It doesn't feel like _my_ name, though. Just a name I've heard somewhere."

Liam patted Joshua on the head, and his friend shoved his hand away. "Don't do that. It's irritating."

Liam grinned. "Why do you think I did it in the first place? I know it's one of your pet hates."

Joshua seemed to relax a bit. "So you really do know me, then. Please, tell me how I got here and what's going on? Tell me... about me."

Abbess Shyla, Arthean and Jolither stayed with Liam and Joshua for the next few hours, listening to Liam tell Joshua all about himself and their adventures. Joshua was mortified when he learnt he'd been possessed by the Devil himself.

At the end, Liam turned to Arthean. "I don't suppose you want to tell us more about how you... extracted... Lucifer?"

"I'm afraid I can't."

Joshua and Liam asked together, "Why not?"

"The ritual can be used to call the aid of Lucifer, too, if the words are altered slightly and a few items changed. Only those at Tridor may know it. Anyone who wants to extract a demon has to come to us. Not even other monasteries can do it. It's always been this way, since anyone can remember."

Liam thought about the witch hunts in his Earth's history, and admitted, "I suppose that's a good idea."

"Indeed."

Joshua asked, "Is there any reason I need to stay in bed now?"

Abbess Shyla replied, "Not really, no. Aren't you still tired, though?"

Joshua looked incredulous. "Are you serious? After a three-day sleep?"

The abbess smiled. "Too much sleep makes one tired just as much as too little, and your body's been through tremendous strain."

Arthean added, "And the extraction process usually leaves the victim feeling a little under the weather for some time afterwards."

"I feel okay. My back just hurts."

Liam grinned and said, "Probably from lying on it for three days."

Joshua feigned surprise. "No? You think?"

Liam told the others he'd show Joshua around the monastery grounds, giving them all pointed looks that he hoped told them he wanted some time alone with his friend. He wanted to speak to Joshua about their decision to continue the search for the Garden of Origin, without the others around to influence Joshua's thoughts on the matter. He also needed to see if his friend remembered anything about Zac supposedly being alive. They took the hint and each found things they 'had to do', although Arthean didn't appear too happy about it.

They exited through the main entrance and Liam led the way to their left towards the stables. A ryokin flew overhead with a loud wail, and Joshua ducked with a yelp.

Liam laughed. "I almost had the same reaction the first time I saw one. That's a ryokin, and it won't hurt us."

"Are you sure?" Joshua asked, rising to his feet.

Liam continued walking. "Yup. I've even flown on one a few times."

"Wow. Can I do that sometime?"

Joshua hadn't been afraid of heights. Another convincing thing, although Liam was already convinced.

"Only if one lets you."

"Can't they be trained?"

An indignant cry came from above, as if the ryokin cartwheeling above them had heard Joshua's question.

Liam chuckled. "As much as you can train a human, I suppose. But not for riding, no. They won't allow you to ride them unless they want to, and then they choose a rider for life, so once you've ridden a ryokin alone, no one else ever will."

_"Ever?_ "

"Ever."

"Wow. That's so amazing."

Liam hadn't considered that, since all he'd focussed on so far was his fear of heights and Nairel's fearsome teeth and irritating games. It _was_ rather amazing. A new appreciation for the ryokin crept into his mind. They walked past the stables and towards the edge of the garden, where a path led downwards to the beach.

"Where does that go?" Joshua pointed at the sandy path.

"To the beach and the rest of the world."

They passed the path on their left and continued, stopping midway across the garden to enjoy the ocean view.

Joshua said, "This place is stunning. Everything about it. If I lived here, I'd never want to leave."

"I'm sure the monks and nuns feel the same way. Most never leave once they move in." Liam glanced at Joshua. He decided to get 'business' out the way before asking about Zac. "Listen, I want to talk to you about our Garden of Eden search."

Joshua turned to him. "The Garden of Origin... Is there more than what you told me in front of the others about it?"

"No, I just want your opinion. People here interrupt as much as people on our planet. I want your opinion without you having been biased by theirs. A fresh point of view might be helpful."

"Good point."

"We don't know if Lucifer is trapped in Hell forever or if he can come back, right. So do you think we should continue our search or not?"

"What about this guy who imprisoned us, Sah? We'll risk leading him to it."

"We've evaded him this far."

"Luck doesn't always hold out."

Liam frowned. "True. But what other choice do we have? Or are you saying we should abandon our search to be on the safe side?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, I'm saying we should take the war to Sah."

"That's what Jolither said." Liam sighed. "I don't think starting a war is a good idea."

"It's already started."

"People get killed in war. _Lots_ of people. Lots of people aren't dying now, only a few. Besides, we have no army."

Joshua asked, "How do you know that? You told me the Ilanenorians said he was destroying crops; those people will die of starvation eventually. Lots of them. And what about that girl you said we rescued? She's in a coma, right?"

Liam shrugged. "For all we know, Sah's been kidnapping random people to satisfy whatever sickness he gains pleasure from. And anyway, she won't be in a coma for much longer."

"How do you know that?"

"Jolither and the other Ilanenorians will fix whatever's wrong with her."

"How?"

"They connect to the Earth somehow and draw energy from it. They healed my feet that way, and they would still be scabbed and raw today if they hadn't, and they healed Arthean's gunshot wound."

Joshua's eyes sparkled. "Wow, that's incredible! It's a far sight different to fixing a damaged brain, though."

"They said they can do it, and I believe them. They're not the bragging type."

"Okay. I hope you're right."

"I am." Liam paused to look up at a flock of seagulls circling a ryokin. It chased them playfully. "And as for Lucifer, I doubt he only started looking for the Garden of Eden recently – he's probably been searching since time as we know it began, so I doubt he'd suddenly find it now, just when we're looking for it."

"Unless he finds it _because_ we're looking for it."

"I think if we're not meant to find it, we won't. Anyway, you told me when we first met that you had a dream where God told you to find the Garden of Eden. I don't think we should go against that. All the answers I – we – seek are most likely to be found there."

Joshua's eyes widened. "I said that? Wow, that's incredible. I wish I could remember!"

"You also said you had died before and were sent back on condition that you hunt demons and stop them from finding the Garden of Eden."

Joshua folded his arms. "Then that's what I must do."

Liam nodded. "So, assuming we don't start a full-on war, do you think we should go on looking or give up?"

"I think that's obvious. We shouldn't give up."

"Then it's settled. We'll discuss what we've discovered about the garden tonight over supper. I'll see if I can arrange for the group of us to have a private supper in someone's room."

Liam was about to broach the subject of Zac when Vareck came up to them to see how Joshua was doing. Liam suspected he wanted to make sure that the evil was gone. Perfect timing, idiot. Would this particular monk _ever_ stop working on his nerves?

CHAPTER 13

They had supper sitting on the floor of Arthean's room's balcony. The night was still and bright stars twinkled in the clear sky. The only ones invited to this private supper discussion were the Ilanenorians, Arthean, Abbess Shyla and, of course, Joshua. Impatient to begin the conversation, Liam started talking before they'd finished eating – the only ones who he felt didn't take too long to eat their food were himself and Joshua. Clearly none of the others were used to eating hot meals that got cold if left for too long, since the Tridorians and villagers didn't eat meat and ate most of their vegetables raw.

"As you all know, we've decided to continue our search for the Garden of Eden – or Garden of Origin, as you call it." Startled, Liam glanced up as a large shadow passed over them, saw a ryokin and relaxed. "We need to decide the direction our search will take us. Before we continue, may I assume you're all going to join us on the journey? With the exception of Abbess Shyla, of course – I know you're needed here."

The abbess said, "I'll give you what supplies we can spare, naturally."

"Thank you. I... _We_ appreciate that very much."

Jolither swept his arm across the circle, gesturing at the other Ilanenorians. "That's why we're here in the first place. I speak for all of us when I say we will aid you for as long as you need us."

Liam nodded gratefully, then turned to Arthean, who declared, "Do you _really_ need to ask?"

Liam smiled at his new friend, only just realising that's what the monk had become. _And in such a short time, too,_ he reflected with wonder. _Then again, we've been through a lot together._ Arthean had been willing to help him before he even knew him, though. The thought gave Liam goose bumps; it was good to know there were still some truly selfless people left in the universe.

"Great. Thank you all for helping us. I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me."

Biv teased, "Don't get all soppy on us now."

Everyone laughed, and Liam went on, "First, I must tell you why we believe the Garden of Origin is on this planet as opposed to anywhere else in the universe. Of all the planets Joshua and I have visited, your Earth is the only one where peace reigns. Sure, there's evil roaming the lands, but not much."

Arthean added, "Not until now, that is."

Liam agreed, "Yes, not until now. I've been thinking, though. Obviously, I haven't had time to do any research since I claimed sanctuary here, but something the villagers of Dreal said has been stuck in my mind today."

Joshua asked, "Where's that?"

"The first village we stayed in when we arrived on this planet."

Jolither asked, "What did they say?"

It was time to tell the others what he had suspected all along, Liam decided. "I've thought for a while now, before I even left my Earth, that we need to focus on finding the flaming sword and cherubim said to guard the garden. Those are the things legends are made of, and people will pass those stories on without thinking twice about why you're asking about them."

Joshua asked, "What does that have to do with Dreal?"

"You're still as impatient as ever, I see."

Joshua joked, "That's the pot calling the kettle black!"

Liam turned to him, grinning. "You just remembered something about me."

Jolither asked, "What _does_ that have to do with Dreal?"

"Well, when we were staying there, one of the village men told us a legend their people had passed on for generations. There's a short mountain range near the village, with a natural fissure leading to the other side – or so it's said, though none have passed all the way through. There are apparently no obstacles to prevent anyone from walking through the canyon, yet every time someone tries, terrifying creatures with four faces and two sets of wings swoop upon them and block their path. They're literally herded out. The man told me nobody from this side of the mountain range has ever seen the other side. Trying is forbidden nowadays."

Joshua asked, "If the mountain range is so small, why don't they just walk around it?"

Liam said, "I asked him that, too. He said it's bordered by the ocean on one side, much like Gensshei Mountains, with a super hot desert on the other side that nobody can survive travelling through. It's assumed that it was placed there by some supernatural means to bar entry to the area past the mountains, since no one comes out. It's a big part of why people believe the legend."

Joshua exclaimed, "Of course! Dreal is located to the north-north-east of here, isn't it?"

Liam smiled. "Your full memory will be back in no time."

Biv asked, "Why can't we just fly over on the ryokin?"

Liam shrugged. "There _is_ no reason I've heard of. But how many of Dreal's inhabitants do you think ride ryokin?"

Biv conceded, "Probably none. I see your point."

Liam said, "I see no reason why we can't try, though."

Arthean added, "I've heard this story before. The mountain range you speak of is called Tetrad Mountains. If you look there..." He pointed to their right down the beach, which made a sharp turn to the left in the distance. "...You can just about see a river mouth."

Liam strained his eyes. Yes, there was a river, all right.

Arthean continued, "The River Gentrad splits Gensshei and Tetrad, and both are bordered by the ocean, as you can see. Nobody's ever been that far, though. The mountains are mostly impossible to climb, even Tetrad, since they're so steep, and the desert on the other side of Tetrad is too hot to survive for more than a few hours at the most. No one who has ever set foot in it has returned."

Liam asked, "Nobody's travelled there by boat?"

Arthean's eyes widened. "Are you mad? The sea monsters destroy any boats that come near."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Sea monsters?"

Shalise said, "Yes, nobody travels on the oceans of this planet. To do so would be to invite certain death."

Abbess Shyla asked, "So you think just because nobody's been there and some say it's protected by supernatural creatures and unnatural landscapes, it's the Garden of Origin?"

Liam shook his head. "The biblical texts on _my_ Earth also speak of these creatures. According to our legends, they guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden."

Arthean asked, "The Garden of Origin?"

Liam nodded. "It's said to be the place where mankind was created and where we lived until we were chucked out."

Arthean said, "The same is said of it here."

Shyla looked at Liam. "So we call it different things, yet it seems to be the same place."

Liam continued, "Our texts call these guardian creatures cherubim."

Arthean exclaimed, "Angels!"

"Yes. What's more, our ancestors left us with a graphic description of them. It says the four faces are those of a man, an ox, a lion and an eagle, and that they walk upright like a human, but have calf feet and two sets of wings, one set that extends up and one set that points down." Liam's face was hot with excitement. He jumped up and began to pace, then turned to the others and asked, "Well? Should we go see for ourselves?"

<><><>

Arthean lay in bed knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep that night. His chest tightened in anticipation of perhaps setting foot in the Garden of Origin. Ever since he'd first been taught about it, he'd yearned to see it for himself. Such beauty was wasted with no one to appreciate it, he thought. He'd never truly believed he would have the honour, though. Not in this lifetime, anyway. Now it might be within his reach... He shivered, then got out of bed, walked onto the balcony and stared across the ocean to the distant Tetrad Mountains. He strained his eyes to see beyond Tetrad, but, as always, it was too far to see much more than the beach's outline.

A small patch of the unexplored coastline seemed slightly darker than the rest, and Arthean imagined he saw the vague shape of a river mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Don't be foolish,_ he told himself. _It's too far for you to possibly see that in the dark._ He rubbed his eyes and went back to bed. It was his job to warn Liam of any potential danger, but he couldn't see anything dangerous about entering the Garden of Origin. Sure, the cherubs were there to prevent entrance, but Joshua had been instructed by God Himself in a dream to find it, so surely they would be allowed in?

Why, then, was his heart heavy with dread?

Arthean tossed and turned for hours, wondering if their travelling arrangements were wise or not. Liam had reminded Joshua of his dream, where he had been told to hunt demons and keep them from the Garden of Origin, so now he wanted to go to Sah's palace to seek out any demons aiding the enemy and destroy them. From there, he planned to work his way to Dreal, then to Tetrad Mountains.

Arthean's obvious choice of travelling companion had been Liam. Jolither had elected to travel with Liam, too, and had instructed Biv, Jaeda and Eindar to go with Joshua, with strict orders to keep him safe and help him any way they could. Jaeda had objected, wanting to go with Liam's group, but Jolither had been insistent – Joshua and his fellow travellers would be in greater danger and would need as many hands as they could get to fight the demons they were after. Shalise, too, would travel with Arthean's group. They'd be flying on ryokin, so would be safe from the dogs. The aim was to stop at the mountain pass to see the cherubim, if possible, and then attempt a flight over the mountains to avoid being herded away by the angels... if they were real.

Joshua was thrilled that he'd be sharing a ryokin with Eindar, but something about his excitement seemed false to Arthean. On the one hand, it felt like Joshua was just what he appeared to be – a good man who had lost his memory and was on a holy mission. Sure, what Arthean was feeling could very well be psychological due to Lucifer's vile utterings when he had been extracted from Joshua. The uneasy feeling stifling his breath and snaking through his veins _could_ be residual evil that Joshua hadn't yet got rid of.

But what if it isn't?

Arthean had only performed one extraction before this, but Abbess Shyla, Abbot Jergor and a few others had performed many, and all of them, including their ancestors who had left writings for them, mentioned the black soul leaving the body. This was the first exception in recorded history. Arthean shivered. He would have liked to keep a close eye on Joshua, but that would be impossible if they were going in opposite directions the next day. He wouldn't abandon Liam to his quest alone.

Arthean sat up in bed. He had to warn the Ilanenorians who would be travelling with Joshua. Just in case he 'went Lucifer' on them – forewarned was forearmed. He got up and pulled his nightgown around him, then walked barefoot down the passage to the room Eindar and Biv shared. Arthean opened the door and slipped inside, pulling the door closed before tip-toeing over to the closest bed. Judging by the bulk of the form spread-eagled across it, Arthean guessed it was Biv. He reached down and shook him by the shoulder.

A hand shot up and grabbed his wrist, then he was flung across the room. The crackling of fire beetles being squashed came from the bed as Arthean fought waves of dizziness and tried to stand.

Eindar sat up in bed and asked, "What's going on here?"

The room was illuminated as Biv set the torch alight, and the two Ilanenorians gasped when they saw Arthean. Eindar leapt from the bed to help him up, but Biv hung back. "What are you doing sneaking around in the dark?"

Arthean dusted himself down and asked, "Do you expect to be assassinated in your sleep one day?" He rubbed his shoulder. "That hurt, you know."

Biv looked vaguely embarrassed. "Answer me."

Eindar said, "Oh come on, Biv. Surely you don't suspect a _monk_ of treachery?"

Biv grumbled, "Well, the legend _does_ say he has a dark past, and evil loves the disguise of good."

Arthean looked away, fighting his anger at the mention of his past, and said, "I agree. I came here to warn you-"

"Warn us of what?" Eindar interrupted.

Arthean sighed. "I'm _trying_ to tell you. And please, keep your voices down. Joshua's room is just down the hall, and I don't want him to know I was here."

The two Ilanenorians exchanged glances.

"I might be wrong, but it's such a compelling feeling that I cannot ignore it."

Biv said, "Don't tell me... something feels off about Joshua. You're not sure what, but it makes your skin crawl and your stomach weak. Am I right?"

Arthean stared at him. Did Biv feel it too, or had the Ilanenorian read his mind?

"I didn't read your mind."

Arthean frowned.

"Well, not the first time." Biv grinned.

Eindar said, "We can only read questions and thoughts aimed at us, remember."

Arthean remembered. "Yes. You're right. You feel it too, then?"

Biv turned to Eindar triumphantly. "I told you so!"

Eindar rolled his eyes.

Arthean advised, "Keep in mind it _could_ just be residual evil we're feeling and nothing more."

Eindar said, "That's what I said it was."

"You might be right, but Biv might be right, too. Only time will tell. Just keep your eyes open and watch each other's backs."

Biv slapped Arthean on the back. "Your warning is well received. Now I know I'm not losing my mind to paranoia. Thank you."

<><><>

They were all up early the next morning. Liam had slept peacefully for the first time in years. The thought of actually finding the place where all of creation began and where God Himself was said to reside had given him a profound sense of serenity. He noticed the dark patches under Arthean's eyes during breakfast and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Arthean shook his head. "I was too excited to get much sleep. I spent most of the night tossing and turning."

"Ah, well. Excitement is a good reason to lose sleep, I suppose."

After breakfast, Abbess Shyla and Certhon took them aside. The abbess presented them each with a new backpack filled with all the same foods Liam and Arthean had been given the last time they'd left Tridor. Abbess Shyla had also left space in Arthean's pack for his Bible. She gave them each a pouch of nuts, which they attached to their belts. The two still wore the clothes the Ilanenorians had given them, which a young nun named Sholi had washed.

Liam asked why they needed so much food for such a short journey.

Abbess Shyla said, "It's always better to be over prepared than under prepared – you never know what may happen."

While the abbess told Arthean where blankets, torches and fire beetles had been put aside for them, Certhon drew Liam to one side and handed him a small pouch. He closed Liam's fingers around it. Something squished inside.

Certhon kept his voice low. "This will heal any injury. There isn't enough for everyone, so don't tell anyone about it unless it's needed."

Liam's eyes widened.

Certhon continued, "It's lolilly sap." At Liam's confused look, he added, "It's a type of flower. You don't need to use too much, depending on the surface size of whatever wound you need to heal. Just smear a thin layer over it. If there are internal injuries, you rub a little across your gums and tongue. Arthean knows how much to use if you're in doubt. There should be enough in here for your whole group, should you need it." He paused. "Obviously, I hope you _won't_ need it."

Liam remembered the excruciating pain he had endured in his feet when he'd first arrived at Tridor Monastery. He refrained from asking why he hadn't been given this at the time, because the memory of that pain was fading and he felt better knowing he carried a miracle cure now. If it had been used on his feet, he wouldn't have it now. He patted Certhon on the back. "Thank you. This is really kind of you."

"You're welcome."

Liam attached the pouch of the slime-like lolilly sap to his belt and joined the others to collect his torch and blanket. He noticed that Arthean had strapped the dagger to his belt again. It was strange to see a monk walking around with a dagger by his side, especially since Arthean seemed to treasure it so much. Liam understood, though, since Abbot Jergor had given it to Arthean before his death, and he knew the monk missed the abbot.

The eight travellers said their goodbyes and headed to the stables, where the ryokin were waiting on the grass. Eindar's ryokin, Ayan, pranced around a bit, seemingly unwilling to let Joshua climb onto his back, but Eindar soon quietened him and Joshua mounted while Eindar stroked the ryokin's head from his position on its back. Liam's heart went cold as he remembered Nairel's refusal to let Lucifer ride him when he had possessed Joshua. _Ayan's just being full of shit. He let him on quick enough when Eindar spoke to him,_ Liam convinced himself. _Nairel didn't even let him near._

Once again, Liam was the last to mount. Although he preferred the flight to being chased by Sah's dogs, which, no doubt, were still after them, he still hadn't got over his fear of heights. He doubted he ever would. He reached for Nairel's fur to pull himself up just as Vareck came running across the garden from the monastery.

"Wait, wait!" Vareck puffed. He reached Liam and panted, "I have something for you." The monk held a small black pouch; the one he always wore on his belt. "I've had it for years. My father gave it to me and told me to always keep it near. An angel gave it to my great-great-great-grandfather. He was told to pass it to the eldest son in each generation. Our task was to keep it safe until the one it was intended for came."

Liam frowned.

Noka swooped low and Arthean shouted, "Come on! We're waiting for you!"

Joshua's group had already left.

Vareck gushed, "It's for you. It's for the one who rides Nairel. I always thought it was a code phrase of some sort. I didn't know that Nairel was a name until I heard your ryokin's name a few minutes ago! But it's meant for the one who rides Nairel, so it's yours."

Liam took the pouch and held it up. "What's in it?"

Vareck hesitated. "I don't know. We were told never to open it."

Liam began to pull the string open.

Vareck grabbed his hand. "No! You mustn't open it until a life is in danger and there's no other way."

Liam scrunched his face. His curiosity would never let him wait to see what was in the bag. He'd have a look when they landed, he decided, saying, "Okay." He drew the drawstring tight again and attached it to his belt. "Thank you, Vareck. I appreciate it."

Liam climbed up onto Nairel's back and the ryokin took off. Jolither once again led the way, with Liam and Arthean flanking him slightly behind, and Shalise bringing up the rear. The flight was estimated to take only a few hours, and Liam could barely contain his exhilaration now that he was on his way to the legendary Garden of Eden – a legend on at least two planets. He clung to Nairel's neck fur, not worrying about falling for the first time since he'd flown on the wondrous animal.

<><><>

Tetrad Mountains and the River Gentrad had just come into view in the distance when a shadow fell upon Noka. It was cold and insidious and made Arthean itch from the inside out. It came out of nowhere, but Arthean sensed it a split second before it slammed into Noka. The ryokin tumbled backwards, flailing its wings to right itself. Thanks to the flesh folds that secured his legs, Arthean remained on Noka's back. He'd been too shocked to cry out, but the others had noticed his plight and were coming back for him.

Arthean clung to Noka's neck fur and swung his head around in search of their attacker as Noka regained his balance and swooped away. Arthean said a quick prayer for protection. The back of his neck tingled and the itching came again. The shadow smashed into Noka once more, sending the ryokin tumbling. The others tried to chase it away, but it took no notice of them. It was as if it didn't even see them. Noka righted himself again with an angry hiss and Arthean caught a glimpse of the attacker.

One moment, it was almost transparent, like a black rain cloud about to spew its contents across the land. The next moment, it was as solid as Arthean, with long, reaching arms, lava-red eyes, a wide, toothy mouth and a muscular, scaly torso. It shot towards them again. This time, Noka evaded it with a dive and a dart to the left. Liam called out, but the shadow paid him no heed. Noka tried to get around it so he could face it, but the creature kept close to his tail, making defence impossible.

Liam swooped in on Nairel, who opened his mouth and spat white-hot fire at the shadow from behind. Incredibly, it had no effect whatsoever.

<><><>

Liam would have fallen off Nairel's back if not for the skin flaps holding him in place. Nairel squeaked as Liam dug his fingers into the ryokin's neck in fright. The giant animal spat another stream of flame.

What the hell?

Nobody had told him ryokin breathed fire!

<><><>

Arthean's muscles went weak and he barely registered the surprise on Liam's face when Nairel breathed fire as he battled to keep his hold on Noka – if he let go, his spine may snap in the turmoil. Hollowness ached in the pit of his stomach when the wind whipped Jolither's shouted warning to him. "It's a creature of magic!"

No wonder it couldn't see the others. It probably hadn't been created to attack _them_.

Who would want to kill a _monk_?

Noka dived again, then darted this way and that. The ryokin was agile and powerful. Arthean knew that Jolither could undo the magic, but it may not be in time to save him or Noka. His chest tight and breath coming in painful gasps, Arthean remembered Abbot Jergor's dream... in which Arthean had died. _I've evened the odds. If it comes to pass, you must fight._ The dagger! Abbot Jergor had seen him die, but had given him a chance to change the future he'd dreamt of.

Arthean pulled the dagger from its belt sheath and grasped it in a clammy hand, grateful that the silver studs gave him grip. He brandished the blade and clutched Noka's neck fur so tightly that his hand went white. The shadow creature slammed into them from behind and Noka was flung forwards. The shadow pounced, semi-solid in that moment. Arthean swept the dagger at it as it passed. It yelped in pain and launched itself away. Noka snarled. Jolither and Shalise chanted, but the wind swept the words away from Arthean.

An icy draught assaulted Arthean's right leg and he looked down to see Noka's skin flap beating in the wind. Blood wept from the wound the shadow creature had ripped in Noka's flesh. Anger and fear built into an Arctic rage in Arthean's chest, burning in a cold fire, then surging upwards.

Fuelled by outrage, Arthean waved the dagger and screamed, "You want me? _You can't have me!_ "

The shadow creature came in again, this time on their left. Noka flapped his mighty wings once and soared upwards on a current. The shadow shot up after them. As it came near, Arthean leant down and took a swipe at it. He missed, but it didn't. Noka shrieked in pain and plummeted. Arthean's right leg was thrown from its resting place and whipped over the ryokin's back.

The shadow creature had torn him loose.

<><><>

When Liam realised the shadow creature was trying to dislodge Arthean from Noka's back, he instinctively reached for the mysterious pouch Vareck had given him. However, the moment his hand touched it, a certainty swept through him that this was not the time.

Shitting fuck!

<><><>

In a daze, Arthean slid from the ryokin's furry back. The horizon dropped away. The dagger was still in his hand, covered with black blood, its handle hard and surprisingly reassuring, even though it was a child's toy when compared to the shadow creature's magic-sharpened claws. Wind rushed in his ears, _through_ his head, it seemed. His right leg snapped with a crack when he was jerked away from Noka, whose skin flaps still secured it. He was battered against the ryokin, but there was no pain.

Then Noka regained control and swooped down; empathic to his rider's plight, he tried to get low enough so he could tip Arthean off without killing him. The shadow was upon them again and Noka put on an extra burst of speed, but the creature kept up easily. Arthean fought the waves of dizziness threatening to devour him; he _had_ to hold onto the dagger. The shadow came alongside and Arthean's right leg came free in a spurt of Noka's blood. It was over. He would fall to his death. He had failed Liam. He had failed his Creator.

Arthean's right arm was yanked so hard that something popped in his shoulder. Noka shrieked. Arthean stared up at his hand in disbelief. The dagger's hilt was trapped between the ryokin's thick feather shafts. _Thank you, God... and Abbot Jergor._ Noka changed direction and Arthean was swept onto the ryokin's back, then he flew level so his rider could regain his balance. Black fog enveloped them. Arthean's blood itched, spreading agony to every cell it touched. The urge to scratch was unbearable, but he had no free hands to do so and he doubted it would have helped anyway.

Noka bucked, trying to shake the shadow's touch, and Arthean nearly fell off again. The rocky ground loomed ahead as the ryokin arced and dived. The shadow, obviously seeing it wasn't dissuading Noka, flung itself away, then shot back towards them. It came up under Noka and rammed him in the chest. The ryokin lost control and spiralled downwards, with Arthean clinging to its back, clenching his legs against its sides. The shadow slammed into Noka again as they fell, and Arthean was thrown off.

CHAPTER 14

Liam froze when Arthean was flung from Noka's back. They were close to the ground, but not close enough that Arthean wouldn't be killed or paralysed by the impact. Intent on saving his friend, he hardly noticed that Nairel responded to his every thought as if it was the ryokin's own. Nairel dived towards the falling monk without hesitation, catching up to him quickly. He was nearly too late. Liam was sure they'd crash headfirst into the rocky terrain when Nairel grasped Arthean's tunic in his teeth and pulled back to soften the landing.

Nairel hovered above Arthean, and Liam jumped to the ground. He landed with a grunt on his hands and knees, and Nairel gave an indignant growl at his carelessness. Ignoring the grazes on his hands, Liam rushed to Arthean's side. The monk was motionless. Liam bent over him. Arthean's eyes were closed and his breaths shallow.

Liam looked at him anxiously. "Arthean! Are you hurt?"

Noka shot up again to protect Arthean from the shadow creature as best he could, rushing at it in an attempt to herd it away. It lashed out at Noka again and again until the ryokin was forced to give up the fight. It landed nearby, hissing, cat-like, and ready to spit fire again. Above, the shadow creature came again, and Liam fumed that Nairel's flame couldn't touch it. What the hell was taking Jolither and Shalise so long? They'd said they could vanquish the creature with magic, since it had been created by magic, but it looked like they were mistaken about the extent of their abilities. The creature had almost reached them when Jolither and Shalise intercepted it with a blast of something that looked like bright orange powder. It screeched with pain. Whatever magic the Ilanenorians had conjured was working.

Yes!

Arthean groaned, then began thrashing about clutching the ground at his sides.

Liam grabbed the monk's hands to stop him from hurting himself. "Arthean! You're on the ground. Can you get up?"

Arthean bolted into a sitting position, his eyes wide. He looked around, patting the ground around him. "I'm not dead."

Liam could have cried. "No, you aren't, and if you want to stay that way, I suggest you get up."

Arthean looked at his legs. "I think my right leg is broken. But there's no pain."

"Shit!"

Liam noticed the bone sticking out of the monk's leg. The fibula stuck out slightly, and his foot was at an unnatural right angle.

Above, Jolither and Shalise had trapped the creature in the orange cloud. It screeched and clawed at the air, then vanished with a resounding crack.

<><><>

They had landed on a small plateau on Gensshei Mountains, close enough to the River Gentrad to hear its thundering waterfalls, and far enough from the flatlands past the mountains that they should be safe from Sah's soldiers – Sah would never have expected them to get this far this fast. Arthean was pleased when Liam produced the lolilly sap. He instructed Liam in its use and insisted that Noka be tended to first. The ryokin had saved his life and been badly injured in the process, and Arthean wouldn't hear of the animal suffering for a moment longer than necessary. Noka's skin flaps were destroyed and blood oozed from numerous wounds to stain his golden-brown feathers a deathly shade of red. He was feverish, and Shalise said the shadow creature must have been poisonous.

Liam was doubtful Noka would last the night, but Arthean disagreed. "You wait and see. Certhon's cures are the best. Noka will be just fine."

Liam applied the sap to Arthean's wounds, then the monk closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep. Jolither scouted for a safe place to rest, then he and Liam carried the slumbering monk while Shalise went ahead to start a fire. They would be spending the night while Arthean's leg healed. Apparently, it would be completely healed before sundown the next day, as would Noka's wounds. They gathered more branches and dried leaves for the fire, then spread their blankets out under a tree.

_Good thing Shyla gave us all that food,_ thought Liam.

Four hours later, the Ilanenorians slept on either side of Arthean, who hadn't woken up yet. Liam stared at the monk's broken leg gloomily. The bone glinted in the firelight, the slimy yellow lolilly sap giving it an eerie semi-transparent glow. Life was so fragile. _They_ were so fragile. Even the powerful ryokin who spat fire had been mortally wounded – Liam couldn't bring himself to believe that Noka would survive; he had to prepare his mind for what he saw as the inevitable so he could comfort Arthean properly when the time came.

Liam's helplessness to defend Arthean earlier tormented him. He fretted. What good was he if he couldn't fight at his friends' sides? All he seemed to do was draw trouble to anyone he went near. The Ilanenorians always seemed to have a fix for everything, as did Joshua, Arthean, Certhon and even Vareck. He was surrounded by those greater than him and more knowledgeable than he was, and he had nothing of value to add to the mix. Who could possibly have created that shadow creature? Sah was the only one Liam thought might have reason, but surely he didn't possess that type of power? If he did, what did he need _guns_ for?

Joshua...

No, Joshua was Joshua again, and, while Joshua knew a lot, Liam was certain he didn't know _that_ much. Besides, he had expressed an intense disliking for the dark arts on numerous occasions, so Liam couldn't see him using it to create a magical assassin. If Joshua _wasn't_ Joshua anymore and had created the shadow creature since they'd parted, it meant the Ilanenorians travelling with him were probably dead – he'd hardly have been able to do that with them around. Liam didn't think his friend could overpower all of them, so it couldn't be him. Who the hell had created the shadow creature, then?

The hairs on Liam's arms and neck stood on end. He could have sworn Arthean's bone had _moved_. He rubbed his tired eyes and stared at it. Hadn't it been more exposed a minute ago? He forced his eyes away from it. Arthean had said the damage would simply 'be undone', but it gave Liam the creeps anyway.

Arthean shifted in his sleep and his head now faced slightly away from Liam. In the moon's silver glow, his face took on a skeletal appearance on one side, with a mask of grinning fire on the other. Liam leapt up and looked down at the monk. There was nothing different about his face. Liam relaxed. He was too paranoid. Having magical assassins trying to kill his friends didn't help, either. Maybe Sah had found a new ally...

Liam fell asleep agitated by the new enemy's lack of identity.

<><><>

Arthean opened his eyes to a dismal, cloudy morning. He lay still for a moment, enjoying the fresh breeze and birds' chirping, then lifted his head and looked at his leg. The bone was back in its right place, but the nerves and flesh had yet to heal fully. He looked across at where Noka slept. The ryokin was still covered in blood, but it seemed the fever had broken, as sweat no longer streamed from beneath his feathers to dampen his fur. The pain coursing through Arthean itched worse than the shadow creature's presence had, and he knew he would pass out from it soon. He desired that moment immensely.

Shalise said, "You're awake. Mug of tea?"

Arthean pulled himself into a sitting position, resting his back on the boulder behind him. "Where did you get tea?"

Shalise swept her arm across rocky landscape. "Nature provides. There are bushes within these mountains that can do magical things." She smiled as she handed Arthean a wooden mug.

He took a sip of the sweet-smelling, light green tea. "And where did you get the mugs?"

Jolither walked into sight from around a large rock. "I made them."

"You _made_ mugs?"

"Yes." Jolither pulled his robe aside to reveal Arthean's dagger hanging from his belt. He removed it and handed it to Arthean. "I used your dagger. I hope you don't mind."

Arthean took the weapon and stared at it. "Not at all. I think my use for it is over."

Jolither added, "I sharpened the blade again when I was finished."

Liam appeared from behind Jolither. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

Arthean shifted and grimaced. "A bit achy, but I'll live. Just the pain while it heals is exhausting. I think I'll be passing out in another second."

Shalise said, "The pain should be gone shortly. Drink the rest of your tea; it's not intended merely to warm your insides, you know." She winked.

Arthean smiled at her. "Boy am I glad you guys are here."

It seemed as if a frown crossed Liam's face, but it was gone so fast that Arthean couldn't be sure he hadn't imagined it. Arthean held the dagger out to his friend. "Here. I want you to have this."

Liam took it and gaped at it. "But Abbot Jergor gave this to you. It means so much to you."

"Abbot Jergor gave it to me to protect myself from a shadow creature. I've done that."

Liam gasped. "What? He _knew_? _How?_ "

"He was told in a dream."

"How do you know there isn't another shadow creature coming for you?"

Arthean hesitated. Liam was right. It may not be over yet. Yes, the dagger had saved his life once, as Abbot Jergor had hoped, but the abbot wasn't here to confirm if this was the attack he'd dreamt of.

Liam held out the dagger to Arthean. "Keep it for now. Just in case. Nothing must happen to you."

Arthean took it and smiled at Liam. "You are a true friend."

Liam brushed the compliment off by asking, "So, is that tea working yet?"

Arthean nodded.

Shalise was right – the pain was nothing more than a dull ache by the time they finished breakfast. They would have to waste the entire day sitting around doing nothing because of him. Arthean considered telling them to go ahead without him, but then remembered that the Ilanenorians' prophecy said their journeys were linked. He couldn't ask them to go ahead. To do so may ensure their failure.

To take his mind off the delay, Arthean asked Jolither and Shalise, "Do you two have any idea who could have created that shadow creature?"

Jolither and Shalise exchanged knowing glances.

Liam exclaimed, "You know something!"

Jolither sighed. "Not exactly. It's just..."

Arthean and Liam asked together, "Yes?"

Jolither glanced around and shook his head. "We didn't think there was anyone still alive who could create magical beings. Except for..."

Arthean twitched as he fought the urge to leap up. _That_ wouldn't end well with his leg still wounded.

Liam demanded, " _Except for?_ "

Jolither looked embarrassed and outraged.

Shalise whispered, "Except for Ilanenorians."

Liam jumped up and Arthean asked, "Are you saying someone from Ilanenor has betrayed us?"

Jolither rasped, "It looks that way." He looked like he was about to vomit.

Arthean thought for a moment. "Do you have any idea who?"

Liam asked, "You don't think it's Eindar, Jaeda or Biv, do you?"

Jolither frowned. "I didn't think _any_ of us would do this. But no, if any of them had wanted Arthean dead, they had plenty of time and easier ways to do it. It has to be someone who doesn't have direct access to Arthean – someone who isn't travelling with us."

Something shifted at the back of Arthean's mind. There _had_ been someone who hadn't seemed quite right to him when they'd visited the airborne village. He hadn't given it much thought at the time, since he'd felt so safe amongst the Ilanenorians. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember. Liam had tried to draw his attention to it at the time. "Liam, do you remember mentioning someone who made you feel uncomfortable when we were in Ilanenor?"

Liam said, "Yes. That dodgy looking guy who brought us clothes. Short. Thin. Greasy brown hair. Dark green eyes. And he didn't make me uncomfortable. He made my skin crawl."

Arthean smiled. "Ah, yes, I remember now."

Shalise's eyes widened. "That was Toman!"

Jolither stared at the ground.

Arthean asked, "Who is he?"

Jolither looked up, his eyes ablaze. "He's a traitorous bastard we made the mistake of taking in as one of us."

Shalise looked as shocked at Jolither's venomous tone as Arthean was – he had never seen any of the Ilanenorians angry; they always seemed so at peace with themselves and the world.

Liam asked, "How long has he been with you?"

Jolither replied, "Long enough to learn too much without us realising it."

Shalise answered, "Just over two years."

Arthean asked, "You don't think we're all jumping to conclusions? Just because someone looks a bit shady doesn't mean they are. Maybe he just didn't sleep that night and we mistook his grumpiness for dislike?"

Jolither shook his head. "No. The second Liam described him, I knew who it was. I ignored the bad feeling I had about him, because he seemed so kind and gentle. So innocent. So _harmless_. I'm such a fool!"

Arthean said, "No man who helps others is a fool."

Jolither snapped, "Even when he helps evil?"

"You wouldn't have if you'd known. It's not foolish to see the good in people rather than the evil. _Everyone_ can see evil in others. It's the good that's sometimes hard to spot. A man who can see that with ease is blessed indeed."

Jolither shook his head. "So blessed that I bring harm to my friends with my misplaced trust."

Arthean said, "I'll live and so will Noka. It's no big deal."

"Of course it's a big deal! You almost died! Noka almost died! You were both injured. You're both going to spend the day suffering. And it's delayed us too!"

"Shalise took care of the suffering part. So we're delayed for a day. So what? It's a beautiful day, not too hot and not too cold – let's relax and enjoy it. Perhaps this whole thing is God's way of telling us to relax and take it easy for a bit."

Jolither said, "You are too forgiving, Arthean. You could be too dead to be having this conversation now."

"But I'm not."

"But you _could_ be!"

Liam said, "The past cannot be undone. You need to look past your emotions and the betrayal and remember that you did what you thought was right. If you take the lesson away with you, it won't be for nothing."

Jolither asked crossly, "And what lesson is that? Don't ignore my bad feelings about people?"

Liam said, "Exactly."

<><><>

Late that afternoon, Arthean lay on his back with his head resting on his arms, staring at the grey sky. They hadn't been able to come up with any logical explanation as to why Toman would want him dead. The man hadn't even been living there the last time he'd visited Ilanenor, so the first time he'd met him was when he'd brought them clothes. It had been Toman who had trimmed their hair and shaved them while they slept, and Jolither had said body parts were needed for the dark arts to work. Arthean worried that another magical assassin would come for Liam, since his hair had also been cut.

Jolither and Shalise had gathered various plants and flowers and crushed them together into a sticky, multi-coloured pulp. They instructed Liam and Arthean to eat the pulp; apparently, it would protect them from being harmed by dark magic. Arthean made sure that Noka and Nairel ate some, too, and the ryokin seemed to see it as a treat, wolfing it down. Arthean wasn't too worried about himself, since his God had already protected him countless times along the journey, but he was concerned about Liam, who, although on a serious search for his Creator, wasn't at the point where he truly believed yet. Would the Creator still protect him? So far, He had, but for how long?

Liam had spent the day scouting the area, making sure nobody could sneak up on them – he'd said he couldn't sit all day doing nothing, and had asked to borrow Arthean's dagger for the day. Now he strolled into the campsite grinning, with sweat beading every bit of exposed skin, and approached Arthean. He looked down at his leg. "I see that's healing nicely now."

"Yes, it'll be complete in the next hour or so."

"Pity it's so late in the day. I don't suppose we can fly at night?"

Jolither looked up from where he whittled a branch. "No can do. Ryokin have terrible night vision. We'd probably fly right over Tetrad without even knowing it."

Liam looked dejected.

Arthean said, "Don't worry; we'll have an early night tonight and leave at sunrise."

Liam looked into the distance as if wishing Tetrad to come to them, then looked around as if suddenly noticing something. "Where's Noka?"

"Stretching his wings."

"You mean he healed before you?"

Arthean smiled. "Poison is easier to deal with than broken bones."

Shalise added, "Well, quicker, at least."

Liam muttered, "Incredible." He turned to Shalise and asked, "So, other than breathe fire, what else can ryokin do that you neglected to mention? I almost had a heart attack when Nairel spat fire yesterday."

Shalise smiled. "We couldn't tell you. You must learn about your steed as you have experiences together. There may be things they're capable of that even we don't know of, simply because we haven't needed to. It's a rule. We cannot teach a new rider too much about the ryokin. It _must_ be a journey of self-discovery."

Liam stared at Nairel, who sat on his hind legs preening himself.

Arthean followed his gaze and said, "They're beautiful and mysterious, aren't they?"

"Beautifully mysterious."

The others laughed.

Shalise said, "There is often beauty in mystery. Once something is explained, its wonder seems to fade somewhat."

Arthean nodded, then asked Liam, "What were you grinning about just now?"

Liam grinned again.

Arthean sat up. "I know that look. What are you up to?"

Liam's eyes twinkled. "Nothing much. Just set a few traps here and there in choice spots."

Arthean asked, "What on earth for?"

Liam shrugged. "Just in case. You never know who might try to sneak up on us."

Arthean opened his mouth to comment on Liam's paranoia, then remembered that Abbess Shyla had said the same thing when giving them so much food for a journey that was supposed to take only a few hours. Now, they would have gone hungry without that foresight – while many medicinal plants grew in the mountains, none were filling or particularly nutritious.

Arthean smiled. "Good thinking."

Liam cocked his head. "It was, wasn't it?"

CHAPTER 15

Liam's eyes shot open. He lay wrapped in his blanket, tense with expectation. It was dark, and the chilling wind had picked up since they'd bedded down for the night. Something had woken him. He listened intently, but heard nothing. Silently, Liam extracted himself from the warm blanket and stood. He remained still while his eyes adjusted to the dark, listening for any out of place sounds. The wind howled. Insects chirped. Leaves and branches rustled. An owl hooted. Someone cursed nearby.

Liam crept over to Jolither, placed one hand over his mouth and shook him awake with the other. Jolither sat up with a muffled cry, and Liam bent to whisper in his ear. "It's me. Someone's here."

Liam removed his hand from Jolither's mouth, and the Ilanenorian threw off his blanket and reached for his spear. "Who?" he whispered. "And how many?"

"I don't know. They're somewhere there." Liam pointed.

The two men moved to the camp's edge, then stopped to listen. Something metallic scraped against rock. They stole towards the sound with Liam in the lead, and rounded a large rock formation just a few paces from their camp, beyond which a small fire reached hot fingers to the moonless sky. Three men in Sah's uniforms sat around the fire, drinking from steaming mugs. Jolither and Liam exchanged glances. Surely these soldiers weren't after them? Sah had no way of knowing they had travelled this far – ryokin would never let unworthy men ride them, so Sah probably didn't even know they existed... unless Toman had told him, Liam thought, and now they were being tracked. How the soldiers had caught up so quickly, though, was a mystery. _If only they knew how close they are to their prey._ The thought made Liam smile.

At the far edge of the enemy camp, something big shifted. Liam froze, straining to see past the fire. He motioned to Jolither to wait for him, then made his way halfway around the camp to get a better look. A putrid stench reached his nostrils and he gagged. Then he saw them. Huge – double the size of the average ryokin – scaly, fearsome and reeking of evil. Liam crept back to Jolither and motioned him away. When they were out of earshot, Liam puffed out his cheeks, then asked, "What do you know about scaly creatures that smell like they're rotting?"

Jolither's eyes widened and he whispered, "Is that what you saw?"

Liam nodded.

Jolither whispered, "Dragons."

That was the first word that had come to Liam's mind to describe the loathsome creatures he'd just seen sleeping, although he had always thought of dragons as majestic and noble, not foul smelling and evil.

Jolither grasped Liam's arm. "We must leave. Now." He started back towards their camp.

"Do they breathe fire, too?"

Jolither looked surprised. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Legends on our Earth."

Jolither said ominously, "They do much worse."

They reached their camp as Liam asked, "What's worse than breathing fire?"

"Breathing death."

Jolither went over to Shalise and shook her awake. He whispered, "Dragons."

She shot upright and began rolling up her blanket without a word.

Liam stared at Jolither. Breathe death? _What the hell?_ Jolither gave him no time to ask questions – he already had Arthean awake, too, and the ryokin were shuffling about nervously. Liam noticed that Arthean's leg was practically healed, at least, and now sported a raw red scar that would likely be gone by sunrise. Liam sensed fear from Nairel and it infected him. If the powerful ryokin was afraid, he would be wise to feel the same. He helped the others to pack up their belongings, and they were just about to mount the ryokin when a shot rang through the air and Shalise cried out.

Liam spun to see Shalise fall and two of Sah's soldiers standing at the opposite end of their camp, pointing pistols at them. Jolither's face went white. Liam shoved him to the ground and pushed Arthean behind him. "Give me your dagger, then take Noka and go."

Arthean handed the weapon to Liam, who turned to the soldiers. From the corner of his eye, he saw Arthean make a beeline for Shalise, where Jolither was already kneeling. _Shitting monk is going to get himself killed!_

The soldiers laughed. "My, isn't this a nice surprise."

Liam sneered, "'Nice' isn't the word I'd use."

Nairel stamped his feet in discontent and padded after Liam as he advanced on Sah's men. One of the soldiers squeezed off a shot at Liam, but missed. Liam spun as the thought struck him that the bullet may have hit Nairel or one of the others. It hadn't. He restrained himself from taunting the soldier about his bad marksmanship. He didn't want to give him more reasons than he already had to shoot him.

"You'd better come with us," the tall, blond, bearded soldier said.

"What for?"

"Your ruler requests your presence."

So the men wanted Liam alive... and the others? Liam gritted his teeth. "My _ruler_? My ruler isn't on this planet!"

The short, black-haired soldier said, "Sah rules all who walk this land. You're here, so he's your ruler now."

Liam sneered. "I don't fucking _think_ so!"

The men laughed and the bearded soldier said, "You have no choice."

Next to Liam, Jolither said, "There is always a choice."

Jolither's ryokin stood behind his rider, next to Nairel, their hackles raised and teeth bared. Shalise was conscious and just taking off on her ryokin. Arthean, on Noka, already hovered above shooting range. _Good._ Liam turned back to the soldiers, more confident with the formidable ryokin behind him and Jolither at his side.

He whispered to Jolither, "Got any quick fix magic for this?"

"These men are not our problem, and there is no magic that will fix our problem."

"What is-?" Liam's mouth snapped shut as three dark green-grey dragons flew down to hover behind the soldiers.

Jolither said, " _That_ is our problem. We have to go. Now. _If_ we're lucky, we can out fly them."

Liam stared at Jolither. "It's a bit late to run."

The bearded soldier snarled, "Have your little chat on your own time. You're coming with us. We can do this the easy way or..." He gestured to the dragons. "...The hard way."

The short soldier said, "Sah would prefer you alive, but it's not a necessity. Dead will do just fine."

Jolither leapt onto Sor's back and urged Liam to mount Nairel. Liam was indecisive. The dragons would be upon them before they'd even lifted off, the ryokin had bad night vision and the dragons' wings looked much more powerful, which meant they had a slim chance, if any at all, of out flying them even if they did manage to initially get away. Already, the three vile creatures were flapping their wings and eyeing the ryokin maliciously.

A thought hit Liam and he asked the soldiers, "Where's your friend?"

They looked surprised. The bearded one asked, "What friend?"

"Don't play dumb with me. We saw three of you."

The short soldier asked, "You already knew we were here?"

Jolither shouted, "Why did you think we were leaving in the middle of the night in such a hurry?"

The soldiers glanced at each other, and Liam could tell they hadn't considered that. _Idiots._

A shriek tore the air, cut off by a thump and a strangled gasp that startled the dragons, one of which snorted smoke as it spun towards the sound. Liam grinned – the third soldier had found one of his traps. If he could just lead the other two to a trap, they'd only have the dragons to deal with. Without their riders, there was surely a chance they wouldn't attack or pursue...

Liam took a casual step back, noticing the blue mist that rose from the earth, blanketing everything at ankle height. It felt like Ilanenorian Earth Magic, though he had no way of knowing for sure.

The short soldier scowled and asked, "What are you smiling for? You're coming with us – dead or alive. Your choice." He clicked his tongue and one of the dragons came to him. He pulled a coil of rope from its leather saddle, then turned back to Liam and Jolither. "Get on your knees and put your hands behind your back."

Liam edged towards the bush behind them and Nairel growled, but didn't move. Jolither's ryokin reared and hissed, its eyes wild. The ryokin eyed the soldiers with an expression Liam could swear was hate, its eyes darting between them and their dragons. Jolither's face displayed the expected fear and uncertainty – there really was nothing they could do to save themselves at this point. At least, without the traps there wasn't. Either Jolither hadn't thought of the traps, or he knew something Liam didn't. Liam hoped it was the former as he took another step back towards the shrubs.

"So, it's going to be dead, is it?" the soldier snarled. "Get him!" he commanded the dragons.

Liam turned and ran. He ducked behind a large boulder as wind created by large wings fanned the back of his neck, making his flesh tingle unpleasantly. Nairel snarled and Liam turned to find the ryokin barring the dragons from pursuing him. _He's going to die for me._ The thought tightened Liam's stomach into a burning knot. First Zac, now Nairel. He would die before he let that happen. Clutching Arthean's dagger, as pathetic a weapon against a dragon as it was, he raced back the way he'd come.

Already, a dragon had its teeth in Nairel's side, and the ryokin flapped wildly in an attempt to free himself. The second dragon snapped at Nairel, unable to do more than scrape his skin with its teeth, since the ryokin moved too fast for it to get a firm grip on. Thankfully, the third dragon was somewhere else – possibly trying to get its rider out of the hole Liam had dug when he'd set the traps. His heart in his throat, Liam leapt onto a rock to gain height, then onto the dragon's back just as it got a firm grip on Nairel.

The second Liam was in the saddle, the dragon released Nairel and bucked in the air, trying to dislodge its unwanted rider. Liam clung to the saddle and clenched his thighs, thankful for years of horse riding – if not for that, he would have fallen and probably broken his back or neck from this height. The dragon twisted its neck, trying to reach him. Nairel and the second dragon danced around each other, each trying to gain an advantage. The smaller Nairel was quicker and darted out of the dragon's reach almost every time it went for him, although the dragon was fast too, despite its great size, and managed to get a few more nips in.

Jolither had taken to the air, and his ryokin hovered above the battle. The Ilanenorian waved his arms. The blue mist had risen to waist height. The dragon Liam rode snarled, its eyes turning from black to red as they glazed. Icy dread filled him as it fixed him with its eyes, opened its mouth and breathed decay on him. It felt as if his life force was being sucked from every pore. The world dimmed as Liam clung to the saddle with fierce resolve. Sah's soldiers shouted, and he thought Arthean and Jolither yelled too, but his head was fuzzy and he just wanted to sleep.

Somewhere in the muddle, Liam remembered he had to keep hold of something. He wasn't sure what, but he knew he had the something in his grasp and all he had to do was keep holding on. A green flash blinded him through closed eyes, and he grasped the saddle even harder, ignoring the pain in his fingers. He would sleep when... _When what?_ The thought jolted him out of the haziness. Nairel...

The traps!

Liam sent an urgent thought to Nairel. _Lead him behind that rock. But be careful you don't step on the scattered twigs – they're booby trapped._

He hoped dragons couldn't read thoughts like Ilanenorians and ryokin could.

Nairel sprang sideways towards the rock – he'd got the message. The dragon Liam rode reared again, then took to the air, its anger frenzied now. Fear emanated from it, but Liam had no time to wonder why as the creature spiralled and he lost his grip.

In that moment, as wind-whipped hair struck his eyes and face, Liam recalled the pouch Vareck had given him. He would be too dead to use it in the future if he didn't now...

Liam jerked the pouch from his belt, thankful he'd been too lazy to take it off when he'd gone to bed. The drawstring seemed to open of its own accord – at least, he didn't recall opening it – and he stuck two fingers inside to grasp whatever was in there.

A shockwave of calmness coursed through him and the world spun.

A hand grasped his.

Liam jolted to a stop, agony flashing from his wrists and up his arm to his elbow and shoulders, spreading down his spine.

Something warm and furry pressed against his cheek.

Welcome oblivion stole his consciousness.

<><><>

Arthean sat at Liam's side sipping water from one of Jolither's hand-made mugs, the early morning sun warming his back. He stared gloomily at his friend's still form. It had been two days since Sah's soldiers had accosted them, and Liam showed no signs of waking. Jolither said it had something to do with the dragons' death breath, although he hadn't actually seen one breathe on Liam – if it had, he should be dead already. Even the Ilanenorians' Earth Magic seemed to do no good, although it had healed his dislocated shoulder and broken wrist and elbow joints, along with the torn muscles. Nairel hadn't wandered far from his rider, and Arthean hadn't left Liam's side since the battle had ended, calls of nature excepted.

Everything had happened so fast during the battle that it was difficult to place the events in the correct sequence in his mind. After the dragon had dislodged Liam, Noka was suddenly beside him and his hand was in Arthean's as if he had grabbed it – without either monk or ryokin having gone to their comrade's aid, for they'd been too far away to help. Arthean still couldn't get that part right in his mind. One minute, he'd watched Liam fall, knowing he could do nothing to save him. The next, he had held his hand, arresting his fall.

Nairel had led one dragon to Liam's trap, and the blue earth mist Jolither had conjured finished it off as it lay there, with a broken leg thanks to one of the holes Liam had dug in the hopes of any would-be attacker twisting an ankle in order to alert them. Jolither had ended its rider with a jet of Earth Magic that combusted him. The second man had fled on his dragon at that point, most likely not wanting to face a group that could kill a dragon. The third dragon, with its rider stuck in a hole Liam had dug, had simply left the soldier to whatever fate awaited him, and the group had decided to let the man live. He now sat gagged and tied to a nearby tree, scowling. _He must have a headache by now from all that frowning,_ Arthean thought.

Besides Liam's possible impending death, Arthean was unhappy that they weren't able to move far from their first campsite – the area still reeked of the vile dragons, even though their enemies were long gone, and the rotting dragon flesh was even more revolting. Liam was too ill to be moved, and the raging fever that moistened his skin refused to abate. None of the group had ever seen any illness as ferocious, and the fact that Liam wasn't dead yet could only be described as a miracle.

Shalise came to sit next to him with a mug of herbal tea. Arthean looked at the crude torn-cloak bandage wrapped around her torso; there had been no Earth Magic left to tap after they'd healed Liam's and her wounds enough so they were no longer life threatening.

Arthean asked, "How's the pain today?"

"This will sort it out for a few hours." Shalise raised the mug. "It's not as bad as it was, though." She smiled and sipped the tea. "At least I'll live."

Arthean cringed as he glanced at Liam.

Shalise turned crimson. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean..."

"I know. Don't worry about it."

She hesitated, then, her tone wary, said, "Jolither spoke telepathically to Eindar when he woke up earlier. They've never heard of anything like this either, and they also think it has something to do with the death breath – perhaps the Earth Magic weakened it... Joshua said something interesting."

Arthean raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh?"

She stared at Liam, frowning. "He thinks he can heal Liam."

Hope surged through Arthean. "They're coming here, then?"

Shalise nodded. "They should be here by noon."

<><><>

The other Ilanenorians and Joshua arrived shortly before noon. Arthean rose to stretch his legs, but didn't move from the unconscious Liam's side. He felt as if, the second his back was turned, his friend would die, as if his mere presence kept the life trapped inside him. His common sense told him he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't shake the feeling. Joshua rushed to Liam and knelt beside him, scanning his face.

Arthean sat again, also looking at his friend.

Joshua turned to him. "He's been like this for two days, you say?"

"Well, two and a half, now." Arthean studied Joshua's face, trying to decipher who he was speaking to – Lucifer or Joshua. He glanced at Eindar, asking the silent question.

Eindar caught his eye and shrugged. Lucifer wouldn't help Liam, surely, so this _must_ be Joshua, then.

Arthean looked at Joshua again. "You said you can heal him. How?"

A dark look flashed across Joshua's face, vanishing too quickly for Arthean to discern.

Joshua asked, "Does it matter? I can do it and I'm going to. I need you to step back, please."

Arthean's brow furrowed as his sense of foreboding increased tenfold. Something wasn't right here. "I'm not leaving him."

Joshua glowered at him. "You must. You're in the way here."

Arthean hesitated. It _could_ be Joshua was telling the truth. However, he always listened to whatever voice nagged him, regardless of how trivial it may seem – things always worked out better that way, he'd learnt. So this sense that to leave Liam's side would be to seal his death could not be ignored.

He glared back at Joshua. "I don't see how I can be in the way."

By now, the others stood around them and Joshua scowled up at them. "You're _all_ in the way. I can't do what I need to with you all standing over me and interrupting the flow of energy with your presence!"

Jaeda said, "Maybe we should do as he says."

As far as Arthean knew, Joshua, although knowledgeable when it came to technology, had no abilities to conjure Earth Magic, or any other sort of magic, for that matter. Something wasn't right here, and he wasn't about to let this man anywhere near his friend.

He leapt to his feet and pointed at Joshua. "Your help is not what it seems. Get away from him!"

Eindar and Biv tensed and picked up their spears, not questioning Arthean's instincts. Jolither looked uncertain and Jaeda seemed upset. Shalise exclaimed in surprise when Nairel charged Joshua with a growl, stopping a few paces away and hopping from foot to foot, flapping his wings madly. Noka inched closer, his focus on Arthean, as if waiting for an instruction. Fear flickered in Joshua's eyes as he rolled away from the angry Nairel, then sprang to his feet. Arthean's hand moved to his side, to the dagger he'd retrieved from where Liam had dropped it when he'd fallen off the dragon. He'd never thought it would happen again, but he was ready to kill someone in cold blood, this time without thinking twice about it.

Joshua shook his head, a sadistic, angry grin on his face, which now had a menacing, malicious expression despite the smile – or perhaps _because_ of it, Arthean thought.

Joshua leered at him. "You just had to stick your bastard nose into this, didn't you?"

Arthean cringed. The insult had hit too close to home for his liking. His hand closed over the dagger's hilt. The blade had once saved him from a foretold danger, and now it would save Liam from an unexpected danger. The weapon was in his hand and he was halfway to Joshua before he even registered what he was doing.

Arthean reached him and grabbed his collar. Nose to nose, he asked, "What were you _really_ going to do to him?"

Joshua smirked, and, in that moment, Arthean knew who he looked at.

"Answer me, Devil!"

Joshua's – Lucifer's – smile widened. "So you recognise me. So what? You think you can stop me? I was powerless before, weakened by your _bastard_ prayers, revolting singing and vile holy ground, but now I'm stronger and you cannot stop me from doing what I came here to do."

"You came here to kill him, didn't you?"

Lucifer laughed. "What else would I come here for? The pleasure of your company?" He leant closer to Arthean until their lips were almost touching and whispered, "When I'm done with him, I'll have my revenge on you, bastard, thieving son of a murderous whore."

Arthean's face heated. He hoped the others wouldn't view that comment as having any truth, but Lucifer had mentioned it so many times now that they probably would. What would they think of him then? Something wet warmed his dagger hand and he looked down to see only the hilt visible between his fingers and bright red blood oozing from a wound in Joshua's stomach – he had stabbed him. Without thinking about it, or even realising it. He had reverted to his teenage ways so easily, he lamented as tears blurred his vision and he dropped the dagger. After all his hard work to atone for his sins, he was going to Hell anyway.

Lucifer laughed as he fell. Arthean's foot connected with Joshua's face and guilt flooded him as Jolither pulled him away. He twisted in the Ilanenorian's grasp to make sure Liam was okay.

Lucifer laughed harder. "I'll get you easily without this body holding me back."

Arthean tensed. He had just condemned Liam's friend to death and unleashed Lucifer's unholy spirit on the world in one action. He was supposed to be protecting Liam, not killing his friends and giving the Devil what he'd probably wanted all along. Arthean scowled as Jaeda bent to give Lucifer a mug of herbal tea, torn between wanting to stop her and wanting Joshua to survive. Would he survive the possession at all, though, even if Arthean didn't kill him? He might be doing the man a favour by ending his life; being possessed must be bad enough, but being possessed by Lucifer himself must be even more terrifying and maddening. No one should have to cope with that.

CHAPTER 16

By sunset, Joshua was healed. Jolither had been able to use enough Earth Magic to heal the organs damaged by the dagger and seal the flesh, although it would leave a nasty scar. The Ilanenorians, too, wished to save Liam's friend, if at all possible, and still held onto hope that they'd find a way to free Joshua from Lucifer once and for all.

Apparently, sometime after the failed extraction, Joshua had become aware of Lucifer's presence even during times of self-control – it must have been awful for him. Lucifer had spent the afternoon bragging about how he'd manipulated Joshua into making a deal with him. If Joshua let Lucifer take control, he was to heal Liam, after which he could keep control and do whatever he wanted with his body. Arthean had pointed out that Lucifer had obviously been too weak to take control unless Joshua allowed it, and had been called a bastard again. Lucifer was now gagged and tied to a tree next to the soldier. Arthean had wanted to blindfold him too – his skin crawled whenever Lucifer looked at him – but the others, particularly soft-hearted Jaeda, had argued that Joshua would then be blind too.

Arthean was angry. He understood that Joshua had been desperate to save his friend, but to bargain with the Devil and expect him to keep his side of the deal was just plain foolishness. He was the Prince of Lies – the last being one could expect to keep his word. _The foolish things we do in desperation..._ Arthean glanced at Liam. He still showed no sign of waking. Arthean contemplated sending the Ilanenorians ahead to continue Liam's quest, but decided against it – it wasn't their quest, their passion... It would wait for Liam, or Arthean would complete it, if it came to that. For the umpteenth time since Liam had been hurt, Arthean prayed, _please, please let him be okay. Please let him wake up._ He stared at Liam, willing him to open his eyes.

Just then, an animal that looked remarkably like the one in Liam's picture bounded into the clearing towards them. It skidded to a halt at Liam's side, panting. Arthean stared at it in frigid shock as the others rushed over and Nairel came a few paces nearer to see what was going on. The animal cocked its head at Liam and barked at him, its tone seeming to imply a question, as if speaking in a language no one else understood – except Nairel, it seemed, who went calm and seemed happier than he'd been since Liam had been hurt. Arthean glanced at Lucifer and could swear he now grinned behind the gag. He held up a hand to the others to stop them from accosting the animal. What had Liam called it?

Arthean looked up at the others and exclaimed, "A dog!"

They looked at him questioningly.

"It's a dog. In fact..." Arthean stared at the animal. He'd only caught a glimpse of Liam's picture... "Where are Liam's belt pouches?"

Eindar gestured behind him. "With his other stuff."

"Would you fetch them, please?"

Eindar looked confused, but brought the pouches to Arthean. The dog yapped at Liam and pawed at him, its face expectant. Arthean opened the pouch containing Liam's personal items, and withdrew the picture he'd caught his friend looking at back at the monastery. The dog in the picture had a shaggy red coat with black markings across its back and pointed ears – it was identical to the dog in front of him.

Arthean grinned and held up the picture for the others to see. "I thought so! It's Zac!"

The dog's ears pricked and it glanced at Arthean, then continued staring at Liam.

They looked closely, and Shalise said, "But he said Zac's dead. He saw him die, remember?"

"I know, but..."

They all glanced at Joshua.

Arthean looked at the dog. "Where would another dog come from, unless there are more strangers from Liam's Earth among us?"

Jolither frowned.

Biv asked, "What are the chances of that?"

The dog pawed Liam again and whined, then licked his face. _Disgusting._ Arthean's lips curled in distaste.

Shalise said, "It's possible, but highly unlikely, I have to admit. But, as I said, Liam _saw_ Zac die. How could he see something like _that_ wrong?"

Arthean shrugged, staring at the dog thoughtfully. Liam had seen his dog die, but there wasn't more than a slim chance of this being _another_ dog from Liam's Earth. Another thought hit him and he exclaimed, "Oh, and even if this is another dog, what are the chances that it would find _Liam_ , of all the people from his Earth on our planet right now? And why is it so focussed on Liam specifically? It's practically ignored the rest of us since it got here."

The others nodded and looked at the dog with what Arthean knew was the same sense of awe he felt at that moment. Jaeda came near and the animal turned to snarl at her. She froze in obvious shock. The dog growled.

Feeling almost guilty – though for what, he had no idea – Arthean said, "He's just being protective over Liam; that's all."

Jolither examined the picture again and said, "Well, it does seem the most logical explanation – perhaps Zac was only wounded when Liam saw him shot."

The dog licked Liam's neck, pawing him and whining sporadically. It gave a short, deep bark again, almost as if admonishing Liam for not waking up. Arthean almost smiled at that thought. If only it was true. A wave of external anger washed over Arthean and he looked at Lucifer – the evil soul appeared livid. Arthean frowned, trying to understand the reason. The dog leapt up and pounced around Liam, its barks closer together and growing louder and higher-pitched. The sound began to hurt Arthean's ears.

Jaeda tried to grab the dog to quiet it, but it twisted from her grasp and nipped her. She nursed her hand, glowering, as the dog dashed back to Liam's side, then licked his face and barked in it. If he'd been awake, the proximity of that yap might have caused permanent deafness, Arthean thought. Then, he froze, his eyes widening in surprise as Liam sat up and looked groggily at the dog.

Nairel gave a joyful yelp, mock-pounced and ruffled his feathers.

Disbelief flickered across Liam's face, then he exclaimed, "Zac! It's true!"

He threw his arms around the dog, which seemed quite happy to let him do so.

Arthean's legs seemed to go into shock like his mind had, and he found himself sitting on the grass, unable to stand. He tried to let everything sink in. Zac seemed to have come back from the dead, and with him, Liam from his pre-death sleep... and what had Liam meant by 'it's true'? It sounded as if he had already suspected Zac may not be dead.

<><><>

A few hours later, Liam was wide awake and feeling as if he'd never been hurt or had a fever. He had filled the others in on what Joshua had told him about Zac still being alive, and how he hadn't had a chance to get the details yet. They, in turn, had updated him on the battle's end after he'd lost consciousness, and how it seemed Zac's mere presence had taken Liam's fever away. They had questioned Lucifer about Zac's miraculous rise from the dead, but the dark soul just spat curses at them, and Arthean gagged him again when the evil called him a bastard. Liam supposed it didn't really matter, as long as Zac was alive.

No one had seen what the pouch Vareck had given him contained, and Liam, blinded by the rushing wind, hadn't seen it and couldn't recall what it had felt like. The last thing he remembered before waking up was pulling the drawstring open. It seemed that he had been teleported to Noka's side in just the right position to save his life. He itched to get back to Tridor and question Vareck almost as much as he desired to find the Garden of Origin. He'd asked Lucifer, of course, but had just been told to go to Hell.

The others had gone to sleep already so they could rise early the next morning to continue their journey, and Liam sat by the fire talking to Arthean, who, Shalise had informed him, had never left his side while he'd been ill and had stopped Lucifer from killing him when the others hadn't even known he was present. Zac lay with his head on Liam's lap, his eyes half closed, enjoying the head massage Liam gave him. Nairel was somewhere, probably hunting – the ryokin seemed to have lost interest in Liam the second it realised he was going to live.

Arthean eyed Lucifer and asked, "Are you sure it's a good idea to take him with us?"

"No." Liam sighed. "But I'm not leaving Joshua to his mercy. He's still inside there and might regain control of him; I can't just leave him here. And we're certainly not killing him." He frowned; he'd heard about how the monk had almost killed Joshua.

"I know. I know," Arthean muttered.

Liam couldn't visualise Arthean stabbing anyone; it was completely out of character. "I can't imagine you doing that. What on earth came over you?"

Arthean stared into the fire.

"I know he was trying to kill me, but you didn't even try to capture him – you went straight in for the kill. What's up with that?"

Arthean sighed. "I really can't say."

"Oh come on!"

Arthean sighed again, still staring into the flames. "I can't say because I don't know. There wasn't a specific reason. I guess..."

"What?"

"I guess... sometimes a person's past catches up to them and they become who they were instead of who they are, for a short time."

Liam was surprised. He'd heard Arthean's dark past mentioned a few times now, but hadn't taken any of it seriously, for he saw nothing but a too-gentle man and loyal friend in the monk. "But you told me you'd lived in Tridor Monastery your whole life. How could you have a dark past... unless Tridor does?"

Arthean smiled briefly. "No, I said almost all my life. I first came there as a teenager, remember? I claimed sanctuary... to get away from my mother."

Liam started and Zac opened his eyes. "Your mother?"

Arthean sighed again. His tone dark, he said, "I may as well tell you. Abbot Jergor was the only one who knew... besides my mother, of course. She was a terrible person. Ever since I can remember, we moved from village to village, never staying in one place for more than a few weeks at a time. Eventually, we ran out of villages to visit this side of the ocean, and had to live in the mountains, sheltering in caves at night. We couldn't go back to any village we'd visited, because..." Arthean's eyes glazed over.

Liam sensed that the monk would tell him the full story, but that it was difficult. So far, he understood why – who would want to admit their mother was such a bad person that no one who'd met her once would want to again?

Arthean said, "Well, let's just say we left a trail of bodies and empty purses. She'd get me to put someone at ease – after all, who would suspect a child of hurting them? Then she'd slit their throats from behind."

Liam exclaimed, "She used you to make killing easier!"

Arthean nodded. "And she expected me to do the killing sometimes, too. Every so often, she'd get greedy and want more than one person could get from one night's mugging, then I'd have to go alone and she'd beat me till I couldn't open my eyes or walk if I didn't come back with whatever she thought was enough."

"Where was your father in all of this?"

Arthean's expression darkened and his eyes narrowed. "No idea. My mother said he abandoned us before I was born, but for all I know she murdered him too."

Liam now understood why Arthean had been more upset when Lucifer had called him a bastard than when he'd called him a cunt, which was a far more vulgar word – 'bastard' was personal.

So Arthean had blood on his hands. He wasn't a murderer, though, Liam decided. Not in his mind, anyway, since he hadn't actually wanted to kill anyone and hadn't enjoyed it. He'd simply been bullied and pushed beyond his limit of endurance. He voiced his thoughts and the monk smiled thinly.

"I'm still a killer. A cold-blooded murderer. I confessed my sins the same day I came to Tridor and haven't looked back... until today."

Liam shook his head. "No, you might have killed people, but you were a scared child – what else could you do?"

"Teenager, not child. And I could have run away the first time she told me to murder someone, instead of the seventeenth."

"Well, you had good reason today. I mean, sure, it's Joshua and none of us want him dead, but it's also Lucifer, and no one can blame you for trying to kill him."

"You don't understand."

"Yes, I do understand. You're beating yourself up over something no one else is upset about. It's a bit silly, don't you think?"

"No, I don't. I didn't actually decide to stab him, not even in that moment. I just saw myself stabbing him, like I wasn't in control of myself. Like I was... possessed." Arthean shuddered and looked at Liam.

Liam laughed. "Come on! Everyone has those moments if someone makes them angry enough. It's called being human, not being possessed! Besides, don't you think you'd be aware of it if you were possessed? The very fact that you're worried about it is proof that you don't need to!"

"I suppose that's true." Arthean stared into the flames again, and Liam knew he was still brooding over what had happened. "Maybe there will be a way in the Garden of Origin to get Lucifer out of Joshua and protect him from being possessed again."

Liam hadn't thought of that. "I sure hope so." He glanced at Lucifer, who still sat glaring at them. His burdens seemed lighter now that he had Zac back, but he couldn't bear the thought of not being able to save Joshua. "I really hope so."

<><><>

Liam was the first to wake the next morning, shortly before sunrise. Having Zac back and the knowledge that he may soon have the answers to the many questions that plagued him had kept sleep at bay for most of the night, and now adrenaline-fuelled excitement had him wide awake. Careful not to rouse the others, since it was still so early, he walked to the plateau's edge to take in the view, with Zac at his heels. Grass-covered flatlands spread out far below, the vegetation gradually thickening until it became a forest that ended at the mountain's base, and Dreal's huts were visible in the distance.

A fierce long-fanged head rose in front of Liam. Zac yelped in fright as Liam stumbled back, then both relaxed when they realised it was only Nairel. The ryokin hovered for a moment as if to greet them, then shot up and performed a few cartwheels. Show off, Liam thought with a smile. Zac watched with his head cocked, and Liam put a hand on his neck to make sure his furry friend didn't try to go after the ryokin – from time to time, the dog was crazy. When the others woke up, they'd have breakfast, then free the soldier – he would die if left tied to the tree without anyone to feed him or give him water, and none of them relished the thought of killing an unarmed man, no matter how much he might deserve it.

Just having Zac around made Liam feel like a better person. The way the dog looked at him with such adoration, as if he thought his master was the greatest thing in existence, warmed Liam's heart. Not to mention that Zac had somehow found him – on a strange planet and with no scent to follow. He knelt to stroke the dog. "How did you find me, boy?"

Zac looked at him and barked.

"Shh!" Liam looked to see if anyone had been woken. It seemed they hadn't.

Nairel landed behind them and Zac raced to the ryokin. To Liam's surprise, Nairel skittered away, then, after a few paces, turned and chased Zac. They were playing. Liam grinned. He'd seen Zac play with a lot of strange animals, but never a flying sabre-toothed one. It wasn't long before the two animals had woken everyone by literally leaping over – or onto – them and playfully growling or barking at each other.

They made quick work of breakfast, once again thankful to Abbess Shyla for the food she'd given them. Liam strapped an unhappy Zac to his chest so he wouldn't fall off Nairel's back as they flew, and Joshua would ride, still tied up, with Biv, since Biv had the strongest leg muscles out of all of them – Joshua would use the ryokin's skin flaps and Biv would rely on his clenched thighs to keep him on his ride's back. Liam was even more grateful that Zac was back now, or he'd most likely have been the one expected to transport Lucifer, who made his skin crawl even from a distance.

Finally, they were on their way to the Garden of Origin with the wind at their backs – estimated time of arrival: two hours, possibly less if the wind didn't pick up or change direction. Liam held tightly onto Zac, even though the dog was tied to him and couldn't possibly fall from Nairel's back. Nairel wasn't at all bothered by Zac's presence on his back, and Liam even got the feeling that the ryokin felt honoured. Perhaps that was just Liam's feelings, though, since he felt honoured to be friends with Zac.

Liam noticed that Biv, flying alongside, didn't look too happy, but understood why – being so close to Lucifer was enough to make anyone want to slit their own throat just to get away from him. What if you don't like what you find when you get there, a little voice of doubt whispered in his mind. It didn't matter, though – the truth, no matter how horrible it may turn out to be, was far better than any lie, no matter how happy or safe that lie made one feel. He cast the doubt out and pressed his face into Zac's fur.

<><><>

Arthean glanced to his right at Liam, who seemed as if a world of burden had been lifted from his shoulders since he'd woken. The reason was obvious – his much-loved best friend, Zac, was alive. If they found the Garden of Origin and could get in, they were going to visit the place where the first humans had been created, and the thought of standing in the spot his God might have stood in at the beginning of time thrilled and terrified him. What if he didn't like what they found there? What if they found nothing? What if God Himself was there and chased them out or damned them for daring to enter? Was it really such a good idea to bring Lucifer with them? He closed his eyes and focussed on the wind rushing through his hair. He would have his answers soon enough.

CHAPTER 17

The group reached the mountain pass well before noon and the ryokin landed at its opening. The rocky walls were high and not much sun reached the bottom. They stared into the gloom, trying to spot the creatures of legend. There was nothing obvious barring them from entering.

Liam looked at the others. "Should we try flying over? There must be something in there that blocks the passage, or someone would have gone through by now and put an end to the stories, surely."

Jolither said, "Unless it's something on the other side that prevents travellers from returning."

Liam frowned. The Ilanenorian could be right. "Then flying is the safest option anyway. No one else has tried on a ryokin, have they?"

Jolither replied, "Not that I know of."

Excitement building, Liam said, "Well, we'll be the first, then. Let's do it."

At that, Nairel flapped his wings and took off vertically, slowing when Liam's heart leapt into his throat – he'd never liked amusement park rides, and the ascent felt a little too much like one. Nairel led the way, and Liam looked down into the gorge as they flew, but couldn't see anything moving – just sandy ground, the colour of which darkened and lightened depending on how much sunlight reached it. Not even boulders littered the ravine floor, which was rather odd. Certainly no rock falls to block the way thus far, either, if they'd been on foot.

They had almost reached the end of the winding gorge, but were unable to see further due to the curtain of mist that hung a short way ahead. Without warning, a flaming sword sliced the air in front of them in an arc. Zac barked, and Nairel yowled and reared, beating his wings frantically in an attempt to fly backwards – which, to Liam's surprise, he did. Singed feathers scattered as ryokin and rider craned their necks to see where the attack had come from. Nairel let out a series of short clicking noises, and the other ryokin responded instantly, forming a circle back to back. The sky appeared empty save for them. Zac growled, but Liam knew from the tone that it was a 'because I got a fright' growl, not a warning of unseen enemies.

Wide-eyed, Jolither shouted, "Did anyone see what that was?"

Shalise whispered, "A flaming sword."

Next to Liam, on Noka, Arthean asked, "So what now? Do we try to go on?"

Liam said, "We must. We can't give up so easily after coming this far."

Jaeda said, "Liam's right. It would be a waste. Everything we've been through for nothing."

The others were uncertain. The flaming sword had spooked the ryokin, who were still glancing around in case the wielder appeared.

Jaeda said, "That shadow creature – Toman – obviously didn't want Arthean to get here. Surely that alone is good enough reason to go on?"

A look Liam couldn't identify flickered in her eyes; it made him uncomfortable.

Arthean said, "Yes, I would like to know why people I don't know are trying to kill me."

Jaeda said, "And the answers could lie beyond the mountains." She swept out her arm towards the unknown land.

Jolither looked at Biv and Shalise, who nodded. "Then it's settled. Let's go."

The ryokin broke formation and flew on, but, not even three wing strokes later, a burning sword cut them off again. This time, it didn't disappear as each ryokin yelped and shot backwards in a way that Liam would have found comical if he hadn't been riding one. He gulped back vomit before it reached his mouth and stared at the flaming, wielder-less sword as it spun omni-directional, so fast they couldn't make out its details, other than to see it appeared to be a normal sword that's blade was on fire.

It could only be the legendary sword of flame that guarded the way to the Tree of Life.

Awe-filled exhilaration swept through Liam. Something no one had seen for aeons gyrated before him, taunting him with its purpose – to bar the way to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Origin, Liam's destination.

There must be a way around it, though... They were so close – only about another kilometre and they would be there. Already, the green valley on the other side of Tetrad Mountains was visible in the distance, though Liam was unable to make out any details. They'd come so far. To be turned back now was unthinkable. He glanced to his left, where Noka hovered. Arthean was fixated on the sword, as were all the others. At Liam's urging, Nairel ducked under it and raced on, only to find it blocking his way again. The ryokin skidded in mid-air to avoid colliding with the flaming blade, and Liam looked back to see the others where he'd left them.

The dratted sword must be capable of teleportation. It seemed to have a life of its own, so he tried talking to it, softly so the others wouldn't hear his desperation. "Please, I just want to find the Creator of all."

The sword gyrated before him, emitting a soft hum. Liam was unsure if the sound had been there all along, since it was barely discernable.

"Please," he pleaded. "If no one else, just let us through. Just me and the ryokin. Please!"

The sword continued to spin, either an inanimate object or a sentient being ignoring him – there was no way of telling which. There was also no way he was getting past it, he realised in dismay. Nairel tried to dodge around it, but wherever the ryokin went, the sword gyrated, appearing in front of him as if by magic. Perhaps it had been created that way, like a programmed machine, to stop anyone from passing. Hope surged through Liam as an idea came to him. He turned to beckon to the others, and watched the sword carefully as they drew near. It did nothing different, to his disappointment – he'd hoped it would teleport away from him to them, so he could get past it before it realised what had happened.

The others drew alongside and he said, "If we spread out enough, and then head for the valley, the sword won't be able to stop all of us. At least some of us might get through."

Arthean frowned. "And then what? What if only one of us gets through and there's danger?" He gave Liam a knowing look.

Liam shrugged. "Got any better ideas?"

Arthean's eyes glinted in what Liam knew was irritation – he'd seen that look before.

Jolither warned, "It may not be that easy. I'm sure at some point in the past ryokin riders attempted what we are now. Yet no story even hints that anyone has made it there and back."

Shalise agreed, "Not ever."

Eindar nodded. "Yes, some things are best left alone, and maybe this is one of them."

Arthean said, "Maybe they were just sworn to secrecy."

Irritated by the negativity, Liam was glad when Arthean backed him up. Then Jaeda did, too, which unnerved him – the Ilanenorian had been awfully quiet for most of the time he'd travelled with her, both now and before, yet she had become quite vocal as they'd neared the suspected location of the Garden of Origin. It wasn't her words that bothered him – it was that it was out of character for her. He would have to keep an eye on her... As Arthean said, 'gut feelings' shouldn't be ignored. At the same time, however, he was well aware of how paranoid he could be. Time would tell.

Jaeda cut into his thoughts as she tried to convince the others. "I'm willing to try. What have we to lose? I mean, the stories tell of being turned away by a flaming sword and terrifying creatures, yet none have ever mentioned anyone actually dying because they tried, and most people would find ryokin terrifying, so you can hardly judge it on how the strange creatures look."

Arthean said, "The stories do say the creatures are vicious, though. Maybe they'd kill anyone who wasn't too afraid to run."

Liam added, "People might have just assumed that – they'd probably label ryokin vicious too if they saw them for the first time. People are also morbid. If anyone had died, those would be the stories most told."

Arthean and Jolither frowned. Liam grinned. His logic was good and they knew it.

Jaeda said, "Besides, we haven't seen any mythical creatures yet. For all we know, they don't exist."

Liam said, "Yes, we all know how people like to embellish stories. The more time goes by, the more embellishments are added. Or maybe the creatures did once exist, but died of old age long before our births."

Jaeda nodded. "That's right. Come on, everyone. Are Liam and I really the only ones willing to try?"

The others gave in grudgingly and spread out a few metres apart. To Liam's left was Arthean, and to his right, Jaeda. When Nairel gave the signal to the other ryokin, they simultaneously swooped – some up, some down and some forward – in an attempt to get past the flaming sword and into the valley. The sword gyrated faster, appearing first in front of one, then another, so fast it was a blur, and each ryokin was halted just long enough for the sword to halt at least two more before the first had recovered. Liam realised with joy that, because there were so many of them, it was merely slowing them, not preventing them from moving forward. He grinned at Arthean and gave him the thumbs up, and the monk scowled back at him as Noka reared to avoid the flaming sword that had just appeared in front of him.

Nairel dived, still heading for the valley. They were so close that Liam could almost smell the grass in his imagination. Nairel sped towards it so fast that the others were left quite far behind. Liam knew it would stress Arthean and slowed so the monk could catch up. He turned to see how far behind he was, but twisted forward again when Zac gave a sharp yap and Nairel spat in fright and flapped his wings hard, coming to an immediate stop.

Before them floated four cherubim of legend.

The fearsome creatures could only be the ones the legends spoke of, because the descriptions told in stories were detailed and perfectly matched what Liam now looked at, from the four heads, torso, limbs and wings. They were massive beings, at least seven times Nairel's size, and Liam's heart sank as he realised there would be no way past them. Each cherubim had one head with four faces – a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. They turned clockwise, each face staring at Liam in turn. He shivered; it felt as if they looked into his soul, judging him, and he was certain they would find him unworthy.

Two wings stretched upward from each cherubim's back, vanishing into the clouds – the wings that were said to meet above and sustain the throne of God. Liam stared up in awe – could it be true? A second set of wings extended down, covering the creature's torsos so that all Liam could see was that they were humanoid in shape, with human hands and calves' feet.

Zac yapped and Liam held the dog's jaw closed in case the four-faced creatures took the barks as a sign of attack. His chest tightened, and he wondered if he'd pushed his luck too far this time. Would the cherubim kill him for getting this far? Already, he had seen more of what lay beyond Tetrad Mountains than anyone else alive. Would he die for his efforts, so close to reaching his goal, and would the others die with him for their aid in his thwarting the flaming sword?

The cherubim looked past Liam, and he glanced back at Arthean, who had almost reached him. Fear rose in his chest, forcing bile into his throat. He swallowed hard and shouted a panicked, "Stay back!"

Arthean ignored him.

Liam turned to the cherubim. "Please, don't kill him. He thinks he's doing the right thing." He hesitated. Should he mention that he, too, thought he was doing the right thing? It was the right thing for him personally, at any rate. "He's a man of God," he added, hoping that would make a difference. After all, the cherubim were said to be angels of God. "He's very holy."

Arthean reached them, his eyes wide. "What are you doing? Get back!" he shouted.

Liam flinched. "I-I-"

"Fear has paralysed you! Come! Nairel!"

The cherubim bent towards them, the human face of each facing forward. With sixteen voices speaking as one, they fixated on Liam and asked, "For what reason do you wish to pass?"

Liam's mouth hung open – he'd never heard such silken yet husky, whispery yet booming voices before. "I-I-I..." Silence hung in the air until Liam found his voice. Embarrassed, he avoided Arthean's eyes and said, "I've lost myself and I think I can find myself somewhere in there." He pointed at the valley beyond the mountains. Now that he'd said it out loud, it sounded utterly ridiculous.

The cherubim's heads swivelled and the ox face of each looked at Liam. Sixteen voices asked, "And?"

Liam took a deep breath. "And... I've seen so much evil. I-I... I just want to see the opposite. Else what's the point of anything?"

The heads swivelled again to reveal the lion faces. "What do you think the point of anything is?"

Arthean exclaimed, "To love and be loved, of course!"

Liam stared at the monk, shocked by his sudden boldness.

The cherubim looked at Arthean, then turned to Liam again. "What do you think the point of anything is?"

Liam hesitated. Had Arthean's answer not been the one they were looking for?

The heads turned and the eagle faces said, "We seek your answer, not Arthean's."

Liam frowned. They knew Arthean's name. Never mind that – their reply to his unspoken question didn't reveal what they thought of Arthean's answer. Liam sighed. They would probably know if he was lying, so there was nothing left for him to do except turn away or answer honestly.

Liam looked into the beady eagles' eyes and said, "Sometimes I don't think there is a point to anything. Sometimes I think someone up there..." He pointed at where their topmost pair of wings vanished into the clouds. "...Just likes to entertain themselves with my life. With all our lives. Sometimes, though," he rushed on breathlessly, "I feel a comforting presence, like someone really does care. It's confusing and frustrating, and I want to go there..." He pointed towards the valley again. "...So I can find out for myself, because I'm tired of wondering about important things that most people think I'll forfeit my soul over if I end up having the wrong opinions or beliefs about, although I don't see how that's fair, since there are so many lies amongst whatever truth is left for us to find that knowing what the truth of creation is has become practically impossible."

Still avoiding Arthean's gaze in case there was disappointment in the monk's eyes at his answer, Liam stared at the cherubim, studying their faces to see if his reply had upset them.

Their heads pivoted again and the human faces said, "You want to find yourself and your reason for being. What would you do with this knowledge?"

Without hesitation, Arthean blurted, "Share it with everyone I could!"

Liam glanced at the monk, then said, "That depends on what I find. Some say that to know the full truth would cause chaos, and then more people would be miserable or hurt than already are. If the truth will make the world – the universe – a better place, I'd share it. If not, I'd keep it to myself... although that would probably drive me mad, but I'd rather go mad than be the reason the world as we know it turned to chaos."

The necks rotated and the lion faces said, "He who searches for himself, he who searches for a reason for being and he who puts those he doesn't like before his own sanity, he shall be allowed entrance. So it is written." Before Liam could register his excitement, the lion faces went on, "However, such a man must make sacrifices."

Liam's heart sank. What sacrifices did they speak of? He wouldn't give up Zac again, and the monk was one of the few people he fully trusted, so he wasn't about to give him up, either. It might be better to just give up the quest...

The necks swivelled again and the ox faces said, "Your coming was foretold from the beginning of time. It is too late to turn back now." The faces spun again, faster and faster, becoming a blur as their words whipped the air. "Your sacrifices will save three souls and thereby gain you favour with your Creator. You four..."

Liam jumped as arms wrapped around Zac from behind, pulling the dog tightly against his chest. He twisted his neck to find Joshua there, his eyes wide with terror and his face snow white. Strangely, Nairel didn't seem too bothered about having Joshua ride him this time.

"...And you four only shall pass."

Arthean objected, "But I'm meant to protect him! That's been written too!"

"Not all that is written is truth."

"I cannot leave him alone with..." He hesitated, and Liam knew he meant to say 'Lucifer'.

"There is nothing that can harm him past this point."

Arthean asked, "Can you guarantee his safety?"

"We can."

Arthean's face reflected his rising panic. "And what about evil setting foot in the Garden of Origin?"

The cherubims' heads stopped spinning and the human faces smiled at Arthean.

Liam asked, "Are you sure it's my coming that's foretold?"

"Yours and others."

"But I'm a nobody!"

The heads rotated even faster. "In that is your value."

Liam tingled all over, like he always did just before teleporting.

"Touch not the Tree of Life."

With that, the cherubim teleported Liam behind them. Liam looked back to where Arthean appeared to be arguing in vain with the wondrous and terrifying creatures.

Joshua – or Lucifer – asked, "What are you waiting for? This is your chance."

Liam recalled the legend that said if evil ever set foot in the Garden of Origin, the balance of good and evil would be destroyed. Chaos would rule, the fabric of time might be destroyed, and, thereafter, the universe itself. Surely the cherubim wouldn't have let them pass, though, let alone insist that a possessed man go with, if that was true? It could be that they hadn't sensed Lucifer's presence in Joshua, but Liam doubted that. Lucifer would hardly leave the body he possessed when he thought that body was being taken to the Garden of Origin. Originally, they had planned to take him to the garden, but not into it. He would have been left on the outskirts with Biv and Eindar to guard him.

That part of the story had to be wrong, Liam decided. Since Nairel was certain the cherubim would not allow them back – at least, not yet – Liam commanded the ryokin forward and it flew unhindered towards the Garden of Origin.

<><><>

The greenest valley Liam had ever seen came fully into view as Nairel soared past the mountain's edge. A sense of peace pervaded the sky above the grasslands, with trees and shrubs dotting the landscape and bright patches of colour from the many flowers that blanketed large areas of ground. From the air, what could only be the legendary River of Eden was visible in the distance. It originated in the ocean, flowing uphill, against the laws of gravity, meandering towards the desert on the opposite side. Surely only the hand of some great Creator could prevent it's salty water from killing all life in the garden, Liam mused. About halfway across the garden, it split into four rivers that flowed north, east, south-east and south respectively, each ending in a lake. Liam briefly wondered if the river and the four lakes it fed contained sea monsters, like the ocean was said to. Where the river split, a large tree rose majestically, taller than the others – the Tree of Life, Liam instantly knew without doubt, for he felt recharged just looking at it.

Nairel landed at the river fork and sank to his stomach so Liam could disembark. Sweet birdsong filled the air as if in welcome, though the birds remained out of sight. The moment Liam's feet touched the ground, a tingle shot up through them, coursing through the rest of his body and relaxing his mind as all the stress, guilt and worry he'd been carrying fell away.

Zac struggled to be free.

"Relax!" Liam commanded. "I can't untie you if you wriggle so much!"

Zac became quiet, as if he understood – most of the time, Liam believed he did, even though the majority of people thought the idea was ridiculous. Liam undid the knot and Zac squirmed out of his arms and ran in a circle around him barking happily, then dashed around sniffing the plants and shrubs. Liam hoped he wouldn't mark his territory – the closest tree was the Tree of Life.

"It's untouched," Joshua whispered, his voice filled with awe and his eyes with greed.

Liam jumped; he'd almost forgotten about Lucifer. He glanced around to see if it looked like the world was about to explode or turn bad. Everything appeared normal, and as peaceful as one would expect considering the location. Liam imagined that Lucifer already planned the garden's destruction, hence his avaricious expression. He hoped that just being in the Garden of Origin would strengthen Joshua enough so that he could give Lucifer the boot.

The grass was soft and springy under Liam's feet as he walked towards the Tree of Life, followed by Joshua and Zac, who still stopped to sniff everything, his tail wagging madly. Nairel had settled where he'd landed, sprawled on his side, content to relax and enjoy the sun. Liam stopped a few places from the tree, not wanting to walk under its low-hanging branches in case he touched one of them – the cherubim had said not to touch the tree, and, since they hadn't specified a body part, such as hands, he figured it was best to play it safe and not touch it with any body part. Joshua made as if to move closer, but Liam put out a hand and stopped him.

"Didn't you hear what they said?" he snapped. "Don't touch it! Don't even brush against it."

Joshua looked paler than Liam remembered him, and sweat beaded his brow.

Liam asked, "Are you okay?"

Joshua nodded. "I think so. I just feel a bit weak all of a sudden. And cold. It must be from flying so high."

Liam looked at Joshua doubtfully as his friend lost his balance and grabbed Liam's shoulder for support.

"I think you should sit."

"I think it's just the shock of where I am."

Liam nodded. It made sense that being in the garden would weaken the evil inhabiting his friend. "Probably, but sit anyway." He helped Joshua to a nearby rock, then looked around for Zac, who was oddly quiet. The dog sat a short distance away, panting and looking a bit miserable.

Liam frowned. Something was wrong – Joshua feeling ill was logical by deduction, but Zac not displaying his usual enthusiasm for a new place? Nothing about that was right. This was a new place to explore, and, usually, the dog would race around any new area for at least half an hour before settling down. Liam went up to him and checked him – his nose was dry and he looked a little dehydrated, but that was most likely from the windy flight. Otherwise, he looked perfectly normal save for the personality change.

Unease spread cold fingers through Liam as he gazed at the nearby Tree of Life, its branches swaying gently in the breeze. The cherubims' words lanced through his mind. Such a man must make sacrifices. Liam's mind went numb. He looked at Zac again, who exposed his teeth in a toothy grin, then at Joshua, who now rested his head in his hands. Sacrifices – plural. Not his two best friends. Please don't let it be them...

Joshua whispered, "Liam..."

Liam raced to his side and knelt. "What's wrong?"

"My head hurts," Joshua mumbled, then looked down at Liam with fear-filled eyes. "I'm going back to Hell. I don't want to go back there."

Liam's eyes narrowed in suspicion as a wave of malice swept over him. "Why not? You don't have to try to be ruler there!"

Joshua mumbled miserably, "Why do you think I keep trying to rule the planets in this galaxy and others? Hell is a horrible place. It's far too hot and I don't like it there. He's doing it to be spiteful. That's all."

"Who is?"

Joshua snarled, "You know who. He always has to spoil my fun!"

Zac whined behind him and Liam spun to see his furry friend lying on the grass, his nose between his paws and Nairel sitting next to him, looking at him with a worried expression.

Joshua forgotten, Liam rushed to Zac's side. "What's wrong, boy?"

Zac's nose was drier than before and, when Liam lifted his skin, it didn't go back down – a sign of major dehydration. It wasn't possible. Only moments ago, Zac had been only slightly dehydrated. It was insane, but it seemed as if just being in the garden was making him sick, and Joshua – or Lucifer, it appeared – too, by the looks of things. Such a man must make sacrifices.

Liam prayed vehemently, no, not Zac! Not again!

Zac licked his hand and looked up at him with an expression that seemed to say 'don't worry; I'll be fine', then laid his head on Liam's knee and closed his eyes.

Liam's heart sank and he knew – he felt – Zac pass away. Despite that, he grasped the dog's head and shook it. "Wake up! Open your eyes, damn you! You are not going to leave me again!"

Black smoke spiralled from Zac's nostrils, seeming to sizzle into nothingness almost as soon as it exited. Liam frowned. Arthean had said that was what happened when a demon left a possessed person. Zac hadn't been possessed, though; Liam was certain of it. His furry friend had been just that – his friend and only his friend. Even Nairel had seen that, for he'd befriended Zac, whereas he wouldn't let the possessed Joshua anywhere near him – not by choice, at any rate.

Such a man must make sacrifices.

Zac remained motionless. Liam checked his pulse and found none.

Such a man must make sacrifices.

Liam shook his fist at the sky. "Not Zac! Damn you! Damn you for bringing him back just so you could take him again!"

Your sacrifices will save three souls.

"Damn you!" Liam broke down and wept.

CHAPTER 18

Some time later, Joshua's weak voice snapped Liam back to reality. "Liam..."

Still holding Zac's fresh corpse, Liam twisted his neck and focussed tear-blurred eyes on Joshua. He lay on his side now, for how long was anybody's guess. Sacrifices – plural; more than one. Not Joshua too... He glanced at Nairel, who sat by his side; the ryokin seemed healthy. He breathed out heavily in relief; he'd grown quite fond of the long-toothed Nairel, who no longer appeared nearly as terrifying as he first had.

Liam placed Zac's head gently on the grass, then went to Joshua's side. He peered into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Joshua's eyes were like saucers as he grasped Liam's shirt and pulled him closer. "Listen to... me. I don't... have much... time," he gasped. "He fights... to c-come... back." His eyes rolled back and his free hand waved at where Zac lay. "He fought it... and won..." A smile twitched his lips momentarily. "I w-w-wasn't s-so s-strong."

"Who fought what?"

"Zac... f-fought... won." Joshua's chest heaved and his grasp on Liam's shirt tightened. "Listen. You m-must listen." He coughed. "Not much... t-time. The... only... way... t-to g-get r-rid of... L-L-Lucifer... is d-death."

Liam's heart sank. "No. Absolutely not! Tell me what's happening to you!" He twisted out of Joshua's grasp and leant back on his haunches.

Joshua smiled, then grimaced in pain as sweat flowed down his face in rivulets. "Listen... My ch-choices... were b-bad... Brought this about. I'll b-be... okay." He smiled again. "My bag... crystals t-to g-get... you b-back... home. Use... three... for that... d-distance."

Liam shook his head. "I don't know how to use the teleportation crystals. You have to survive... or I'm not going home."

Joshua smiled. "Lucif-fer... being t-taught... a lesson. Necessary... Don't need... to know... C-crystals know... H-had t-to m-make d-deal with... Devil... Knew he... wouldn't k-keep... it. Got him... here." His eyes twinkled with mirth. "K-knew it would... g-get him out."

Liam scowled. Joshua wasn't making any sense. How could his friend have known for definite how to get rid of Lucifer? Last time they'd spoken, he hadn't hinted at that.

"You know... h-how."

Liam drew a sharp breath. Had Joshua been given instructions by God, like before, when he had been told to hunt demons? He shook his head to clear it. "How could the crystals know how to teleport? They're just things, inanimate matter."

"P-programmed... Listen..." Joshua wheezed. "Mustn't... t-touch them... t-till you're... ready."

"Ready for what?"

Joshua stared with glazed eyes at something only he could see. "One of... us... will... m-meet his... Maker... here." He smiled. "Just... l-like you... said... we'd f-find God in the Garden of Eden. I'm g-going t-to."

Joshua seemed to fold in on himself as he collapsed with black smoke pouring from his lungs to sizzle in the air and pop out of existence. Liam stumbled back and landed on his backside, staring at Joshua's corpse in disbelief as it spontaneously combusted, leaving nothing but ash behind – not nearly enough to be the full burnt body, though. Where had the rest of his physical mass gone?

Such a man must make sacrifices.

How many sacrifices did he have to make before it was enough?

Your sacrifices will save three souls.

Was it a soul for a soul, or were these two sacrifices so great they could save an extra soul between them? To Liam, they were the greatest sacrifices of all – true friends lost so strangers could live... or did his soul also count? Would Nairel be next, or was Liam to die here, too? He focussed on his breathing, trying to feel if anything was wrong with him. He didn't feel ill or even tired. He got up and stumbled over to Zac's corpse, then dropped beside it and stroked his friend's fur. Nairel nudged Liam with his nose, but Liam ignored the ryokin. Zac had been his sun in the fog of life, and to have him taken away a second time was unbearable. In Zac, he had always been assured of a friend at his side, who would follow him across the galaxy just for the pleasure of his company, even if some of the places he visited were hostile. As loyal as Nairel was by nature, he wouldn't follow Liam back to his Earth, where he'd be hunted and probably end up on a metal table with his insides out. Not that Liam blamed him for that, of course. It was just that Zac would have risked it regardless.

Whose expectations would he live up to now? Only Zac had thought more highly of him than he deserved... No one else ever would.

Liam's chest threatened to cave in under the icy grip of loss.

<><><>

Liam must have sat there for hours, because, when he snapped out of his haze of memories, the sun was low on the horizon. Arthean would be in a mad panic by now. He rose on shaky legs and looked around. The garden was too large for him to see all of it at once from the ground, but he hadn't seen any dwellings from the air, and no caves were visible in the rock face over which he'd come. Nowhere for anyone to take cover, either, since the bushes and trees were widely scattered. The Tree of Life looked like any other tree, but it was a fig tree, not apple, as most legends and biblical texts told. Although it was untouched beauty, as Lucifer had pointed out, all in all, the Garden of Origin held nothing spectacular that Liam could see... certainly not the Creator or any of the answers he'd come for. His lips curled down as bitterness coursed through him.

Nairel nudged him again, and Liam stroked the ryokin's head without thinking, like he used to do with Zac. Nairel purred, the vibrations pulsing through Liam. He felt deflated – it seemed he'd come to the garden only to find nothing but more loss and pain. Clearly the only thing worth guarding with such power as the cherubim and flaming sword was the Tree of Life. It might be worth the wrath of God to see what effect eating a fig would have... Maybe all my questions answered. Liam shook off the thought – the biblical Adam and Eve had tried that, according to legend. For all I know, it was them and that single act that turned the world to shit.

The back of Liam's neck prickled – it felt as if he was being watched. Could it be the Creator of everything? He spun in a full circle, but saw no one. His hairs stood on end and the sensation of scrutinising eyes intensified. He squinted up into the Tree of Life's branches. The innocent face of the teenage girl he'd rescued from Sah's dungeons smiled down at him. Her face, half hidden by her long brown hair, was unblemished, as if she'd never been kicked in it with a steel-tipped boot. But her bright yellow eyes... those were unmistakably hers.

Liam took a step back and looked at Nairel; the ryokin seemed happy enough with the girl's presence. How was this possible? They'd left her in a sickbed at Tridor two days ago. He jumped back when she floated down from the tree and landed barefoot on the grass. She wore the white robes of all nuns on this Earth – the same the nuns had dressed her in after her arrival at Tridor. This wasn't possible. I'm hallucinating. I'm sick, like Joshua and Zac were. She's at Tridor. I'm going to die. Crazy.

Liam clutched his head, where a headache had formed.

Her voice was musical when she spoke. "I'm as real as you, but not the same." She smiled at him.

Liam looked at her and whispered, "Are you dead?"

"No. Nor will I be any time soon – Certhon is very good at what he does, as are your Ilanenorian friends." Her smile broadened and she gestured to the ash pile and Zac's corpse. "Your other two friends are in a better place – this, I know for a fact, for I've seen the Hereafter. No one worthy of entering the Garden of Origin will go anywhere other than the glorious place I've seen, so mourn them not, for they were deemed worthy despite the evil they were host to. The evil within each was forced out in this holiest of holy places and sent back to the darkness from which it came, for no evil can survive the Creator's residual presence in this place. Your friends' mortal bodies could not take the strain of this, but their rewards are great, so celebrate, Searcher."

Liam massaged his temples, battling to understand her words through the blood rushing through his ears. "You can't be here."

"Yet I am. Some things are not for you to understand. Not yet."

Liam scowled. "Don't give me that 'time and place for everything' crap! I came here for answers! Why must you be so obscure?"

Her smile faded and she looked at him sadly. "All souls must find their own answers, though they may receive help from time to time when the road is narrow and the wind against them."

It hit Liam that she'd told him to celebrate his loss, and he snapped, "You want me to celebrate death? What kind of sicko are you?"

"Not all deaths are for celebrating. Your two friends' physical deaths are, though, for they now reside in a much happier place."

Could she be right? Feeling guilty at how harshly he had spoken to her, Liam insisted, "You aren't here. You can't be!"

"I am in the deep sleep you call a coma, but I will awake in due course."

Liam jolted. "That can't be. Jolither and the others healed you."

"They tried. My... differences... prevented the Earth Magic from having full effect. It helped, but the rest is up to my body, I'm afraid, and that will take some time."

"I see."

Her smile was sad this time. "My name is Lenora Fairen. Remember it, for you will hear it again at an unexpected time in the future. That is the time I will need another favour from you."

"Favour? What favour? What are you talking about?"

"All in time, Liam. For now, know that you saved my life and I'm here to return the favour."

Liam stared at her. "Are you saying you came here to do me some favour... what, teleported out of your coma?"

Lenora laughed. "Not quite. I astral travelled while my body heals – for my kind, it goes a lot faster when the soul isn't around to hinder it."

"Your kind?" Liam stood with frozen feet as she came closer, gliding just above the grass. He gulped. "So you came here to do me a favour, because I saved your life, but also because – mostly because, I think – you want a favour at some point? What if I don't agree to swap favours?"

Lenora shrugged. "I didn't come here to swap favours. Only to bestow one. Whether or not you return the favour when the opportunity arises is for you to decide when the time comes."

Liam sighed. "What favour are you offering?"

"Knowledge. I've seen three things that you need to know if you're to survive the coming crisis."

"What crisis? Haven't I been through enough already?"

Lenora smiled sadly. "That's what everyone thinks, yet there are always those who go through even more. Now, I have three pieces of knowledge for you – three thoughts to remember. Each is vital to your soul's ultimate survival. I also have a vision of the distant future to share, and a warning for the near future."

Liam folded his arms, shivering despite the sun's warmth.

Lenora said, "All days come from one day." She paused as if to let it sink in. "Darkness always tries to snuff the light in good people by throwing dark things at them." She paused again and drew close enough to touch, her seriousness belying her youth. "One cannot always discern ultimate right from wrong, but one must always make the choices that feel right."

The words burnt into Liam's mind, along with the image of Zac licking his hand one last time before his head had dropped. Liam hugged himself tighter.

"Be warned – one among you has used you to gain entry to the Garden of Origin, and, now that they have been thwarted, will soon betray you. They work with Toman, who conjured the shadow creature to kill your monk friend."

"But why?"

"Because he's so good at spotting danger and protecting you from it."

Liam's chest burnt.

"In the coming months, you will befriend a man called Travis. You will become closer than brothers, but there will come a time when you will choose to betray him."

Liam said matter-of-factly, "I don't betray my friends. Ever."

Lenora looked sad as she whispered, "Do not forget my words, Searcher. So much depends on it..."

Liam blinked and she was gone.

Had he imagined her? He looked at Nairel, who bobbed his head and produced a toothy smile – it amused the ryokin that Liam thought he might have hallucinated the entire conversation. The ryokin had seen the teenager too, so he wasn't going mad, at least, although mass hallucinations weren't unheard of. Madness might be preferable to whatever his future held, judging by the warnings Lenora had given.

<><><>

Nairel sped across the darkening skies, as eager as Liam to rejoin the others, who they found waiting for them where the ravine ended at the other side of Tetrad Mountains. All looked worried and welcomed Liam with shouts of excitement, but Arthean had been pacing nearest to their landing spot, and he practically pulled Liam from Nairel's back before the others had reached him.

The monk scanned Liam's face and patted his arms and back as if to make sure he was still in one piece. "You were gone forever! Are you okay? What did you find? Where's Joshua? Where's...?" Arthean's eyes widened and it was obvious that he'd just realised what must have happened to Zac – if anyone knew how unlikely it was that Liam would leave the dog behind, it was the blond monk. "Oh no... I'm so sorry."

Liam turned away and said, "I don't want to talk about it."

"S-sure..."

The group stood in silence as Liam let Arthean lead him to the fire. He was careful to block his thoughts as best he could so whoever the traitor was wouldn't be alerted to his knowledge of them. Shalise pressed a mug of tea into his hands and Liam took it, but didn't sip from it –Shalise might be the betrayer Lenora had warned about, for all he knew. He tried to remember if he'd seen any of the Ilanenorians act friendly with Toman, but couldn't remember the greasy haired man talking to anyone in particular. He frowned as Jolither sat beside him and handed him a bowl of vegetable soup.

Liam raised his eyebrows and indicated the bowl. "Hand-carved?"

Jolither nodded and Liam frowned again – the soup could be poisoned, or the bowl enchanted with some type of black Earth Magic. Biv sat opposite, his features highlighted ominously by the fire as it flickered across his face – was that an angry, hate-filled look or just the flames at play? Jaeda sat next to Biv on the right, glowering into the flames. Once again, the Ilanenorian was quiet, except this time it seemed out of character and ominous. Eindar sat to Biv's left, and Liam thought his stare might be more than just interest to hear what was on the other side of Tetrad Mountains.

Arthean sat to Liam's left – the only one he knew for a fact he could trust, since whomever the traitor was worked with the monk's would-be assassin. He had to talk to the monk in private. The traitor could be any one of the Ilanenorians. If Zac was here, he'd sniff out the traitor... Liam shoved aside the unwelcome reminder that Zac was gone. He caught Arthean's eye and the monk nodded, his eyes shining with questions. It looked as if he was about to burst from barely contained curiosity.

Jolither cleared his throat. "So... what was the Garden of Origin like?"

Jaeda stared at Liam.

Liam shrugged. "Beautiful, but... Well, pretty much as stunning as any other untouched natural habitat, but nothing out of the ordinary."

Eindar asked, "Did you see the Tree of Life?"

Liam nodded.

Shalise asked, "Is it an apple tree, like history claims?"

Liam shook his head. "It's a fig tree."

Arthean exclaimed, "Figs! My word..."

Eindar asked, "Were you tempted to eat one?"

Liam scowled at him. Was the question intended to gather information for the enemy, or was it innocent curiosity?

Eindar must have seen the irritation on Liam's face, because he added, "I'm not saying you did that. Not that I'd blame you, mind you... if you thought about it, I mean. The Tree of Life, holder of all knowledge of good and evil... I can't say I wouldn't have been tempted."

Liam wasn't about to admit he'd been tempted in front of one of the enemy, whoever that may be. "I didn't eat a fig. I didn't eat anything in the garden."

Arthean slapped him on the back. "Of course you didn't!"

Biv changed the topic. "Did you meet...? Well... did you meet the Creator?"

Liam narrowed his eyes at the beefy Ilanenorian. Was he trying to locate the Creator so he could lead his evil master to battle him? It seemed a good idea not to say anything that would give away any sort of information or encourage anyone to keep up their attempts to enter, although Liam doubted they'd get past the cherubim, even if they did manage to bypass the flaming sword.

Jolither prodded, "Well, did you?"

Maybe Jolither was the one... He seemed a little pushier than usual. Liam rubbed his temple and placed the mug of herbal tea at his feet. Shalise frowned; was she upset that he hadn't drunk her poison?

Liam sighed. "I didn't see anyone there. To be honest..." He studied the faces focussed on him, trying to gauge all their reactions at once. "...It was a disappointment. There was nothing of interest other than the tree I was told not to touch."

Shalise asked, "So you think the whole thing is just a test?"

Liam shrugged. "Who knows? All I know is that I sacrificed and got nothing in return. No answers. Nothing. Just a whole lot more questions and my two best friends dead."

Arthean frowned. Liam knew he was eager to ask about Zac, but wouldn't in front of the others.

Liam asked, "Where are Joshua's things?"

Biv replied, "At Tridor. We stopped off there to lighten our loads on our way to meet you. Why?"

"Just some personal things with sentimental value that I'd like to have."

Jaeda had still said nothing. But that's normal for her. There's nothing odd about it, Liam tried to convince his paranoid internal voice.

Shalise asked, "Are...? Joshua and Zac..." She looked into Liam's angry eyes, and her voice lowered. "Where are they?"

His tone cold and flat, Liam replied, "Dead." He clenched his hands. "Sacrifices so that some unknown 'three souls' can live, whoever they may be!"

Jolither said, "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." Liam stood. "I don't want to talk about it. I need to be alone for a bit – I'm going for a walk."

He walked along the mountains' base in the direction of Tridor Monastery, part of him wanting to keep walking until he got there. If he knew Arthean as well as he thought he did, the monk would soon follow him, then they could speak in private and Liam could release the flood of information his head now stored. He was terrified he would forget the details before he'd shared them with Arthean.

<><><>

Liam walked for ten minutes, then sat on a semi-flat rock protrusion with his back against the mountain and waited for Arthean. The area where he rested was clear of shrubs or trees for a few metres around, ensuring that no one could sneak up to eavesdrop. He was right – the monk arrived not two minutes after he'd stopped.

Liam managed a smile for him. "I'm glad some things never change."

Arthean blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I can always count on you not to leave me alone when I say I want to be left alone."

Arthean folded his arms and whispered, "Well, that's only because I care!"

"I know. I know. I'm just teasing. I was counting on you to follow me. Have a seat."

Arthean sat next to him. "So what wouldn't you say in front of the others?"

The monk was astute – as suspected, he knew it wasn't just that Liam wanted to keep his pain over Zac's death private.

Liam smiled grimly. "One of the Ilanenorians is a traitor, working with Sah and Lucifer. They hoped to enter the Garden of Origin with us."

"So they could spread chaos through the land."

Liam sighed. "So they thought, but not quite. Joshua was still possessed, remember? He entered, and there is no chaos. The old texts had it a little wrong – evil cannot survive in the garden. It has something to do with the Creator's residual aura."

"Ah! That makes sense... So he..." Arthean paused. "So Joshua died... as Joshua? Free of the Devil?"

Liam nodded. "Yes."

"That's something."

"I guess."

"So who's the traitor?"

Glum, Liam replied, "I don't know."

"You trust me, though. How do you know it isn't me?"

So astute, Liam thought again. "You're the only one I know for a fact it isn't."

"I realise that, but how?"

"I wasn't quite truthful about gaining no knowledge or meeting no one in the garden."

Arthean exclaimed, "I knew it! I saw it in your eyes!"

"Let me finish!"

"Sorry." Arthean settled down again.

"You know that teenage girl we left at Tridor?"

"Yes, the one you rescued from Sah's dungeon. What about her?"

"Jolither and the others were going to heal her, yet she said she was still in a coma and her body was healing itself."

Arthean's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

"That teenager was in the garden... after Zac and Joshua... passed on."

Arthean exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

Liam held up a hand to silence the monk. "Not if she astral travelled, it isn't."

"Astral travelled?"

"Yes. It's when you leave your body while it still lives. The soul travels without the body, then returns when it wants."

Arthean shuddered. "It sounds dangerous. Do you not risk snapping the silver cord that binds the body and soul if you do this?"

"I don't know. Regardless, she claimed to still be in the coma back at Tridor."

"My goodness!"

Liam asked, "Did you hear anything about her condition before we left? Didn't Jolither and the others heal her?"

Arthean shook his head. "They tried. They could heal her external wounds, but something blocked the Earth Magic from complete healing. When we left, she was still comatose."

"So she may have been telling the truth." Liam stared at the ground. "Anyway, she told me that Toman and the traitor were working together."

"So it was Toman who conjured the shadow creature?"

Liam nodded. "Yes. They tried to kill you because you apparently do too good a job of sensing danger and thwarting it."

Arthean grinned. "Oh, really?"

The monk looked ecstatic that evil thought him such a great threat, and Liam had to smile. "So she says. Her name's Lenora, by the way."

"Yes, she looks like a Lenora."

"How can anyone look like a name?"

Arthean beamed. "I don't know. The name fits her, though. A beautiful name for a beautiful child."

Liam corrected, "Teenager."

"Same thing, really. Almost, anyway."

"Oh, and she hinted that she wasn't human. She spoke about 'her kind'."

"What is she, then?"

Liam shrugged. "No idea. She only hinted at it. She might have just meant the type of person she is or been referring to her home, wherever that may be. I might never know."

Arthean was silent for a moment, then asked, "Why didn't she tell you who the traitor was?"

Liam shrugged. "No idea of that either! She just said it was 'one among us' and that they wanted to get into the Garden of Origin and, now that they've failed, they'll betray us another way."

Arthean's smile faded. Liam knew he battled with the idea that one of the Ilanenorians was capable of betrayal.

The monk whispered, "Then we must hasten back to Tridor before they can act."

"What difference does it make where we are? They can take us by surprise anywhere. We need to know who it is. Tonight, if possible."

"How do you plan to do that?"

Liam sighed.

Arthean said, "If we leave for Tridor immediately, we'll be able to draw them out easily – whoever it is won't want to stick around for much longer now that they've failed in their task."

Liam looked at the monk thoughtfully. "They may even show themselves sooner, since they have no reason to want to travel with us anymore." He paused. "Unless they want access to the monastery..."

Arthean closed his eyes. Liam suspected he was praying they'd find the traitor before he or she set foot on Tridor's grounds.

Arthean opened his eyes and glanced sideways at Liam. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but would you at least tell me what happened to Joshua and Zac? How did they...?"

Liam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He may as well get it over with or the monk would keep asking, and that would be too much to cope with. "They both started feeling ill pretty much as soon as we landed. Joshua was sick first, then Zac, but Zac... I lost him first. Lenora said they're both in a better place now – she claims to have seen... the Hereafter. Anyway, she said the evil was forced out of both of them since the Garden of Origin is so holy, and the stress of evicting such strong evil killed their mortal bodies."

Arthean stared at Liam. "But Zac wasn't possessed, was he?"

"Apparently, he was. Lenora insinuated that, at least, and I did see black smoke coming from his nostrils just after he... passed on."

Arthean whispered, "A demon left him."

"I don't understand it. He was definitely himself, not some demon. I'd have known."

Arthean said, "Maybe he fought the demon and won. You did say he was far more loyal and worthy than any human you've known, so maybe he was pure enough to win the battle for control of his body. I remember when Zac first arrived and you were still in the fever sleep, Lucifer looked mighty pleased to see him. I thought it was odd at the time, but I never guessed that Zac might be possessed."

Liam's brow furrowed. "He didn't look too happy to me when I woke up."

"I noticed that too. Do you think he knew Zac was possessed?"

Liam said, "Probably. It makes sense that he would. He does rule the demons. In fact, he probably had Zac raised from the dead and possessed so that he could kill me. That's why he looked so aggravated – he realised Zac wasn't going to kill me as he'd planned. He didn't count on Zac's undivided, unequalled loyalty to me."

"Then Zac's love and loyalty to you gave him the strength to fight the demon."

Liam nodded. Talking about Zac brought tears to his eyes that he didn't want to shed in front of the monk, so he changed the subject. "Lenora told me a lot of things. She said there's a coming crisis and that I need to remember three things to survive it."

"What crisis?"

"She didn't say."

"Okay. What three things did she tell you to remember?"

"One – all days come from one day. Two – darkness tries to snuff light in good people by throwing dark things at them. Three – always make choices that feel right. Does the first one make any sense to you?"

Arthean stared at the ground. "Perhaps it refers to creation? From the day of creation came all other days?"

"That makes sense." Liam had known that talking to the monk would clarify a few things. He frowned. Why would Lenora tell him that, though? So much for clarity...

"Did she say anything else? And how does she know all this in the first place?"

Liam shrugged. "I have no idea. She knew so much about us, though. Toman's name. My name. It makes sense that her other words were also true. She made a prediction, too."

Arthean shifted. "Really? Like Abbot Jergor did?"

"I suppose. I don't know how she knows or even if it's true, but she said that I'll make friends with someone named Travis and that I will betray him by choice."

Arthean said, "I can't see you betraying a friend. If you do meet this man, you must watch your back carefully – he may give you good reason to betray him."

Liam frowned. Lenora hadn't been specific with regards to that and he'd been too gobsmacked to question her more than he had, so Arthean could be right. "She also said I'll hear her name in the future and, when I do, she'll need a favour from me."

"What favour?"

Liam sighed. "That's another on the long list of things I don't know. By the way, it's vital that I get Joshua's belongings. Before he died, he told me he had teleportation crystals in his bag. Don't ask me where he kept them secreted while he was Sah's prisoner." He shuddered. "They're my only way home, so I hope they're safe."

"If they're at Tridor, they will be."

Liam stood. "Good. I hope you're right. Should we go tell the others we're ready to head back to Tridor?"

Arthean rose to his feet too. "But the ryokin can't fly at night."

Liam grimaced. The thought of sleeping next to a faceless traitor didn't appeal to him. It was going to be a long night.

CHAPTER 19

Arthean took turns with Liam to keep watch during the night. Both were concerned that the traitor would attempt to murder someone in their sleep. They pretended to sleep, though, so whoever it was would feel safe enough to make a move if that was, indeed, the intention. The dark hours passed uneventfully, however, and soon they were on their way back to Tridor Monastery to safety behind the Ilanenorians' green fire wall. Jolither had heard word from Ilanenor that Sah's soldiers still surrounded the monastery and the bulk of his army moved towards the Garden of Origin, and Toman had been apprehended and imprisoned – the Ilanenorians had yet to decide what to do with him.

Liam believed wholeheartedly that the army could never enter the garden, and Arthean relaxed a little at his new friend's reminder that the guardian cherubim's mere presence had left him too weak with fear to even contemplate fighting his way through, and the soldiers were only men, after all, and would probably have the same reaction. Liam was right. The Creator would not have left the Garden of Origin in incapable hands. The flaming sword seemed to be a test, only allowing through those who had aid from others. The cherubim, however, were soul searchers who could not be fooled or bested. The journey back seemed a thousand times shorter, and, even sleep deprived, energy surged through Arthean when Tridor came into sight. His heart leapt. Home, sweet home. Where he could forget his past again. They landed near the stables and dismounted, then hurried into the monastery, greeting the few monks who were out enjoying the morning sun.

While the others enjoyed a warm welcome in the meeting hall, Arthean found Abbess Shyla in the small garden behind the main monastery building.

He grasped her hands. "Abbess, it's good to see you again."

Abbess Shyla smiled as he helped her to stand. "Likewise, Brother. How was your journey?"

"Complicated and stressful... and confusing. I must speak to you of something urgent."

"What's wrong?"

"Where is the girl we brought here?"

"She's still in a coma, though her body grows stronger by the day and Certhon hopes for a full recovery."

"She hasn't woken or said anything?"

The abbess frowned. "No. Why do you ask?"

Arthean said, "Liam says he saw her in the Garden of Origin and that she spoke to him."

Her expression became joyful. "So you found it and entered!"

Arthean grasped her hands again. "Please, we'll tell you everything later. The girl..."

Abbess Shyla looked disappointed. "Of course. She's been here the whole time. Certhon's been hovering over her like a mother hen – he would have known immediately if she'd gone anywhere, if that was even possible."

"It's a long story that I don't have time to explain right now, Abbess, but she said a lot of things that rang true, one of which was that someone in our party worked with Sah and Toman, and would betray us."

"Toman?"

Arthean filled the abbess in on the shadow creature's attack and who Toman was, then said, "We must find out who the traitor is before he or she can betray us."

Just then, frightened shouts cut the air, horses whinnied and ryokin snarled.

Arthean stood rooted to the spot. Had they just been betrayed?

<><><>

Liam raced outside onto the monastery's stone steps, with the Ilanenorians and a handful of Tridorians not far behind.

Sah's army advanced across the lawn.

The Ilanenorians' fire wall was gone.

Liam's heart leapt into his throat as he scanned the area for Nairel. A battle was inevitable, but the monks and nuns didn't stand a chance – they had no weapons and they weren't fighters. They were doomed. This is what you get for giving the Devil sanctuary, Liam thought. The devil that's me. If he'd never sought sanctuary at Tridor, the residents wouldn't face slaughter now. This was his fault.

An angry hiss came from above and Liam felt the Nairel's reassuring presence as the ryokin dived towards him. Arthean stopped next to him, gasping and clutching his sides, his eyes wide with fear. They glanced at each other, a volume of unspoken words passing between them – they had to save Tridor and its inhabitants, no matter the cost.

Arthean whispered, "The traitor..."

Liam muttered, "But how to defeat this many soldiers?"

They stared at each other, then the soldiers. Nairel landed next to them. The ryokin gave an irritable half growl, half meow when Liam didn't mount.

Arthean said, "Get on and get away. This isn't your fight."

Liam scowled at him. "Of course it is. It isn't their fight! Or yours! And why isn't your dagger in your hand? You need it."

Arthean glared. "I'm not killing again."

"Then you will be killed."

Liam stared at the soldiers, who now littered the garden halfway to the monastery with their green and dark grey uniforms. Already, they had slaughtered a few monks – nuns, even – in their path as they'd tried to run. They would be inside within seconds.

Liam made a hasty decision and ignored Nairel's growled objection as he turned to shout, "Get inside! Now!" He turned to Arthean. "Give me your dagger and go to the catacombs. You must lead them to escape."

"Tridor will be burnt!"

"And all of you along with it if you don't listen!" When Arthean still hesitated, Liam reached for the monk's belt sash and grabbed his dagger. "Go!"

"I'm supposed to protect you!"

Liam shouted, "Then get to the catacombs! If they kill you, there is no escape for anyone, including me!"

Arthean's eyes glinted with concern, but he turned to go inside, looking back over his shoulder at Liam.

Liam turned to Nairel. "Can you and the others hold them off?"

Agitated, Nairel growled again, but rose with a powerful flap of his wings and joined Noka, who circled above, calling out in the ryokin's curious clicking language. Biv and Eindar rode their ryokin, which swooped low to slow the soldiers' progress, spewing white-hot fire at anyone in uniform. Liam charged around the lawn in front of the monastery, ushering monks and nuns inside, and telling them to get underground. Jolither and Jaeda hovered on their ryokin at the clearing's entrance, facing each other, and Liam prayed they were trying to raise the firewall again – half the soldiers was better than all of them, although just as impossible to defeat for a bunch of unarmed holy people, most of whom didn't know how to fight.

Shalise raced towards him and stopped alongside, her eyes narrowed. "Jaeda! Where is she?"

"With Jolither." Liam pointed.

"It's her! She lowered the fire wall!"

Still ushering monks inside, Liam asked, "How do you know that?"

"I felt it the second it went down! Trust me!" Shalise whistled and her ryokin broke away from the others and sped towards her. It hadn't even landed fully when she leapt onto its back and urged it towards Jaeda and Jolither. "I have to help him!"

Liam sensed truth in her words, but was too paranoid and unsure to tell her where the others were escaping to. He thought he saw understanding flicker in her eyes as she flew off. Clearly, he hadn't done a good job of blocking his unspoken questions that time. A scuffle drew his attention to a few paces in front of him. Two soldiers had breached the ryokin aerial defence and had a black-bearded monk pinned to the grass with a sword at his throat.

Liam yelled at them, "Hey! It's me you're looking for, you bullies!"

The two soldiers looked up and one advanced on Liam, while the other drove his sword into the helpless monk's throat. Liam cringed. It was his fault the man had just died. The soldier had almost reached him when Liam stepped towards him, ducked and brought Arthean's dagger up. It slid up easily under the man's ribcage. He went down as Liam pulled it out, rising immediately to scan the garden. To his left, another monk, this one wielding a sword, fought three soldiers who had almost reached the monastery steps. To Liam's astonishment, the monk felled one soldier and ducked out of reach of the other two. It was Vareck.

The four ryokin – two riderless – were doing a good job of keeping most of the soldiers at bay with their fiery breath. Vareck seemed to be doing okay without his help, so Liam dashed towards a nun who had just tripped in her flight from another soldier.

He stood between her and the soldier, and yelled, "Get inside! To the catacombs!"

The soldier reached them and Liam danced around him just out of sword reach as the nun escaped to the monastery. A shot cracked the air. Liam glanced behind the soldier to see who had fired it – if he could get his hands on a gun... The soldier lunged at him again, only to fall screaming and writhing as his uniform caught alight. Nairel rose again as Liam sent him an urgent telepathic message to stay out of gun range.

Another shot rang out and Liam squinted through the chaos. A soldier near the back of the formation aimed a handgun at him – had the man been trying to shoot him all along? Liam said a silent prayer of thanks for the man's bad aim as he dashed towards him. To his left, Shyla fought Jaeda, who now rode a saddled black dragon. What the hell?

Jolither hovered nearby, his eyes closed. Liam hoped he was trying to raise the fire wall – almost all the soldiers were now on Tridor's front lawn. Incredibly, it seemed as if none had entered the monastery yet. Perhaps the Creator these people believed in so strongly was coming to their aid. Liam hoped so. They needed all the help they could get. Come on, Jolither.

"Any time now," Liam muttered.

He ducked twice as the gun-wielding soldier fired another two shots at him, one felling a fellow soldier, which made Liam smile. Swords missed him by inches as he sprinted towards the gunman, weaving, dodging and ducking the whole way. Once or twice, the sky spat fire at soldiers who might have got him, courtesy of Nairel, who ignored Liam's order to stay out of firing range. The ryokin was more like his rider than Liam had realised.

When Liam reached the soldier, he was struggling to reload the weapon. Good old Earth technology – easy to use if you knew how; impossibly complicated if you didn't. Liam launched himself at the unlucky man and knocked the gun from his hand. They wrestled on the ground, both groping for the soldier's sword. Nairel darted about above, scorching any others who tried to assist the man. More shots rang out now – of course Sah wouldn't only send one soldier with a gun. Liam wondered how many guns there were in total as his hand finally closed on his enemy's sword. When he tried to pull it from its sheathe, however, its owner twisted to the side and Liam lost his grip.

Liam yelled, "Fuck this!"

He punched the soldier on his nose. The man dropped with empty eyes, his nasal bones imbedded in his brain.

Liam shook his hand, knelt and unsheathed the sword as another blade arced where his head had just been. Talk about dumb luck... His heart fluttered in fright as green flames shot from the grass and engulfed him, flickering eerily over his skin without burning it. Earth Magic... As the Ilanenorians had promised the first time they'd created the green fire wall, the flames wouldn't injure anyone who didn't wish the monks and nuns harm. Liam cringed as shrieks of pain came from all around. He hunched over and ran, keeping his head as low as possible and sweeping the sword in an arc in front of him to avoid being impaled by a random blade.

The sunlight hurt Liam's eyes for a few seconds when he emerged from the flame wall. An alert soldier spun towards him, sword raised at neck height. Nairel swooped in low over the man's head, letting out a mighty roar that caused the soldier to stumble. If not for the ryokin's perfect timing, Liam may have lost his head. The ryokin must have kept track of him via some sort of sense, Liam thought, or maybe it just had excellent eyesight that could see through flame. A few soldiers rolled on the grass, trying to extinguish their flaming uniforms – they must have been standing only partially in the wall when it had risen and, thus, survived, though Liam was sure they weren't thankful at this point.

Liam turned to look at the flaming wall. It wasn't as wide or fierce as before, though it still circled the entire monastery area. The Ilanenorians' combined energy drawing must have been what enabled them to make it so strong the first time, but now Jolither had done it alone, so it was thin and penetrable if you weren't opposed to being burnt a little or your clothes partially melting into your skin.

The sky to Liam's right burst into flame as Shalise's ryokin released a jet of flame at the black dragon Jaeda rode. It lunged with a furious screech, the fire missing it by inches. Shalise descended after it, spear at the ready. The dragon shot up, trying to get in front of Shalise's ryokin, but the ryokin was too fast and evaded the dragon's attempt to breathe death's fumes into its nostrils. Shalise's ryokin dipped to the side and the dragon followed. It drew alongside and Jaeda flung her spear. It hit Shalise. Liam's heart clenched. Then the spear spun to the ground and Shalise met his eyes with a grim smile before her ryokin lunged out of reach of the dragon's sharp claws. Liam grinned back. They would survive. Evil couldn't beat good.

Soldiers streamed in through the monastery's front doors, leaving behind the corpses of the monks and nuns who had been outside when the fire wall had fallen. A solitary monk remained, surrounded by seven soldiers who seemed to be having a hard time killing him. Liam frowned. He wasn't close enough to be sure, but it looked like Vareck. Where the hell had a monk learnt to fight like that? Praying that Arthean had got to the catacombs in time, Liam raced towards the lone monk; he couldn't let him fight alone, even if that meant they both died, outnumbered as they were.

When Liam reached the skirmish, he hit the closest soldier on the side of the head with the dagger's hilt, dropping him as the monk felled another. Liam raised the stolen sword and slit the next soldier's throat before he could react to his new foe. Three down, between them – four to go. Vareck caught his eye in acknowledgement as he parried a blow. The monk was quick on his feet and seemed an expert swordsman, unlike Liam, who used the weapon to parry and stab without real knowledge of how to use it most effectively. So far, he'd been lucky.

A soldier knocked the sword from Liam's hand – so much for luck.

He swapped dagger hands – he was better off with a dagger, anyway, provided he could dodge the enemies' longer blades.

Above, dark clouds that hadn't been there moments before threatened to unleash a torrent.

Behind them, soldiers screamed as continuous streaks of white lightning shot from the clouds, hitting one soldier after the next.

Jolither stood staring at the sky, his brow creased in concentration. Earth Magic...

Liam dodged another sword strike, tripped over a soldier's corpse and fell, ducked into a side roll, then smashed the next soldier's kneecap with the dagger's hilt as he came up. The man fell with a shout. Liam dived into another roll as a new soldier took a swipe at him. The monk's sword sliced through his foe's abdomen, and he pulled it out and sank it into another in one fluid motion, then attacked the last soldier standing. The man whose kneecap Liam had displaced sat in the sand, sword at his side, clutching his knee; he was no threat for the moment.

The blood-stained black dragon lay unmoving near the garden's edge, its rider half pinned under it. Before he could celebrate, however, the dragon shuddered and began raising itself. Shalise and her ryokin were nowhere to be seen. Liam scanned the garden and skies. She must be beyond the flames, trying to make them stronger, Liam tried to convince himself.

Liam turned to the monastery. Many soldiers' lightning-blackened corpses littered the grass and monastery steps, but even more soldiers entered the building.

Vareck finished off the seventh soldier and came up to Liam, stooping to clean his sword on the grass as he walked. "They must be stopped."

Liam's gaze didn't waver from the soldiers. "Yes, but how?" He remembered the pouch Vareck had given him and turned to the monk. "You could just teleport them elsewhere." He watched Vareck's expression, trying to see if his guess about the pouch's contents had been right.

Vareck looked startled. "I can't."

"You did that for me."

Vareck looked vaguely upset. "There are too many of them."

So I'm right! Still, teleportation wasn't available as an easy out now. Liam sighed in resignation. "Any other ideas?"

Just then, Arthean dashed around the corner, grinning like a madman. He glanced at the last soldiers entering the monastery and gestured for Liam and Vareck to join him. He looked so happy that Liam knew he must know something they didn't – something the soldiers would not like, no doubt. Hope surged through him as they joined Arthean, who shifted from foot to foot in excitement.

As one, Liam and Vareck asked, "Why are you smiling?"

Arthean's eyes sparkled. "Follow me."

Arthean led them around the back of the monastery, to the garden where Liam had enjoyed some quiet time, and moved the branches of a large shrub aside, revealing an opening with steps leading into the dark. A torch lighted the inside a few paces from the opening, and Arthean took it from the wall and led them deeper underground in single file, with Vareck bringing up the rear. They left their swords near the entrance, at Arthean's insistence that they wouldn't need them while in the catacombs.

Liam said, "If you're here, who's leading the others to safety?"

Arthean chuckled. "I'm not the only monk who knows the catacombs, you know. Just the only one who knows all of it. Abbess Shyla has led the rest to a large cavern near the opening, where they'll be safe for now. Ortho leads the soldiers deeper into the catacombs with about twenty monks. They're going to lead them to that cavern we visited. Vareck, we need you to trap them once they're all in."

"How can Vareck do that?"

Vareck said, "With dynamite."

Liam started. "Where did you get dynamite?"

Vareck replied, "The same place I got teleportation crystals, and no, I'm not going to explain it, so don't bother asking."

Liam asked, "Is that the same place you learnt how to fight so well? A little too good for a monk, if you ask me."

Vareck said, "No. That was a little dojo on the outskirts of Cape Town."

Liam's eyes widened. "You're from my Earth!"

"Let's leave it at that."

Arthean said, "That's not important. We must hurry."

Liam asked, "How are we going to get past the soldiers?"

"We aren't. We're going to stop along the way to get Vareck's explosives, then wait around the corner for the signal that all are inside, and then place the explosives and set them off."

Liam asked, "How are the Tridorians going to get out?"

Vareck said, "The group of monks is necessary to make the soldiers think they were following everyone and not just a few, but most of them aren't entering the cavern. They'll hide in another tunnel nearby. Only the best climbers will draw the soldiers into the cavern."

Liam exclaimed, "But most people die trying to climb down the mountain!"

Arthean replied, "Ortho is better than most. Let's hope they all make it."

Vareck said firmly, "We must protect Tridor."

Liam agreed, "I know. We might miss a few soldiers, you know."

Vareck said, "We'll finish those off quickly enough."

How very 'un-monk-like', Liam thought with a smile.

<><><>

Ten minutes later, they crouched in a small passage off the one where the cavern entrance was, waiting for Ortho and his followers to lead the soldiers to them. They had snuffed the torch to avoid giving away their presence. Arthean had wanted to set up the explosives so they'd be ready, but Liam and Vareck had disagreed, saying they might be noticed. Since they had no detonator, this would be a major problem. Arthean shifted, eyeing the explosives next to Vareck; knowing how much destruction they could wreak made him nervous.

The shortcut they had taken had cut half an hour off the time the soldiers would be walking, as Ortho led them on a much longer route, giving Arthean more than enough time to get Vareck and the explosives there.

Arthean recalled the pouch Vareck had given Liam and asked, "Vareck, what was in that pouch you gave Liam?"

Liam said sarcastically, "Not something his father got from his great-great-great-grandfather, who supposedly got it from an angel. To be given to the eldest son in each generation – not! Tasked to keep it safe until the one it was intended for came – not!"

Vareck sighed. "If I'd told you then that I was from your Earth, you would have had too many questions to focus properly on your journey. That could have caused your demise."

Liam sighed as if upset by the answer, but Arthean thought it made perfect sense and that his fellow monk – albeit not a Tridorian – had excellent logic. He was curious to know what the pouch had contained, though. "Was it those crystals you and Joshua used to get to our planet?"

Liam said, "I keep forgetting how clever you are. Yes, it was, but... Vareck, what type of crystal just happens to teleport you somewhere you didn't wish to go and where you just happen to be caught mid-fall, saving your life? You couldn't have programmed that without not only foresight, but specific information on my and Arthean's exact location in the air at the time. You said to use them when I had nothing else to save me, and I did, and they did save me, but... how?"

"As you know, crystals are programmed to interact with the human brain to take them wherever they want to go. Those were just more specifically programmed."

Liam threw up his hands. "How did you know how to programme them to the exact location?"

Vareck shrugged. "Does it matter?"

Liam glowered. Arthean knew he was angry at never getting a straight answer from anyone. Even he didn't know all Vareck's secrets, though.

Liam asked, "Do you have more?"

Vareck chuckled. "No. They're very rare. In fact, there may not even be any more in existence. They were a prototype. The scientist I stole them from may have made more by now... if he could get the money together for the ingredients to make them, that is, which is doubtful."

Arthean thought he heard approaching footsteps. "Shh!"

He stuck his head around the corner and, less than a minute later, the monks came into view. One by one, they ducked into a passage just before the one where Arthean hunched, extinguishing their torches. The tunnel they'd entered ended in a small cave, where they would hide until the explosion had gone off. The best climbers among them, Ortho included, would bring up the rear now – the soldiers wouldn't even find the great cavern, let alone enter it so they could be trapped, if they didn't actually see someone go into it. Ortho and the others would scale the cliff face to get back to the monastery.

Arthean prayed for their safe return, then whispered, "Quiet. I need to hear when the soldiers are all in."

He ducked out of sight and hunched over with his ear to the floor. When the footfalls could no longer be felt through the rock, the last soldier would be inside the cavern and they could set the dynamite while the others escaped – the explosion may cause a cave in that would trap them where they hid if they didn't retreat quickly enough. They would have to hurry – it wouldn't take the soldiers long to realise they'd been taken for fools.

When the footsteps stopped, Arthean whispered, "Now."

The explosive sticks scraped against the rock floor as Vareck picked them up, and Arthean cringed, half expecting them to go off. Vareck came past him and moved into the main tunnel, treading softly, even though it was doubtful the soldiers in the great cavern would hear his footsteps above their own. Arthean followed him, feeling his way by trailing a hand along the wall. Liam came last, with a hand on Arthean's shoulder.

Vareck lighted a torch and placed it as far away from the cavern's entrance as possible.

Arthean slipped into the passage where his fellow monks hid. "Time to go," he whispered.

They lighted their torches and hastened back towards Tridor. With any luck, no soldiers would remain to meet them in the tunnel. Arthean, Vareck and Liam would return via the shortcut, so they could finish off or chase away any remaining soldiers before the monks and nuns returned. Arthean didn't relish the thought of being involved in a fight, and hoped the ryokin would sort out any leftover soldiers before they got there.

By the time the last Tridorians had left their hiding spot and were safely on their way back to the monastery, Vareck had finished setting the explosives, with help from Liam. Vareck stayed behind to set it off while Arthean and Liam retraced their steps back to the small tunnel, where Arthean retrieved his torch and lighted it, then headed for the surface.

Vareck caught up shortly and the trio hurried on, eager to be as far away from the explosions as possible. It couldn't have been a minute later when the first explosion sent a blast of wind down the tunnel. Dust showered them, but the mountain remained steadfast and, incredibly, not even small stones fell from the roof.

<><><>

When the trio emerged into the open and rounded the corner onto the main lawn, a battle once again raged in Tridor's front garden. The soldiers had broken through the thinner firewall and, although their uniforms were singed, they were unharmed and more than capable of fighting. Near the firewall, blackened tents, cloaks, coats and blankets littered the lawn, which Liam assumed the soldiers had used to shield themselves from the flames as they'd come through.

The ryokin spewed fire at the soldiers littering the lawn, randomly dropping from the sky and grabbing a soldier, only to drop him in the ocean where, to Liam's astonishment, what appeared to be two sea monsters the size of cruise ships snacked on them. A few monks and nuns who hadn't made it to the catacombs in time ran around, trying to escape into the forest. Vareck brandished the stolen sword he'd retrieved on their way out of the catacombs and charged into the battle.

Liam turned to Arthean. "You should hide in the catacombs until this is over."

Arthean scowled. "I'm no coward. Just because I don't like fighting doesn't mean I can't."

"What, another fighter monk, are you?"

"No, but I learnt a trick or two 'working' with my mother."

Some soldiers noticed them and three sprinted their way, swords brandished.

Liam said, "No time to argue. A few tricks won't help you to fight trained soldiers who outnumber you. Please, Arthean, get back underground. Do you want to die today?"

Arthean glanced at the oncoming soldiers and said stubbornly, "If it's my time, it's my time."

"I don't want to lose you too!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

With a rush of bloodthirstiness, Liam raised the sword and sprang in front of Arthean as the first soldier reached them, scything his blade in front of him. His opponent dodged to the left, then came in low and swung his sword towards Liam's legs. Liam jumped aside as Nairel joined the fight and a jet of flame shot towards the two soldiers behind him. Liam circled the first soldier, then launched into a roll, careful not to drop his sword or cut himself with it, and hit out with the blade as he came up behind the enemy. Quick on his feet, the soldier spun and parried Liam's blow. Once again, Liam's sword fell from his stinging fingers.

Liam ducked and rolled. He came up to see the soldier on his knees, scrabbling at his eyes. What the...? He glanced to the side, where Arthean bent to collect more sand. The monk had thrown sand in the soldier's face. Liam grinned. A jet of ryokin fire hit the grass next to him, cutting off another soldier who charged towards him with sword held high. Liam backed towards the trees where Arthean stood.

A few metres away, Vareck fought aggressively, his sword clashing with a soldier's, sunlight flashing on the blades as he blocked his foe's weapon and counter-swiped, bringing the soldier down. He made it look so easy.

Another two soldiers came from the right, and Liam grabbed the nearest tree branch and stepped back, holding it out in front of him at arm's length. He unsheathed Arthean's dagger and held it ready in his left hand. As they came in line with the tree, Liam let the branch go and it lashed towards their heads, hitting one of them square in the face with a loud thwack. The soldier's feet flew up and he fell backwards. The second soldier ducked in time and the branch whooshed over his head. He leapt at Liam, swinging his sword. Liam ducked under the blade and sank the dagger upwards into the soldier's ribcage. He yanked it out, spraying blood onto his hand, and the man fell.

Someone cursed loudly behind him, and Liam spun to see Arthean kicking up sand into another three soldiers' faces. How the hell does he get it up so high, he wondered. A sword flew through the air to strike the soldier closest to Arthean in the back, and the man fell facedown and lay unmoving. Liam turned his head to see where the weapon had come from. Vareck gave him a quick grin, then spun along the outer arm of the soldier who had been about to stab him in the back, reaching for the man's hand as he moved next to him. He brought the soldier's hand towards him – the man seemed to allow this, although the shock on his face told Liam otherwise. Vareck stepped away with the confused foe's sword in his hand and sliced his abdomen open in one fluid movement.

The other two soldiers had cornered Arthean, advancing on him and protecting their faces with their shields as the monk kicked up more sand. With a ferocious overhand motion, Liam threw the dagger at the one nearest Arthean. It lodged in his eye and he went limp, crumbling lifelessly to the ground. Arthean turned and ran into the forest. A soldier followed.

Liam retrieved the dagger, grabbed the dead man's sword and went after them.

CHAPTER 20

Arthean raced through the forest he knew so well. He glanced behind to see the soldier almost on his heels. The land surrounding Tridor hid myriad openings to the catacombs, and he headed for the nearest one, hoping his pursuer wouldn't catch up enough to see where he'd gone. He'd hide until the soldier left, then go back and help Liam again. Already, his friend would have been dead more than once if not for his assistance; he had to keep up his God-given duties as guardian.

The soldier ran faster than Arthean and caught up with him in no time. His blade sliced Arthean's back, piercing the flesh, but not enough to do any major damage. Arthean stumbled and fell. He rolled sideways, as he'd seen Liam do, and rose into a crouch, eyeing the approaching soldier warily. The soldier lunged forward, attempting to gut Arthean, then dropped his sword with a yelp as a black-hilted, studded dagger imbedded itself in his wrist.

Liam came charging towards them. He looked irritated, and Arthean assumed he'd meant to hit the soldier in the back and kill him, like he'd done to another a few minutes earlier.

The soldier pulled the dagger out and hurled it at Liam, who dodged it, then leapt to tackle the enemy. The soldier sidestepped out of reach. Liam bent to retrieve the fallen sword and swung it forward, advancing on the soldier. As Liam spilt the enemy's entrails onto the sand, two more soldiers joined the fight. Liam danced away, sweeping the sword in front of him, keeping the enemy out of reach.

Arthean retrieved his dagger, a tight throat causing him to draw rapid breaths. When he had finally found the courage to leave his mother, he had promised himself he would never kill again. That promise was about to be broken.

A soldier brought his sword down, knocking Liam's out of his hands. Butter fingers, Arthean thought as he ran up behind the soldier and rammed the dagger's hilt into the side of his head. He crumpled, and Arthean hoped he had just disabled him for the time being, and not killed him. So much blood had been shed, though, that it hardly seemed to matter at this point if more was shed or who shed it. He started towards Liam, who grappled with the last soldier for his sword.

Somewhere on Tridor's lawn, a volley of shots rang out.

One of Arthean's bad feelings hit him, and he turned just in time to duck an arcing blade as it came down where his torso had just been. He scrambled away as he tried to get to his feet. Liam, too, was now on the ground, on his back, crawling backwards as his attacker took one swipe after the next at him. An angry snarl pierced the air from above and Arthean knew Nairel had sensed his rider's danger and come to his aid. He frowned. Why had Noka not come, too?

Dread swept through Arthean. There was only one reason a ryokin wouldn't come to the aid of its rider. His throat constricted in concern.

Anger clenched his chest as he rose to his feet to meet the soldier attacking him. As his attacker's sword sliced the air towards him, Arthean stepped lightly to the left and towards the soldier, then punched him in the throat. The soldier gurgled, shuddered and went limp.

Behind Arthean, ryokin fire lashed Liam's attacker, and the soldier cried out in agony, dropping to the ground and rolling around, trying to extinguish the flames. Arthean bent over the soldier he had just killed, gagging at the stench of death. Liam raced up to him, sword once again in hand. Nairel had vanished back to the main battle.

"Arthean! Are you okay?"

Arthean nodded, then whispered, "I killed him."

Liam looked at the soldier's corpse. "Self-defence. I need to go help Vareck. There's a dragon out there and guess who's riding it?"

Arthean held onto Liam's arm for support, then rose to full height and stared at his friend. "I saw. Noka..."

Liam frowned. "Is he okay?"

Arthean strode back towards the garden. His voice sounded as cold as his chest felt. "I doubt it."

<><><>

When they stepped back onto the lawn, clanking blades echoed across the grass to them, along with the muted thud of steel biting into flesh. Vareck was still surrounded by soldiers – and uniformed corpses. It seemed the soldiers were having a hard time reaching him, many wounding each other instead of the monk – if that's what he really was – in their attacks.

Liam scanned the air for Noka, and Arthean did the same. He turned to the monk. "Maybe you should hide in the catacombs now."

Arthean scowled. "No."

Liam frowned. "Don't do anything you might regret, Arthean."

Arthean glared at the sky. "Oh, believe me... I won't." Then he dashed onto the field and raced towards Vareck.

Liam sprinted after him, praying the gentle monk he knew was still in control of himself.

A soldier pushed his shield into Vareck's face, forcing him back. Their swords clashed and sparkled in the morning sun. Vareck staggered, then swung his sword across the soldier's chest and whirled to face the next attacker before the last had hit the ground.

Regret stabbed Liam's heart – such a beautiful morning should be enjoyed in stillness, not battle.

Arthean reached the dwindling enemy surrounding Vareck and lunged at the closest soldier with his back to him. He thrust the dagger into the man's back and yanked it out, then did the same to the soldier next to him. Liam, too, attacked from behind, knowing that was their best hope of success against so many well-trained soldiers. He swung his sword over his head and brought it down, half severing another soldier's neck.

Vareck feinted to the right, then drove his sword into his opponent's stomach. He spun away from the remaining soldiers and stopped near Liam.

Without taking his eyes off the enemy, Vareck said, "Your friend there could use a little help." He nodded to their left.

On his ryokin, Jolither swooped and dived to avoid Jaeda's dragon's death breath.

Liam gasped. If the dragon's breath touched Jolither or his ryokin, they would die.

"Here, take these." Vareck tossed Liam shaken – throwing stars – bound together by thin string, like keys on a key ring, so each could be easily extracted from the bunch with a quick pull. Their curved, four-sided blades glinted in the sun.

A soldier's blade swept towards Vareck's head. The monk raised his sword parallel, stopping the sword. Sidestepping his adversary, he shouted, "Liam, go help him!"

Arthean was on his back with a soldier's sword at his throat. The soldier grinned at him. Liam tore a throwing star from the bunch and flicked it expertly at him, slashing his throat, then went over to help Arthean up. "Jolither needs our help. Come."

Arthean followed him across the lawn towards the monastery, still searching for Noka, Liam knew. From his worried expression, it seemed he still hadn't spotted the ryokin. Arthean scanned the skies, then the lawn.

"Have you found Noka?"

Arthean's back went rigid. "No."

Liam hoped Arthean's ryokin was okay. He cast a grateful glance at the sky, where Nairel butted the dragon each time it closed in on Jolither. He held up the throwing stars. "I don't suppose you know how to use these?"

Arthean shook his head.

Liam frowned, looked around, then pointed at a large shrub nearby. "Hide behind that and-"

Arthean opened his mouth to object.

"Wait! Look out for any sneak attacks, so you can shout warnings to us. Okay? Sentinel, remember?"

Arthean frowned.

"Go!"

As the monk moved off, Liam took position a short distance from the aerial battle and pulled a throwing star from the bunch. More shrieks came from behind him, and he smiled grimly – evidently, more ryokin fire had hit its targets. As ryokin and dragon hurtled towards him, he shifted from one foot to the other, his left a little in front of the right so that he stood at an angle with his right side protected. He grasped the deadly star firmly in his right hand, horizontal to his palm with his thumb against the centre hole.

Liam focussed on the instant of release.

The dragon came within a metre. Liam stepped forward and his right arm shot out across his midsection with the weight of his entire body behind it. The blade glided effortlessly from his extended fingertips. It sank into the dragon's underbelly as it flew overhead. The creature shrieked and spiralled around to face him. The shriek sounded more annoyance than pain, and Liam danced away, another blade ready. He aimed three more blades at the dragon as it chased him, each one hitting its mark. Jolither pursued it, his ryokin spitting fire at the dragon each time Nairel pulled back from another ram.

Liam wondered if Nairel knew he was an expert in the use of throwing stars, since he would probably have hit the ryokin by now if not for that. The dragon swooped low, coming almost nose to nose with Liam when a jet of green fire fountained from the earth between them. The dragon shot up with a screech of outrage. Jaeda hurled a sword at Liam – God alone knew where she'd got it from. He ducked too late and would have been decapitated if not for Arthean batting the weapon away with a log.

He turned to the monk, cold sweat streaming down his neck and back. "Thanks."

"Any time." Arthean backed towards the shrub again as the dragon came in for another attack, focussed on its new enemy.

Green fire jetted from the grass again, forcing the dragon away once more. Liam nodded his thanks to Jolither, who smiled back from a pale face; it looked like he was weakening to the point where he would soon be incapable of fighting. Each time the dragon attacked, it came a little closer to smothering their lives with its breath. He had to kill the confounded creature, and quickly. Its eyes...

Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? Idiot!

Liam whistled for Nairel, who dived under the dragon and swept past it towards his rider. Liam hardly gave the ryokin time to land before pulling himself onto his back and urging him towards the dragon. It wasn't hard to get close to the creature's head, since it, too, wanted its head near Nairel, so it could take a chunk out of him or breathe death over him, whichever took its fancy at the time.

Nairel rose in front of the dragon, nose to nose. In the instant the dragon registered its prey was within easy reach, it plummeted to the ground with a throwing star fully imbedded in each eye, both having hit their true target – its brain. Jaeda fell off the dragon's back. By the time Nairel turned, both dragon and rider lay unmoving on the grass, and a dark patch spread under Jaeda, whose usually blue-tinged skin already turned a sickly shade of grey. Liam felt a sense of satisfaction knowing he'd ended the existence of a being who would betray her own kind, her friends and family – she wouldn't be betraying anyone else.

Nairel darted forward and dived. Startled, Liam gripped his fur tightly. Then he spotted what Nairel was after. Jolither had fallen off his ryokin, and tumbled to meet the same fate Jaeda had. Nairel dived under the falling Ilanenorian, and Liam caught him in a painful action that felt as if it yanked his arms out of their sockets.

<><><>

Arthean surveyed the carnage on Tridor's front garden. Corpses in bloodstained uniforms and white or brown robes littered the grass. Waves crashed on the rocks below, but silence still seemed to lace the air without the clanging of swords and battle cries. Not even the birds sang their cheerful songs – they knew death's cold touch had stained the place. Not a thing moved, save for the ryokin circling above and tree limbs swaying in the cool ocean breeze. Arthean's heart sank. He was right. Noka must be dead.

Another thought hit him and he scanned the area again. Had Vareck fallen in battle, too?

<><><>

Liam stood at the cliff's edge, squinting into the sun at the harbour below. The sea monsters he had seen earlier had vanished below the surface, somehow knowing their supply of human snacks had come to an end. A few uniformed bodies lay on the beach, where a smaller snake-like creature with an elephant-like head munched on them; apparently, only some sea creatures of this Earth preferred their food alive. Can't get fresher than that.

The thought had come unbidden, and Liam shuddered and turned to assess the death toll. At least thirty Tridorians lay in pools of blood, many missing limbs or heads. The dead soldiers were too many to count, but he thought it must be over a hundred, at least. It was a miracle. He looked around for Vareck, but the monk wasn't visible. Perhaps he'd already gone inside to see if anyone still needed help, Liam thought.

Arthean stood next to Jolither, whose ryokin bent its head over him in apparent concern. Just like Zac did with me. Liam gulped. He couldn't afford to think of Zac right now – there was too much to do for him to crumble. The monk turned in circles, his features bleak.

Noka...

Liam scanned the sky, but saw only Nairel, Biv and Eindar on their ryokin, and a lone ryokin that he assumed was Shalise's or Jaeda's – it still wasn't clear to him if Jaeda's ryokin had been discarded for the dragon steed or had been the dragon steed disguised by magic. Noka was the smallest of the ryokin in their party, so he would have been easy to discern from the rest. Liam turned to survey the lawn. Something large and golden caught his eye next to a boulder to his right, and he turned to look. It was Noka, not visible from where Arthean stood. The breeze ruffled his golden fur and feathers, matted with blood, as he lay unmoving with closed eyes.

"Arthean! Over here!"

Liam reached Noka's side before the monk, and bent over the ryokin. He had been shot at least five times that Liam could see. He had no idea how to check a ryokin's pulse, but he watched Noka's ribcage carefully for movement. There was no rise and fall that told of life. Arthean reached them and dropped to his knees. He placed his head near Noka's mouth, then grasped the majestic animal around the neck and sank his face into its fur with a tormented moan-shriek that might have come from the bowels of Hell.

<><><>

A week later, Liam sat at the long table in Tridor's main meeting hall, sipping herbal tea, which he'd rather come to enjoy. He'd had time to consider how little he'd really found in the Garden of Origin, and it weighed heavily on his heart that he still didn't know the true nature of whoever had created everything, yet he had been cursed with a plethora of new questions – also without any clear answers. Did the Creator of existence not want to be found? Or maybe not by me... Or was He just a myth, too? The cherubim had been real, though. Liam frowned into his tea. Perhaps the Garden of Origin was merely a test to see if anyone entering was truly worthy of meeting his or her Maker – a test to see if they would taste a fig... He would find the Creator of everything, no matter how long or how much effort it took.

Jolither was still bedridden, recovering from his immense use of Earth Magic over the last few days. Arthean had refused to leave his room since the day of the battle, and only nibbled the food various people, including Liam and the abbess, tried to tempt him with. How the roles reverse, Liam thought sadly, remembering how Arthean had tried to get him to eat when he'd lost Zac the first time.

All the monks who had led the soldiers into the catacomb trap had survived the climb down Gensshei's steep slopes, with the exception of Ortho, who had died saving another monk. The youngster had lost his grasp and plummeted, and Ortho had reached out and grabbed him. The motion had lost him his grip, but saved the young monk. Ortho had died a hero's death, and been buried as one, too.

Biv and Eindar had flown to Tetrad Mountains to spy on Sah's army, which had fled the scene the moment the soldiers laid eyes on the flaming sword, their leader included. It was doubtful Sah would try to enter the Garden of Origin again – or even be in a position to do so. Now that they knew what he was, the people of the land had risen against him and planned to storm the palace that very night, with a little help from their new Ilanenorian friends, who had decided to reveal themselves to the people. Liam wished them success.

Lenora hadn't woken from her coma, and the Ilanenorians' Earth Magic was still unable to change that, to their surprise. The nuns and monks thought her appearance to Liam in the Garden of Origin was a miracle. Liam remained undecided; many people on his Earth claimed to be able to astral project, though he wasn't sure they'd be able to do so when in a coma.

Shalise had been killed in the battle with the black dragon, her corpse's pink-grey pallor indicating her demise had been due to death breath. Jolither had sent word to her family, who had arrived the next morning on ryokin for the funeral, which had taken place the same afternoon. She had been buried in Tridor's cemetery, just a short distance into the forest. Almorak and some of the other monks had carved a special headstone for her to honour her part in saving the monastery. Her ryokin didn't seem to mourn her passing, which had bothered Liam until her family had told him that it knew things about the afterlife that no other living creature did, so, if it was happy, it meant Shalise was somewhere pleasant.

Eindar had explained that, when more than one set of hands created something like the green firewall, all could sense it when it was removed – thus, every Ilanenorian present had known instantly who the traitor was the second the wall had gone down.

No one could be certain, but it seemed that Jaeda's black dragon steed had, in fact, been the 'ryokin' they'd all seen her riding. Liam recalled how it had always kept its distance from the other ryokin, and how uncomfortable its piercing stare had made him feel. Eindar had said that the only way a dragon could be disguised as Jaeda's ryokin was if the ryokin was dead, for no creature could take on the appearance of a living ryokin, and the Ilanenorians had seen her winged friend grow from a hatchling – and he had been no dragon then. Liam's heart ached for the betrayed ryokin, though he'd never laid eyes on it, nor did he know what its name had been. Clearly they had no knowledge of future events, since Jaeda's ryokin hadn't anticipated her turning bad.

Vareck had vanished into thin air, it seemed. His corpse had not been amongst those scattering the lawn or bordering forest, nor could he be found anywhere else – dead or alive. Liam and some of the monks had searched the forests, and as far into the catacombs as was safe without Arthean's expert guidance, as none had been able to pluck up the courage to ask him for help. All Vareck's belongings remained in his room, as far as the monks could tell. His disappearance was a mystery that Abbess Shyla was not coping with very well.

She paced the table's length, wringing her hands. "He was sworn to protect us. What will we do without him?"

Liam cocked an eyebrow. "Before I arrived, what did he protect you from exactly?"

Abbess Shyla spun on her heel to stare at Liam, her brow creased. Surprise shone in her eyes. "The weather. I assumed you knew." She looked at him meaningfully. "Since you knew so much else about Sah's business."

Liam frowned. "What does the weather have to do with Vareck?"

Her tone solemn, the abbess said, "You know what caused the extreme weather."

Liam chewed his lower lip. "Lucifer. Sah knew the bad conditions would force people to rely on him more. Some who came to him for help disappeared. Who knows what he did with them?" He thought of Lenora. "Although I have an idea."

"Well then, I think it's obvious what Vareck had to do with it."

Liam stared at her. "No, it isn't."

Abbess Shyla sighed. "Vareck was – is – a man of science and a man of God. His prayers and force field protected us in equal measure against the elements. His force field failed shortly after the battle – whether because of sabotage, his death or absence, or some other reason is not clear. We're defenceless against the weather without it." She resumed pacing, her hands clasped behind her back.

Liam took another sip of tea. "You're forgetting something – the being that caused the bad weather is gone."

"Banished from the Garden of Origin doesn't mean back in Hell. He could be in Sah's palace scheming with him right this moment."

Liam stood. "You're forgetting what Lenora said to me – at least, her spirit or one that claimed to be."

Abbess Shyla's expression was quizzical. "About the weather?"

Liam smiled. "About the evil forced out of Joshua. If I remember correctly, her exact words were 'sent back to the darkness from where it came'."

Her brow furrowed. "Do you think we can trust her word?"

"She spoke the truth when she warned me about a traitor."

The abbess' eyes shone as a smile reached them. She heaved a sigh of what Liam sensed was relief. "Then we're safe either way."

Liam said, "The weather's been perfect the last two days."

"Which is further proof."

"Exactly."

Abbess Shyla stared at the floor. "Do you think he's okay?"

Liam hesitated, the word 'yes' on his lips. The truth was, he wasn't entirely convinced that Vareck was alive. If he'd gone over the cliff, the sea creatures could easily have eaten him, leaving no trace. It was also quite possible soldiers had taken him back to the palace. He'd wanted to ask Arthean about it, for the monk had known about Vareck's dynamite stash and may be privy to a lot more. However, Arthean was so upset about Noka's death that Liam hadn't had the heart to grill him about where Vareck might be.

Abbess Shyla leant across the table to look Liam in the eye. "You have thoughts on the matter you haven't shared. I can see it in your eyes every time I mention Vareck's name."

Guilt flashed through Liam. Vareck could be in trouble, possibly even killed, just because he had dallied in asking Arthean if it was likely he'd disappeared of his own accord. If he was in the palace and still alive, he may be injured or killed by accident when the people stormed the building.

"See? There it is again!"

Liam sighed and raised his hands in defeat. "I think Arthean might know. He knew about the explosives Vareck used to trap the main body of soldiers."

The abbess' eyes widened. "Well, why haven't you asked him?"

"He's just so upset about Noka..."

"And he'll be even more upset if Vareck's been killed in Sah's dungeon because we didn't ask him a simple question!"

Liam downed the last of his tea, then walked towards the exit. "I'll go ask him now. Would you like to join me?"

Abbess Shyla hesitated, then nodded and followed him down the passage to Arthean's room.

<><><>

Arthean sat with his back to the wall, deep in thought, when someone rapped three times on the door. He could tell from the way they knocked that they meant business and would come in whether or not he answered. He'd never wished for a lock on his door before, but now he almost regretted there being no real need for it in Tridor. The knocks came again, harder this time. Arthean ignored it. He didn't feel like company.

The door opened, as Arthean had anticipated. Liam and Abbess Shyla entered, and Liam closed the door. They crossed the room, and the abbess perched on the edge of his bed while Liam sank to the floor in front of him, sitting cross-legged. Arthean avoided their eyes.

Liam cleared his throat. He oozed 'uncomfortable'. Arthean almost smiled. Serves him right for invading my privacy.

Liam asked, "Arthean... did Vareck mention anything to you about shutting down the force field or leaving Tridor?"

Relief washed over Arthean. So they aren't here to talk about Noka. Good. He met Liam's gaze. "Yes, but..."

Abbess Shyla leant forward. "But what?"

Arthean looked at her. "But I thought he'd say goodbye. I mean... You still haven't found him?"

She shook her head.

Arthean said, "He said he had somewhere to be once he was no longer needed here." He looked from Shyla to Liam. "He isn't needed here anymore, is he?"

Liam and the abbess exchanged glances, then chorused, "No."

"Then let's hope he's okay."

<><><>

Liam watched Abbess Shyla leave the room, with the promise of having supper sent up to them. When the door closed, he turned to Arthean and said, "I've decided to stay for a while. I'm trying to think of a way to bring Nairel back without causing havoc."

Arthean said, "From what you've told me about your Earth, I'm not sure that's possible."

Liam nodded. "You might be right, but there are some pretty remote places on my Earth where not many humans visit. At any rate, I need to figure out where Joshua got those crystals or where to get more. Then I'll be able to visit you regularly. There are enough in Vareck's belongings for me to visit once, at least. Do you think he'd mind if I took them?"

Arthean shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose not, since he left them here without asking me to keep them for him like he did with the dynamite. How long will you stay for?"

"I'm not sure yet. I can stay indefinitely, really, since no one on my Earth is likely to miss me – they're quite used to me going off the radar for long periods of time, and I got extended leave from work when my boss was killed. I came here to find the source of creation, and I've yet to do that. I'm hoping that studying some of your ancient texts will give me more clues."

"It might." Arthean stood and walked to the small wooden cupboard on the opposite wall. He removed a small cloth-wrapped bundle from it and handed it to Liam.

Liam asked, "What's this?"

"A gift."

Liam unfolded the cloth. A tiger's eye stone the size of his thumbnail lay in his palm, attached to a thin leather cord.

"Wear it at all times. I have a feeling you'll need more than just my protection in the future."

Liam fingered the smooth, shiny stone. "It's stunning. How will it protect me, though?"

Arthean shrugged. "I have no idea how it works. I just know it does. It hasn't failed to protect us from the demons we extract, and I'm sure it won't fail you, either."

Liam slipped the golden-brown and black pendant over his neck. "Thank you." He hesitated, then asked, "So... how are you feeling?"

Arthean snapped, "How do you think I'm feeling?"

Liam's chest tightened. "The same way I'm feeling right now, I'd imagine."

Guilt flickered across Arthean's face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. You once told me that, when a ryokin chooses a rider, from that moment on, he or she is your friend, your partner, your defender and anything else you need him or her to be. It's the same with most dogs. Once a dog decides 'you're it', that's exactly what they become to you."

Arthean's eyes glistened.

Liam continued, "So I know exactly how you feel right now, because I've just lost exactly what you have, just a different species. We've both lost the most faithful and true friend we'll ever have."

Arthean said, "You still have Nairel."

"And I'm grateful for that. I really am. But... we haven't really bonded yet. I mean, we have, but not properly... Right now, Zac's loss hurts more than Nairel's would, though I'm not saying losing Nairel wouldn't hurt too."

Arthean whispered, "Faithful and true... to the last beat of his heart. He died protecting Tridor... because he knew how much I love it." Tears spilt from his eyes.

Liam shifted, uncomfortable and trying not to let his pain out – goodness knew, that would just make Arthean cry even harder, and then they'd both be sitting there blubbering like a bunch of women, and that just wouldn't do.

He changed the subject. "Arthean... I've been thinking."

Arthean must have picked up on the seriousness in his tone, because he looked up sharply, clearly interested in the conversation for the first time since Liam had entered the room earlier with Abbess Shyla.

"Ultimately, you Tridorians gave sanctuary to the Devil, right?"

Arthean scowled. "Well, we didn't know-"

Liam held up a hand. "Don't you think your Creator meant for you to do that? After all, no one is refused sanctuary. It's one of the first things you said to me. Your exact words were 'no one is denied sanctuary. Ever'. So even if you had known that Joshua was possessed, by rights, you should have given him sanctuary anyway. Right?"

Arthean's eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure we would have looked at it that way, but hypothetically... yes."

"And you and your friends here think that God's presence fills the monastery each time you pray, and especially if you're casting out demons?"

Arthean nodded, clearly confused.

"In the Garden of Origin, Lenora said that evil couldn't stand being in God's presence, and that's why the demons, even Lucifer, were forced out of their victims."

Arthean rubbed his temple, his frown deepening.

"Well, surely, then, Lucifer being here at Tridor, where so many of you pray daily and feel the Creator's presence, would have had some sort of effect too?"

Arthean stared at him. "What are you getting at?"

"Maybe that's why he lost his memory?"

Arthean's eyes widened. "You think Lucifer had amnesia because the body he possessed sought sanctuary in a place of God?"

"Why not? It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Joshua must have regained control long enough to escape and claim sanctuary. Maybe the stress of keeping control is what put him in a coma to begin with, or maybe it was being in a place of God. Maybe even all these things combined. Anyway, got any better theories?"

Arthean mused, "Yes, maybe that's why Joshua could get control sometimes." He shook his head. "I can't believe that giving the Devil sanctuary worked out so well... Well, overall, anyway."

Liam grinned and jokingly fed the Tridorians' favourite line to Arthean, although it wouldn't irritate the monk the way it did him. "God works in mysterious ways."

Despite his great losses – his mentor, Abbot Jergor, and his best friend, Noka – Arthean grinned back.

Liam chuckled. "So, Arthean, if the Devil came to you for sanctuary again, would you grant it?"

Arthean's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, but looking somewhat forlorn about it, he replied, "Probably."

# # #

If you enjoyed this book, try Book 2 in the _Legends of Origin_ series, Orion's Harvesters, which begins on December 21, 2012 – the day aliens steal Earth's sun.

# # #

Vanessa Finaughty's debut novel, _Ashes to Ashes_ , can be purchased in eBook and print from Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and various other distributors.

_Dragon Kin_ is now available from Amazon in print.

Other books by Vanessa Finaughty:

Fiction:

Ashes to Ashes

Dragon Kin and other fantasy stories

Horrotica

Terrorscape

Futurescape

Dance with Evil

Life

Crimson Rain (free)

Legends of Origin, Book 2, Orion's Harvesters

Sorcery & Subterfuge

Non-fiction:

December 21, 2012: Survival Guide

Editors' Bible

The Better Writing Guide

Connect with Vanessa online:

Website: www.vanessafinaughtybooks.com

Smashwords: <http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/VanessaFinaughty>

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002564510869&sk=wall

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/VanessaFin
