 
LeFirte

Prophecy of the Amber Eye: Book Three

By N.T. Bergeron

Copyright 2018 N.T. Bergeron

Published at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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### CHAPTER ONE

### Escape from Tâ Oandimn

Braulor stared at his empty hands, bobbing up and down in front of him to the cadence of his steed as if they were keeping time to his despair. As if his hands were counting beats from the moment his world ended. Time seemed to have come to a stop and he could see nothing beyond his hands, like they were the end all and be all of existence. The welt the staff left in his palms as it had slipped through his hands was red and bloody, the staff having wrenched pieces of flesh away as it escaped his grasp. His heart sank. Braulor's entire focus had been on the staff for so long, his brain couldn't even comprehend what to do next. It was as if his life ended. He felt like a child at the store who had lost his mother and could only sit on the floor and cry. Braulor likened the staff being wrenched from his grip to his heart being ripped out. In fact, the way he felt now, a part of him wished his heart had been ripped out. Then at least he would have a way to understand how he felt. He would have a way to explain the chasm that was engulfing his psyche and making him wish he were dead.

Braulor realized now the dark cloud that had pursued him through Tâ Oandimn had set him up. He could see the whole scene at Kasadu was a choreographed event. A ruse, put together for his benefit. A smokescreen to lure him from the fringes of Tâ Oandimn and give the dark cloud a chance at getting his hands on the staff.

The staff.

Even as Braulor watched, the redness in his palms faded. The rawness of his flesh grew dark like the sun was setting, his flesh congealing and going black like the result of a third-degree burn. It looked as if he had been holding a hot ember between his hands and then cast it aside when he could stand it no longer.

Braulor's darkening hands matched his mood and he was starting to come back to himself. He wanted revenge. He wanted to find the dark entity, which had taken the staff, taken his soul if he could go so far, and do whatever he could to avenge himself upon it. He wanted to yank the staff from the entity's grip and wield its immense power with his hatred. With his venom. His rage. Braulor knew he had to have the staff back and was realizing he would do anything to get it. He pulled his gaze away from his hands and leaned over, looking down toward Tâ Oandimn.

"Braulor." Tagan was twisted around in the saddle of his horse looking back at his brother. Their horses were in full flight, Tâ Oandimn fading below them as if they had been launched from a missile silo. Tagan was still having trouble believing what had happened. Fleeing the Dwenar Gliv army, Rean Li had urged her horse over a precipice. In this case, precipice being a fancy word for cliff. One by one the horses they had used to escape the Dwenar Gliv armed forces, hesitated before plunging headlong over the edge of the cliff. Tagan couldn't understand why the horses went over the cliff at all. Any reasonable, sentient being should have balked at the idea. Should have turned around and ran in the opposite direction in an attempt to distance itself from such an insane plan.

But what plan? There was no plan. Their escape had been nothing short of sheer lunacy. There had been no forethought. No calculating. In fact, no plotting had been involved whatsoever, unless you count the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants planning anyone would do when faced with the prospect of capture by an advancing army. Not any old army either. An army seething with rage you had escaped them in the first place. An army thirsting for vengeance and blood. With that proposition, it was no question and over the cliff they went. Tagan was sure the cliff floor was where his life would end. Where this little adventure he had been embroiled in would come to a splattering close. Tagan watched Rean Li's horse racing down the hill, its legs moving so fast as it tried to get its limbs under control it was if someone had pushed fast forward. It looked almost comical and he felt the urge to laugh. And then the feeling was on him again. Out of the blue, he knew he was reaching out with his mind as he could for the safe confines of Quanna Eresse. But it felt odd this time. Strange. Normally, when Tagan was connecting with Quanna Eresse, the feeling would begin in his head from some part of his brain he didn't have regular access to. That part of his brain would come to life and it was beyond his control. He was only along for the ride. This time however, the feeling seemed exterior to him as if it were coming onto him. As if the feeling were enveloping him as opposed to emanating from within and it felt like he had a modicum of control he could exercise. Other times when Tagan had connected with Quanna Eresse he had done so with no other choice. His previous forays into Quanna Eresse were like engrams. They were always there and when they activated, he followed the program and wound up in Quanna Eresse.

But this time he had a choice. This time there was another option open to him. A fork in the road. It had teased him earlier when he helped Rean Li access her home realm and now the path was back again, beckoning to him. Screaming at him to take this opportunity now for it may never come again.

Tagan knew what he had to do. His thoughts crystallized and he had never been so sure of anything before in his life. He had to follow this other path. He couldn't explain why. He didn't need to explain why. Tagan only knew the adventure wasn't over. There was more to be written, he only need to seek it out down this alternate pathway. He sat as upright as he could in his saddle and opened himself to the feeling. It washed over him in a wave. Like a flame climbing up a piece of paper, it swept over him and he was surrounded by it. He wished he could take a moment to explore the feeling. To suss out the differences from his usual experiences but there was no time. The cliff floor he had dreaded earlier was speeding toward them. He needed to take the lead and he urged his horse forward, overtaking Rean Li. Once in the front he expanded the feeling to all of those behind him, enveloping all of them. Shielding them. He urged them with his mind to trust him. He urged them to not question what was happening and to trust everything would be OK. Then he focused his thoughts on the path calling to him. The path came hurtling toward them, as eager for them as they were to escape death. But the canyon floor was also right there. Right at the same junction point. You couldn't tell one from the other. Tagan squinted his eyes, praying he was right. Praying he wasn't having some rapturous delusion and they really were about to slam into the canyon floor. He could see the cold stone of the canyon floor. It was in every part of his vision and he couldn't tell if they were getting closer or not to the path he was seeking but he knew it had to be close.

And then it wasn't, like the canyon floor had been an illusion all along, and they fell through the veil into what lay beyond. A tic-toc of a second and they were surrounded by dark. Dark beings. Dark scenery. Dark feelings. And a silence so ominous as if they had plunged into deepest fathoms of a lake. But somewhere ahead was the beacon he was looking for. It stood out like a spark in cold embers and Tagan raced toward the force calling to him. A part of Tagan knew what the spark was which beckoned to him and he allowed the feeling to fill him with hope and determination. As the horses had raced toward the unseen talisman, he chanced a look around and the murky dark they were racing through was familiar to him. Tagan had started down this path twice before. Once when he was a prisoner of the Dwenar Gliv army and again when he was helping Rean Li to see her home-world. Thinking of Rean Li reminded Tagan he wasn't alone and he craned his neck to look behind him. Rean Li, Stonjsin and Crenoah were tucked low in their horses' saddles, hanging on for dear life.

With his confidence bolstered they had made it this far, Tagan looked ahead once more and focused on why they were in this land. Within moments they had stormed into Kasadu, grabbing Braulor and two others before a new beacon appeared in his midst. Tagan hadn't had time to even think, he knew talisman was safety. Was a way out of this place.

Now as he looked back to see Braulor with his own two eyes, he was overjoyed at his fortune at rescuing him. He had almost given up hope he would ever see Braulor again, and Braulor was going to jump. Braulor was seconds away from launching himself back to wherever they had been for some unknown reason. It was almost too much to believe and Tagan did the only thing he could to stop him.

"Braulor. No."

Braulor looked around for the source of his name being called. The voice was hollow and echoed as if someone were yelling at him from the other side of a canyon. Like a guardian angel calling to him from heaven. But the voice was familiar to him. It wasn't some other worldly voice or echo. The voice belonged to someone he knew. Braulor was so wrapped up in his own plight, he hadn't thought about the horses and his rescue. He hadn't thought about where they were racing off to. He only knew the staff was gone. The one thing which had kept him working to find a way out of Tâ Oandimn. The only thing which had kept him alive in that dark and terrible place, and now it was gone. Braulor had been readying himself to leap out of his saddle to go and get the staff back when the voice stopped him. It was the second time in mere moments his life had been saved. Scoping ahead, he spotted Tagan's youthful face looking back at him, a smile stretching ear to ear. Braulor managed a weak smile in return and gave Tagan a thumbs up. Tagan turned away, looking ahead once again and Braulor looked toward Tâ Oandimn. It was a black speck among a kaleidoscope of colors sinking away from him much the same as the feeling in his heart.

### CHAPTER TWO

### Uldarra's Prize

Uldarra strolled at a casual pace. The dark of night was still in full bloom with no sign of the sun for hours perhaps. She wasn't totally sure about the time of day as her focus was being held by the package trundling behind her. Being passed along from tree roots and branches to tree roots and branches was her trophy. Her prize. The being she had bested in battle and she felt vindicated. Uldarra felt a small measure of revenge for this man taking the lives of her dogs.

In the large bundle behind her, wrapped tight like a mummy, was the beastly man she had engaged in combat. Uldarra had tracked the man as he had come onto her property in search of Kenok. She had sensed his approach for some time but didn't pay it the attention it deserved at first. Uldarra didn't view the assailant for the brute he was. As what many would call a witch, Uldarra often sensed people approaching her property. Her spells would usually short circuit their approach so she grew accustomed to dismissing those she sensed as they generally posed no threat to her. A bad habit she learned she would have to correct. A lesson she almost paid for with her life.

This man slunk onto her land with the stealth of a shadow and stopped. Waiting. Surveying. Plotting. Uldarra was aware of his presence but had been preoccupied with Sequil and Kenok and didn't recognize the danger she was in. Once the man had killed her dogs, she knew he was a force to be reckoned with and in the dead of night, she sought him out. She didn't want to battle with the man. She was hoping to use her powers to get the drop on him and subdue him with little or no struggle. Their meeting was the exact opposite and Uldarra found herself pitted against a physical force she hadn't tangled with in a long long time. In the end it was her control of the elements that saved her from certain death. The same roots and branches, which were passing along the man's body behind her, had rescued her. They came to Uldarra's aid at her request and pulled the beast from her, rendering him unconscious before he could dispatch her. She smiled at the memory and said another thank you to them.

Uldarra's calm gait and demeanor belied how she was feeling. What you couldn't see was her heart pounding as if she had sprinted for hundreds of yards. But she hadn't. Her hands were shaking as if she were trying to personally hold an earthquake. But she wasn't doing that either. Uldarra was using all the energy at her disposal to keep her prisoner in check, which was no easy feat. Uldarra was powerful but wielding her energy to contain the angry beast she had only moments previously finished battling was taxing her to the very last. She had to find reserves she didn't even know she had. It was taking all her mental acuity to keep moving forward and other concerns kept trying to intrude on her focus. With many irons in the fire, Uldarra's thoughts were like moths around flame, flapping around without control as each vied for her attention.

First, there was Kenok. His physical body was in her house but Uldarra knew his soul was elsewhere completing a task he had been preordained to fulfill. Even before this interruption, the timing was going to be close and Uldarra longed to know what was happening. She needed to know where the situation was at, for there was much more to be done.

Then there was Sequil. Uldarra didn't know what to do about Sequil. Tucked away in one of Uldarra's bedrooms, Sequil had been a bit of a spanner in the works. Uldarra's divination of future events had of course shown the potential for Kenok to come back into her world but she had been certain it was something that would come to pass. Kenok returning to her life was the end result of actions taken on her part in the long ago past. But Sequil being with Kenok was a wrinkle Uldarra hadn't foreseen. If she had had the time, Uldarra would have consulted her psychic faculties and try to draw forth a plan on how to deal with Sequil while not jeopardizing the larger picture Uldarra was orchestrating. But there hadn't been time. And then this, this beast arrived, and threw another wrench into the fray.

Uldarra had to focus. Her little house was bobbing into view. She would secure this horrid man she was bringing with her, make sure Sequil was, at the very least, calm, and then be able to tap into the energies in play and see what's what.

Uldarra led the procession to a large tree that was close to her house and had the roots and branches raise the man to the tree and hold him there. She watched with a small, satisfying smile as the roots and branches lashed around the man's arms and legs, his massive, misshapen head drooping down toward his barrel chest. Pinned against the tree, the man looked like some sort of grotesque marionette. Uldarra disappeared into a little shed nearby and returned with a chord of thick rope. She stopped in front of the man, assessing him as she squeezed the rope in her hands. This should be strong enough. Uldarra first bound the man's large hands behind him around the tree. Then, starting at his feet, wound the rope around and around and around until the rope was all the way up to the man's neck and then tied it off behind the tree. She stepped back and looked at her handiwork. As the roots and branches receded, Uldarra reflected how the man now looked like a large cocoon, getting ready to complete his metamorphosis. Into what this beast would change into, Uldarra didn't know and she shuddered at the thought of him becoming even more vile.

Uldarra had thought of ending him. Of having the branches and roots choke the life out of him right then and there but this man wasn't of this world. She had encountered beings like him in her past but thought they were all wiped out. And besides, this man had answers. Answers to many questions. Answers, which could shape coming events and Uldarra needed every last piece of information she could get her hands on at the moment.

Satisfied the man wasn't going anywhere, Uldarra turned and went around the back of her house, to where the hidden door she had exited in search of this man was. Her trembling hands found the release to the door, even in the pitch black, and she let herself in, pulling the door shut behind her. The door closed with nary a sound and Uldarra took a second or two to adjust to the interior of her home. Standing still, eyes closed, she took a few long, quiet deep breaths as she organized her thoughts.

She couldn't hear Sequil, which was a good thing. I have to check on Kenok. Uldarra opened her eyes and marched toward the room where she had left Kenok, peeling of her cloak as she went, dropping it to the floor. She paused at the threshold to the room before opening the door a crack and craning her neck to look inside and gasped. Kenok was there, right where she had left him but his sheets were soaked through with sweat. The once smooth serenity of the bed she had placed him in was gone. Now Kenoks' rigid body was twisted up in the sheets like some deranged art display. He looked as if he had had a wrestling match with them and lost badly. Uldarra didn't know why but she felt a deep wave of relief wash over her like she had been expecting Kenok not to be there. As if he could manage to get up walk away in the state he was in. She stepped into the room and sighed as she regarded Kenok's body.

Kenok pursed his lips as a long low moan escaped them. Uldarra hurried to his bedside and knelt down, placing a hand on his forehead. Even though it was covered with a sheen of sweat, it was cold and clammy to the touch. She lowered her own head, closing her eyes as she did so. She calmed her mind and reached out to the energy of her homestead. She could feel the energy's warmth steel over her, filling her mind with calm and peace. Uldarra let the energy wash over her, savoring the connection for a moment. With difficulty, she managed to wrest her attention away from being in the flow of energy and directed it to where she needed. Uldarra had to see where Kenok was now.

Before her conflict with the beastly man now tied to a tree outside her home, Kenok had been drifting slowly and surely toward his destiny. But there were so many nuances, so many facets to the entire picture and everything needed to come together in a precise manner. If the timing was off in the slightest, who knows what would happen.

Uldarra could feel her focus leading her, pulling her along in its wake as if she was water-skiing. All around her, it was growing dark. Ominous shadows flitted about like moths in the murky black. She couldn't see the shadows, per se, but she knew they were there. They could certainly feel her presence and their number grew as she drifted by them as if she was some sort of curiosity to be ogled. Then it stopped. Her drifting or sense of forward momentum ceased and a scene unraveled before her eyes. From her vantage point, it seemed like she was looking down on a bull's eye. All around the circles of the bull's eye were hordes of the same dark shadows, which had watched her as she approached this place. Below her, it was a flurry of chaos. Packs of shadows were racing about, slamming into other shadow groups. It was like she was watching a feeding frenzy. Amid the chaos, galloping into view was a line of horses. They looked so out of place in this setting and Uldarra was watching with intense curiosity. The line of horses barreled straight into the fray like an icebreaker, sending the shadow groups flying out of their way. The horses raced without fear, without trepidation, right toward the middle of the bull's eye. She looked at each rider as they passed her view but didn't recognize any of them. The leader of the group, a young man, had a look like he could be related to Kenok. Without stopping, the young man led the line of horses deep into the chaos and as the crowd parted, there he was. There they both were, as she had hoped. She was overjoyed as hands came down from the horses and Kenok and Braulor were pulled aboard. Uldarra focused herself even more. She needed to show them the way home. She had to show them how to get out of this dark place. She poured her energy into Kenok's body. He was the beacon. He was the talisman they needed to follow now. As she worked her magic a darkness rose up, springing out of the recesses of the area like a tiger hidden in tall grass and sped toward the escaping line of horses. As it got close to them, her connection was cut off. Uldarra struggled to refocus. Scrambled to locate the men and show them the way but she couldn't make any headway. They were lost to her. The darkness pursuing them was too insidious. Too full of hate and evil for her to penetrate. A loud crash followed by a shriek wrenched her attention away from her attempt to help the fleeing group. They were on their own now.

### CHAPTER THREE

### Alrei Yqu's Incarceration

Alrei Yqu paced. And paced. And paced. He stopped, letting his chin drop to his chest, emphasized with a heavy sigh. He spun on one foot and resumed pacing once more in the opposite direction. He passed a dais to his right, glaring at it out of the corner of his eye. As if he was tied to short tether, he stopped once more, repeating the same chin drop, sigh procedure and turned once again, continuing his march. How long he had been continuing in this fashion, Alrei Yqu didn't know but he had to do something while he was stuck here and this passed the time as well as anything else he could think of. Alrei Yqu was furious and this was all he could do to assuage his anger. It seethed inside him like an explosion he was trying to contain. Like a volcano building up pressure right before it blows. His march was the only way he could deal with his feelings. Keeping one foot moving in front of the other gave him something to focus on. Gave him a feeling he was accomplishing something and each heavy sigh was a tiny relief valve for the stress he was feeling.

As he passed by the dais once more, this time to his left, he stopped and marched up to the stone basin set on top of it and stared into the pitch-black ooze it contained. There was nothing. It was like he was looking into an ebony mirror. He gripped the sides of the stony top with a tight grip and squeezed, muscles from fingers to shoulder flexing hard as he tried to transfer his anger into the basin. Tried to flood the blackness with red fire of his rage. Maybe then it would respond to him. Maybe then it would understand that he meant business and he was tired of this meaningless existence. The contents of the basin swirled the tiniest amount in response but showed nothing. His eyes flared at the pitch black, as if he could force something into focus, but there was nothing to see.

Alrei Yqu's head slumped down, shoulders sagging. Where is he? He had been trying to contact Braulor to no avail for what seemed like ages. He couldn't get in touch with Kyriu either. It was as if they were both lost in space. Like they were hidden behind some wall his mind couldn't penetrate and it was consuming Alrei Yqu in rage. He calmed himself and tried one last time to reach out with his mind to find Braulor or Kyriu or anyone for that matter but there was nothing. Alrei Yqu was ready to give up. To throw in the towel. He had worked so hard to make sure Braulor and Kyriu crossed paths. From Alrei Yqu's analyzing, this was the only way he could escape this wretched... he didn't know what to call it. All he knew was he was alone. Cut off from Quanna Eresse. Cut off from the LeFirte. Cut off from, well, from everything. He felt like he was stuck in a fog. Everywhere he looked it was gray and murky. It didn't matter how far he walked or ran or jumped. Here, was always gray, the dais is only source of communication.

The only thing his isolation had been good for was reaching out to those minds he could find. Kyriu was the first. A leftover from before the last attempt to crack the LeFirte for the Draepkos. Before everything had gone wrong and he woke up here. He pondered briefly about his brother, Meyu Kwi and the peoples of Quanna Eresse. He wondered how they were faring. How he longed to see Quanna Eresse, even though he had betrayed his entire race. Had betrayed everybody for that matter, who resided in Quanna Eresse. What he wouldn't give for all this to be nothing but a bad dream. To be a nightmare he would wake up from to find out everything was still normal and he had been dreaming this whole series of events. But, Alrei Yqu knew this wasn't the case. He knew something had gone catastrophically wrong and now he was shut out of whatever was happening in Quanna Eresse. His exile complete. He felt as if he were out on tree branch, clinging for dear life, while all around lightning and wind threatened to tear him down. The limb. The branch of LeFirte he had chased Clhla Luth to retrieve. But retrieval had never been on his mind.

Alrei Yqu's thoughts drifted back to that day. He looked down at the black mass in the stony basin and like it was a projector screen his thoughts spilled onto it like a terrible replay. He was standing in the mound where they interred Clhla Luth. He watched as Queen Amhain spoke the final part of her incantation. There was silence for a moment and then Queen Amhain took the branch of LeFirte and placed it on the wall above the makeshift cairn, which housed Clhla Luth's remains. As she did so, the last vestiges of emotion drained away from them. It was noticeable in the way everybody's shoulders slumped and they exhaled in unison as if it were all over. But it was far from over.

One by one they left the mound. Queen Amhain first, surrounded by her guard. Alrei Yqu looked to his brother, Meyu Kwi, expecting him to follow as well. Meyu Kwi turned his head and returned the gaze and shook his head. "You go, Alrei Yqu. I'll be along in a minute."

Alrei Yqu nodded once and turned, trudging toward the small flight of stairs, which would return him to ground level. He happened a glance back as he took the first step and spied his brother approaching Clhla Luth's resting place. His brother and Clhla Luth had been friends for so long before this, Meyu Kwi was taking this betrayal harder than any of them. Alrei Yqu climbed the remaining steps, squinting as he raised his hands like a visor from the light, and joined the others. They each scanned the sky. The storm Clhla Luth had brought to life had dissipated. The clouds were no longer dark and angry. Light gray and cheerless, they were breaking apart and shafts of sunlight were poking through making them look like pincushions of light. There was a crunching of rocks coming up behind him and Alrei Yqu turned. Meyu Kwi was approaching the group. Tear streaks stained his cheeks and he wiped them away hastily as he approached but his eyes were focused and clear.

"My Queen, we must get you out here."

Queen Amhain didn't turn to face him. Her intense gaze was locked in the direction of their homeland. She was standing rigid and straight, the slight breeze moving her hair in tiny waves, limp arms hanging at her sides. Her demeanor was inscrutable and she stood without moving for a long time as if she could see something the rest of them could not. A silence hung in the air as they waited. She closed her eyes and bowed her head with a slight nod before turning to Meyu Kwi and replying. "I think you are right, Meyu Kwi. We have been away from home long enough. There is nothing more for us to do here."

Queen Amhain then turned to her guard. "Let's get this doorway sealed up and we will be off."

The men went to work immediately, lacing the opening with branches and leaves before standing aside. Queen Amhain approached the mound once again and stopped a few yards from the opening. She closed her eyes and inclined her head toward the burial chamber. At first, nothing happened but slowly the branches and leaves the guards had placed across the open doorway began to morph. As if they had lost their structure, they twisted and turned, wrapping in on themselves and back once again. Queen Amhain's hand was moving in delicate patterns in the air, conducting their dance. Her breathing picked up as her hands moved quicker and with exaggerated motion before she whipped her hand down to her side. As she did so, the branches stopped moving and came to rest. Queen Amhain looked at her handiwork and nodded her head. She then turned and strode away from the mound as her guard fell in step in front and behind her.

Alrei Yqu looked at the mound. The branches and leaves had formed a solid barrier across the opening. It didn't look like a door, rather it gave the appearance of scattered debris. As if the mound had been created by a mudslide and was a solid mass of dirt, branches and twigs. He was duly impressed and nodded to himself. The disguise would deter anybody from wanting to go inside but also left the option open for Queen Amhain if she needed to return here for some reason. Or for himself to return for that matter. He stepped toward the mound to get a closer look and his skin tingled like a spark racing up and down his entire body. It was startling and he stopped, extending his arms to look at them. If felt like cold fire was racing up and down his arms but he couldn't see anything. As he stepped away from the mound, the feeling faded. Alrei Yqu gave the mound and then his arms one more appraising look before turning to catch up with the others.

Once the tumult had died down from Clhla Luth's internment, Alrei Yqu began secret trips to the strange mountain Clhla Luth had set up as his headquarters. The ceremony Clhla Luth had planned and been attempting was a success, to some degree. The Draepkos were granted access to this world and they didn't hesitate to go to work. They didn't storm in like an invading army and stomp everything in their path. The Draepkos were used to the shadows. They were used to using subterfuge as a weapon. They knew they could get what they wanted with greater ease if they used stealth to their advantage. A few came to their world at first. They came from the sky, black specs which grew as they neared terra firma to the full forms of the Draepkos. They approached the highest powers in the lands. Queen Amhain among them, explaining they didn't know how they had come to be in this realm and they were seeking only solitude. Granted a place in the north where they could be alone, they began to work their plan. They worked their gambit at every turn, continuing to play their sympathy card to keep prying eyes from looking too closely at what they were doing. Using their dark magic, they spent many years assessing the political climates of all the living races. They were interested in obtaining as much information as they could about each race. Not because they were trying to find a way to fit in or a place where they could contribute. The Draepkos wanted tyranny. War. They wanted blood, any way they could get it. They were looking for ways to undermine each race and create the type of wasteland they wanted to live in. It wasn't easy. The living races had dwelt in peace for so long, getting one group to fight another was next to impossible. But they kept chipping away and chipping away, like a master sculptor chiseling out a masterpiece.

It was when the Draepkos discovered gold that they escalated their plan. They fell in love with the ore and infighting began among themselves to see who could hoard more of it. Their lust for the shiny metal drew them in like a drug dealer using free drugs to trap new users, and adherence to the original plan was put on the back burner. At first, they plundered the gold they wanted on their own, risking life and limb to attain as much of it as they could, ruining the land and anyone who stood in their way to secure more. However, as more and more Draepkos entered Quanna Eresse, less and less gold was available and they had to go to greater lengths to procure only meager amounts.

When the natural sources for gold dried up, to get more, the Draepkos had to start raiding from one another. Which meant those with less power were destroyed so the top dogs could keep accumulating the metal. But that only amusing for a short time. It was easy pickings and increasingly not worth the time and energy it took for small returns. The haves of the Draepkos were like kids who had tired of their Christmas gift and wanted to put it aside but couldn't because they didn't want anyone else to have. As time passed the Draepkos lords grew weary of having to defend their hoard; while risking their own life to obtain more became an act of attrition. Something they had to do to keep the status quo and maintain their place in the pecking order. Like any pyramid scheme, those on top were content with their wealth and concentrated on keeping it away from others. Those at the bottom, the weakest of the Draepkos lords, realized they needed something to level the playing field. They needed something to balance the power. A number of them banded together, pooling what limited resources they could scrape up to find a solution. From this union came the Krug. A twisted bit of genetic alteration that gave the lower level Draepkos lords an equalizer. Gave them a way to compete with the upper echelon Draepkos. They created hordes of Krug and unleashed them into Quanna Eresse to do their dirty work for them. They could sit back and enjoy the resulting carnage with little risk to their own life and limb and it worked with the efficiency they had hoped.

Now there was new thing in town. A new resource to strive for and all the Draepkos adopted the means to create Krug. Then the Draepkos disappeared from the fighting altogether, pulling back so they could adore the mounds of riches they had amassed while the Krug beat each other to death on their behalf. But the Krug were ruthless. They showed no mercy and when they started to attack the people of Quanna Eresse it broke the collective peace. Locals went to the Draepkos lords demanding peace. Demanding they do something about the Krug. And their original plan had come to fruition quite generically. Without their interference, the original reason they had interest in this world walked right up to their doorstep. The Draepkos had the people where they wanted them all along. The Draepkos leveraged peace from the Krug while creating factions among the races living in Quanna Eresse. The wars raged and countless lives were spent and it was all for naught. All for the pleasure of the Draepkos.

Over time the Draepkos came to learn, even though they were now a part of this world, they weren't fully connected to it. They assumed getting into this world, so rich with LeFirte power, it would be a slam dunk to get themselves to be a part of it once more. But it wasn't that easy. It wasn't simple. So, they let the wars rage on while they banded together behind the scenes to try and develop a way to connect to the power of LeFirte. With Clhla Luth dead, they needed someone else to use for their wicked means. And along came Alrei Yqu. The perfect combination of bright and naive. It didn't take much effort to indoctrinate Alrei Yqu. Indeed, it was rather easy. Alrei Yqu was eager to explore the dark side of the magic and made an excellent pupil. He was perhaps a tad less skilled than Clhla Luth but powerful still. As with Clhla Luth, Alrei Yqu was already adept with magic at an above average level, but where Clhla Luth was structured and methodical in his approach, Alrei Yqu was wild and raw. Impetuous. Rash. Alrei Yqu didn't need to know all the ins and outs of what he was doing and why. He preferred to leap without looking. Jump right into the thick of things and let the results speak for themselves. He would learn from his mistakes and hone his craft that way. Let the aftermath of his experiments be his teacher, good or bad. Knowing this, the Draepkos took full advantage of Alrei Yqu's unbridled enthusiasm and played it to their advantage. They knew Alrei Yqu was an Odign and had full access to LeFirte. He would do as they asked with little or no question. He would do as they asked without looking past the immediate. Without envisioning the end of actions. Alrei Yqu would just do and they used him like a pawn in their quest to conquer LeFirte.

The memory was as strong now as it was then and Alrei Yqu shook his head. He had sunk so low. Hoping against hope, he looked into the basin once again and started. The shimmer of a face was fading into the dark. A face he recognized.

### CHAPTER FOUR

### Shadowkeeper Machinations

The Shadowkeeper watched as Braulor drifted away. Braulor's face was contorted in a mask of confusion and shock. On the one hand, there was elation at having won sole possession of staff. On the other hand, there was terror as the realization of 'what next' hit him. The Shadowkeeper was amused to watch Braulor flail and kick as if he were a drowning man seeking to find the surface. To find safety. But there was no safety to be found. Braulor had the staff and that was it. Everything else was beyond his control.

The Shadowkeeper was taking a calculated risk. This he knew. He didn't want to send the staff away. Away from his control. Away from where he could keep any eye on it. He had invested so much in the original creation of the staff, only to have it taken away from him by Queen Amhain. More than just taken away, his staff had been sequestered. Tucked away in the hope that history would forget about it and it would never be retrieved. Queen Amhain entombed the Shadowkeeper with his prize and then used the very staff he created in order to subjugate Quanna Eresse as the key to his banishment. A twist of irony even he could respect.

Queen Amhain's plan worked, as the staff had become lost to time. The Shadowkeeper doubted if anyone outside of Quanna Eresse even remembered its existence. But he could never forget. He could never let it go. He always knew it was out there, waiting, its true power and potential inert until he could get the staff back in his hands.

A chance finding of the staff, locked away in the burial mound in which he was interred, along the infamous Infrey trail had brought the long-sought opportunity the Shadowkeeper had been waiting for. The opportunity he had been pining for would be more accurate. His disbarment to the netherworld at the hands of the wretched Queen and her cronies had been a stick in his craw for millennia and he would use the staff to scratch an itch he never thought would be sated. Now here he was, sending his prize away.

There was no other choice for the Shadowkeeper. The spell Kyriu had cast as a means to escape the tug of war over the staff with Braulor had jarred the Shadowkeeper's memory. The spell work and incantation were a little different than what he was used to but there was no mistaking the language Kyriu had used. The guttural sound. The slithering of certain letters as they slid from his mouth were of the same origin as the masters the Shadowkeeper had tapped to create the staff in the first place. The Shadowkeeper didn't recognize Kyriu but had a feeling from the first time he had lain eyes on him that Kyriu was of Draepkos descent. He hadn't been one hundred percent certain until the casting of the spell. If this was true, and Kyriu was of the same race, then the Shadowkeeper wanted to meet them. Face to face this time. No hiding behind smoke and mirrors. No tricks. The Shadowkeeper had grown powerful since his last meeting with the Draepkos and he was certain they would be no match for his prowess now. He would meet with them and assess their strength. Meet with them and see where their power lay and what their plans were. If he could use them to avenge himself on the people of Quanna Eresse, he would. If they were of no use to him and his plans, he would destroy them and return to Tâ Oandimn, where his staff would be waiting for him, safe and sound. His second in command, Grawton, would make sure the staff awaited his return.

Braulor was long gone now. Drifted down into the dark ether which would escort him safely to Tâ Oandimn. The Shadowkeeper turned his attention to Kyriu. Kyriu was not unlike the matter they were surrounded by. A little trick of the Shadowkeeper's' doing. He took the spell Kyriu was using and bent it around. Twisted it. Broke it into pieces and turned it in on itself. All done in a heartbeat before Kyriu had a chance to realize what was happening and defend himself. Then he sent it through the staff and into Kyriu like a fog of angry intent. It had the effect of making Kyriu more like The Shadowkeeper. He had to do it as there was no other way for Kyriu to survive out here. The staff could, of course, but that was no longer an option.

"Where are we off to, Kyriu? Your little spell didn't work out like you had wanted."

Kyriu was at a loss. He too had watched Braulor drift away, even as his fingers still scrabbled for the end of a staff no longer anywhere within his reach. The picture of his fingers flipping up and down looking for something that wasn't there was fresh in in his mind. It was almost comical, as if he were merely waving goodbye to Braulor and not struggling for his life.

Then the blackness hit him. Like a wave, it spread throughout his body. as if his physical form was dry tinder and the blackness, an inferno. The blackness consumed him as if his physical form was a pile of dry tinder and the blackness, an inferno. The blackness became him. And Kyriu became it. Was one with it. He had no choice. He had no say in the matter. The blackness was alive and sentient. A force unto itself, serving a purpose. What purpose the blackness served, Kyriu didn't know. As far as he could tell, the blackness' sole purpose was to devour him.

Even as the blackness consumed him, Kyriu could sense it served a second, more important function. It felt to Kyriu as if he were sinking in quicksand and the more he sank the more he felt connected to. To. To something he had never felt before. He wasn't afraid. Or scared. He didn't feel like the blackness taking over his body was there to do him harm. He could feel the Shadowkeeper's power and was certain if the Shadowkeeper's intention was harm, he could have pulled off whatever horrible idea he could come up with with relative ease. Kyriu felt the Shadowkeeper wanted him alive. Maybe even needed him alive and the blackness was how he was going to do it. It was as if the blackness were preparing him for something. Turning his solid form into something more malleable. More pliable. It was altering Kyriu's form, acting as a bridge. But a bridge to where? Or What?

"I think you have ideas of your own."

"Of course, I have ideas of my own, Kyriu. But I was curious what you were up to with your little spell."

"I was attempting to rid myself of you and the human."

"You wanted the staff all to yourself, did you?" The Shadowkeeper couldn't help but taunt Kyriu a little more.

Kyriu couldn't deny it. Not even to himself. He wanted the staff and he was ready to throw away everything to get it. How pleased would Alrei Yqu be? How much would getting his hands on the staff advance their agenda? How heavily would Alrei Yqu reward him for getting the staff? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions, Kyriu would never know. The staff was gone and he didn't even have form or substance. Reduced to nothing more than basic elements, he was like empty space. A vacuum. Like pile of Play-do, he was at the mercy of the Shadowkeeper to do with as he pleased.

### CHAPTER FIVE

### Infused With Power

Grawton hung in the air like the cloud of smoke left behind from a fireworks display. He neither moved up nor down nor sideways. He was just there, as if he was a marionette whose operator had stopped performing leaving Grawton lifeless and without animation. Like the marionette, Grawton didn't know what to do next. His sole focus had been bent on obtaining the staff and he had given little thought to what he would do if he actually got it away from the human who had been wielding it. He cradled the staff close as if he were holding a newborn and stared at it. His gaze drifted from tip to tip, breadth and width, taking in every exquisite detail. Every notch. Every striation. Every ding and dent. Committing them to memory for future use. The staff was so black it was hard to discern from his own being. He closed his eyes and tuned his thoughts to the staff. Grawton learned long ago of the energy of things and he needed to feel the staff. He longed to connect with it and see what its power was like. What was it capable of. See how he could augment the staff's power with his own and become even more powerful.

He lurched as he melded with the staff, not ready for the intensity. Not ready for the rawness. Not ready for the feeling the staff introduced to his being. As their energies meshed, he could feel the totality of the power contained within the staff. He could feel the depth of the intensity it possessed. There was something more too. Something he wasn't expecting. The staff housed disparate energies, like a battery with both positive and negative polarities. It was as if he had drifted into the midst of yin-yang. One energy he knew, for it was of the Shadowkeeper, but he didn't expect the potency. The other was a power of an unknown source but it was a great power nonetheless. Like the battery, the energies were being cordial at the moment, both content to share the same space but Grawton knew he was in command of an awe-inspiring amount of force, as if he were carrying around a nuclear weapon. The question now was, how could he use this power? How could he wield this immense reservoir of potential without destroying himself and everything along with it?

Grawton looked from the staff upwards to where the line of horses which had appeared from nowhere, wheeling into the fray of souls all vying to get at the new arrivals, and whisking Kenok, the staff bearer and Draax away from harm. Grawton had acted before even thinking about it, flaring his self-up and toward the escaping horses. He realized this would be his only shot at the staff. If he didn't get it now, it would ride out of his life forever. It took a huge effort for him to wrench it from the humans' hands, the human not wanting to relinquish the staff, but he did it. Looking at the speck of horses riding away from Tâ Oandimn he was sure he could see the staff bearer looking back at him, thoughts of abandoning his ride to safety so he could come back for the staff. Grawton knew he wouldn't though. He couldn't explain how but the staff had been keeping the human alive. It was the only way he could have survived in Tâ Oandimn.

Grawton wondered about the others. Those that came to the staff bearer's rescue. He could tell they were living humans as the staff bearer was, but how was it they were able to live in Tâ Oandimn? The staff bearer had the staff, which explained how he survived. His rescuers came in on horseback, alone and unaided. How did the horses survive in this place? And how did they know exactly where to come and rescue the staff bearer?

Grawton's elation at having secured the staff was flagging. Shriveling like a balloon whose end had come open all the air was escaping. He had more questions than answers once again. He played the scene back in his mind. Groups of ravagers were swarming toward Kenok. He himself had hung back, preferring to stay away from the fray. To keep out of the chaos so he could keep an eye on his trap and gauge the situation, looking for the best time for him to swoop in and take his prize. Then the hoof-beats came, pounding like some unseen drum. A solemn beat kept to the time of freedom. They began as a dim echo at first but they grew louder in intensity until it felt like they were racing across him. Through him. And they never broke line. Never swayed from their target. They fell upon the ravagers like a wave and blasted through them as if someone had painted Kenok with a laser and they were the guided missile coming for him. Only in this case they were a force of rescue instead of destruction. A power focused solely on the rescue of Kenok and the staff bearer. It was as if the leader, the rider of the front horse knew the staff bearer. Knew of Kenok. Knew they would be together at this exact moment in time, waiting to be saved. Grawton froze the moment of reunion in is mind. He could see the determined look on the lead horseman's face. He continued the memory, little by little, like he was watching in slow motion. He could see the look of relief as they came upon the staff bearer. Then the look of confusion as the lead horseman spied Kenok. And that was it. They were gone. The horses leaving the ground with their booty as if they were Santa's reindeer, heading out for a night of deliveries.

It was at that moment, Grawton had to act. He knew he had to reveal himself, even if the conditions weren't one hundred percent in his favor. Even if they weren't anywhere near in his favor, Grawton had to do something. He flew from his concealment. Racing out from the dark recess' of Tâ Oandimn he had been hiding in, launching himself toward the usurpers of his prize. If hadn't acted at that exact moment, the staff would have been lost to him forever. He latched onto it like a leech who had found a plump source of sustenance and he wasn't letting go. And the staff bearer gave him no quarter. But as the escaping group ascended, the staff bearers grip loosened. Perhaps he had been distracted by the daring rescue. Perhaps, thinking his escape was a foregone conclusion, he relaxed a little. It didn't matter which for the tiny lapse in grip was all the time Grawton needed. At that moment, the staff was his. All his. It slid from the staff bearer's hand as if the hand was made of butter and the staff was a hot knife. The staff bearer redoubled his effort but it was too late. And it all came back to Grawton. The staff betrayed its bearers' thoughts to him. The staff bearer was having difficulty reconciling how his brother had come to his rescue. The lead horse rider was the staff bearer's brother. It was starting to make sense now. Grawton could sense the magic coming from the lead horsemen. Like a sonic boom it hit Grawton. They were brothers. Which made Kenok their father. Between them there was some form of magic at work he didn't yet know. But he would come to know it. For he had the staff. He had the staff and Tâ Oandimn was his for the taking.

Grawton looked down at the groups of marauders, milling about like ants whose nest had been kicked over. None of them had a clue what had transpired. None of them had the faintest idea of where the souls they longed to attack had gotten too. It was like they were infants who dropped their toy but didn't have the sense to find it on their own. Grawton's eyes widened as he watched the groups. He realized they were his. This was all his.

Grawton allowed himself to drift downward as he hoisted the staff high above his head. The groups parted as he grew closer to the ground, forming a large circle. Grawton drifted right into the middle of Kasadu. He could feel when he touched down but he stayed where he was for a moment, surveying the gathered crowd. He fed off their energy, drinking in every detail. It felt like he was on a surfboard and a huge wave was swelling beneath him. The wave was going to take him places he never imagined. The wave was going to show him things he longed to see. But like he had a new fascination, he didn't want this feeling to end. He didn't want the heady anticipation to go away. He wanted to live in it as if it were a bubble which would never pop.

With deliberate slowness, Grawton lowered the staff from above his head. He could feel power building in it as he did so. He wasn't sure what he could do. He wasn't sure what he should do. He only knew what he wanted to do and he focused on a single vision. His vision of what Tâ Oandimn should be. When the staff made contact with Kasadu, Grawton poured one thought through it. The thought raced into those in front of him like a shock wave from an atomic bomb, the force of it blowing the ring of marauders back. From there he reached out to every nook and cranny of Tâ Oandimn, sending notification far and wide. The energy was relentless as it probed and found every weeping, cowering soul. Every evil being. Every sentient part of this dark world. And Grawton made his proclamation. The Shadowkeeper is no more. I am your ruler now. I am the one you fear. I am the lord of Tâ Oandimn.

### CHAPTER SIX

### Sequil's Moment

Sequil stood in the doorway, a hand on each side of the frame, bracing herself. Blood trickled from her fingertips. A payment of flesh for her escape from the room in which she had been imprisoned by Uldarra. She panted hard as if she had run a marathon, her chest rising and falling in exaggerated heaves as she tried to catch a breath. Blind to everything else for the moment, Sequil drank in the image of her husband like a person dying of thirst. She took long loving gulps as her eyes roved from the top of Kenok's head to the tips of his toes. As the elation of her escape and finding her husband wore off, her breath caught in her throat as she was able to fully comprehend the scene in front of her. She could see Uldarra was on her knees at Kenok's side, her slender hand holding one of Kenoks while the other was caressing his brow. Her rage flared anew, spiking in a terrible pitch as she shrieked, "What are your doing to my husband?"

Uldarra stared up at Sequil, her face passive and blank. She could see Sequil seething as she stood in the doorway but it was as if she was looking at her through a fog, for at the same time, she could see the line of horses fleeing the hordes of marauding shadows milling about in a frenzy far below. Uldarra was fighting to maintain a focus on the escaping Kenok. She wanted to make sure they made it all the way out. Even though their group had escaped the ground of Tâ Oandimn, they weren't out of danger yet. Uldarra knew there was still many ways for their escape to go sideways. But she could sense herself leaving the darkness of that world. Even as she struggled to maintain her focus, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. Like the curtain going up on a musical, Sequil was coming into sharper relief. A darkness spiked from the floor of Tâ Oandimn, lancing toward the line of escapees like a black lightning bolt. And then it was gone. Her connection through Kenok was broken, her full attention in the here and now.

Sequil drew in a breath, feeding oxygen to the simmering inferno of rage she felt in her chest. Using the door frame as a slingshot she shoved off hard and stormed toward the bed, her legs wobbly with adrenaline. It felt like she was trying to walk on a sheet of ice. Her heart was pounding in her head, hot blood coursing through her veins. It felt like her skull was on fire and it blurred her vision. "Get away from him." She bent down and grabbed Uldarra by the collar of her sweater and yanked her to her feet. Sequil stared deep into Uldarra's eyes, her fiery gaze trying to blaze a hole right out the back of Uldarra's skull.

Uldarra was at Sequil's mercy. The connection with Kenok had been broken but the fullness of Uldarra's sentience hadn't yet returned to her body. Like a radio trying to tune in a station, it was almost there but everything was still fuzzy and crackled. If only Sequil knew what she was interfering with she would stop. If only Sequil knew what she was interfering with, she would put Uldarra back down beside the bed and let her finish leading Kenok home. Uldarra tried to talk. She tried to tell Sequil what was happening but couldn't form words, her mouth lolling around without control.

Sequil's boring eyes didn't blink. The rage in them didn't fade. But something wasn't computing. Something wasn't right. Uldarra was like a rag doll in her hands. There was no struggling. No fighting. No acknowledgement in any form. Sequil screamed in Uldarra's face. Her rage taking to voice. "What were you doing?"

There was no answer.

Sequil screamed again. No words. No sentences. Only a long guttural scream born of frustration. A violent scream born from a lack of answers. Born from a feeling of helplessness. Then Sequil stopped screaming, her head raised toward the ceiling like a wolf howling for her pack. Sequil lowered her head until she was eye level once more with Uldarra and then pulled Uldarra's limp body close to hers. So close their bodies were touching in several parts. "Answer me damn you." It came out like a snarl from her scream ravaged throat and a twang of pain shot through her vocal chords. There was still no answer from Uldarra and Sequil's rage quelled. Flagged like a ships sail suddenly losing the wind it was riding on. Her anger was spent, crashed upon the reality of the situation. She looked deep into Uldarra's eyes again, this time without rage. Without anger. Without the desire to savagely assault her. The anger was all gone now. Flushed out and Sequil felt nothing but remorse. Even pity. A tear streamed from Uldarra's eye. Sequil shook her head and frowned. "You are of no use to me." And tossed Uldarra aside as if she were a crumpled piece of paper.

Sequil's focus turned once again to Kenok. A last sweeping look at his prone body before closing the few steps between them and falling to his bedside. With the brunt of her emotions released and or in check she was able to look to her husband with a critical eye. His skin was pale, a tinge of blue around his lips. Kenok's eyelids were closed but she could see his eyeballs darting around beneath them as if he were deep in some dream. Sequil took Kenok's hand. It was clammy to the touch and she squeezed it hard and then pressed it to her lips. Letting their entwined hand drop back to the bed she got up taller on her knees and leaned in close to his face, resting her forehead on his stubbly cheek. She was trying to think of what to do next. She wanted to think of something she could do. Something she could say which would snap Kenok out of his condition but her thoughts were twisted with her scattered emotions and any words she tried to say were caught in her throat. Choked out before she could give them life. She could feel Kenok's warm breath brushing across her cheek with every exhale. It was easy and free from rasp. She took this as a good sign. A sign that all was not lost and hot tears rolled out of her eyes, splashing onto Kenok's cheek.

Uldarra lay where she was dropped. A doll tossed aside as if no longer of use. As if she had been played out. All she could do was watch as Sequil crouched down beside the bed and stare at Kenok. Uldarra could sense Sequil's despair. Sequil's sorrow. Sequil's wretchedness in the feeling she had let Kenok down. An agony no person should ever have to feel mired in guilt because she hadn't been there when Kenok needed her most.

Uldarra could only feel remorse. Remorse, for it was her fault this whole mess began. It was her fault Kenok was in the position he was now in. But there was little she could do now. Nothing she could say would make Sequil feel better. Nothing she could say would assuage Sequil's feelings. The healing would have to come with time.

Uldarra could feel the motor control returning to her body. Random muscles began to twitch or spasm and then stop. From there groups of muscles would start to work in unison, giving her the use of her limbs. An arm would flex or a leg would tense up as if her body was running a pre-startup check. It took mere seconds but felt like an eternity to her. Strong enough now, Uldarra pulled herself into sitting position. It was difficult work and she was winded from the labor, but her vigor was returning none the less. "Sequil." She called gently.

Sequil heard her name, the voice so soft, so faint, she thought she was imagining things. But she knew she wasn't. Sequil knew the source of her name but didn't want to acknowledge Uldarra. She didn't want to give her the time of day. She wanted to pretend Uldarra didn't exist and it was only she and Kenok in the room together.

"Sequil. I know you can hear me." Uldarra wasn't surprised at being ignored. She expected it. But she saw Sequil's shoulders sag and head perk up when she called to her so she knew she had Sequil's attention.

Sequil's head slumped forward, almost landing on Kenok's chin. "What do you want?"

"I can help you. You don't have to feel so alone."

"Haven't you done enough already?"

"Kenok isn't gone, Sequil. He may look it, but he is far from leaving this world."

Sequil spun her head around to face Uldarra. "What do you mean?"

"Kenok's body is in bad shape, yes, but his true essence is alive and well."

Sequil looked from Uldarra to Kenok and back again. She didn't know what to say. How to react. Any ray of hope at getting Kenok back was better than the lifetime without him she was facing, even if it meant aligning herself with Uldarra's wishes. "How can I help him? I'm not even sure he can hear me."

"You have to believe, Sequil. Believe Kenok can hear you. Reach out to him with your mind and call to him. Let him hear you and use you as the beacon to guide his soul back to you."

Sequil was unsure what to do. She was so busy processing what Uldarra told her, she didn't react. How could she call to him with her mind? Her mind was racing with thousands of thoughts but none of them made any sense to her.

"Face Kenok, Sequil. Face him and close your eyes. Reach out with your thoughts and you will find him. He needs you. He needs you to save him."

Like a robot, Sequil obeyed. She couldn't think anymore. The time for thinking had passed. She had to do something. Anything. Even if it sounded strange or eerie, if it was going to save Kenok she had to find a way to do it. She spun around on her knees and put her face close to Kenok's. She took one last loving look at her husband and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. She put aside the terrible thoughts which were springing to life, vying for her attention, and focused solely on Kenok. She held the last image of him in her mind like it was a Polaroid picture and closed herself to thoughts to anything else. Everything else fell away and only Kenok's visage was there. In her mind, she spoke to him. "I'm here, Kenok. Come back to me."

Over and over again Sequil repeated the mantra. It was the only thing she could think of to say. The only thing which made sense. Every time she called out, she felt herself drawing closer to Kenok and he to her. A feeling crept over her as if the room she was in was disappearing and it startled her but she dared not open her eyes. She could feel their connection strengthening and she knew if she opened her eyes now, she risked losing it forever. Losing Kenok forever.

Sequil had a sense of darkness surrounding Kenok. Deep and pervasive, it was like nothingness in physical form. She had the feeling of riding a horse and she could sense others around her. They were fleeing something. They were on the run but where were they running to? It seemed like they were lost. Languishing like a ship caught in a storm, trying desperately to spot a beacon of safety. Moving forward because it was all they could do. They needed help. They needed a target. Something to aim for and renew their purpose.

Sequil turned her attention to light. As bright as she could imagine, she shone light. A ray of hope for those trying to escape. She called to Kenok, come to me, I am your light. But the darkness wasn't going to give up without a fight. It searched for cracks in the light. Probed for slivers of shadow in which to invade but the light was driven by Sequil's love. A love which was pure. Impenetrable. There were no weak spots to be found. No footholds for the darkness to latch onto and infiltrate. Nothing was going to stop her from seeing Kenok once again.

The line of escapees drew ever closer. Sequil could tell they were almost to her and she redoubled her efforts. With every heart beat the light grew stronger. More intense. It was like her pulse was an amplifier for the love and the light. It was her one last ditch attempt to save them. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the dull thud of horses. It came from outside, some ways off, and was growing louder. And louder. Sequil almost jumped for joy but realized she still had to steer them home. They were so close outside now, she could hear what sounded like a half dozen or so horses pounding over the dirt.

"You've done it, Sequil. You've done it."

With full command back in her body, Uldarra bounded up and ran out the bedroom door to the front window. Peeling back the curtain she peered outside. "I can see them." Uldarra couldn't hide the elation in her voice and she closed the curtain and ran back to Sequil, touching her gently on the shoulder. "You can open your eyes now."

Sequil heard the horses outside but she was still afraid to open her eyes lest she break the connection to Kenok. She felt Kenok stir beneath and couldn't stop herself. She snapped her eyes open and Kenok was looking back at her.

### CHAPTER SEVEN

### Guiding Light

Tagan was elated. Giddy. His excitement over saving his brother was almost enough to break his concentration. He kept turning in his seat to look back at Braulor and make sure he wasn't imagining he had rescued him. But there was also a looming sense of dread he couldn't shake. A tinge of distress which had dropped into his thoughts and sat there like a time bomb waiting to go off. It was a strange juxtaposition. He tried to make sense of what he was feeling but there was no explanation for it. He was alive. Braulor was alive. Rean Li, Stonjsin and Crenoah were alive. They had escaped the forces of Dwenar Gliv, rescued Braulor and were speeding to... Well he didn't really know where they were headed but it had to be safer than where they currently were. By all accounts he should be nothing but jubilant. But this apprehension remained, sitting at the other end of his teeter totter emotions. He felt like their escape was a rock dropped into a pond and now they could only wait for the ripples of effect to be felt.

Tagan took note of his flagging concentration and tried to refocus. Yes, they had found and saved Braulor, but they were not out of the woods yet. Far from it in fact. Glancing to either side of him, Tagan could see shapes moving in the darkness they were gliding through. Some moved in a slow, drifting fashion like clouds. Some moved in short bursts, flitting here and there as they joined up with others for brief periods before moving on. Tagan felt like he and the others were the reason for the movement. Like their passage had stirred up a hornet's nest and word was spreading there was an intruder. Now everybody wanted see for themselves what all the commotion was about. Tagan looked ahead again, eyes searching the horizon for something. Some sign of where he needed to go next. He had brought them this far. Now he needed to guide them home again. Looking past the shapes, he could see colors. An entire kaleidoscope of beautiful and majestic colors spread out against the vastness of wherever here was. As amazing as it looked, it dawned on Tagan that he didn't know where home was. How was he supposed to get somewhere if he didn't know where they were to begin with? He longed to speak with the others. At least with Rean Li. Tagan was sure she would have sage advice to give him. Words of wisdom from which to build some sort of plan. Right now, they were flying on pure luck and if he didn't find the way, their luck would run out.

As much as he feared doing so, Tagan knew he had to find a way to communicate with the others. How could he do so without losing what little sense of direction he had left? He hoped with nothing else to go on, the horses would keep running in the same direction for now. It was as good as any other direction at this point. Tagan lifted the reins up and made sure he had a firm grip on them. Satisfied he did, Tagan took a look ahead once more. He began to turn his head around to face the line of horses behind him. His eyes remained fixed on the point he was looking at as long as possible, turning away when they could no longer physically stay where they were and then he snapped his head around the rest of the way. Rean Li was right behind him, eyes open looking in the same direction he had been. Tagan was glad. He hoped it meant Rean Le was paying attention to what was going on. With her experience Tagan was sure Rean Le would have some sort of plan. Some sort of idea how to proceed.

Tagan tried to call to her but he wasn't sure any noise came from his mouth. It was as if he were yelling into a pillow, the darkness absorbing his words like desert sand wicking away water. He tried waving his free hand to catch Rean Li's attention. As he raised his hand it went cold. Ice cold like he was stirring ice water with it. Then he saw a shadow dispatch itself from the darkness and start moving toward his flailing limb. He pulled it back to himself as fast as lightning and the shadow which had started moving toward him stopped and retreated.

Tagan didn't want to risk using his hands anymore so he tried to connect with Rean Li with his mind. Tagan summoned his focus and looked back once again, narrowing his eyes in Rean Li's direction as if doing so would intensify his ability to reach her. Though she kept her head looking forward, Tagan could see Rean Li's eyes darting back and forth. He let his thoughts drift toward her, reaching out.

Rean Li was keeping a close watch on the shadowy figures. They seemed to be all around, in every direction her eyes could see. Benign for the moment, she was certain things could change in a heartbeat. What she would do if the beings decided to attack, she didn't know. The shifting figures were like nothing she had ever encountered before. They seemed to be made of nothing yet had form and intelligence. If they decided to take matters into their own hands she didn't know if there was an answer. Her roving eyes swept over Tagan then shot back to him. He was staring right at her. Why wasn't he watching where he was going? He was the one who got them to this place. He must be the one to get them out. Like someone throwing a bucket of water on a fire, the realization hit her. Tagan didn't know what to do next. She locked her eyes to his, trying to read his face. She could feel the inkling of a connection to him and she homed in on it, trying to enhance it. Trying to give the connection amplitude but there was too much interference. It was like trying to tune in a radio station during a windstorm. Their connection floundered like an exposed wire, sparking and snapping but not accomplishing anything. Rean Li tried to connect to him. Her skills were stronger and maybe if she initiated contact, her prowess would be able to overcome the interference and it would work. She pushed her conscious thoughts out to Tagan. Reaching, probing with all the force she could. It felt like she was trying to walk into a gale force wind but she did it. She could feel Tagan's consciousness joining hers.

Tagan almost fell off his horse. The connection he was trying to invoke stopped like someone flicking a switch, causing him to physically lurch. Gripping the reigns with renewed force, he could feel a presence surround him. The presence was warm and reassuring. He knew at once it was Rean Li. He eagerly attached to the presence, drinking it in. Now how do they communicate? And what?

In this place there was very little in the way of defined paths or routes but Tagan could tell the path they were on shrank and then disappeared altogether. It happened in a flash. A dark flash. The beings they were being observed by fell in on them like the collapse of a mining shaft. Rean Li's communication attempt had pulled all of Tagan's attention away from their escape and in that moment, they were vulnerable.

Being able to feel Rean Li's consciousness felt so good. So soothing. So reassuring. But Tagan couldn't maintain the connection no matter how sweet. The dark beings were swarming them, moving faster and faster about them like a hurricane of bad intention. Tagan had to find a way to get away from the beings. A way to ward them off long enough to find an avenue to safety. He pulled his energy away from Rean Li, drawing it back into himself. Tagan cut his connection to Rean Li. Severed it like he was using a machete and restored all his full attention to their direction. Put his full attention to getting them all to safety.

It felt like bugs were crawling up and down his skin. The dark being were all around him. Tagan flailed with his hands, waving his arms like he would at a swarm of mosquitoes but to no avail. The beings had complete free reign. They swept around Tagan as if he had ridden into a sheet and enveloped himself and his horse like shrink-wrap. The horse didn't like it all and whinnied at first. Then it's gait faltered as if it were trying to find a different route where there were no beings. But the beings were everywhere. Tagan felt the shift in direction and quailed. He didn't have a plan. He didn't even have an idea. Tagan was reacting on instinct. Letting his body and mind do what was best without any interference.

With all his energy sequestered, he could no longer feel the rest of the group. Up until now, Tagan was able to get a ping, a heartbeat, from each of those he was traveling with through this realm. Now there was nothing. He felt cut off. Isolated and alone. Tagan was trying not to panic but his racing heart and gasping breaths wouldn't let him calm down. He was on the verge of losing the grip on his own reality, let alone those with him. Like a match trying to light in the wind, Tagan closed his eyes and reached out with his thoughts looking for something. Anything. He didn't care what but he needed a glimmer of inspiration upon which to hang his flagging hope. But there was nothing. He opened his eyes and looked back in the direction where he had last seen Rean Li and the others. He leaned to and fro, trying to get a glimpse of them through the maelstrom but it was like trying to look through a black curtain. He could see only dark upon dark.

Tagan's faith they would escape from here alive was shattered. Torn apart as sure as he was about to be by the beings trying to consume his group. He resigned himself to this being the end. If he was to die here at least he could hold his head high. He had done more than he ever thought possible. He had rescued his brother. He had become a part of something he knew was only the beginning. Tagan had been at the start of something which was going to change the world. If his fate was to die here, he was proud. Tagan smiled to himself. He could feel the beings swarming him and it felt like he was drowning. As if he were being dragged under. The beings seeping in through the gaps in his clothes were brushing against his skin now and it felt cold. Ominous.

"Sequil."

His mother's name echoed in Tagan's mind like a gong. His mom. Tagan couldn't remember the last time he thought of his mother. It had to be before his escape from the Citadel in Brankin Huoh. Ever since then he had been on the run, trying to stay alive and had little time to think of anything but survival. Bolstered by thinking of Sequil, Tagan's heart flooded with warmth. With love. With a peace and harmony he hadn't felt in so long was almost foreign to him. But why? His mother's name hadn't come from within, it came from without as if it were hollered across the mouth of a canyon at him.

The dark beings ceased their assault in an instant. They didn't withdraw at all or give any quarter, only a pause as if there was an interruption of some sort which gave them cause to stop. Gave them a cause to assess. To discover what the source of this interruption was and adjust their attack as necessary. Tagan opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't know what he was looking for but the source of Sequil's name was out there somewhere. With much squinting and turning of his head, Tagan could make out his group. Ragtag and mis-mash, they were on the verge of scattering apart like an armada of ships which had encountered a monsoon. As he watched, a horse at the rear of the pack straightened out it's gait. There was a fierce look of determination in its eye as it picked up speed and came racing toward Tagan. The other horses fell in line as it swooped past them like they had figured out how to streamline for increased speed. First Braulor, followed by Crenoah, then Stonjsin and then Rean Li. The lead horse was at full gallop and seemed to be ready to go even faster.

Tagan couldn't make out who was on the horse. The form was shadowy and vague. Not like the beings which attacked them, this one had a presence. A something that was not of this place. As the rider and horse neared, the rider looked like Kenok but Tagan couldn't come up with any explanation of how such a thing would be. He must be wrong. He must be hallucinating. It had to be because hearing his mother's name had jarred a memory loose and he was transplanting Kenok's image onto the shadowy visage coming astride him in the hopes his father was coming to save him. The rider zoomed past him, his face set. Resolved to find the siren calling to him he didn't even look at Tagan as he sped past, but Tagan could tell it was his father. What is my dad doing here? The feeling of love and peace Tagan had felt froze like they had been caught by an ice age. The horses were all zooming past Tagan and he snapped out of his confusion in time to urge his horse to follow. Now at the back of the line, he could see Kenok ahead, forging a path like an icebreaker smashing through foot-deep tundra. The beings which had been assaulting them were cast aside as if nothing. Like snow from a snowplow, and they flitted away back to the pods to observe once more.

The horses ran straight and true as if they knew all along where it was they were going and their riders were merely along for the ride. Tagan wished he had the same comfort. He had to be content with holding on and praying everything would turn out.

The galloping horses were like a locomotive being force-fed coal and showed no signs of slowing down. Around them the world began to change. They were leaving the dark behind. It felt like they were ascending through layer upon layer of cloud. Then the cloud began to thin and trees came into view. Grey and mysterious, they pawed at the passing group. Hoofbeats began to fill Tagan's ears and the feeling of passing through air gave way to the stiff pounding of iron shod hooves along solid ground. Grey gave way to dark and their surroundings came into sharper relief with each footfall like some strange spell was being lifted by the percussion of their gait. Still the horses sped on. Their destination known only to them as they followed unseen trails and labyrinth pathways. They were taking turns at full speed, galloping through straightaways, up hills and through gully's until Tagan felt his horse slow. All of them were slowing down. From gallop to canter and canter to walk then to a full stop. Tagan shifted in his seat but couldn't see what was ahead and urged his horse past the crowd till he was at the lead horse. Perhaps fifty or so feet ahead, resting in a little clearing stood a house. He didn't recognize the house at all or the area they were in. Tagan turned to the lead horse to get some answers but the saddle was empty.

### CHAPTER EIGHT

### Of Ottar

"Well, Kyriu?" The Shadowkeeper had been enjoying himself at Kyriu's expense. They were passing through realm upon realm but the Shadowkeeper still held the power. He was amazed at the vastness of the expanse they were traversing but even out here he was still in charge of their fate. If it wasn't for him, Kyriu would have died as soon as the staff left his touch. The Shadowkeeper was forcing Kyriu's hand. He was leaving him with no choice. The Shadowkeeper knew there was only one logical place for Kyriu to run and he wanted Kyriu to go there. As much as he had Kyriu where he wanted, the Shadowkeeper knew he needed Kyriu to get there. Yes, the Shadowkeeper retained his power in this place but even he was limited. Even he could not go where and when he pleased. As he needed the staff to enter Quanna Eresse, The Shadowkeeper needed Kyriu to get into Kyriu's world. It would be a strange feeling. Before he became the Shadowkeeper, while he was a struggling mage, it was Kyriu's world he had come into contact with. It was Kyriu's world which had coached and trained the Shadowkeeper in the ways of their power. Trained the Shadowkeeper in how he could use their magic, the Draepkos magic, to open a rift into the world of Quanna Eresse. Use the magic to create a portal for the Draepkos to enter Quanna Eresse. Once inside, the Draepkos would help the Shadowkeeper take over. Help him take control of the whole world and rule with unwavering authority. On the Draepkos' advice, the Shadowkeeper had secured the branch from LeFirte that was required for the spell. But the ritual had been interrupted and hadn't gone exactly to plan. It ended with his incarceration in Tâ Oandimn and him becoming the Shadowkeeper.

Even though the Shadowkeeper ruled the realm of Tâ Oandimn, it wasn't enough and he always longed for more. Men of power always yearned for more power and the Shadowkeeper was no different. In the ages which had passed while he was in Tâ Oandimn, the Shadowkeeper had never lost his desire to rule over Quanna Eresse. In fact, being trapped in Tâ Oandimn had only served to fuel his fire. He was sure if he could get into the Draepkos' realm, he could rekindle their passion for the same and they could come together to create a new plan to crush Quanna Eresse. And how he would crush them. He would start with his home city and move on from there until everything was his. This time there would be no one to stop him.

Kyriu could only think of one place to go as the reality of his situation had set in. Only one place he wanted to go. Only one place he could go. The realm of the Draepkos, Ottar. There he would be in his power and even more importantly, he would have help to deal with the Shadowkeeper. At the moment, Kyriu suspected he needed the Shadowkeeper and he had no other choice. He couldn't go back to Quanna Eresse. He couldn't go to the staff. He didn't even know where it had gone to. He had to get to Ottar. Kyriu focused his thoughts on his home world. He imagined himself already there, surrounded by the loving darkness. Imagined his kind coming to his rescue. Taking the Shadowkeeper with him would come with its consequences but he couldn't worry about that now. Even if he wanted to do something different, he couldn't. He wasn't sure what was real anymore. There was no physicality to anything. Not to himself. Not to the Shadowkeeper. Not to the worlds they were whizzing by. Yet everything was real. Everything was sentient and alive. He was traversing worlds of unimaginable power and there was nothing he could do to seek help from them. He was on one-way mission.

They plunged into darkness, the vivid colors and light of the worlds they were passing by and around, snuffed out with the suddenness of a light bulb going out. Kyriu could sense they were in his realm now. But his form was still vapor. Nothing. For the first time, he wondered how he would correct this. Kyriu could feel the Shadowkeeper losing his focus. He too must sense the change and was preparing himself. Kyriu wanted to take advantage of this lapse. He could feel his power growing as they neared the core of his world. Kyriu had targeted Ottar from the start, heading right for the Draepkos' ruler, willing with every fiber of his being to go directly to his King. No point in beating around the bush. He might as well get right to the heart of the matter and land at the King's feet. The King was most powerful and would be able to take care of the Shadowkeeper and then come what may. But at least he would be home.

Kyriu could feel his kin. His brethren. He could feel them moving around in the darkness, restless like cats in a cage. There was agitation in the air and Kyriu wondered what was happening. He had never felt this state of apprehension before in his world.

"Kyriu?"

A voice he hadn't heard in ages entered his mind. It had been so long, Kyriu was startled.

"Master?"

"It is I, Kyriu. What is going on? Where have you been?"

Kyriu could feel an even higher degree of agitation coming from Alrei Yqu. How long had he been out of contact? In between worlds, time had little meaning and they could easily have been a few hours or a few years. By Kyriu's reckoning of time, it didn't seem like it had been long. "What do you mean, master?"

"I haven't been able to contact you or Braulor by any means. I can barely sense you now. I'm using all my power to maintain this connection."

Kyriu realized Alrei Yqu didn't know what had happened. The last contact he had with Alrei Yqu was back in Brankin Huoh shortly after Braulor had escaped. He had contacted Alrei Yqu and advised him of Braulor's escape. Alrei Yqu didn't know about the staff.

"It's ok, Alrei Yqu. Kyriu has been with me."

If Kyriu had been surprised, The Shadowkeeper was flabbergasted. Astounded. He hadn't heard Alrei Yqu's voice since before his incarceration in Tâ Oandimn.

"Clhla Luth?" Now it was Alrei Yqu's turn to be shocked. He had spent countless days, weeks and months attempting to contact Clhla Luth after Queen Amhain had banished him, to no avail. Regardless, Alrei Yqu continued on with Clhla Luth's work in aligning with the Draepkos to take over Quanna Eresse.

"Yes, Alrei Yqu. I am here." He didn't use his given name. He hadn't thought about in ages and it irked him to hear Alrei Yqu address him as such. Clhla Luth was no more. He was the Shadowkeeper now. Through and through.

"But how? How did you escape your incarceration?"

"It was the staff."

"The staff has been recovered?" Alrei Yqu was so excited he almost broke their connection by accident. If the staff had been found, it meant Clhla Luth was free. Which in turn meant he could be freed.

"The staff is safe in my home world."

Kyriu and The Shadowkeeper stopped moving. There was a sense of movement all around them. The Shadowkeeper had been so absorbed in being reunited with Alrei Yqu, he had lost his focus. Now they were in the Draepkos' home world and beings swarmed around him, surrounding him. The Shadowkeeper broke his connection with Kyriu, shoving away his form and bringing his defenses to bear.

"Wait."

A voice echoed out from farther in the darkness. It was full of power and the Draepkos surrounding the Shadowkeeper stopped advancing.

"Clhla Luth."

The Shadowkeeper would recognize the voice anywhere. He had listened to it so much, it reverberated around in his skull like an evil echo. It brought him back to that day. The day he was trying to escape the horrible weather and for reasons he still couldn't explain, he had followed his senses and found the labyrinth mound which would become his lair. His hidey-hole while he probed the secrets of the dark magic of the Draepkos. This voice was the first entity he had encountered. It was the voice which turned Clhla Luth down the dark road he had chosen. The voice had directed him. Instructed him. Told him the secrets of how to connect to the Draepkos and how the Draepkos could enter his world and, with their help, conquer it. Clhla Luth had followed the voices words verbatim. Without question. Without hesitation. There were no regrets for now he had the chance to secure the vision he once fell asleep to. "Clhla Luth is dead."

"Is he now."

"Yes. I am The Shadowkeeper."

### CHAPTER NINE

### Reunion

Tagan blinked several times in succession, hoping in the fractions of seconds his eyes were shut, the image of an empty saddle would disappear. He hoped the action of his eyelids sliding over and back across his eyeballs would wipe away the illusion his brain was trying to comprehend. But his eyes hadn't deceived him. There was nobody in the saddle. Confusion set in. Bewilderment. Tagan would have sworn to anybody, on anything, it was his dad Kenok who rode past him on this horse. It was his father who had saved them from a sure death in the dark ether they had traversed. Or was he dreaming now? Was he dreaming then? Tagan struggled, trying to compose his thoughts into something coherent. Trying to playback his memories as if they were on some sort of recording machine. No matter how he hard he thought, Tagan came to the same conclusion again and again. It was his dad he saw on the horse. And if it was his dad he saw on the horse, then where was his dad now?

The crunch of feet landing on dirt grabbed Tagan's attention, his head spinning around to the find the source like an echo location device. It took a moment for his brain to register what his eyes were now seeing. There was Braulor, standing beside the horse he had escaped on. Braulor was leaning against the horse looking at his hands, a confused and pained expression on his face as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Tagan understood how Braulor was feeling for he was having trouble believing what he was seeing himself. The person he thought he had seen was nowhere to be found and the one person he thought he would never see again was now standing mere yards away from him. It was an odd juxtaposition, as if wires somewhere got crossed. Tears began to well in Tagan's eyes. Before he could even think about it, his body turned in Braulor's direction and started walking. He was filled with so much joy at rescuing his brother it was like time slowed down. It was taking an eternity to get to Braulor and as he was walking, Tagan watched Crenoah and Stonjsin run up, clapping Braulor on the back, dragging him into huge hugs. As Tagan got to the scene they stepped back, wiping streaking tears from their own cheeks. Tagan stopped and stared into Braulor's face, taking in every detail and transposing it over the last image he had of Braulor before he disappeared. A wide grin spread across his face and he too pulled his brother in to a tight hug.

Braulor was in shock, trying to process all the data coming at him in the last few moments. Trapped for who knows how long in Tâ Oandimn and then he was here, all in what seemed like a fraction of a second. It was like the snap of a magician's fingers, except so much transpired. One moment he was in the darkness of Tâ Oandimn, everything dark and dank to here, with colors so vivid and bright, almost to the point of hurting his eyes. He took in large lung-fulls of air and it almost hurt to breath. He had forgotten what it was like to see people he knew and loved. Had forgotten what it was like to feel firm earth beneath his feet and wind in his face. Braulor was never sure they would actually get out of Tâ Oandimn so to him it was as if he had been born anew. That he had gotten a second chance. His heart soared as first Crenoah and then Stonjsin appeared, their faces overjoyed as they embraced him. Their excited voices fighting to dominate his ears, exclaiming how they didn't think they would ever see him again. Professing how much they missed him. Braulor's heart was swelling with emotion and then Tagan was there. Tagan. In the short time they had known each other, Braulor had grown quite fond of his half-brother. Tears flowed from Braulor's eyes freely as Tagan gave him hug. Tagan stepped back, giving Braulor some space. Braulor stood and looked at all of them as they in turn beamed at him. Braulor's head swiveled in a slow arc from Crenoah to Stonjsin to Tagan, his gaze coming to rest on Rean Li and then it hit him. Something was missing. A piece of him was gone. Consumed with the joy of being back on solid ground and among those he loved, he had forgotten about losing the staff. He raised his hands and the pulpy wound where the staff had escaped his grip was red and dry, like the dying embers of a fire. The joy vanished from his heart and a part of him quelled. A part of him wished he had jumped from his horse to fight the dark being for the staff. A part of him would have given anything to have the staff back and more tears spilled from his eyes.

"It's so great to see you brother." Tagan's face was lit up like Christmas had come early. There was no hiding how he felt.

"Yes, my boy. Amazing to see you again." Stonjsin clapped Braulor's shoulder and gave him a stern look. He had known Braulor all his life and he could sense Braulor wasn't quite himself. That something wasn't quite right. None of them knew what Braulor had been through and maybe he needed space to figure everything out. An adjustment period. He was sure Braulor only needed to get his feet underneath him and he would be back to normal.

"Looks like we got there in the nick of time." Crenoah gave Braulor a playful jab in the stomach as he said it. "Saved your skin once again, eh."

Braulor closed his hands into tight fists and dropped them to his sides, forcing down his dismay and managed a better than weak smile at all of them. "It's unbelievable we are all here together once again." Braulor meant it. He was overjoyed to see them all but he couldn't get the staff out of his thoughts and it was overshadowing his happiness. Maybe it was because he was so dependent on the staff in Tâ Oandimn. Or maybe because he had fought so hard to get it. He didn't know the reason but the staff was gone. He had to accept the staff was gone forever.

"How did you survive there? Who was helping you? I saw someone with you." Now the shock had worn off and Tagan had questions jumping to get his attention. He could have gone on for many minutes asking nothing but.

Braulor took a deep, painful breath and stood up straight. His legs felt shaky and he leaned into the horse once again. "It was Draax." Braulor jerked a thumb at the horses toward the back of the line. "He kept me alive. He led me to Kasadu where you found me."

As one, their heads all turned to where Braulor had indicated but there was nobody there. Only doleful looking horses, shifting from foot to foot as they nosed at the ground.

Seeing the looks of dismay on their faces, Braulor turned and looked himself and did a double take. Where was Draax? He had seen Draax mount a horse with his own eyes. As Tagan galloped into Tâ Oandimn and across Kasadu to rescue them, he himself had helped Draax get on the horse. Now he wasn't there. "He was there a minute ago."

"When did you see him last?" Crenoah couldn't vouch if Draax had been there or not. He'd had his head tucked low against his horses' neck, eyes squeezed tightly shut but he looked around the group to make it look like he had been keeping close watch. When his eyes met with Stonjsin's they both looked the other way and he knew he wasn't the only one who had his eyes shut the whole time.

"Uhh." Braulor looked at his hands once more as if the answer was going to be found there somehow. They were starting to sting and he rubbed them against his shirt to try and massage some feeling back into them. He knew when he had last seen Draax. He knew perfectly because it was at the moment right where he was about to jump off his horse in an attempt to win back the staff. Tagan calling his name was what stopped him. "It was soon after you rescued us and we were leaving Tâ Oandimn behind. I looked back and Draax was two horses behind me."

"But dad's gone too." Tagan pointed to the lead horse. He hadn't forgotten about the rider less horse but when he saw Braulor it had pushed the issue from his mind. Now it came rushing back to him, followed by a gaggle of questions he had no way to answer.

"What do you mean, dad's gone too?" The whole concept of him being adopted was new to Braulor, having found out shortly before being jailed in Brankin Huoh and meeting Tagan. But to find out he had been this close to his father and didn't even know it was almost as much of a shock.

"The other person who was with you in, in, what did you call it? Tâ Oandimn. He is my dad. Your dad."

"I didn't know. I saw someone who looked familiar who needed my help so I went to help him. He was my dad?" Braulor shook his head, reliving the last moments in Kasadu. The way it had lit up the middle ring and then a single, lone person was there. He could sense the excitement of the groups on the edges of Kasadu. They were like jackals, circling a wounded animal. Biding their time before they could swarm in and finish him off. Braulor remembered how he had rushed in to save him. He and Draax. Now Draax was gone and the person he had tried to save was gone as well. And the person he tried to save was his dad. Braulor now realized he had been set up. Duped. Right from the start, the dark entity who had tried to take the staff from him the first time used a different tactic and Braulor had fallen for it. Fell right into the trap. He paid for his stupidity with the staff.

"Yes. He was our dad. It was him who saved us all."

"What do you mean?" Stonjsin's head was swimming with all the details flying around and he was having trouble keeping up. He wasn't used to not knowing what was going on. His eyes had been screwed shut as well as Crenoah's but he could remember the feeling of the dark entities swarming over him. Crawling on him like locusts. He shuddered as he thought about it.

Tagan sighed, his shoulders sagging as he admitted it. "I was losing focus on how to get out. I was so happy at having rescued Braulor, it was interfering with my concentration. That's when those entities swarmed us. I was about to give up and resigned myself to dying out there, wherever there is. Then I saw him. Kenok, my dad, broke away from the pack and charged past everybody. Charged past me and took over the lead position. The entities pulled back and next thing I knew, we were here."

"Where is here?" Crenoah asked. He didn't recognize their surroundings at all.

Silence settled over their meeting as they all craned their necks, trying to get a look around and see if they could recognize any landmarks.

"We are back in your realm. The realm of Brankin Huoh." Rean Li had been silent up until now. She had let them talk while she took a short reconnaissance tour of their immediate surroundings.

Absorbed in their thoughts, all of them started as Rean Li spoke.

Tagan hadn't heard Rean Li approach. Nimble and lithe, she was at his side with the sound of a wisp of smoke. "This isn't Brankin Huoh."

Rean Li smiled at him and at the rest of the group in turn. "Perhaps not but we aren't far enough away from Brankin Huoh, where we shouldn't be cautious."

Braulor bristled at the mention of Brankin Huoh. His hatred of their domination rooted deep within. He hadn't thought about Brankin Huoh since finding himself in Tâ Oandimn but now the fire was lit once more. "Close enough to be cautious?"

"Yes. We should be more careful. Especially since the two of you," Rean Li pointed to Braulor and Tagan in turn. "Are the most wanted people in any land."

Braulor and Tagan shared a smile as they reminisced about their harrowing waterfall escape from the heights of the Brankin Huoh Citadel.

"But there is something about this land. I feel like we are safe here for the time being. I feel like there is somebody watching over this land and most fear to dwell here for long if they even stay for any amount of time." Rean Li finished her thought and gazed around their surroundings in admiration. She could sense a spell lay over the land. Nothing sinister but a spell never the less.

"What do you mean? Like this land is cursed?" Crenoah wondered if they would ever be able to have a night's peace again.

Rean Li thought for a moment, letting her eyes roll across the landscape. "Not cursed as you think of it but blessed in a way. Protections have been put in place here to keep people out."

"Then who put the protections in place?"

"I can't say for sure. But this place has a feel like home to me."

The others may not have understood what Rean Li meant but Tagan did. Her comment was a cryptic way of relating to him she felt like they were in Quanna Eresse, her home world. Something Tagan hadn't picked up on.

A shrill voice cut through the stillness. "Kenok."

Tagan spun on his heel, his arms out in a defensive posture, even though he recognized both the name and the voice who called it out. The rest of the group had drawn their weapons and readied for an assault. The years of drilling and preparation had become instinct to them and recent events had them ready for anything.

Tagan looked to Braulor. Braulor's face was stern and impassive. With no weapon to hold, he stood with his arms at the ready. Tagan spoke softly out the side of his mouth. "That's our dad, Braulor. Kenok is our dad."

It took a moment for the words to register. It was as if they were sinking through layers of mud in order to penetrate his brain. Like a form taking shape out of the mist, the realization found the right synapse to register in and sparked a response. Our dad. Our dad. It echoed in his mind as if on replay. It seemed a lifetime ago he had met with Alrei Yqu and Alrei Yqu had revealed to him, he had a then unknown brother and tasked Braulor to free his brother from the Citadel at Brankin Huoh. The adventures he and Tagan had shared since then flitted through his mind like a swarm of bees. There was no semblance of order, the images flashed through like a whirlwind of life. Their narrow escapes. How he had carried Tagan's unconscious body for days until Tagan came to. Their trek through the Knalb mountains after the slaughter of his clan at Vjeinka Rise. Their race to find Rean Li. Then betrayal and disappointment at her refusal to help them find the Amber Eye. And of course, the staff. The staff. Thinking of its loss wrenched at his feelings more than anything else. Braulor squeezed his palm, the pain of his wound like a lance through his heart. He sighed, closing his eyes while he tried to convince himself it was gone, even as a part of him refused to accept it and hoped upon hope he would hold the staff once more.

Braulor opened his eyes and turned to face Tagan. As he did, his mood was lightened by Stonjsin's and Crenoah's familiar faces. They had lowered their weapons, having overheard Tagan, and beamed at their lost comrade. Rean Li was there as well. Not beaming as the others were but there was relief in her eyes, which flicked back to the house to maintain vigil. Seeing her there kicked off a flurry of questions. What was she doing there? How long had he been in Tâ Oandimn? But the questions would have to wait. Braulor knew the answers would come. It was only a matter of time. And there was Tagan. Braulor could tell Tagan was a ball of mixed emotions. Elation at having rescued his brother. Fear at hearing his dads named piercing the air. But how Tagan had changed. Physically Tagan was the same but the naive boy he had met in the dungeon at the Citadel of Lozan was gone. Tagan had an air about him now. A confidence. A bit of a swagger at having been in harm's way on several occasions and having escaped. "Our dad?" It sounded strange even as he said it.

"Yes, our dad. And I'm certain it was my mom yelling his name." As the words fell out of his mouth, Tagan realized the absurdity of what he was saying. His mom and dad should both be safely in Brankin Huoh. He wondered if they even knew he had escaped the Citadel. They must know. But what were they both doing way out here in the middle of, well, nowhere? How did they get here?

"Your mother is who called out your dad's name?" Stonjsin couldn't help himself. He knew Tagan's story and found the pieces of this puzzle incomprehensible.

"Yes, Stonjsin."

"You're certain?"

Tagan was taken aback at this question. Maybe he wasn't sure. Maybe it had been a trick of the wind. Maybe he was so homesick, his brain turned the voice into his mother's as some way of making him feel she was near. It had all happened so fast, a trickle of doubt was threatening to turn into a flood, washing away his hope. He opened his mouth to answer, but his retort died on his lips.

"Kenok. Oh, thank god, Kenok. You're alive."

The words gave way to a high-pitched wail before trailing off into loud sobs. There was no doubting it now. Tagan didn't have to think twice. The voice was clearly that of his mother. She was in distress and his dad was in distress. They needed his help. Blind with panic, he turned and ran toward the house. He didn't wait for anyone to join him. He didn't care even if they did. Tagan only knew his mom was in this house and she needed his help.

"Tagan." Rean Li called out to him but it was too late. She could only watch helplessly as Tagan sped away. She tried to catch his arm but Tagan bolted so fast she caught only air in his wake. She didn't want to stop him. If it was his mother inside, she wanted to help Tagan help her. But they had to be wary. What good would it be if they barged straight into some trap. Who would come to help them then?

From the first scream, Rean Li had put her skills to work trying to hone in on any energy she could find. The most abundant was the feeling of home, which was odd to her and distracting. Benevolent and luxurious, Rean Li wanted to immerse herself in it. Let it overwhelm her and surrender to it at the expense of every other single thing. But she couldn't. Or perhaps wouldn't. For there was something else out there too. A darkness. A malice. A burning of angry intent which lurked at the periphery, tinging the joy with a cold spike. Rean Li could sense it, but it was so vague she wondered if it was only some twisted memory trying to thwart her happiness.

Rean Li focused her will. Her intention. Trying with all her prowess to pinpoint the source of her concern but she couldn't even though she knew it was there and they should be careful about their approach to the house. She watched as Braulor sped after Tagan. Then Stonjsin and Crenoah shared a look and took off in Braulor's wake. Rean Li didn't deny herself any longer, letting the feeling of home wash over her. It was an amazing sensation, bringing her to tears. As if it couldn't get any better, as she walked toward the house, the feeling intensified.

Tagan ran as fast as his legs would allow, dodging bushes here, ducking under tree branches there. More than once a root came out of nowhere, tripping him up. He jumped to his feet and kept on going, paying no heed to the scrapes on his hands or the welts on his legs. The pain didn't register. With agonizing slowness, the house grew closer. Tagan didn't understand. It didn't seem this far away when they first spied the little house and now it seemed like he was running down a corridor with no end. Coming at the house from the side, Tagan was forced to circle round to his left, arriving at the front door as it swung open as if he was an expected guest. Tagan stopped dead in his tracks, almost tumbling into the elderly woman holding the door open from the inside. Gasping for breath, Tagan couldn't form any words. In the state he was in, he was sure even if he could speak, it would be a mis mash of thoughts and incoherent babble.

Uldarra looked Tagan up and down. He looked younger than she had expected but also more rugged. She could see much of Kenok in the young man but he also had a strength of his own about him. A resilience so profound, perhaps he himself hadn't yet tested it fully. Looking into his eyes she could see the young man but he had grown so much there was a burgeoning wisdom there as well. He was doubled over and panting but she knew why he was there. Uldarra didn't make him wait any longer and smiled as she extended a long arm and pointed to the far room. "You'll find your mother and father in there deary."

Tagan didn't question how this woman knew what he wanted. He didn't want to know why she had opened the door for him as if she had been waiting on him. At this moment in time, he didn't care. His parents were here and they needed his help. Standing at the threshold to this kind woman's house, reminded Tagan of coming home and he realized, right now, he needed his parents just as much. He needed their guidance. Needed their comfort. Their love. Tagan's eyes welled up, his face contorting as a tide of emotions overflowed the levee he had been using to keep them in check. Hot tears poured down his cheeks, dripping from his chin. The kind lady looked at him with pity and smiled. Tagan returned a weak smile the tore off toward the room she was indicating.

Uldarra watched Tagan speed off toward a reunion with his mother and father. She should feel happiness for them, and she felt happiness in a small measure, but there was also trepidation. Her visions had only revealed so much and every time she tried to look beyond this moment she met with resistance. Resistance may not be the right word. More, her visions became hazy, as if she were trying to look through fog and the harder she tried to achieve clarity, the more absurd her vision became. A crunch of dirt brought her attention back and she turned her head. Braulor was striding toward her. He wasn't running but his long legs were propelling him at a brisk rate toward her. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Uldarra had foreseen this reunion. She knew it would happen and thought she was properly prepared to deal with it. But as he approached, she knew she was nowhere near ready. Not ready for the emotions it awoke in her. Not ready for the way his eyes looked right into hers and penetrated right to her heart. Tears formed in her eyes and her lip quivered as she worked to stifle a sob.

Braulor slowed as he approached. An elderly woman was standing in the doorway to the house. She was a stranger to him yet he felt there was something about her he found familiar. Not in a I think I've met you before kind of way, but something deeper. Something more profound. He wanted to probe the feeling to its depths. He wanted to hash it out and put it to rest but there was no time for it now. "Hello. I'm looking for my brother. He came this way."

Uldarra almost melted at the sound of his voice. Deep and rich, his baritone voice sounded like it was drawing from the earth itself. She wondered suddenly about all the years she missed. All the times he needed his mother and his eyes and hands found someone else to pick him up. Someone else to fix his scrapes. Someone else to cuddle him when he woke with a nightmare. Regret filled her heart. Regret for having to give him up. Regret for the way she had tricked Kenok into impregnating her. But it had been necessary. All of it had been necessary or they wouldn't be at the point they were at now. She had to keep that in mind. She had to remember the machinations in play which were working toward a greater end. "Yes, deary. Tagan went inside."

Braulor opened his mouth to say something but then stopped, closing his mouth. He was familiar with Tagan's history and knew, with some surety, they were nowhere near Brankin Huoh. How did she know Tagan's name? How did Tagan's mom and dad come to be in this lowly area of woods? There were strict controls on travel in and out of Brankin Huoh. "How do you know Tagan's name?"

"You'll find I know many many things, deary." Uldarra wasn't surprised Braulor wanted to get down to the brass tacks. Skip the formalities and get to the meat of the matter at hand. It was a trait both his mother and father shared. And Uldarra was ready. Ready to divulge all she knew and what she could of possibilities which may or may not come to pass. After all they had been through, she owed them all at least that much. The end game was near. It was time for her to put all her cards on the table and let events work themselves out. "Oh look, deary, your friends have arrived."

Braulor spun his head around in time to see Stonjsin and Crenoah round the corner of the house.

"Please, do come in all of you. Don't be shy. There is much to discuss." With her invitation proffered, Uldarra turned and went inside. She went straight to the pantry and began to load her arms with food, taking it to the nearest table.

Crenoah waited until Uldarra was out of sight before speaking. "What's going on here Braulor? Do you know her?"

Braulor sighed. In all honesty he didn't know what to make of anything anymore. He had been well traveled before all this was dropped in his lap and thought there was nothing he hadn't seen. Nothing which would shock him anymore. But he had been wrong. So wrong. "I don't know her, Crenoah. I have no idea who she is but I feel like she knows us."

"Knows us? What does that mean?" Stonjsin wasn't used to hearing Braulor confess he didn't now. In all their adventures together, Braulor always seemed to have a handle on what was happening.

"Maybe that's a little strong." Braulor admitted. "She certainly doesn't know us but I think she has been expecting us."

"How would she know such a thing?" Crenoah hissed. "I don't even know where we are. How would she know we were going to be here?"

"I don't know how, Crenoah, but there's only one way to find out."

"How?"

"She invited us in and said there was much to discuss. I think we will find our answers then."

"Do you think it's safe?" Stonjsin looked around for signs of foul play.

Braulor chuckled. Stonjsin was always on. Always in warrior mode. "She seems to be all alone. I don't think she intends to do us harm. There are five of us after all."

Braulor stepped up to the door way and took a perfunctory look inside. Then looked back at Crenoah and Stonjsin. He flashed a grin and wink before stepping inside.

Crenoah and Stonjsin looked at each other and shrugged and followed Braulor. Stonjsin let Crenoah go through the doorway first and then took a firm grip on the dagger under in his belt before he too stepped inside.

Rean Li walked with delicate precision, awash with the feeling of home. If she closed her eyes she could imagine being back in Quanna Eresse. She could imagine walking through the forests of her homeland, not a care in the world. The sensations were alarmingly acute. As the others had raced to follow after Tagan, her first instinct was to follow them. To bring up the rear in proper fashion and make sure they were safe. They had traveled so far together and come through much in the short time she had known them, they were starting to feel familial to her and she was compelled to protect them. But there was the feeling. The foreboding feeling she could detect in the area. As much as she might try to deny it, there was something out there and it concerned her. She continued approaching the house at a slow walk. The feelings of home continued to cascade through her emotions but she was managing to keep them in check. Keep them under control. She didn't want to but there was something out there and she wanted to find it before it found them. A crack of twigs and her hand flexed impulsively on the handle of her sword. The side of the house was growing larger and the trees began to thin out. Rean Li stopped. She could feel magic. Tendril's of energy lingered in the area, clinging to the trees like lichen. She looked ahead and then back again where she had come from and it was the same thing. A corridor of powerful energy snaked through the trees like some sort of roughed in hallway. Considerable energy had been expended in this area recently. The waves were flowing toward the house. Rean Li tuned in to their feeling, closing out everything else and followed their direction. The feeling came to an end at the base of a large tree. It didn't look different from any other tree in the area, save by its girth. Rean Li circled the tree looking for some other sign she could read. Anything to gain more information. All she could find was pile of rope circled at its base. She crouched down, looking closer at the rope. It didn't appear to be cut or sliced through. It was as if it were a snake which had been coiled around the tree, trying to constrict it and when it didn't work, simply gave up and fell to the ground. Rean Li reached out, pausing when her free hand was within inches of the rope. A moment's hesitation before touching the rope. Nothing happened and she exhaled. Grasping the rope, she stood to give it a closer inspection. As she achieved full height, it hit her. The cold spike of hate she could feel earlier slammed into as if driven by the world's largest hammer, knocking the breath out of her. She fell to her knees again, throwing the rope away from her like it was contaminated. Like it was burning her hand. Rean Li knew the source of the darkness now. She knew they weren't safe from it. She had to warn the others. She stood again and spun to race toward the house and came face to face with a barrel of a chest. Casting her eyes upward, they met the eyes of a beastly man. Before she could react in any way. Before she could cry out, a hand clasped the back of her head. Another clamped over her mouth. She looked the beastly man in eye once again. He returned the gaze with a fierce glare, fired by hatred. He emitted a low growl before lifting her as if she were a feather and turned away from the house.

### CHAPTER TEN

### Grawton Ascends

Grawton drifted along, his usual crowd of minions following in his wake. He could feel the staff with him. Indeed, he hadn't let it out of sight since he had procured it. On cue, he looked down at the staff, his dark essence enveloping it just above its middle. Grawton cradled it close to him like it were a baby. Like it needed constant attention and coddling. As if the staff were to be left to its own devices, it would leave him. Abandon him after the narrowest of circumstances which had brought it to him in the first place were a dream. A way to tease him like some sort of thumb to the nose from the Shadowkeeper. He pondered briefly about the Shadowkeeper's whereabouts. It was out of character for him to not check in. It was unlike him to leave Tâ Oandimn for so long without at least looking in on what was happening. It was so strange to Grawton, he didn't know what to think about it. For the moment, the timing couldn't be better. The longer the Shadowkeeper was away, the longer Grawton had to secure his hold over Tâ Oandimn.

Grawton wondered what he would do if the Shadowkeeper were to show up. Would he have to fight the Shadowkeeper? Would he be able to use the staff against the Shadowkeeper? He could sense the staff was of the Shadowkeeper. He could feel it in the staff. Did he need to summon the Shadowkeeper to make his intentions known like some sort of official proclamation? Since the staff was now in his possession, Grawton couldn't see a situation develop where he would need to bring the Shadowkeeper back ever, for any reason. For all intents and purposes, Tâ Oandimn was already his as far as he was concerned. It was a surreal feeling. Long had he wished to usurp the Shadowkeeper's power. Long had he served in silence. Watching. Waiting. Biding his time for the perfect moment. Grawton had spent whatever free time he had thinking of every possible scenario which could come about for him to overthrow the Shadowkeeper. Grawton visualized every arrangement. Every argument. Every possible angle he could, as well as their accompanying downside. He tried to ferret out every fringe element, no matter how ridiculous sounding, which may crop up and thwart him. And for all the planning and scheming, in the end, none of it had come to pass. It couldn't have been more simple as it turned out. Commandeer the staff, claim Tâ Oandimn. Simple. And with the Shadowkeeper out of the way and never coming back, the road ahead was clear. Gravy. Since he had announced himself as ruler of Tâ Oandimn, the number of minions had grown exponentially. At times it seemed as if the whole of Tâ Oandimn was following him. So, his claiming of Tâ Oandimn had been a success. Too much of a success? Perhaps. For since that moment, he had had little to do. Those who had cowered before him, still did. Those who he required to do bidding on his behalf, still did. Those who may have had a little backbone before quelled to him with the slightest of effort on his part. Even without the staff, those same things would have come to be. Grawton was starting to wonder if the staff's power had faded or been used up. He was starting to think there was some secret to its use he didn't know. Come to think of it, he knew little of the staff. Of how it came to be. Of how it drew its power. What he needed to do to turn it to his intention. The only time he had felt it's true potency was when the human had his hand on it as well. This made him wonder if the human touch was a requirement to function. It seemed to him, his life would have been the same with or without the staff. Why did he covet it so if it was of no use to him?

All of which would be fine. All of which were problems he would solve over time, a commodity he had much of. Grawton was confident that he not only could, but would, put those issues to rest. Which left a bigger problem to consume his thoughts at the moment. The entry of new souls into Tâ Oandimn had stopped completely. It wasn't unheard of for there to by dry spells. It wasn't out of the norm for there to be times of abundance and times of scarcity. But Kasadu, Tâ Oandimn's entry point for new souls after their interrogation, was quiet and had been since he had claimed ruler-ship. The groups who made their living at the edge of Kasadu had moved on. He wondered, if this dry spell were to continue, what would happen? The worst of the worst was in Tâ Oandimn so it seemed obvious to him, without an influx of new souls, they would all turn on each other. Or would they turn on him? He didn't know and he didn't want to find out. If the staff worked for him, he wouldn't be concerned. He would be able to stop any civil war. If all the souls in Tâ Oandimn were to turn on him, Grawton wouldn't stand a chance. Now Kasadu looked like a mining town which had run out of gold and everybody left for greener pastures. But there were no greener pastures to be found and Grawton wondered if there was some part of Tâ Oandimn he didn't know about where souls had gone too. But it seemed a ridiculous thing to think. He had been all over this realm and nothing was hidden to him. Or was it? He stopped in his tracks.

There was one place he had been expressly forbidden to ever go. One place where the Shadowkeeper would exercise the full extent of his power if it were breached. The Shadowkeeper's lair. The one section of Tâ Oandimn, Grawton had not only never seen but never been near. He wasn't even sure it existed but he long suspected the Shadowkeeper had to go somewhere when he needed to be alone. There had to be a place where the Shadowkeeper went to be away from the rest of Tâ Oandimn. The Shadowkeeper was present most of the time but Grawton could remember a few instances where the Shadowkeeper was nowhere to be found and would only turn up if Grawton really needed him. At the time, Grawton gave it little thought. He assumed the Shadowkeeper had been touring the realm or whatever.

On one such occasion he questioned the Shadowkeeper of his whereabouts and the Shadowkeeper had become enraged, livid, attacking Grawton in a microsecond with an excruciating attack. Grawton was so shocked by the attack he barely registered the pain. It was only later he realized how savage it had been. But there had been no mistaking the Shadowkeeper's message for the evil it was relayed with bit right to the bone, making it clear, there would be no more questions of the Shadowkeeper's whereabouts at any time. For Grawton, that was the end of it. He never asked again. But he realized, like himself, the Shadowkeeper must have a lair and now, there was nothing to stop him from going there. The entire realm of Tâ Oandimn was open to him and Grawton chided himself for not thinking of it earlier. He turned to the flock of sycophants trailing behind him and bid them to go. He had work to do and would gather them later. As they dispersed, Grawton marshaled his thoughts and popped out of sight.

Grawton surveyed where he had appeared. This place didn't look any different from the rest of Tâ Oandimn proper, but he could sense there was an immense difference. It was as if he had left Tâ Oandimn and entered a different plane of existence. Which, when he thought it about it, made sense. The Shadowkeeper would need somewhere nobody could find him. Somewhere where he could go if there was some sort of revolt by those trapped in Tâ Oandimn he could flee too until everything calmed down. Grawton remembered the ruthlessness with which the Shadowkeeper ruled and found such a revolt would difficult to believe but when times are desperate, one never knew what the populace was capable of.

Getting to the Shadowkeeper's lair had proven to be more elusive than he thought it would be. When Grawton first focused his thoughts on the Shadowkeeper and went to where his thoughts had taken him, he had appeared in the Shard. The Shard was the place of rule the Shadowkeeper maintained for the benefit of those he ruled over. It protruded from ground level like a finger of evil, tall and cylindrical, and was visible from all parts of Tâ Oandimn to its denizens. Although he was familiar with every nook and cranny of the Shard, Grawton took it upon himself to tour it once again. This time he cast a critical eye at anything which seemed out of place. Anything he may have overlooked before. He found nothing. He was about to give up altogether when he found himself in the throne room. Looking at the throne he realized, although he had claimed Tâ Oandimn for himself, he hadn't yet taken seat in the throne. He wondered why. Perhaps he wasn't confident in his claim of ownership. Perhaps he was afraid once he took the seat, his claim would be sealed. Finalized. And as much as he wished it, Grawton also knew the position came with much responsibility. Was he ready for that? Was he ready for complete control? The Shadowkeeper made it look so easy. And so he should. The Shadowkeeper had built Tâ Oandimn from the ground up. Every single aspect of this realm had first formed as a thought of the Shadowkeeper. His unmistakable stamp was all over Tâ Oandimn.

Grawton drifted toward the throne. It seemed cold and daunting. He stopped a foot or two from the front, staring. Probing. Searching. The throne didn't yield any secrets. It didn't betray any hints or wisdom. It was just there. Grawton drifted to his right in a slow circle around the throne, his eyes washing over every inch as he did. It looked the same from every angle and he found himself once again in front of the throne. It hadn't changed an iota. Grawton didn't know what he was waiting for. There was a tension in the room, building with a palpable intensity. He wasn't sure if it was coming from the throne or from himself. If he still had a heart, it would be racing right now. Pounding against his ribs like an animal caught in a cage. Grawton steadied himself. He focused on the chair and nothing else. Lifting the staff in front of him, he set his intention aloud in his mind.

Tâ Oandimn is mine now. You, and everything in it belong to me. And without waiting he drifted to the throne and set himself in its seat. At once the throne came alive. Its energy merged with Grawton. It felt like a bell had been rung and he was in the middle of it. The energy of Tâ Oandimn came alive surging through the chair and into him. Everything was rooted in the throne and now the energy was coursing through him. Consuming him. It felt like he was being submerged. Drawn down into some depth he didn't know was there. At first, he was afraid and tried to fight it. He pushed back. But the energy came back stronger as if it were trying to teach him a lesson. As if it were trying to chastise him for being so brazen as to think he could waltz in and assume control with no price to be paid. Grawton realized this is what he wanted. This is what he had been scheming so long for and it was useless to fight. So, he let go. He relinquished himself to the energy and let it absorb into his being. Grawton felt like he was losing himself. He could see and feel every part of Tâ Oandimn. Every soul there was open to him to do as he pleased. Where he ended and Tâ Oandimn began were inseparable. Grawton finally understood. He understood what it meant to rule over Tâ Oandimn. It meant more than torturing a few souls. It meant more than having a title which instilled fear. To rule over Tâ Oandimn, one had to be Tâ Oandimn. Had to a part of its very fabric. To exist at every level of Tâ Oandimn and be what its inhabitants ate, drank and breathed. Grawton acknowledged this now. He accepted what this meant. The energy was all over him. All part of him. He brought the staff to bear in front of him and the energy delighted. It had never experienced such a powerful vessel before. It wound its way into the staff and accumulated. And accumulated. The pressure built up and up until Grawton felt even he was losing control over it. Then it lanced from the staff, outward in every direction like some disco ball of evil intent. It scourged through Tâ Oandimn with relentless abandon, scarring the land and any soul who happened to get in its way. In another heartbeat it was over. The energy died with the finality of a switch being thrown. Grawton sat there, trembling. He had never experienced anything like it before. The only thing which could even come close was when he hung himself in front of the townies which were coming to do the same. In that moment he was between both worlds and could feel but trickle of what he had gone through moments ago. He looked at the staff, wondering if its containment of such force had damaged it in some way but it looked unscathed. It still looked like the same staff but now he felt more connected to it. More in control. He rose from the throne and looked around. Everything appeared to be the same and Grawton wondered if the change was only in him. He drifted to the nearest window and looked down on Tâ Oandimn. At first glance, it still looked the same. But as he looked harder, Grawton could see the ground streaked with dark lines and fissures like some sort of demented bowling ball. As if the ground of Tâ Oandimn were cracking as it tried to contain a huge beast. Grawton was proud. Tâ Oandimn was well and truly his now. The beast the ground was trying to contain was him. Every part of Tâ Oandimn was his now. There were no more secrets. Grawton turned his thoughts once again to where the Shadowkeeper had kept hidden and there it was. A part of Tâ Oandimn he had never seen before. It had to be the Shadowkeeper's lair. Without another thought, Grawton made for it

### CHAPTER ELEVEN

### Ottarian Chess

"Who is this Shadowkeeper then?" It was an honest question. Deprived of a full connection with anything outside of his realm, the Draepkos king had not heard of any 'Shadowkeeper'. To him, this being was Clhla Luth and Clhla Luth was pliable and easy to control. The Draepkos had not given up on their desire to conquer Quanna Eresse. Their drive and determination to do so were in full force. But since the botched attempt to take control of LeFirte, they had been relegated to Ottar. Yes, they had a tiny foothold in Quanna Eresse with the ability of their Krug to enter the world but it wasn't enough. Plans were in place which had taken untold time and effort to devise. The machinations of their plan were taking longer than he would like but so be it. It was the only working plan they had. They couldn't allow the Shadowkeeper to come in and ruin the party. The Draepkos King needed to know how the Shadowkeeper's appearance in Ottar was going to affect those plans. He needed to know whether or not the Shadowkeeper would be a help or a hindrance. Which didn't make a huge difference to the overarching theme, whichever angle the Shadowkeeper was working. The Draepkos King would use the Shadowkeeper for whatever he could and then imprison him.

"The Shadowkeeper is I and I am the Shadowkeeper." The kings guard were still seething in the darkness around him. The Shadowkeeper was aware of it. His coyness was on purpose. He didn't want to provoke an all-out attack at the moment. He needed to buy time. He had never penetrated this realm to any degree in their previous meetings and the Shadowkeeper needed to know more for his own needs. He needed to get his bearings. Figure out the lay of the land and devise a strategy. Admittedly, up to this point the Shadowkeeper had been flying by the seat of his pants. Being freed from Tâ Oandimn had happened so fast, it was too much, too soon and he had become inebriated with freedom. He had an end game he was working toward but the path he was using to get there was too winding. Too all over the map. He needed to reel in control again.

"A cryptic comment which means nothing."

"I am the Shadowkeeper. There is nothing more."

"Until you tell me what I want to know, I'll always refer to you as Clhla Luth."

The use of his birth name irked the Shadowkeeper but he knew it was a ploy by the Draepkos King to do just that. To get the Shadowkeeper so wound up, he would do or say something stupid. It was a ploy he himself had used many times in the past with great effect but he wasn't going to fall for it here. The stakes were too high for him to succumb to such weak attempts to provoke him.

"Clhla Luth. The second-rate wizard who couldn't hold his own when push came to shove."

Another jab, but the Shadowkeeper shrugged this one off as well. "It occurs to me, in all our previous meetings, you never told me your name." This was true, and if the Draepkos King would tell him his name, it would put them on a more level playing field.

The Draepkos King eyed the Shadowkeeper warily. He knew they were playing a chess game and jockeying for position. He could sense real power coming from the Shadowkeeper but here in Ottar, there was only one true power and it was he. "My name is, Ksendra. But you can call me King Ksendra."

"King Ksendra." The Shadowkeeper acknowledged him with a tiny nod. "Unless your objectives have changed, you still desire to conquer Quanna Eresse. You still desire to be freed from this darkness and fully exert your power. Am I correct?"

"An obvious observation based on our history." King Ksendra was growing impatient and dismissive. He knew contact with their spy in Quanna Eresse was imminent. He had to deal with this matter and be ready. It was starting to feel like he was wasting his time.

"Since our last meeting, I have learned much and grown even. As I am before you now, I am more powerful than you could ever imagine. Together we can achieve the dream we both set out for long ago." The Shadowkeeper wasn't gloating and he could sense King Ksendra knew as much, even if he didn't let on.

"What did happen at our last meeting, Clhla Luth? You were given precise instructions. You were afforded the best training we could with your limited mind and still, we only had a partial result of what we wanted. "This was the uppercut King Ksendra had been waiting to deliver. The blow he hoped would inflict the most damage for two reasons. Firstly, he still held a great amount of anger over the failure and he wanted to excise it at the Shadowkeeper's expense. Secondly, he really wanted know. He needed to know. Clhla Luth was right, they were still keen on conquering Quanna Eresse and he needed to know where they had been tripped up so it wouldn't happen again.

The Shadowkeeper grew dark, pulling his energy into himself. He wanted to lash out. To strike first with an incendiary attack which would burn this realm to the ground. The spell-work was already dancing in his mind, mingling with the anger which would infuse it with a nuclear level kick. He let his rage simmer for a moment before turning down the heat. He hadn't needed to explain the moment to anyone. He didn't know how to explain it to anyone. The moment at the top of his lair was the singularity. A convergence of time and space and events which led to his death and birth at the same time. "I was betrayed."

"You were betrayed. That's all you can say? You told me we were in good hands. That you had everything under control."

"Everything was under my control." The Shadowkeeper lashed out with more vitriol than he intended. His memories of the event were coming to the forefront of his thoughts. "I had the branch from LeFirte. I had fashioned it as you ordered. It was on the dais, the spell-work under way."

"I know all this. Where did this betrayal come in?"

The Shadowkeeper could still feel the shock of it. His assistant, Ehcim, the one he had thrown from the Mnaiowk to lessen the load and allow him to escape the Queen's castle in Ameuralia, had burst onto the top of the tower. The Shadowkeeper was shocked to see him. He was sure Queen Amhain would lock Ehcim in the deepest part of Quanna Eresse she could find for defiling LeFirte. Then he was divided. How could he trust Ehcim after throwing him from height, right into the hands of the Queens guard? Perhaps Ehcim had revenge on the mind and would sabotage the proceedings. He also wanted to know how Ehcim had escaped but he also needed assistance.

Then Ehcim produced it. The stone. It was a creation of his mother's magic. A stone which she could use to get her son back. If the Shadowkeeper had touched the stone, he would have been at his mother's mercy. The spell it contained would have been released unto him and followed its dictates as she set out. He didn't know what the spell may be but he was done with her. Done with Quanna Eresse. He slapped the box with the stone out of Ehcim's hand. He was glad to see the stone break in two. Its contents couldn't affect him now and he threw Ehcim from his sight and assumed it was the end. It wasn't.

Ehcim's release had been a ruse. A ploy concocted by Queen Amhain. She knew Ehcim would come running back to his master, even after what the Shadowkeeper had done. Queen Amhain knew Ehcim would lead her right to the Shadowkeeper and she had been right. Ehcim had been followed by Queen Amhain and now his ejection at the hands of the Shadowkeeper a second time had scorned him. Had cut him deep. It was the last straw and now Ehcim sought revenge upon the Shadowkeeper. A revenge he exacted by letting Queen Amhain into the Shadowkeeper's lair where she interrupted the ceremony in progress.

The Shadowkeeper wanted to blame Ehcim but he knew it wasn't true. His incarceration in Tâ Oandimn had afforded him the time to figure out where the blame lies. He didn't like it, but it was true. "My arrogance betrayed me."

Clhla Luth's admission caught King Ksendra off guard. He could sense Clhla Luth had a hard time drawing to such a conclusion and a harder time speaking it aloud. The fact he could admit it showed the king, Clhla Luth had grown. "Your arrogance?"

"Yes. I was so caught up in my power, I felt infallible. I felt like nobody could stop me. I had planned for every contingency. I had plans and sub-plans. There was no way I was going to fail."

"But you did fail."

"I expected outright attacks. Swords. Men. Magic. I didn't think something so simple as a stone could undermine my destiny. It won't happen again." The Shadowkeeper finished talking and stared at King Ksendra. The movement in the room around him had ceased or it ceased to register. They had reached a tipping point. The next decision each of them made would dictate how the future was going to unfold.

King Ksendra held Clhla Luth's gaze. He could feel the fierceness between them. It was unspoken and palpable. Neither of them wanted to blink first but King Ksendra still had the advantage. In this realm he was powerful. "How can you help me Shadowkeeper? What can you bring to the table which will turn the tide? I already have people in place, working toward this end. What can you deliver to me which would benefit us?"

It didn't escape the Shadowkeeper's attention the king had referred to him as Shadowkeeper. It was a small victory for him. Encouraging. "The staff has been awoken."

King Ksendra was stunned. This was new information. And not some trivial facet or nuance. The emergence of the staff had game changing implications. "How do you know this?"

The Shadowkeeper was glad to see he had caught the king's attention. "I have held it myself. It is how I escaped the realm I was in."

The ramifications of what this meant were cascading through King Ksendra's mind like cells forming a new being. At a supercharged rate, thoughts were joining with other thoughts and other thoughts still. An idea was being born. Gestating. Developing like a fetus in vitro where there was nothing to disturb its growth. "Where is the staff now?"

"I have sent it to Tâ Oandimn to be kept safe."

"What is Tâ Oandimn?"

The Shadowkeeper almost smiled. He could sense a shift in the balance of power. Subtle, yes, but the teeter totter they were on was no longer heavily leaning toward King Ksendra. They were, at the very least, even now. It was time for the Shadowkeeper to go all in. To put all his cards on the table and tip the power toward him. "Tâ Oandimn is where I was banished to by Queen Amhain after our failed attempt. It is where dark souls from Quanna Eresse go when they pass from their world."

"And what happens to them there?"

"They spend eternity paying penance for transgressions made during their life."

King Ksendra pondered this for a moment. If what the Shadowkeeper said was true, then he would have a vast army of beings they could use. Beings who were not averse to being evil and committing atrocities. Beings which would be only too glad to do so. He was starting to be glad he hadn't banished the Shadowkeeper as was his first thought. "How do you know those in your realm will do your bidding? You are their jailor after all."

"I built Tâ Oandimn from the ground up. Carved it out of the nothingness into which I was imprisoned. They will do what I say, when I say, without question. Everything and every being in Tâ Oandimn answers to me and me alone. I am Tâ Oandimn and Tâ Oandimn is mine."

Even as he said it, he felt it. A spasm of disbelief shot through the Shadowkeeper like an earthquake. Like someone was shaking him in violent fashion. It felt like a rubber band was stretching and stretching before finally breaking. And then a part of him was gone. Wrenched from him like someone ripping off a bandage without warning. His connection to Tâ Oandimn was gone. Distant words echoed in his mind in a voice he could make no mistake about. And with the savagery of a left hook the Shadowkeeper never saw coming, Grawton assumed reign over Tâ Oandimn.

### CHAPTER TWELVE

### Uldarra's Reveal

Tagan stood in the doorway to the room his mother and father were in. His dad, Kenok was lying in a small bed. The covers were swaddled around him tightly as if he were a newly born babe. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat, hair slicked back. His face was pale but not gaunt. It seemed only as if he were battling some cold or flu and not a battle for his soul. On her knees, astride the bed, his mother was clutching Kenok's hand in her own. Tagan couldn't see her face but the way her shoulders and back were quivering, he knew his mother was crying. The scene seemed so delicate. So filled with love, Tagan didn't want to disturb it. He didn't want to break the bond the two were sharing. He was still having a difficult time believing they were both there in front of him. Both here where he could touch them. Talk to them. It seemed such an odd coincidence they were out here, in the middle of nowhere, Tagan wondered if he was imagining things.

"Mom?"

Sequil's shoulders stopped heaving at once and her head popped up but she didn't turn around.

"Mom. What are you doing here?"

Tagan's voice pierced through the shroud of joy Sequil was in, making her heart swell even more if it were possible. But she didn't want to turn. She didn't want the voice to be a hoax. She didn't want the voice to be a trick of her emotional state, trying to reel in anything to make her feel even better.

"Son." Kenok's voice was groggy and rough, with a hint of disbelief.

Now Sequil knew it was true. If Kenok was seeing Tagan as well, she was sure it wasn't wishful thinking. She knew her son was standing in the room behind her and it wasn't some figment of her imagination. A new wellspring of joy welled up inside her. First, her husband awoke from his nightmarish sleep and now her son was here as well. She didn't know if she could take it. If she could sustain such levels of happiness and she squeezed Kenok's hand so hard it seemed like his fingers were going to break.

"Ow. Sequil, not so hard."

Sequil let go of Kenok's hand, stood up and spun around in one motion, pushing herself from Kenok's bedside. Her eyes fell on Tagan. She tried to squeal with delight but it caught in her throat and morphed into more sobbing.

Tagan ran to his mother and pulled her close, tears of his own streaming freely from the corners of his eyes. He felt her arms come around him and squeeze. She was holding him so tight it was as if she was afraid he would get away again. Like if she didn't hold him tightly he would disappear. It felt like heaven to Tagan. He didn't realize how much he missed his mother. How he missed her fussing over him. How he missed her ability to hug him or kiss him and make him feel like everything was going to be OK, no matter what.

"Tagan. Tagan. My son. What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Tagan couldn't speak. The lump in his throat was blocking the formation of any words. He tried to clear his throat to ease the situation but it didn't work and he resigned himself to sobbing into his mother's shoulder, holding her so tight he was afraid he was going to hurt her.

Sequil didn't ask any more questions, content to stroke her son's hair for the time being.

Uldarra stood in the doorway watching the reunion. It filled her heart to see such genuine emotion. To see a family brought back together. It was what she wanted for her family and she hated to break it up but there was still work to be done. She cleared her throat as an icebreaker. "Now then. Isn't that better, dearies?" She looked to each of Tagan, Sequil and Kenok, beaming.

Tagan started at the voice. So ensconced in his happiness, he had forgotten the elderly lady he had passed at the door to the house. With difficulty, he extracted himself from his mother's grip. He could feel his mother's mood and posture change at the arrival of the old lady. He looked at his mom. "Who is this?"

Sequil looked at Uldarra's beaming face and was confused. Hatred and revulsion were what she wanted to feel but with everything which had taken place, with Kenok awake and Tagan here, she was finding it difficult to maintain those feelings. As much as she didn't want to admit it, a part of her owed a debt of gratitude to Uldarra for coming to their rescue. For bringing them back here and attending to Kenok's wound. If Uldarra hadn't intervened, she and Kenok would very likely both be dead. "This is, Uldarra. This house is hers."

Tagan looked to Uldarra and then to his mother. He couldn't help but notice a frosty undercurrent to Sequil's voice as she introduced them and he wondered what had happened. From the scene he witnessed upon first entering the room, he assumed Uldarra had helped his mom and dad in some way. "Thank you."

"Oh please, deary, I won't hear it." Uldarra dismissed Tagan with a wave of her hand. "It's what any of us would have done."

Tagan turned to Sequil. "Why are you here mom? How did you and dad get here?"

The events leading up to Sequil and Kenok fleeing their house danced through Sequil's mind. It seemed so long ago but it hadn't lost its potency and it felt like an icy rain on her heart. She sighed. "It's a very long story, Tagan."

Sequil was about to continue but Uldarra interrupted. "And one we will all hear in due time." Uldarra turned her head and looked back into the house, beckoning with her hand. "Come now. Braulor, Crenoah, Stonjsin. Come join us."

From outside the room, the sound of chairs scraping and cutlery being put down.

"No. No. Please, bring your chairs. And, yes, Crenoah, bring what you are eating. We have much to discuss."

Uldarra left the doorway, taking to the other side of Kenok's bed and helped him to a sitting position. "Be a dear, Sequil, and get those pillows behind Kenok's back."

Sequil bristled at the command but did so anyway, making sure when the pillows were in place to remove Uldarra's hands and assume positioning Kenok.

As she did, Braulor, Crenoah and Stonjsin entered the room, Crenoah's mouth still working on food, and set up their chairs in row along the wall.

Uldarra smiled, bustled out of the room and returned with two more chairs. She set the chairs down, intending them for Tagan and Sequil. Tagan took one. Sequil chose to sit on the edge of Kenok's bed.

Uldarra shrugged and sat in the vacant chair. She looked to each of them, one at a time. Her mind was reeling, not knowing where to begin. Where to start. With a sigh, she started speaking and the room went quiet. "Much has happened to bring all of us together at this moment. Some of it is my doing. Some of it is others doing. Some of it was blind luck. But no matter now, as we are here at this time for a reason."

Uldarra looked at them all in turn once again. Like a schoolmarm, Uldarra knew she had the rapt attention of each of them. They all knew bits and pieces but she knew a fuller story and each of them was longing to know more. She continued. "Know that this house is safe. We can talk freely and openly. Some of what is said here will be a surprise. Some will be a shock. But if we are to get anything out of this meeting, full truth's must be spoken. As hard as it may be to hear, everything needs to be in the open."

Uldarra's gaze settled on Kenok as she finished and Kenok looked away, ashamed. He was still reeling from their escape, unsure if he could even believe what his eyes were showing him. Kenok was still trying to comprehend anything and everything he could which would make sense of it all. By his reckoning, the last thing he remembered of Sequil they were escaping the man that had come to kill him. He was running, almost at his front door when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his lower back. He knew he had been hit with something but he also knew, he had to keep moving. He had to make it to Sequil so they could get away. If he could get Sequil to safety, then they could address his wound. He made it to Sequil but then passed out.

His next memory was vague. Veiled in darkness as if it were projecting from through twilight. Where he found himself, he didn't know. He only knew it wasn't anywhere good. Beings were circling him. Attacking him in short swipes as if they were taking little tastes. Each attack seemed to weaken him. To draw energy from him. Then HE came. A being so dark and terrible it defied explanation. Defied any rational comparison to anything Kenok knew and the attacks stopped. The beings attacking him pulled back out of fear of the being. Kenok knew things had gone from bad to worse but he didn't know how bad. Then the being approached Kenok. Staying a little way away as if he too were afraid of Kenok for some reason. As if he too, were wary. It didn't matter though. Kenok was scared. Scared didn't do his feelings justice. If there were a word which combined scared, terrified and horrified, Kenok would have been it. HE teased at Kenok's senses, probing him with questions. When Kenok divulged his name, the mood changed. It would be a stretch to say there was happiness. It was more like rejoicing. An escalation of satisfaction. Kenok likened it to the feeling one would get when the last puzzle piece drops into place. Kenok didn't like the thought of being the last puzzle piece but he had no say in the matter. He was a pawn at the moment and for the time being whatever the situation was, he was caught in the middle of it. Now, as Uldarra looked at him and the memories of their sordid night surfaced, he wished he had never escaped.

A long silence settled on the room. Each of them was hoping Uldarra would continue but it seemed as if she were as reticent as the rest to go on. As if by continuing, they had to acknowledge things they would rather keep hidden.

Stonjsin looked at all the quiet faces. "And what is there you would like us to know?" He didn't like uncomfortable silences. Stonjsin knew what Tagan had told them but that was it. How this elderly woman fit into everything he didn't know but he wasn't afraid to find out.

"Now, now, Stonjsin, you know why. So does Braulor and Crenoah. Tagan has filled you all in on that. Sequil and Kenok, you don't yet know but I want to share my part of the story with everybody first. It will answer many of your questions and we can fill in any gaps after."

Uldarra closed her eyes. Everything was a jumbled mess. How to make sense of it all. "For those who don't know, my name is Uldarra. At least in this world I am known as Uldarra. I was born a long, long time ago when the world was whole."

Uldarra went into a long explanation of the times she lived through. The era of peace and prosperity they enjoyed. How, like all great eras, a darkness surfaced. An evil born from those who were unhappy at the state of affairs and sought change by any means they could. She went through the history of how the world was infiltrated by this evil and a great war was fought. How the world was severed, smashed into pieces by the act of LeFirte. Done out of love, LeFirte sought to protect us all and felt this was the only solution it could devise, especially after the evil doers tried to use its own heart against it. She spoke of how the perpetrator of the evil manifestation had been banished to an underworld no-one knew existed. Uldarra left no detail out. No bit of information glossed over. True to her word, she spoke only truths.

"So, you left your own realm to come here. Come here to this house, years in advance."

"Yes, Crenoah. I did."

"How did you know this would be the place to come to? How did you know we would all meet here?"

"As I said, my people were very magical, for lack of a better term. I set motions in effect many years ago for this very meeting."

"Why would you do that?"

Uldarra had come to the crux. She had never admitted out loud to anyone why she did what she did but now she had to. If she wanted to win their trust she had to tell them. "Because the one who was banished was my son."

### CHAPTER THIRTEEN

### Escape Artist

Tyhreb tied one more knot and stepped back, looking at his work. There was no way this little one would escape her bonds as he had. He had to admit to himself, the old lady had done an exemplary job tying him up in the first place. When he had first come to, he struggled against the knots. And struggled some more before becoming enraged and employing every ounce of strength he could muster to try and break away. He needed little fuel. The idea of him not being able to complete his task as requested was enough to drive him to the point of madness. Add in the fact, he wouldn't be getting his hands on the gold he had been promised and, well, you had the makings of a perfect storm. But no matter how hard Tyhreb flexed or strained, it seemed the ropes were not going to yield to his will. They weren't going to give up their prize. He had given up hope of escape altogether and resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him and sagged, letting the ropes bear the full weight of his body.

Tyhreb was multi-tasking, both lamenting his situation and how he would come to an end, while also reviewing every instance where he had been captured or trapped but managed to escape anyway. A shrill screech pierced the air and he tensed out of sheer gut instinct. When he did so, he realized there felt like a tiny bit more give from the ropes on his right side. The screech died out but his heart was racing. Maybe he only thought there was more give on the right, he didn't know. To test his theory, he let himself sag against the ropes once again, this time focusing his every sense on his right side. He scarcely breathed as he let go of his muscles and drooped, before standing up again. Yes. It was there. The narrowest of difference in tautness from his right compared to his left. Adrenaline was starting to surge and he wanted to succumb to its pressure. To go crazy with its energy once again and break away. He felt like a Brahma bull in the chute and the gate was only seconds from being opened. But he had tried to rage his way out and it hadn't worked. No. Tyhreb had time. It was the only thing he had at the moment and he needed to take the time to assess the situation. To analyze and use logic to devise an escape strategy. Brawn wasn't going to cut it here. He tried a few more times, sagging against the ropes and then the opposite, trying to get a measure of how much room he had to work with. There was perhaps a half inch difference between his two sides. Not a lot, but it was a start. Something to work with. Tyhreb craned his neck around to the right to get a look at the tree on that side. He had to push his eyes to the right as far in their sockets as they would go before popping out but he was able to get a glimpse. It looked like the tree was flatter along the side instead of rounded which was giving him the play he had discovered. How can I increase the amount of play? He wriggled up and down and sideways, shimmying his shoulder toward the right. To anyone passing by, it would look like a bear scratching its back but it was working. He kept shimmying and shimmying, pushing his arm toward the flat of the tree. He was working so hard, sweat was pouring down his brow into his eyes. It was streaming down his nose and drops would hang there like they were at the end of some odd icicle before falling off. Tyhreb's right arm was fully along the flatter part of the tree and he could move it independent of the rest of his body but that was about it. And not by a huge amount mind you, but possibly enough to turn the thread of hope he was clinging to into a ribbon.

Tyhreb was fervently working his brain to see how this was going to help him. He still needed more room. He looked down as far as he could. The ropes wound around his body all the way to his feet like a constrictor snake. Each loop was in close proximity to the next but he noticed his wriggling had widened the gaps in-between them. One loop happened to cross right over a bulging pocket of his vest. If he could get the rope off of his pocket, it would provide even more slack. He pushed himself up and down, up and down like some strange ballerina doing barre exercises. Little by little the rope looped over his pocket inched downward and with one final push, fell off altogether. Time to test it. Tyhreb let himself sag once more and he came farther away from the tree. Pulling his weight back he now found his right arm had even more freedom. He worked his hand between two loops. He couldn't see what was happening but the cold air on his fingers felt so good and also told him he was on the right track. Tyhreb leaned forward against the ropes once again, expanding his lungs out as far as he could. When he pulled back, he exhaled, pulling his ribs and abdomen in tight. He squeezed as hard as he could and it felt like his ribs were touching his backbone as he mushed himself into the tree. He shoved his hand forward as hard as he could and his entire arm squirted out from between the ropes, scraping and wrenching at his skin as it went. He flailed his free arm around and it looked a snake trying to slither away but its tail was stuck in something.

With his arm free, he reached down and found the pocket he had freed earlier. He fumbled for the button and opened it and plunged his hand inside. As his hand rummaged around, Tyhreb was visualizing everything it came into contact with. His hand didn't come across anything cold and sharp but he didn't recall putting a knife in that pocket anyway. He was hoping there was one there anyway. His hand did however come across a little tub and his eyes lit up. The tub was the balm he carried with him for wounds and such. He made it himself and it was based with an oily tree sap he found near his camp. He worked the little lid off the tub and scooped out what he could with two fingers. He brought the fingers up to his face and smeared it around his cheek and neck. He took a deep breath and put the balm-free side of his head against the tree and pushed with his neck muscles. He imagined his head being this tiny thing and then gripped the rope under his chin with his free hand and pushed. And pushed. The rope scraped along his neck and over his chin bone. Another breath and then he pushed it across his cheekbone, raking over the edge of his eye socket. He felt clumps of hair rip from his scalp before the rope popped over his head. Tyhreb sank into the ropes once more. Not as a test but from pure exhaustion.

But with one loop off, there was more room to work with. He could hear the hoofs of horses, thudding in the dirt. They were a way away yet but drawing closer. Tyhreb's time was running out. He had to speed up his process. He used the same technique again and again, loop after loop. With each rope he freed, he had even more wiggle room. After the fourth loop, he was able to get both arms in on the action. The sounds of hoofs had stopped but Tyhreb kept working. With five loops left, he was able to kick his legs free and step out of the ropes altogether. His body was shaking from head to toe from the exertion. Then another scream. "Kenok."

Kenok. The reason he was here in the first place. The reason he had been bound to this tree. The reason he had escaped. The scream was one of joy so Tyhreb surmised Kenok was still alive, which he found heartening. This trip wasn't going to be a total waste of time after all. What to do now though? A part of him wanted to blast into the house at full speed and destroy everyone who got between him and Kenok. But he was exhausted. The left side of his face was scraped raw and bleeding. He was in no state to fight. Not yet anyway. And with the horses he had heard, someone was nearing the house. No. Tyhreb had to wait a little longer for his prize and he slunk into the closest thatch of brush he could find and still keep an eye on the house.

Tyhreb had no sooner taken up position when the first of four humans went whizzing past his hiding spot. A lone one at first at a full run, followed by another lone man also at a run but not as fast. Then a pair of them came by, walking quickly. Tyhreb bristled when he saw the elderly lady open the door to greet the first human. He went in the house. The second was joined by the third and fourth. They had a little discussion but all followed the lady into the house. By his count there were now at least six people in the house. This complicated matters a little but not really. He would do what he had to do. Women or men he wouldn't allow any of them to get in his way any longer.

Tyhreb was about to get up and do some reconnaissance on the house when another person approached. It was female and not human. Not human as he knew them anyway. This one had a different energy about her, an energy similar to what he detected coming from the house. He watched as she approached with caution. Unlike the humans, she was taking her time and assessing the situation as she went. She stopped at the tree and crouched down, looking closer at the rope. When she grabbed it, she went into some sort of shock. Tyhreb reacted on instinct and launched from the bushes he was in. He got right behind her as she turned. She didn't have time to react as his massive hands clamped on either side of her head. He held her like that as she struggled and squirmed. He was impressed with her strength, but she couldn't break his grip and went limp in his hands. He slung the woman over his shoulder and picked up the rope. He thought both could come in handy and he wandered back toward where she and the humans had come from. He had found their horses and tied the woman over the saddle of one. He lifted her head and looked at her face. Definitely not human but there was some recognition there. Something he would have to explore later if he had time and if she survived.

With the woman squared away, Tyhreb led the horses in a trail toward the house. He approached the house and all was quiet. Leaving the horses where they were, he circled the house in slow steps, taking in every detail. There was the main entrance and a few windows here and there. Not a lot to work with. He was at the back of the house now, crouched. He could hear voices coming from a window to one side. He inched his way over until he was astride the window below the level of the sill. The voices were muffled so he stood and cupped his ear, then leaned against the house. The voices were clearer, allowing him to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Your son? What do you mean, your son?"

"Yes, Tagan. My son."

"But what you described had to be hundreds of years ago."

Uldarra sighed. It was more than hundreds to be accurate. She didn't want to get into a full accounting of the number of years. Not at this time. "It was many of your years ago, yes."

"You would have to be at least that old then but you don't look it."

Uldarra was flattered a little at the compliment. "As I said, it was a different world I come from."

"You're from Quanna Eresse then. There's no other explanation for it."

Uldarra had expected this to come up but was surprised at how quickly Tagan had cottoned on. "Quanna Eresse was once my home. But now, this is my home. I gave up that part of my life long ago."

The mentioning of Quanna Eresse twigged something in Tagan's memory. Lost in all the hubbub of his mother and father, he realized Rean Li wasn't present. Mentally, he pulled away from the conversation and looked around the room in case he had been mistaken. In case he plain hadn't notice Rean Li enter the room. Rean Li was stealthy at the best of times. If she felt unsure about this place, Tagan could imagine her tip toeing in and remaining in the periphery until she could ascertain what was happening. But Tagan wasn't mistaken, Rean Li wasn't here. "Where is Rean Li?"

The chatter in the room stopped as they all looked at one another. Nobody knew.

Uldarra was in mid-sentence when Tagan asked the question. Rean Li. The name lanced into her, a mixture of happiness and disbelief. She had known Rean Li in Quanna Eresse. How could she not know Rean Li was in the area? It didn't make any sense but Rean Li was trained as an Odign and could choose to hide her energy if she so wished. Perhaps that is what she was doing. "We've got to find her."

They all stood and charged outside. They didn't have to go far. Slung over a horse at the edge of the tree-line nearest the house was Rean Li's limp body.

They rushed toward the horses, Tagan in the lead. He got to Rean Li's side and began wrenching at the ropes. Crenoah joined him, producing a knife and began slashing at the ropes to free their companion.

Uldarra watched them freeing Rean Le and was elated at seeing someone from her home world. But it wasn't right. There was something more going on. Then it hit her. The beastly man she had battled with. Rean Li was tied with the same rope. She gasped audibly, her stomach plunging. How could she be so careless. "Braulor, come with me." And she took off, sprinting around the corner of her house.

Braulor snapped out of his shock at the use of his name and followed the woman without hesitation, coming up to her side as she surveyed a large tree. The bark was rubbed off in several places. It looked like the tree had danced with a bear's claws and lost. "What are we looking for?"

"He's gone Braulor. Gone." Uldarra was almost in tears at her negligence. He had escaped and it was her fault. There was no denying it. She chastised herself. She knew she should have finished him when she has the chance but there were questions she wanted answered. Answers which could help them.

"Who is gone?"

He may have escaped but Uldarra suspected the man was in the area. He had taken the time to tie up Rean Li and leave her in a position for them to find her. Which meant it was all part of some plan. Some scheme. He had to be near, watching. Waiting. Uldarra looked at Braulor and put her finger across pursed lips.

Braulor knew at once, they were in some sort of danger. He nodded at Uldarra.

Uldarra gestured to Braulor and they made their way around the side of the house, walking as if on egg shells. As they came around the back of the house, Uldarra stopped in her tracks, putting an arm out to stop Braulor. They leaned around the edge of the house.

Braulor watched a huge man, his hands on the inside of the window sill. In one motion the man wrenched the window out of the side of the house with a slight crunch. He placed it on the ground with precision, not wanting to make any noise.

Uldarra tried to call on the magic of her land but she was ill prepared. Her mind was in a fluster and she couldn't focus her intent. He was coming for Kenok and she had to stop him in any way she could. Enraged, she ran from the side of house, charging the man. He heard her coming and, in a flash, picked up the window and threw it at her. Uldarra could see the man's action but didn't have time to register what was happening. All she knew was, she had to duck. She dove to the ground and rolled aside. The window smashed into the trees behind her.

His cover blown, Tyhreb threw caution to the wind. There was no way he was leaving without Kenok. He grabbed the opening of the window pane and wrenched. It buckled a little but didn't come free. He pushed the other way, slamming his full weight into it. A crunching as the timber buckled under the force. He stepped back again and pulled again, this time two or three feet of wall came away and he tossed it aside as if it were made of paper. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a man charging him. He waited until the man was close enough and then sidestepped into him, sending him sprawling from his shoulder check. Tyhreb grabbed the remaining wall and wrenched, another two feet of timber giving away under his rage. He could see Kenok in the bed now, turning his head this way and that as he tried to figure out what was going on. Tyhreb threw his weight against the wall again, to the side of the opening he had created. With its support gone, the wall gave way and he tumbled into the room, aside the bed. Kenok made to get up but Tyhreb was too fast, whipping the blankets around him like a spider wrapping up a fly which had landed in his web and throwing him over his shoulder. Tyhreb looked back the way he came. The old lady and the human were both up and charging toward him. He turned the other way, running out of the room. He found the front door and bolted through it. A few steps outside the door, and there was the rest of the group. Two were cutting the woman free. The other two were turned toward him. He recognized the lady as Kenok's wife. How he would like to finish her. With a growl, Tyhreb ran straight through them all, bowling them over as if they weren't even there and bounded away at high speed, Kenok bouncing over his shoulder.

### CHAPTER FOURTEEN

### Aftermath

"Kenok." Sequil's shrill voice hung in the air like a cloud. A cloud of despair. A cloud of loss. A cloud of emptiness. It was like a dream. Or rather a nightmare. Everything was happening in slow motion. She could see the beastly man's muscles flexing as he powered through the terrain with little resistance as if he were out on some pristine running track, unencumbered, and not bounding through tree and brush, over undulating land. He moved so fast and in the span of seconds, the man was out of eye-shot, the sound of branches snapping under his feet they only report they had he was still running.

Still on her hands and knees from being bowled over, Sequil pushed herself to standing and made to take off after the man. Take off after the beast who had succeeded in claiming her husband as prize. She had Kenok back for a matter of hours maybe and now he was gone again. Who was this man? Why was he so unrelenting? Why was he taking Kenok? Sequil was trying to run but realized she wasn't moving. Looking down, an arm was around her waist, holding her back. She struck at the arm. Slapping it. Wrenching on it but it wouldn't budge. A cool voice spoke in her ear. "You won't catch him, Sequil. He's gone."

It was Uldarra, keeping her from her husband once again. How she loathed the voice. Sequil wished she had never heard it. Wished she and Kenok had passed together out in the woods. At least they would be together. At least they could have died together, as one. Now, she didn't know what was going to happen. What was she supposed to do? The worst thing was, part of her knew Uldarra was right. Part of her knew Uldarra was speaking from a place of wisdom where she had none. But she didn't want to accept it. Didn't want to acknowledge it. If she didn't, it would mean she had a chance at getting Kenok back. Even the minutest of chances were better than none. But Sequil didn't know where to start or how to begin. She had fled their house the first time the man had come for them and look where it got her. No. If she was going to get Kenok back, she needed a plan. She needed a strategy. She needed supplies and maybe help. Her son, Tagan was with her now. He could help and he had friends with him. Powerful friends. So, she relented. Sagged against the arm holding her back from chasing after her one and only.

"That's better, Sequil."

The arm snaked from around Sequil's mid-section. Sequil wavered on the spot but didn't fall down. She turned to face Uldarra, not bothering to hide her contempt.

"There, there, deary. We will get him back. Don't you worry." Uldarra smiled even though she wasn't sure they would be able to get Kenok back. Even if they could, she didn't see how doing so would fit into the overarching plans in play. The plans, now in shambles, torn asunder by her oversight. They had barely scratched the surface of what was happening before this interruption. She wondered why this man was so hard wired to get Kenok. It certainly wasn't to kill him. If that were the case, he could have waded into all of them. He didn't seem to be the kind of man who would have qualms with collateral damage. But he didn't take the easy way out and he took Kenok with him, which indicated to her, the man was doing someone else's bidding. But why would they want Kenok and not either of his sons? Tagan and Braulor were both right here. Why not take them?

"Who was that?" Stonjsin was dusting himself off. He had been standing beside Sequil when the man came barreling through like a locomotive. He had never seen any man of size such as that move so fast.

"I don't know who he was."

"Where did he come from?" Crenoah approached the group. They were standing outside the front door of Uldarra's house. Gathering. Sorting. Sifting through the aftermath and trying to make sense of what had transpired.

"He showed up on my land in search of Kenok and Sequil. Where he came from, I don't know. I do now, he is a very old soul. One which hasn't been seen in this realm since the time of the fracturing of the worlds."

"He has my dad. We have to go after him." For Tagan, it wasn't a suggestion. It was a surety. This man had his dad and he was going to get him back.

Uldarra could see there was going to be no stopping Tagan. Even if she could talk him out of it, his mother was here and she would trump any argument Uldarra could present. She wished she had time to tap into the ether. Tap in and see if she could yield some clue as to how to proceed but there was no time for it. No time for anything. Tagan and Sequil wanted action. "Yes, Tagan. You should go after him."

Tagan didn't wait for any further instruction. His mind had been made up as soon as he saw the man bounding away with his dad, he forgot all other reason. All other purpose. There was only one thought on his mind. He turned to go and stopped. Turning back, he looked at rest of the group, settling on Braulor. "Aren't you coming with me?"

Braulor didn't know what to say. Sure, Kenok was his paternal father but he had no connection to the man other than that. No reason for him to race after the man, risking life and limb. "I don't know, Tagan. What about the quest? What about the Amber Eye? That was the reason for the start of all this. Are we supposed to abandon that now?"

Tagan had forgotten about the Amber Eye. He had forgotten how much energy he had put into going after it. He was lost for a moment, unsure now how to proceed. He knew saving his father would be pointless if he failed to return the Amber Eye to LeFirte. He also knew, he didn't know where the Amber Eye was. Even if he could find it, he still had to return it to LeFirte. How did that work? Nobody had explained what would happen next. Their entire focus had been on locating the Amber Eye. "I don't know, Braulor. I don't know. How am I supposed to be of use when I know my dad is out there somewhere, in trouble?"

They all fell silent, looking at their feet. None of them wanted to say as much, but there were larger concerns in play. There were bigger fish to fry in this drama. After all that had transpired, nobody would blame Tagan for taking a selfish tack for a change. For looking to put his interests ahead of the group.

Uldarra looked from Tagan to Braulor. She could see they were at a crossroads. Each of them was mulling over their choices. Looking at their options. They knew decisions had to made. Tough decisions under duress. Each of them knew what they wanted to do but didn't want to be the first to say it. Uldarra was familiar with the Amber Eye. So, she wasn't shocked at its mention. But it also wasn't her priority. Her priority was saving her first-born son. She had to make a play while she had the chance. "After I subdued the man who took your father, Tagan, I took this from him."

Uldarra produced a piece of gemstone. It shone brightly as she pulled it from her pocket and held it out for them to see.

"Is it the Amber Eye?" Tagan was hopeful. It would solve many things at once and he could go after his father.

"No. It is not the Amber Eye, Tagan. This is a stone of my creation. I had fashioned it for a different use but after the last time I had seen my son, its purpose was changed. He had come to Quanna Eresse to save his assistant. I intercepted him as he made his way to the queen's castle under heavy guard. I embraced him but he was already gone. Too deep into the dark magic and he shoved me aside. The queens guard came to my house under guise and told me they were going to let the assistant go. Let him return to my son. Queen Amhain hadn't given up on my son either. She felt he could be saved and bid me to give her something to relay to my son which would sway him. Make him see the insanity of what he was doing and forsake his evil path and come back to Quanna Eresse. I poured my love into this stone. My adoration. My trust Clhla Luth would one day come back to me. The guard took the stone to Queen Amhain, who in turn gave it to the assistant to give to Clhla Luth."

"It didn't work."

"No, Braulor. It didn't work. One who was present at the time told me later, Clhla Luth slapped it from the assistant's hand, not wanting to even lay a finger on it. It smashed into two pieces on the ground and were swept from the top of his lair."

"What would have happened if he had accepted the stone?"

Uldarra was holding back tears as she thought of it. "It would have created a direct connection between us and a spell would have completed which would grants the spell caster their hearts desire."

"I've seen that stone before." Braulor was remembering the dream he was having before he first woke up in Tâ Oandimn. He had been lying on his bed. At the foot of the bed his chest was calling to him. Something inside it was wanting him to come and let it out. When he did open the chest, a bright light forced him back but he looked into the chest anyway. He was woken from his dream shortly after but before he woke, he saw the other half of this stone.

"Yes, Braulor. You have. I sent it with you when I gave you to your adopted mother and father."

Braulor hadn't thought about his mother and father and a pang of loneliness shot through him as he remembered the Greejon clan.

"Can we use the stone for the same purpose now?"

"The magic of the stone was never realized. It still resides in the stone. If you were to put the halves together, they magic would be active once again."

"We could use it to get the Amber Eye." Crenoah was giddy. It was as if they found a secret door into where they needed to go. A way to bypass hardship to get what they wanted.

Braulor briefly thought the same thing but he was a bit wiser to magic than Crenoah. He knew it wouldn't be that easy. There would be some sort of catch. "Could we use the stone to get the Amber Eye?"

Uldarra thought about this. She had never thought about it before. She could have tried to use the stone to get the Amber Eye, but it knew her hearts true intent. She wanted her son back. "If you put the stone back together. Reunite both halves, for all intent and purpose you would become the spell caster. The stone would give you your heart's true desire."

The sound of hoof-beats alerted them all and their heads turned in time to see Sequil charging away on one of the horses.

"Mom." Tagan called out. How had she gotten all the way to a horse undetected? He took a step toward the group of horses. "What's it going to be Braulor?"

Braulor regarded the half of the stone Uldarra was holding out. Then he looked to Tagan. Tagan's eyes were wide with expectancy. As far as Braulor was concerned, having saved each other's lives one time, they were square. "If I use the stone, Tagan, we can get the Amber Eye without more people being injured or killed. We get the stone and figure out how to get it to LeFirte. It seems the most logical thing to do."

Tagan sighed. He could sense which way his brother was leaning and he didn't blame him. Braulor had been away from his clan for so long, he had to miss them. Had to miss the people he called his mother and father. After the attack on Vjeinka Rise, Braulor didn't even know if the ones he loved were still alive. Tagan felt pity for Braulor. He walked to him and embraced him. "I understand brother."

Braulor hugged Tagan back, squeezing him tight. He didn't know how to explain what he was feeling but he knew he had to get the pieces of the stone back together. "We will get the other half of the stone and return here. We can figure out the next step after that."

Tagan ran to the horses and untied one, climbing into the saddle with ease. He didn't want to leave. He knew it was going to be tough going but had to do it. The group stared at one another, afraid to break the connection. At last Tagan turned his horse and sped off in the direction his mother had gone.

Braulor watched Tagan go. He was impressed with how much Tagan had grown. How strong he had become and suddenly he wasn't worried about him anymore. He knew Tagan could take care of himself and besides, Braulor had the quest to focus on. He turned his attention back to Uldarra and the stone. She was still holding it out to him. Braulor regarded it for a second, a world of possibility on his back. Without another thought, he took the stone and put it into his pocket. As he did, visions of his heart's desire danced in his mind. The staff would be his once again.

### CHAPTER FIFTEEN

### Fog and Fortune

Meyu Kwi adjusted, shifting from a lotus position to where he was hugging his knees. The change in posture brought some relief to his aching muscles and joints but did little for his mood. He had been sitting calm and still for untold hours now. Watching. Waiting. Hoping. But as of yet, there was nothing to see.

He had come to the last spot where he and Tagan had met, hoping against hope, to make contact with Tagan. It had been too long since he and Tagan had last conferred and Meyu Kwi felt blind. Lost. He needed to know the status quo. He needed to know what was taking place so he could prepare for all outcomes. Meyu Kwi knew if Tagan were to come to Quanna Eresse, the most likely spot would be to the hilltop near the farm he grew up on. This was Tagan's favorite place when he came to this realm and Meyu Kwi could understand why. There was a magnificent view of the entire valley from up here. Peaceful and serene, this hilltop served as a safe place for Tagan. A place where he could come when he was confused, or angry. A place of refuge where he could hide out when his father was enraged. It had been so long since Meyu Kwi had contact with Tagan, he was willing to try anything. No news was fine and dandy when he knew things were going the way he wanted. When everything was going the way he orchestrated them. But he heard nothing new. There had been no updates of any kind and it was unsettling to say the least.

The last meeting with Tagan had been a prolonged one. A meeting in which Meyu Kwi was able to reveal the history of the saga Tagan was embroiled in. They spoke of how the Draepkos came to be. How they were betrayed from within by a powerful wizard. How the once peaceful lands were divided up by the treacherous Draepkos and their nasty henchmen, the Krug. In turn, Meyu Kwi found out Tagan had escaped the citadel with the help of Braulor, a brother Tagan didn't know he had. On the run was the last bit of information Meyu Kwi had to go on. Meyu Kwi had sent Tagan to look for the Amber Eye and told him to find it, he would have to seek out the help of Rean Li. Did any of these deeds come to pass? Had Tagan been recaptured? Or worse, killed? There was no way for him to know and now he had to sit here and wait. For something. Anything. Some sort of sign to let him the way events were transpiring.

With a sigh he looked to the heavens. The sun was hanging low in the western sky. A glowing orb, nestled between two towering mountain peaks. From his vantage point it looked like the sun was sitting in a nest of golden light. As if tomorrow's light were being birthed from the dying sun of today. As he watched, the sun inched a little lower. And then lower still. Meyu Kwi had duties to perform and meetings to attend but he made no move to get up. No move to rise. If anyone were watching, it would seem he had become a part of the land. Immovable. His duties could wait or be deferred. Benefits of being Queen Amhain's chief of security. It was the meeting. This he couldn't put off. This he couldn't defer. But it seemed pointless to him. He didn't have anything new to share. Nothing to pass along. He resigned himself to the fact he would have to do it anyway. The sun was almost fully down and dusk was the best time for this meeting.

Meyu Kwi leaned back, placing his hands on the ground, savoring their connection to the land for a brief moment before pushing himself to his feet. He dusted the dirt and leaves from his backside and stretched. His muscles were tight from sitting for so long. One last glance at the setting sun and he turned from his vigil, taking short, choppy strides through the grassy hilltop. At the main trail he turned to the left and increased his pace. He had to get to Queen Amhain's castle to conduct his meeting.

It was quiet and still as he walked, the trail clear and even. Meyu Kwi was alone. In most circumstances he would have an escort with him but he had bid them to wait for his return to the castle. With the moon a few days removed from being new there was little light, which he didn't mind. His eyes were accustomed to the dark. Rounding a bend in the trail he stopped. There was a figure on the trail ahead of him. The figure was slight and Meyu Kwi could tell, it wasn't a fellow citizen out for a walk. The figure was hazy and incomplete in this world. Tagan? It had to be Tagan. The figure bore the same characteristics Tagan did when he was in this realm. Meyu Kwi grinned from ear to ear. Now he would get some answers. Now he would get some information he could use to formulate his next steps. The figure started walking away from Meyu Kwi and he took off at a jog to catch up. Getting closer he hailed the figure. "Hello."

The figure stopped in mid-stride and turned around as Meyu Kwi came up on them. "Meyu Kwi?"

Meyu Kwi was taken aback. He had to look the form up and down to make sure he was really seeing who he thought. "Rean Li?"

They stared at one another, each struggling to believe they were looking at the other.

Meyu Kwi was sure he was dreaming. Rean Li was standing in front of him. Not in full physical form but here none the less. The last time they had seen each other was at the ritual. The ritual they had created to be able to send Rean Li in search of the Amber Eye in Tagan's world. Meyu Kwi had almost given up hope they would see each other again. But if Rean Li was here, it must mean... Meyu Kwi didn't want to finish the thought. He knew the conditions under which Rean Li had been sent to find the Amber Eye. Rean Li knew if she didn't find the eye and restore it, the quest would be a one-way trip and she would only see Quanna Eresse again as a spirit. "Are you?"

Rean Li wondered when the thrills would stop. When the joy would stop filling her heart. First, she found herself in Quanna Eresse, free to move about and not constrained by the limitations she had known when she was here aside Tagan. She was not seeing Quanna Eresse through his eyes this time. The sights and sounds she was experiencing were all hers. And now she had found her oldest brother. She knew what her brother was getting at. "No. I'm not dead. At least I don't think I am."

"How did you get here then?"

Rean Li had been wondering herself how she could do this. How she could be here. Rean Li had forsaken her ability to reach Quanna Eresse when she had abandoned the quest for the Amber Eye. When she had given up all hope, she let go of everything. Rean Li recalled her last memories, sharing them with Meyu Kwi. How they had escaped the dark place with their extra passengers. How they found themselves outside the little house and then, one by one, Tagan and the others went running off at the sound of Tagan's mother's voice. How she had followed after the others and found the rope. But there was a darkness somewhere nearby. She could sense it but it didn't reveal itself until she touched the rope. And then the hands, grabbing her about the head, covering her mouth. As she arrived at this point in her story, Rean Li could see the house once again. She could see the group, now standing outside. They seemed to be arguing about something. Off to the side, her body lay unconscious and still.

"You found Tagan?" Meyu Kwi almost shouted it but he was struggling to contain his joy. His elation."

Absorbed in her vision, Rean Li didn't respond to Meyu Kwi's outburst. "I can see my body, but I am here too. Maybe I am dead." Her heart began to race and she felt nauseous.

Meyu Kwi reeled in his emotions. Tagan was alive. It was a place to start. He needed to get more information. He needed to know everything Rean Li knew. But with Rean Li in the state she was in, he needed to coach her. He had to calm her down and get her to focus. He looked Rean Li up and down. "I don't think you are dead. The energy you are presenting in Quanna Eresse isn't complete. It isn't whole, which it would be if you were dead. I would guess you are unconscious."

Rean Li went to her body. It was eerie looking down at herself but she could see her chest rising and falling as it took breaths. She wasn't sure how to feel. As much as she adored being in Quanna Eresse and wanted to stay, she wasn't sure she wanted to die to do it. "I can see I'm breathing. I think you're right."

Meyu Kwi exhaled. He had to be precise with his questions. He knew Rean Li could wake up at any moment and lose the connection to Quanna Eresse. He had to work fast. "What else can you see?"

"Everybody is outside. It looks like something happened."

"Who is outside?"

"Tagan, his brother Braulor. Crenoah. Stonjsin. A lady I don't know. It must be Tagan's mother. And... I don't believe it Meyu Kwi. Jaem Loll is here."

Meyu Kwi was stunned. "Jaem Loll. Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Rean Li realized now, how it was she felt so close to home when they first spied the house. It was Jaem Loll. She found a way to tap into the energy of Quanna Eresse.

Jaem Loll. Clhla Luth's mother. Meyu Kwi knew she was powerful in the ways of magic but didn't realize the extent of her power. What was she doing there? How did she get out of Quanna Eresse without anybody noticing? He would have to figure that out later.

"You said something happened. What happened? Can you hear what they are saying?"

Rean Li went close to the group. As she did, she saw Tagan's mother start retreating from the group, step by step. The situation was so tense, nobody noticed or paid attention as she slipped away. Tagan and Braulor were staring at one another. Both looked concerned and defiant. Rean Li could make out snippets of what they were saying to each other. "Something about Tagan's dad. Are they going to go after him?"

"Tagan's dad? Where was he?"

"That's who we rescued from the dark plane. It was his soul we saved." Rean Li was thinking out loud. Snippets of several conversations and memories were stitching together to fill in the gaps of what they had accomplished. Now she understood why Tagan had been adamant his dad had been on one of the horses.

Meyu Kwi was growing confused. How did Tagan's dad play into all this? "What are they doing now?"

"Jaem Loll is showing them some sort of stone. I don't know, I've never seen it before."

"Is it?" It couldn't be the Amber Eye. Could it? Given the circumstance, Meyu Kwi wouldn't be surprised to learn Jaem Loll had found the Amber Eye. It would certainly explain why she was there.

"It's not the Amber Eye." Rean Li picked up on Meyu Kwi's line of thinking. "And it's only a piece of stone. A fragment. She's telling the story of how she made it to save Clhla Luth but it didn't work." Rean Li paused, trying to hear what they were saying. As she watched, they group turned and Rean Li did so as well to see what they were seeing. "Tagan's mother has taken off on one of the horses."

Meyu Kwi was about to interject a question.

"Tagan is going too. He left the group and is getting on a horse. I think he's going after his mother."

"Stop him, Rean Li. Can you stop him?"

"Not like this. I can't do anything." Rean Li was panicking. Tagan was going to get away and she was unconscious, unable to help. She found she wanted to do something, had to do something, as a strong feeling of protection swept over her. She didn't realize it but she had grown fond of Tagan and wanted to help him save his mother.

Rean Li's form was fading. Meyu Kwi could tell she wasn't going to be in this realm much longer. "What is the rest of the group doing?"

"Uhm." Rean Li was having trouble focusing. Everything was becoming hazy. Blurred. "Braulor took the stone from Jaem Loll. That's it. That's all I can see."

"Rean Li, you have to go after Tagan. Do whatever you can to find him and help him get to the Amber Eye. He is our only hope."

Her brother's words were vague and echoing, a ghostly quality to them. Quanna Eresse was fading, her senses filling with the smell of woods and dirt. Rean Li only heard. 'Go after Tagan.'

Meyu Kwi stood and watched as his sisters from disappeared from sight. He hadn't gotten as much information from her as he would have liked but at least he knew Tagan was alive. He had to find out more about Tagan's father. And how did Jaem Loll fit into all this? Now he had more questions than answers. Already late for his meeting, Meyu Kwi took off at a brisk run.

### CHAPTER SIXTEEN

### Ksendra Kinged

"Take him away."

At King Ksendra's command the beings in the Shadowkeeper's periphery descended on him like flies. Like buzzards to carrion left unattended. They surrounded him, sealing him off, their essence forming his jail.

The Shadowkeeper didn't resist. He didn't fight back. Still reeling from Grawton's betrayal and the loss of Tâ Oandimn, the Shadowkeeper felt weak. Impotent. Powerless. Tâ Oandimn and its inhabitants had been his source. His touchstone. His purpose. Without them, he was like a light whose cord had been cut. A capacitor wrenched from a circuit board. He supposed he should have seen it coming. From a statistical standpoint, it had to happen. With all those evil souls under his thumb the potential was always there for mutiny. The Shadowkeeper figured he had his bases covered. With Grawton as his right-hand man, he was certain the two of them wouldn't leave any openings for anybody to rise up. Between the two of them, they kept their thumbs down tight on everything. A blindside from Grawton was something he never fathomed. Grawton always seemed happy with being able to mete out suffering to his heart's content. Now it was all gone. All the Shadowkeeper's hard work was for naught. Now what? He was trapped in this realm. Grawton and the staff were his escape route. His get out of jail free card. The Shadowkeeper felt the same as he did on the day he was banished to Tâ Oandimn. The day he found himself in nothingness.

King Ksendra's guards started moving away from the king. The Shadowkeeper couldn't resist. Couldn't fight back. He was at their mercy now. Where could they lead him in this place? It was all ether and darkness. He had to do something. "What about my offer?"

The Shadowkeeper tried to fill his voice with all the conviction he could find in his current state. But even as he said it, he could feel the flimsiness. He could feel the frailty of his words. They were empty and hollow. Devoid of promise. He felt like a sail who lost the gust he was riding and now he was sagging, limp and lifeless.

His guards stopped while King Ksendra observed the tiny procession. He came right up to the Shadowkeeper, his face close. His tongue flicked out the slightest bit as if he could taste the Shadowkeeper's subterfuge. "I will take it under advisement. While I consider your offer, you will be our guest."

"I'll be your guest in prison?"

"If I choose to take you up on your offer, consider it a stay of execution. If not, you will be among many of your ilk, so you will be right at home."

King Ksendra stepped back. "Now take him away."

The guards moved double time now and whisked the Shadowkeeper from the proceedings.

King Ksendra watched them go. When they were out of eyesight he turned to Kyriu. "What happened, Kyriu?"

Kyriu stared at the king, his face blank. He could see King Ksendra talking to him but a feeling had been building in the back of his mind. A feeling he hadn't had in a long while. It was Alrei Yqu, reaching out to him. Trying to connect with him.

"Kyriu."

King Ksendra was right up in Kyriu's face now. "What happened? How did he get here? You haven't reported in... I don't know how long. We have had no word."

Kyriu felt like he was going to rip in half. His brain was ringing with the energy of Alrei Yqu and now the King wanted his attention. With great exertion, he managed to keep Alrei Yqu's probing energy at bay and answer the King. "My King. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough. I need to know what happened."

Kyriu's apology was genuine. He didn't want to suffer the king's wrath and wanted to give him answers but it wasn't the easiest moment to deal with it. Alrei Yqu's energy was intensifying and didn't want to be ignored. It was barging into the forefront of his thoughts like a supercharged race car. Why couldn't Alrei Yqu have waited. Upon coming back to Ottar, Kyriu should have gone straight to his abode where he could have peace. But he had been caught up in the drama with the Shadowkeeper, he didn't want to leave. Now he was stuck. He had to use his apology to buy himself a moment to address Alrei Yqu. "My lord. I am with the king."

"I don't care. Where have you been? Do you know how long I have been trying to reach you?"

"My lord. I have to address the king. You will find answers in what I relay to him." Kyriu could tell Alrei Yqu wasn't pleased with this but there was nothing for it. It was the way it had to be. If he could answer the king's questions, he would be dismissed. Then he could answer to Alrei Yqu's concerns. Alrei Yqu's seething energy tamped down enough for him to interact with the king but Kyriu could still feel him there, like a spike in his mind. Now he had made contact, Alrei Yqu wasn't going anywhere.

"My king. I apologize. So much has happened, I don't know where to start."

"Why don't you start with where you have been."

"As you know, Tagan escaped Brankin Huoh. We figured it was an attempt by those from Quanna Eresse to gain control of the Amber Eye. His next move was to contact Rean Li so we set out to intercept him."

"And did you find him?"

"We did. We tracked Tagan and caught up to him after he made contact with Rean Li."

"What happened next?"

Kyriu remembered the scene with vivid clarity. "We moved in. Lozan and his guards were under strict orders to not engage until we had Tagan but Rean Li felled Lozan with an arrow and they attacked in response before I could stop them. That's when I noticed Tagan's brother, Braulor had the staff."

"The staff." Alrei Yqu couldn't contain himself. The staff being freed was big news. After he had taken up Clhla Luth's work, he had thought of going after the staff. He didn't because it was under heavy spell work and he didn't want to tip his hand to Queen Amhain. And then they started work on getting the Amber Eye from LeFirte and it seemed a more foolproof plan. Over time he forgot about the staff until it was too late. Now it was back in play.

"Tagan's brother you say."

"Yes. In the ensuing melee, I went for the staff but Braulor wouldn't give it up. We struggled for control of it and as we did, Clhla Luth came out of nowhere. He descended on us as we fought for the staff. I tried to cast a spell to escape, but it backfired. Clhla Luth altered it before it was complete and we ended up... nowhere." Not knowing him by any other name, Kyriu used Clhla Luth's real name.

Elated at the mention of Clhla Luth, Alrei Yqu almost lost his connection with Kyriu. Questions were flying around his head like bats which had been disturbed and driven from the safety of their cave. But he held on. Held his tongue in check. As Kyriu had said, many of his questions were being answered. There would be time later to go over the finer details.

"How did you end up here? In Ottar?"

"We were in the nothingness. Braulor and I were still fighting for ownership of the staff. Clhla Luth was laughing, chiding us. I couldn't think of anywhere else to go and tried to work another spell to get home. Clhla Luth let me but before I could complete it, he sent Braulor and the staff away. He came here with me."

King Ksendra puzzled over Kyriu's report of events. He didn't doubt they were the truth but something else was going on. Something he couldn't put his finger on. There was a different energy around Kyriu. It was subtle but there. He wondered if it had something to do with being in contact with the staff. Or it could be a residue from Clhla Luth. "So, the staff and Braulor are in this, Tâ Oandimn as Clhla Luth said?"

"I can't say for certain my king. Once I was no longer touching the staff, I couldn't see what happened to it."

King Ksendra sighed. It seemed everything was one step forward and two steps back. All the effort that had gone into their plans and they were no further ahead. With Lozan being hit with an arrow, their contact with Brankin Huoh was suspect. There had been no attempts from Brankin Huoh to contact Kyriu, King Ksendra would have known about it, which didn't bode well for their master plan. The Amber Eye remained their main intention but with Tagan's whereabouts unknown, who knew if they would be able to get their hands on it. The staff would be an excellent second place option but they didn't have it and Kyriu couldn't be sure where it ended up. It felt like they were back at square one, starting from the beginning once more. King Ksendra was growing weary of this venture. Tired of the scrambling and plotting. He longed for times past when he and his race, the Draepkos, had been content with their realm. When everything had been in equilibrium and balance and they pursued higher thought. Their higher intelligence afforded them such a luxury and now they were stuck in this quagmire.

Then they came. Like a lightning bolt out of the blue, one of the lower forms of life found a way to contact them. It had been so long since they had interaction with non Draepkos, at first it was a distraction for King Ksendra. His own little toy to play with. They normally didn't have the time or inclination to deal with lower life forms but Clhla Luth was relentless. The more King Ksendra worked with him, the more he realized Clhla Luth was no slouch at magic. So, their regimen became more intense. More structured. The teasing turned into teaching and Clhla Luth was a willing pupil. Clhla Luth wanted power as much as King Ksendra did. Then Clhla Luth promised King Ksendra something his kind had been trying to achieve for millennia. A chance to re-connect with LeFirte. They had been at one time. But the Draepkos had a penchant for the dark. For the vile. They reveled in it. They had used LeFirte's energy against countless species for their own amusement. At first, it was ignored. Those in control of LeFirte let the Draepkos be, assuming they were like children who would outgrow such petty uses of LeFirte's energy. But they didn't. Unkempt and free to do as they willed, the Draepkos continued their ways until those in power had no choice but to cut them off. There was no trial. No warnings. The Draepkos were cut off. Left in their own little realm to rot. The Draepkos jumped at Clhla Luth's offer but, in keeping with their dark ways, demanded sacrifices from Clhla Luth to prove his salt. He obliged. Without question or reservation, Clhla Luth let loose the scourge of the Draepkos on Quanna Eresse. From what King Ksendra could ascertain, Clhla Luth had no remorse for what he did. King Ksendra was sure Clhla Luth would do the same again in a heartbeat so his offer of the power of Tâ Oandimn was most welcome. But what could they do with it? Tâ Oandimn was nowhere closer to Quanna Eresse than Ottar was. Of course, he had to consider, given the time which had passed, Clhla Luth had grown even more powerful. Maybe this time King Ksendra couldn't control him so easily. No matter. It was the only choice they had the moment. Until a better offer came along, he would have to work with Clhla Luth.

A guard approached King Ksendra and Kyriu. "My king. You are wanted."

King Ksendra had forgotten about their spy. It was a scheduled time to check in. Perhaps the spy would have some answers for him. "I will be right there."

The guard went back the way he came. King Ksendra turned to Kyriu. He didn't want to let Kyriu out of his sight now. "You're coming with me. It's time you knew the full story."

### CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

### Not a Chance To Spare

Rean Li could tell she was back near Jaem Loll's house. Laying on the ground, she could feel the cold earth at her back. The smell of leaves and dirt permeated her sense of smell. A light breeze was drifting over her still body. Then she could hear birds squawking at one another as they flew overhead. Closer to, she could hear bees and other insects, buzzing away as they went about their business. The world was coming at her in waves. Rean Li felt like she was waking up in stages, like she was some sort of computer going through its boot up sequence. It was as if she had been reset somehow. She didn't struggle. She didn't fight. Rean Li let her body do what it felt was best. She knew she had time. Her conversation with Meyu Kwi let her see what was happening here before she returned. She knew the group had disbanded, Tagan going after his mother and Braulor seeking the other half of the mysterious stone Jaem Loll had given to him. Her brother's last words to her echoed in her mind. "Go after Tagan."

Her brother. It had been so long since she had seen, let alone spoken to, anyone from her home. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, even though they were closed. Tears of joy and of sadness. Quanna Eresse was so beautiful. Even though she wasn't fully in that world, Rean Li could feel the power coming from the earth. So loving and gentle, it felt like a hug from a parent when you came home from summer camp. How she longed to back in her home world. Longed to be among her kin and her experience there while unconscious only solidified the fact she was homesick. If it wasn't for Tagan, Rean Li wouldn't have had any urgency to return here. She would have stayed as long as her body allowed.

Dialed in, her senses were acute and Rean Li could tell someone was near. She could hear the sound of breathing, low and deep. She could feel the person's energy, invading the space of her own. She let her eyes peel open. As if waking from a nap, Rean Li's eyelids drifted apart to reveal Jaem Loll's face hovering above hers, concern sewn into the lines of her furrowed brow. As Rean Li came to Jaem Loll pulled back a little, a broad smile spreading as her face flooded with warmth. "Jaem Loll."

Jaem Loll's heart skipped a beat. Already dancing with happiness at having Rean Li awaken, the use of her true name was enough to raise her joy to elation. She hadn't heard her name spoken aloud since she had come to this realm. At first, after taking on the persona of Uldarra, her internal chatter would use Jaem Loll. It was a way for her to keep things sorted out. The permutations of her planning were difficult to manage and she found it worked best if she kept what Jaem Loll was doing and what Uldarra was doing as separate agenda's. But soon enough, the lines became blurred. She wanted her first born back and it didn't matter how she got there. It didn't matter whether it was Uldarra or Jaem Loll who made it happen, as long it came to pass. With nobody from Quanna Eresse to keep her grounded, her internal dialogue changed altogether and Uldarra consumed her. Having Rean Li use her true name unleashed a coterie of memories, most of which were welcome, while others came with pain. Jaem Loll extended a hand and caressed Rean Li's cheek. It was warm and soft, the energy contained within like a breath of fresh air. "Yes, deary. You're OK now."

Rean Li pushed to sit herself up but Jaem Loll held her down. "Easy now, deary. You had a rough go. Don't do too much at once now."

Rean Li relaxed and sank back to the ground. "What are you doing here, Jaem Loll?"

"Well now, deary." Jaem Loll took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that would take much explaining."

"But how did you get here? I mean, the spell we used to get me here wasn't known to anyone else." Rean Li knew Jaem Loll was a powerful magician in her own right but it was a path Jaem Loll never chose to follow. Jaem Loll had been content to work with the plants and flowers and greenery. She didn't trifle in the use of magic for anything beyond that. But she had to have used magic to get into this world. It was the only way.

Jaem Loll could tell this wasn't going to be an easy discussion. Rean Li was going to keep digging and prodding until she had answers. Rean Li hadn't changed. She was still the same little girl who would come and help her with her garden. The same girl she watched determinedly approach her Odign training. It didn't matter to Rean Li what she was doing, she always was fully engaged.

"How are you feeling, deary? Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think I can."

Jaem Loll stood up and then offered a hand to Rean Li. Rean Li took her hand and pulled herself to standing. Jaem Loll let go and Rean Li wobbled on the spot. "Here, let me help you, deary."

Jaem Loll stepped to Rean Li's side and slipped an arm around her waist as Rean Li dropped an arm across Jaem Loll's shoulders. They walked into Jaem Loll's house at a slow pace. Once inside, Jaem Loll deposited Rean Li in a chair at a small, round table and set off to the back of the house.

While Jaem Loll was busy, Rean Li looked around the little house. There was no hiding anything here. Aside from the tiny rooms, everything else was in this one room. Looking through a door to her left, Rean Li could see the inside of the room was littered with debris and overturned chairs. A huge hole was torn into the side of the house, exposing the room to the outside and the treed terrain behind.

Returning bearing a tray laden with an ewer of water, cup, bread and cheese, Jaem Loll set a knife in front of Rean Li and then took up chair at the table. Following, Rean Li's gaze, Jaem Loll sighed. "Yes, I know. My poor house. I didn't foresee this happening."

Rean Li didn't remember the last time she had eaten or drank anything. She gratefully took long draughts of water between mouthfuls of food. With a shudder, she remembered the darkness she could feel when she touched the rope out at the tree and the way her skin crawled when she came face to face with the man who was the source of the darkness. Rean Le could sense it was the same man who tore through the house "Who was that?"

"I don't know for sure. Although I have heard about his kind before in the stories my mother used to tell us."

"What did he want with Tagan's dad?"

Jaem Loll wasn't surprised at Rean Li's knowledge of events. "I don't know that either. Although I can tell you, that beast didn't come here randomly, looking for prey. He was sent to find Tagan's dad."

Rean Li recalled the story of Braulor and Tagan's escape from the Citadel of Lozan and the events leading up to them coming to find her. She remembered their first meeting and how she dithered on joining them to find the Amber Eye. "I wonder."

"What do you mean, deary?"

Rean Li thought a bit more, linking thoughts to memories like a puzzle. "I think I might know who sent him."

Jaem Loll sat up straight in her chair. "Who?"

"Well, on Meyu Kwi's advice, Tagan and Braulor came to find me. Meyu Kwi told Tagan, I could help them to locate the Amber Eye. They did manage to track me down but I wanted nothing to do with the Amber Eye anymore. I had lost or given up everything to find it and never came close to finding. There was no way I was going to re-open that wound for anyone."

"What happened next?"

As we spoke, a group of armed men approached."

"Who were the men?"

The scene was as clear in Rean Li's mind as if it happened yesterday. "There were some military men from Brankin Huoh but Lozan himself was with them." She nodded her head as she said it as if to emphasize her point.

"How did they find you?"

Rean Li went cold at the thought. She had fought against them so often, she would never forget them. She could see the dead eyes. Hear the raspy voice as it spoke to them. "They had a Krug with them. He was leading them. He must have used his powers to help Lozan. They had come to find Tagan because Tagan had escaped the citadel."

"So, Lozan sent the beast of a man after Kenok?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because they didn't re-capture Tagan and Lozan must have thought if they put out word they had taken his dad in custody, Tagan would either turn himself in or try to rescue him."

"What happened after the armed group approached?"

"Well. I shot Lozan with an arrow." Rean Li smiled a little at the memory and then added. "By accident. After that, they attacked. A couple of Lozan's men came at me and the rest of the group squared off. We had gotten the upper hand. Lozan was down. His men were either subdued or engaged in battle."

"What about the Krug? They live for battle. He must have been fighting with someone."

"He was. He was fighting with Braulor over..." Rean Li's voice trailed off as she recalled all the events of the moment.

Jaem Loll's heart lurched at the thought of her son, a human man, fighting a Krug. The Krug bloodthirsty and strong. Jaem Loll had seen one Krug wade through a group of battle-hardened warriors and not even break a sweat. For a single man to take one on in battle seemed like a death wish. But, Braulor lived, so he must have won out but she had to know more. "What happened? How did Braulor beat him?"

"They weren't fighting hand to hand combat style. They were fighting over a staff, pulling it back and forth, each trying to keep the other from getting it."

A staff. Why would the Krug be fighting Braulor for a silly staff? It didn't make any sense to Jaem Loll. "What kind of staff? Was it a walking stick or something like that?"

"It may have been. I didn't take a deep notice of it at first. Braulor was using it to fight so I thought it was his weapon."

Jaem Loll was getting a feeling. A feeling she didn't like. The Krug could have dispatched all of them with ease, with the exception of Rean Li, if he sought to do so. If the Krug was trying to get a hold of staff at the expense of anything else, it was more than a mere walking stick or weapon. "What did the staff look like, deary?"

Rean Li replayed the image in her mind. "It was black. Black as night and it didn't shine or anything in the light. Smooth along the edges. Hmm."

"What is it, deary?"

"Well, when they were fighting over it, I remember it had runes. The runes were inlaid and lit up as they fought over it, as if it were drawing energy from the fighting."

Jaem Loll closed her eyes and sighed. How did Braulor come to be in possession of the staff? It had been lost in the history of time. People forgot about it as war with the Draepkos raged. The land it had been on was decimated in battle after battle. It was never thought the staff would ever be seen again. "What happened then? How did Braulor get away?"

"He didn't. A darkness came. An entity. It drifted to where Braulor and the Krug were fighting and enveloped them. In the blink of an eye, they were gone. We didn't see Braulor again until we came out of the dark place where we rescued Tagan's dad from."

This didn't bode well at all. Braulor had been in contact with the staff. Jaem Loll wasn't one hundred percent sure about the entity, but she was quite certain it had been her first-born son. He was the creator of the staff after all and he had been imprisoned by his very own creation. If the staff was freed from its resting place, that meant he was free. It made sense now. The nefarious flicker of Braulor's intent when she gave him half of the stone and her heart sank.

Rean Li and Jaem Loll fell silent. Rean Li was still processing the meeting with her brother while Jaem Loll was coming to a realization of her own. Her entire reason for coming to this realm was with one objective: to find a way to reclaim her son. To save him from the dark fate she envisioned would be his future from the time he was a little boy. She could see it coming. Even as a child, Clhla Luth had a penchant for the darker things in Quanna Eresse. She had always hoped he would outgrow it or come to his senses and realize it wasn't worth exploring. But he never did. She hoped when he became an Odign and worked with LeFirte, Clhla Luth would develop an appreciation for the light. He never did. Jaem Loll remembered the day she had lost Clhla Luth for good. He had gone off on a routine patrol. At some point during the patrol, he had taken refuge in what would later become his stronghold. His fortress. It was here, away from the constraints of Ameuralia, he would practice and develop the dark magic he preferred. She could still see the look in his eyes when he returned. They were distant and vague, like he had already checked out. She tried to talk to him. Tried to find out what had happened but he would have none of it, offering only platitudes and empty words about how everything was OK. That he was OK and there was nothing for her to worry about.

From then on, Clhla Luth continued to grow more and more secretive, using his free time to make trips to his place of power. And all the time, his energy grew darker and more sinister. It clung to him like a fog before finally consuming him altogether. Jaem Loll knew there was nothing she could do about it. Knew it was futile to try. Her little boy had found what he had always looked for. Once he had left Quanna Eresse for good, stories of his evil and treachery still reached Jaem Loll. With him not around, it was easier for her to ignore. Easier for her to pretend the hushed whispers and chin wagging was intended for someone else's son and not hers, but the pain was always real. The pain of losing her first-born son to the depths of darkness was always there. Always poking at her. Prodding at her. She could contain her hurt to some degree. She could talk herself into feeling better but like an abscess tooth, the pain was always there, reminding her. Never letting her forget.

One day Clhla Luth did return to Quanna Eresse, flying in on his hideous creation. Jaem Loll approached her son as he was being escorted to meet with Queen Amhain. How powerful he looked. How strong and determined. And Clhla Luth was enjoying the looks of disgust and disdain he was drawing. He stopped as Jaem Loll neared. She reached out to him, placing a hand on his cheek as she had when he was a boy. Clhla Luth let his guard down and for the briefest of moments, they connected. A mother and son, reunited. Jaem Loll's heart almost exploded with joy. She thought there was hope, a chance to get him back. She wanted to touch him forever. Take him to her and hug him until he realized what he was doing was wrong. But then it was over. Clhla Luth slammed the door shut on any hope of such a thing. He wasn't coming back. Not for her. Not for anyone. The only way he was coming back would be on the warpath and nothing was going to stand in his way. He shoved her to the ground and turned away, continuing his march to the Queen's castle, never looking back.

The heights of Jaem Loll's joy was only matched by her despair. It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under her. She was falling, falling, into a pit of despair so deep, even the loveliness of Quanna Eresse wasn't enough to salve her wound. She was cut too deep. Her fellow citizens helped her to her feet and took her to her house. There she stay, not eating. Not drinking. Not living. For what seemed an eternity. There was only emptiness. Loneliness. Pity. Then came a knock at her door. A glimmer of hope arrived in the form of Queen's security chief, Meyu Kwi. He had come to advise they were going to let Clhla Luth's assistant go. They were sure he was going to return to serve his master. At the Queens behest, Meyu Kwi had come to see if there were anything she wished to send to her son. Like a hand from the sky, come to pull her from the quagmire she was sinking in, Jaem Loll took it. Grasped the hand and was rescued from her wretched despair. She bade Meyu Kwi to give her some time to think of something. It was the last time she would ever connect to her son and she needed to come up with something worthy of the occasion. Meyu Kwi understood and left, advising he would have a queen's emissary return in a few hours to gather what she wished to send.

She had garnered herself a few hours to save her son. Precious hours too few. Hours she couldn't salt away thinking of what to send. Hours she couldn't spend poring over tangible trinkets or baubles, trying to find one she hoped would sway her son. He had shoved his own mother to the ground in an act of defiance. The final nail in the coffin of who he was. To get him back was going to take more than a mere connection to his past. More than a favorite toy or blanket from his childhood. To get him back, Jaem Loll was going to have to reach deep inside and dredge up something of real power. Her idea was forming even before Meyu Kwi left her home. A light bulb of hope. But hope was all she had left at this point. As soon as her door shut, Jaem Loll was already turning, walking straight to her bedroom. Through the bedroom door, she went past her bed and straight to a large closet. Pushing aside the clothes hanging down, she revealed a small set of drawers. She paused. Was she sure this was the best thing? Jaem Loll could see no other option. She leaned forward and slid open the bottom drawer. It was empty inside, save for a green bundle, wrapped tight with silky rope, lying in the middle of the drawer. She regarded the bundle, steeling her resolve. No more hesitation. Jaem Loll scooped the bundle from the drawer with one hand and slid the drawer shut with the other. She took the bundle and returned to her kitchen, placing it gently on the table. The silky rope gave up its knots with ease and she placed the rope aside before unwrapping the green cloth. With ginger movements, she peeled the cloth back to reveal a modest sized gem. Cut in a wide oval, it was flat on one side. Its color was translucent, like tainted glass but when you held it up to light, it revealed a universe of color and anomalies inside. Passed from mother to mother, it was her family gem, hewn from stone by ancestors so far back she couldn't remember how many generations. Each successive mother imbued the stone with familial energy. Up to this point in her life, Jaem Loll hadn't infused her energy into it. When she was younger, she always felt there would be time. Then, after losing Clhla Luth, she couldn't bring herself to do it. What energy would she put into it then? Loss? Hurt? It didn't seem like the right thing to do. Now she had reason. She had purpose.

Jaem Loll went about her little house, procuring items here and there. Items which, to an onlooker, would seem to be innocuous and disparate but she knew the history of each. She knew the energies they contained and each was essential to what she was attempting to do. She took the items back to the table and arrayed them around the stone, particular about how each was placed. Each item had to be in an exact position for this to work. She smoothed out the green cloth underneath the stone, ironing the wrinkles out with her hand. Satisfied with her arrangement, she went around the kitchen, drawing curtains before going around and lighting the candles she would need. She returned to the table, placing a hand on either side of it. Jaem Loll gave each item one more scrutinizing look, ensuring they were just so. Satisfied they were, she stood up straight. It was time. She mulled over the spell-work in her mind. The series of words and movements she needed to perform to induce her energy into the stone. She ran it over and over in her mind a few times, making sure she was clear on everything. In normal circumstances, the ritual would be performed over the course of an entire day. Jaem Loll had, at best, two hours available to her, so no time to waste. And these were not normal circumstances. Jaem Loll had never attempted what she was about to try. She had to take the spell her ancestors created to transfer energy into the stone and augment it with another spell. The spell she hoped would bring her son home to her. The spell was for summoning and they used it when they working with the energies of the earth they lived on. It would call specific rock, earth or wood, from wherever it was in Quanna Eresse, directly to the forefront of where they were working for them to manipulate. In this case, she wanted when her son touched the stone, the spell would activate and he would be brought through space and time to her. As far as she knew, it had never been tried on living flesh before. It was a desperate measure from a desperate mother. Once she had him, maybe she could change him. If he was away from the protection of his stronghold and one on one with her, perhaps she could talk some sense into him.

Summoning all the courage she could, she went to work, this time orating the spell out loud. Each portion of the spell was accompanied by complicated and delicate hand movements. As the words issued from her mouth, time seemed to slow down before coming to a stop. Lost in the spell-work, it was if everything around her was gone. Reduced to nothingness. There was her and the stone and nothing more. Jaem Loll was waging war. War on her loss. War on what her son had done. She had to quell her fears. Had to quell any negative thoughts that might become a part of the spell, countering what she was trying to achieve. She focused hard on what she wanted, words pouring from her lips with biting accuracy. Words issuing from her mouth like drips from a tap, joining the preceding word and creating a torrent of intent. They came straight from her heart and each one felt like it was taking a piece of her soul with it. Like drops of wax from a candle, parts of herself broke away, pooling into the vortex swirling around herself and the stone. Blood. Bone. Heart. Intent. A cloud of love surrounding herself and the stone. It was so powerful, Jaem Loll could barely contain what was left of herself. So strong, she wanted to live in it forever. Pour every part of herself into the stone and let it protect her. Keep everything she feared at bay. But that wasn't why she was doing this. This was for her son. For Clhla Luth and losing parts of herself was but a small price to pay if she could have him back. The energy around them swirled, faster and faster as if it were growing impatient. As if it were taking on a life of its own. Then it was over. Like someone pushed a button, the energy field Jaem Loll had built was gone. Injected into the stone at the speed of light. Jaem Loll fell to her knees, the energy that was holding her up, gone. It felt like she was a fence being held up with a single board and someone came along and kicked the board out from under her. She braced herself with the edge of the table and gasped for breath. She was exhausted. Spent. Physically and emotionally, there was nothing left to give. It took every ounce of her remaining strength to pull herself to standing. She wobbled as she stood and her legs felt like jelly beneath her. She looked to the stone. The rough oval the gem started out as was no more. Jaem Loll had infused the stone with so much love, so much potency, the stone had morphed in response. The power of her spell had re-shaped it. She stared at it, her breath the only sound. She could tell it was brimming with her intention. She could tell the stone was like a trap waiting to be sprung. Waiting for when it could release the energy it was harboring and complete its task. Her hand reached out, a lone finger caressing the smooth edge, following the elaborate heart shape it had become. She could feel her heart's desire lurking within the stone. She grasped the stone, clutching it to her chest. It beat with the same cadence as her own heart for it was her heart.

The queen's emissary arrived moments later to collect the stone. With a shaking hand she placed it in the box he was proffering. She stared at it as the emissary snapped the box shut and with it her dreams. Her hopes. Her everything, snapped away into the dark of the box. The thought of her boundless light and love, shut away in the recess' of box, seemed ironic to her.

After LeFirte separated the realms from one another, she never thought she would see the stone again. At that point, she was sure her dream was over. Clhla Luth didn't use the stone or the stone didn't work. She didn't know which. But as the Quanna Eresse magic users tried to locate the Amber Eye, they came across a piece of her stone in another realm. Told of its existence, she decided she had to see this thing through, no matter the outcome. She had to follow the stone. Even if only to reclaim her energy. When she first came to Brankin Huoh's realm she scoured the earth for the stone, finally finding the half the magic users had located. It was high in the mountains, seemingly where Clhla Luth's fortress was but the fortress was long gone. Swallowed by the earth. Destroyed by natural forces. She didn't know where to look but she tried desperately to find the other half and never did. But she always suspected it was with Ehcim's relatives. She turned her focus to that avenue. Tracking down Ehcim's relatives through the ages and discovering Kenok was a descendant. Then her thoughts changed. She may never get the stone back completely. But perhaps restoring the Amber Eye would reset everything. Her plans from that point forward were directed solely in that direction. She would help to return the Amber Eye.

Now the stone was gone. She gave it to her only other son. Her other son having been swayed by the staff. The same staff her first born had created with his evil intentions. He would join it with the first half she had found and use it to get the staff back. The urge to find the eye was never more paramount. If they could restore the eye, then everything else was moot. Everything else wouldn't matter. Jaem Loll longed to run after Braulor. Chase him down and convince him of the truth. But like the first time she tried to save Clhla Luth, she knew it wouldn't work. She knew Braulor had made his choice and it made her sad to think she would lose another son to the sway of dark. However, it was a long path between here and what Braulor wanted. There was still time for Jaem Loll to save both Clhla Luth and Braulor but it would take a minor miracle to do it. Jaem Loll set her resolve. If a miracle is what it would take to get both her sons back then so be it. She had given up almost everything to get to this point. Like a quarter-back leading his team downfield late in the game, Jaem Loll knew there was only one play left. Only one option open to them which could secure victory. Jaem Loll turned to Rean Li. "We have to find Tagan. Find him and help him get the Amber Eye."

Rean Li stared at Jaem Loll. It had been a long time since she had seen such fierce determination in another's eyes. Especially someone from her homeland. The iteration to find Tagan had been made twice to her in quick succession with such urgency, there was no denying what her way forward would be. Rean Li sagged as she answered as if speaking the words aloud took every bit of strength and courage she had, but it was the truth. "I want to go home, Jaem Loll. I'm tired of this realm and want to be among our people. We will find Tagan and the Amber Eye and put all this to rest."

### CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

### One Last Trick

Odd. Very odd. It was all Grawton could think. The telling lines which had appeared after Grawton claimed Tâ Oandimn as his, ended right here at the edge of the Shadowkeeper's lair like roots which had found a brick wall. As if the fissures were afraid what would happen if they ventured any further. Now he was up close, Grawton could see the Shadowkeeper's lair was not a part of Tâ Oandimn. Not a physical part of Tâ Oandimn anyway. Yet, here it was, so it did exist. The Shadowkeeper's lair was not a figment of his imagination. Grawton could only surmise it was connected through some other means. Even with the rest of Tâ Oandimn now his under his reign in an official sort of way, Grawton was apprehensive. He was keenly aware of the Shadowkeeper's power so he wondered what or how the Shadowkeeper had done to keep this area segregated in such a manner. Grawton looked back toward Tâ Oandimn. Toward the shard where his throne now sat. His throne.

The shard stuck out from the rest of the landscape like a splinter in someone's finger. Looming and ominous, it exuded his evil power like some sort of Tesla coil. Even from here he could feel its power, feeding him the tortured thoughts and feelings of those he had dominion over. He could summon any of Tâ Oandimn's residents in the time it took him to think about it. Grawton held true power here which shouldn't be finite. It shouldn't be held to any constraints, no matter time or distance. Yet, Grawton could sense the Shadowkeeper's lair was different. He could sense this area of space didn't adhere to what should be. He could tell this area was the exception to the rule and always would be no matter what. He turned his attention back to the lair. It didn't look any different from the rest of Tâ Oandimn. It harbored the same eerie bleakness which defined Tâ Oandimn. How could it be any different?

After another moment's consideration, he decided he needed to know more. Yes. He needed to examine the area with a scrutinizing eye. Grawton drifted around the entire circumference, ensuring he stayed within the limit of his realm. Never getting too close, but close enough to feel the energy of the Shadowkeeper's lair. He completed a full revolution around it in this way. Feeling. Sensing. Probing. Looking for an area of weakness. Looking for a spot of least resistance he could use to enter the lair but there was none. Grawton even tried going above, which didn't work either. It was as if there was an invisible shield, extending into eternity. He didn't try going underneath, assuming he would encounter the same. So here he was, back where he started, with no new information. There was nothing for it. No other option or avenue open to him. He was going to have to cross the barrier and see what happened.

Grawton raised the staff, holding it in front of him as if it were a talisman he could use to keep himself safe. He focused his energy into the staff and without another thought, plunged ahead. The staff broke the barrier to the Shadowkeeper's lair and Grawton paused, looking at the staff and his hand. It was like they were in different worlds. As if they had become separated from him and were on their own now. Grawton didn't like being apart from the staff. Even if it was only a figment of his imagination, he still didn't like the feeling and forged ahead, pushing himself through. It was like going through an electric field. Energy buzzed around him. Through him. Energy buzzing like gnats right to the core of his essence and threatening to take him apart. It was some sort of protection. Grawton didn't want to stop. He knew stopping was what the energy wanted you to do. He knew if he did stop, the energy would have him. Would consume him like he was sinking in quicksand and deconstruct him. What happens to energy when it is turned into nothingness? Grawton didn't know and didn't want to find out. Whatever would happen seemed less than desirable to him. Then he was free of it. Free of the energy. Free of the gnats buzzing at him but it took time for the feeling to fully dissipate. He stayed put, the last ergs of energy making their presence known before subsiding. Grawton felt like a bell which had been rung one time and would sound out until the vibrations ceased.

When the energy did stop, Grawton looked back from where he had come. He could still see Tâ Oandimn. He could still see his tower, dark and evil as he had left it. But from here it looked different. As if he were looking at it from across an ocean. He could no longer feel the dark power of his realm here. He was cut off. Like a sailor adrift. He didn't like this feeling and wanted to turn back at once, but he had come this far. He had to know what was here. What secrets did the Shadowkeeper keep to himself? Resigned to his choice, he looked again into the lair.

Even though it looked so from the outside, inside it was nothing like Tâ Oandimn. Inside it was green and lush, not barren and bleak. The land was lit from within, giving it a feeling of being alive. A feeling of being sentient and casting the same feeling high into the air. Grawton grimaced as he drifted ahead, the light almost too painful to look at. He was following a trail of sorts. It snaked out in front of him for quite a way, meandering its way up a tall mound. The mound rose from the middle of the lair in a clumpy, blocky sort of way. Rising steeper and steeper until culminating at a peak. From this distance it looked like a mountain had tried to form but it had a geometry to it, some sort of basic shape. It was less a random occurrence and more of an attempt at building something which had gone awry. Grawton continued to follow the path, his senses sharp for any signs of danger, but he encountered none. It would seem once inside the perimeter, if you made it through the strange energy, there was nothing more to fear. At least not yet anyway. Grawton never counted on things being as simple as that.

He drifted past a clump of makeshift burial chambers, which were right at the base of the mountain. They seemed an odd addition. Everything else was lush and sentient yet there were these aberrant chambers which didn't seem to belong here. It was as if it was a nod to Tâ Oandimn, but the chambers were so out of place. It was a strange sight, but this isn't what he came to see and Grawton kept going. As he ascended the mountain, he found himself wanting to go to the right side and did so, coming across an opening which entered the mountain. Upon entering, he was surprised to find the same lighting outside, continued on the inside. There was only one path inside so Grawton followed it. The path led him on a twisting, turning trip, with stairs here and there leading him up, opening onto a platform. The platform was surrounded with walls but was open to the sky. On the platform was a dais. It was dead center of the platform, raised from ground level by four broad steps. Grawton approached it with extreme caution. Was this the booby trap at the end? One last tumbler in the lock which would unleash a terrible punishment for daring to enter? Up close, Grawton found it was neither. It was a dais, plain and simple. The top had been hollowed out to a depth of around three or four inches and was filled with a strange material. Grawton stared into its depths but there was nothing to see. Nothing to note. Was this all there was? This was where the Shadowkeeper came to get away from it all? It didn't seem worth it to Grawton. What satisfaction did the Shadowkeeper derive from coming here? It was so uninteresting. So dull. It was nothing like Tâ Oandimn and Grawton couldn't imagine coming here on purpose.

Grawton wondered anew about the Shadowkeeper. He had given the Shadowkeeper scant knowledge about himself. As little as possible as it were, but now Grawton realized, he didn't know the first thing about the Shadowkeeper. The Shadowkeeper had been in Tâ Oandimn since Grawton had come to be here and even though Grawton was the first soul in Tâ Oandimn, he supposed he assumed it was the way it always had been. The Shadowkeeper had been here, forever, waiting. But the Shadowkeeper had to have come from somewhere. He wasn't born into this realm of Tâ Oandimn. At one time the Shadowkeeper had to be someone's child. Where was his mother? His Father? Where were any of his people for that matter. Was this place where the Shadowkeeper had come from?

Grawton drifted away from the dais, to the nearest wall. There was strange writing here in a language he had never seen. As he looked around he could see the writing was all over the walls, from one end to the other. The same glyphs were etched into the floor as well as the dais itself, ending at the dais' rim. He drifted along the wall, looking at the writing, puzzling. He ran his free hand along the writing on the wall directly in front of him, hoping a tactile touch would reveal something. He didn't know what, but anything would be desirable at this point. Nothing happened. He drifted to where it seemed the writing began. The writing made no sense to him at all. It was a combination of strange glyphs and pictograms, which to Grawton, followed a nonsensical pattern. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how the glyphs were arrayed. None that he could detect. Mind you, he had never learned to read and write when he had been alive, so it could be anything on the wall and it would make no sense to him. But he had seen something similar to these before. He had noticed similar etchings on the staff when the staff came to light as he and the human were fighting over it. He drew the staff to eye level, looking at it with renewed interest. Rolling it over and over in front of him, it appeared blank and smooth. But Grawton was feeling something. He wouldn't say it was excitement. He hadn't felt excitement in long, long time. He likened what he was feeling to what he felt when new souls arrived in Tâ Oandimn. He wasn't happy per-se, more he had reason. Purpose. Something to do.

The feeling from the staff was compelling him. Willing him to do something. Not knowing what the staff fully intended, Grawton reached out with the staff, touching it to the wall. Nothing happened. Grawton felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him. The spike of adrenaline he felt as the staff was moving toward the wall vanished like someone had blown out a candle. Disappointed, Grawton was about to pull the staff away from the wall when the staff began to vibrate. A small tickle at first, right where he was gripping it, which quickly spread the entire length of the staff. Increasing in intensity, Grawton was forced to use both hands to hold the staff in place.

Runes began to appear on the staff, coming to life in sequence from the tip furthest away from the wall to the one touching. The runes wound their way along the staff, lighting to a brilliant purplish blue, as if they were descending a spiral staircase. They weren't hot or blazing in any way. They had a cool feeling, almost refreshing. Where the staff connected with the wall, the wall began to glow as the last runes at the tip fired. The glow was like a match. A spark, which the runes on the wall reacted to. With lightning speed, the runes raced along the upper row of glyphs, like they were on a racetrack. They ran around the entire set of walls in this fashion before coming back to where they started and dropped down to the next row. Grawton could do nothing but watch and wonder. Wonder what was happening and what was going to happen. He pulled the staff away from the wall but the runes on the wall continued their race to light. Like termites consuming a wall in those old-time cartoons, the purplish light had an immense appetite. Grawton grew dizzy as he spun trying to track the runes' progress and stopped, letting it take place. Letting everything happen.

With walls entirely covered in glowing purplish runes, the action spread to the floor. They wound from the starting point, around and around in concentric circles with the same purplish glow. The circles grew smaller and smaller as they tightened toward the dais. At the steps, the color changed. No longer were runes firing a purplish blue. The first step glowed sapphire blue. The next turned a pale, emerald green, followed by a dull yellow. The last step was orange. Then it stopped. The runes forward momentum ceased like they had run their course. As if someone unseen had commanded them to stop. The ones which were lit, flared and dimmed, flared and dimmed in almost imperceptible variance like they were revving their engines. It was a strange place for the runes to stop. There were many more runes along the top of the platform on which the dais sat. Why weren't they lighting up? Was there some other command or function needed to complete the sequence? If there was, Grawton didn't know what it was. He had gotten this far on blind luck. He needed to know what happened next.

Grawton decided to wait. Perhaps it was a time thing. Perhaps the final set of runes were timed for some reason, so he waited and watched. After what felt like an eternity, Grawton concluded there had to be something else. Nothing was doing by waiting. He moved toward the dais, only a little. A test to see if getting closer to the dais was a requirement for the sequence to continue. Nothing. He went right to the first step. Still nothing. Up one step. Then two. More nothing. Grawton's senses were firing like machine guns at battle, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen. Something had to come of this. It wasn't just some pretty light show. The runes were firing in a certain sequence for a purpose and it was driving him mad waiting.

Grawton passed the third step, then the fourth and he, like the runes, stopped. Nothing was stopping him from continuing except not knowing what to expect. He extended himself the tiniest fraction of measure he could past the fourth step onto the threshold and braced himself. The runes continued their pulsing vigil, unchanged in any way. He let himself go all the way past the fourth step. Disappointment followed. He drifted a small circle around the top of the dais platform. Not a single rune beneath him came to life. Anger was welling up inside him. Rage. Frustration. There had to be something, otherwise the dais was a waste of time. He let his anger flow, venting and hissing into the air like a radioactive decay. At once, the runes sprang to life once again, surging onto the top of the dais platform, burning a fiery red. They raced to fill in the final circle and then up the dais itself. The top of the hollowed-out part of the dais looked like it was on fire. The substance inside came to life, bubbling and churning. A murky, black, roiling mass which looked like boiling pitch. This is what Grawton came to see. This is what the Shadowkeeper had been hiding. Grawton threw his trepidation aside. He was going to experience what the dais was all about. He positioned himself along the long side of the trough and then moved forward. He was so close, he was almost touching the sides. He leaned his head forward, peering at the churning contents. As he looked, the activity of the liquid stopped and became still like a sheet of ebony glass. Grawton peered deep into its contents, looking from side to side. At first there was nothing and then, forms. Fuzzy at first the forms twitched and turned as if someone was using bunny ears to tune them in. Then the forms were clear and Grawton locked in. It felt like something had grabbed either side of his head and was making him watch. He resisted a little at first but then sound came in. "What news have you from Quanna Eresse?"

### CHAPTER NINETEEN

### Unexpected News

"Stop fidgeting. He'll figure you out." Alrei Yqu couldn't believe his good luck. Fortune had smiled on him twice in a row. First, on a whim, he cast his net out into the ether, looking for a connection. Any connection, with anyone. It had been so long since he had news, he wondered if the world had passed him by. He wondered if he had been left behind like a vacuum left in a closet on moving day. Imagine his surprise when he latched onto Kyriu. It was the same feeling he had after he first found himself stuck in this purgatorial cell. Alive, yes, but alone like some sideshow freak they put as far away from the circus as they can. Then, like now, Alrei Yqu felt revived. Refreshed as if he had been pulled from drowning. Able to reach out to Kyriu, they had found a common ground in wanting power and control and freedom from the worlds they were in but neither could affect the change they sought by their sole self. So, they came together, joining forces in a unity of evil intent. At first, everything appeared to be coming up roses as they enacted their plan. But in the blink of an eye, it all changed again and Alrei Yqu was no closer to escaping his solitude than he ever had been. Thoughts of escaping his prison had left Alrei Yqu in the interim. Abandoned him the way water would seep from the tiniest crack. Alrei Yqu fought despair tooth and nail, railing as hard as he could against it. He spent his time trying with increasing desperation to find a way out. To not give up on his plans but each failure led him farther and farther away from what he wanted. The towel was in hand, ready for him to throw when he found Kyriu once again and everything was back on. Alrei Yqu still didn't have all the answers he was seeking but he was back at the table. He had a single chip to play with, but he was there and once he was up to speed, his end game would only be a matter of time.

Which was the second good stroke of good fortune. He and Kyriu had been reunited for mere moments and the news started flowing like a wildfire after a spark ignites. Braulor was still alive. In Tâ Oandimn. Kyriu didn't know where that was but he knew who the Shadowkeeper was. If the Shadowkeeper was free and the staff found, there could be no higher cause for celebration. He was certain his former master, whose work he took up, would figure a way to put everything right. To fix everything at least to where it was, if not better. And to top it all off, King Ksendra had taken Kyriu along to a meeting. Kyriu wanted more information. He needed more information.

Kyriu responded to Alrei Yqu's request right away. Kyriu couldn't help it. His brain felt like it was ready to explode. He needed time to decompress. Time to let the energy accumulated in his brain dissipate to a point where he could reflect. Time for the full boil of recent events to draw to a simmer and he could sort things out. Since Tagan's escape from Brankin Huoh, Kyriu's life had been a whirlwind of action. No, whirlwind wasn't the right word. It failed to encapsulate how he truly felt. Tornado was a better word. His life felt like a trailer park which a tornado had taken exception to. Everything was upside down, topsy-turvy. Strewn about as if somebody had physically shaken it. He had no desire to attend this meeting but he had to go. King Ksendra and Alrei Yqu were dragging him further into this mess if he wanted it or not.

As if he could hear what Kyriu was thinking, King Ksendra turned his head to the side as if to admonish him and then turned back. He was watching the center of the room with a keen, unceasing stare. He was watching for a sign their spy in Quanna Eresse was trying to communicate with them. King Ksendra still had an inkling there was more to Kyriu than he could see. Kyriu was carrying a different presence about him. King Ksendra could detect a subtle difference in the makeup of Kyriu's energy field. It was as if Kyriu was infiltrated. Infiltrated, but by what? Or who? King Ksendra was leaning toward the latter of the two alternatives only because the aberrant energy had a familiar feel to it. A quality he recognized but it was so diluted at the moment, he couldn't make sense of why. But his concern only opened deeper questions. If Kyriu was aligning himself with another entity, perhaps King Ksendra could use the other entity to his advantage in some way. He was taking a gamble inviting Kyriu to attend this meeting but the time had come to throw caution to the wind. It was like they were stuck behind an immovable object, and if only they could get past it, it would be smooth sailing from here on out. King Ksendra was going to throw all the strength he could muster against the object. Whether it was his alone or a collection, he didn't care anymore. One way or another, the time had come to blow everything wide open.

In the center of the room, a light formed, if you could call it a light. It wasn't a light as much as it was lighter than the surrounding darkness, like shadow gone pale. As if this part of space decided to become a shade or two lighter than the rest. Like a tiny ember ejected from a fire, the light popped up from the floor and lay there, pulsing, followed by more and more tiny embers. The embers appeared here, there and everywhere like pinholes. In slow increments, the light spread across the floor, adding to its circumference in a haphazard way. It grew and grew but followed no set pattern, no methodology. It was as if the embers were being ejected from an unseen popcorn maker and would join the rest of the embers wherever it landed.

The embers stopped popping out of the floor, happy with the circumference of the circle it had created. A shimmer raced over its radius and the circle began to pull away from the floor. The circle became a cylinder as more and more extruded from the floor space, before leaving the floor altogether so it was hovering in space, perhaps three feet from the ground. The cylinder hung in the air and shimmered once more. After doing so, it began to spin. At first it didn't appear to be moving in any direction or doing anything of note. Then the top and bottom edges of the cylinder began to shrink in on themselves the rest of the cube bulged out from the middle. It was as if it were spinning so fast, centrifugal force was morphing the cylinder into a cube. Grey fissures appeared on the surface and began to wind along the sides like lightning strikes. The spinning continued until the cube had become a ball, fractured by the gray lines into an uncountable amount of faceted faces. The faces of the ball moved, a voice issuing from somewhere inside.

"I'm sorry, King Ksendra."

King Ksendra turned his head once again and waved a hand one time, the message to be quiet, loud and clear. "Come now, Kyriu. Follow me but don't speak. Let me do all the talking." King Ksendra left the doorway they had entered the room from and made his way toward the ball.

Kyriu nodded and followed the King. He had never seen this room before, let alone the ball now hovering its center. He had no intentions of doing or saying anything.

King Ksendra stopped as he neared the ball, staring into its depths. It was like staring into an obsidian gem. Each facet contained a replica of the ball and each of those facets contained the same into infinity like a hologram. An obscured form appeared, the facets making it seem like it was shape-shifting. "It has been long since we last communed."

"It has been some time, King Ksendra. I apologize, but I had nothing to relate. Nothing new to share." When the form spoke, its voice issued from every facet, lending an eerie echo to what was said but as the echo died away, the message was clear and concise.

"What news do you bring from Quanna Eresse, Kastak?"

Kastak wasn't the forms name. The form never gave King Ksendra its name. For the ease of discussion, King Ksendra anointed the form as Kastak, the Draepkos word for spy.

There was a pause, as if the form was waiting for something. "Rean Li returned to Quanna Eresse."

King Ksendra didn't make any outward sign of the message being untoward but the words hung in the air like fog.

"Rean Li. That is my sister." Alrei Yqu hissed. What was she doing back in Quanna Eresse? He knew of her mission to retrieve the Amber Eye. If she was in Quanna Eresse, she must have died. Alrei Yqu wasn't ready for the pain which followed but he couldn't process. He had to ignore what he was feeling and keep listening.

Kyriu gulped at the spasm of energy in his head.

"Rean Li. Did she..."

"No. She did not pass, King Ksendra but her spirit was able to substantiate in our realm for a brief period."

"Did she recover the Amber Eye then, as she was tasked." King Ksendra was sure he would know if the Amber Eye had been recovered but had to ask all the same.

Kyriu stiffened at the question and he could feel Alrei Yqu do the same, bracing for the answer.

"No. She has not recovered the eye."

The tense feeling in the room dissipated with Kastak's answer. Everyone in attendance would agree that Rean Li recovering the Amber Eye would be the worst possible outcome.

"You reach out now, Kastak, after such a long silence. There must be information to share. Did Rean Li bring good news?"

"Tagan is alive. Rean Li has teamed with Tagan and Tagan's brother in an effort to locate the eye."

"If Rean Li did not find the eye and she was working with Tagan, then he has not located the eye either." A statement and a question but King Ksendra didn't know how long this meeting would last and he didn't want there to be any confusion when it was over.

"Yes. The Amber Eye is still out there."

"Has, Tagan been captured?"

"No. He is still free. Rean Li reports Tagan's father was kidnapped by an unknown. Tagan and his mother are in pursuit to retrieve him."

King Ksendra looked to Kyriu for confirmation of Tagan's father's involvement.

Kyriu shook his head. He didn't know where this bit of intel came from. He didn't authorize any action against Kenok.

"There is one more thing, King Ksendra."

King Ksendra braced himself. He wondered if there was going to be a turn of events.

"Rean Li also reported encountering Jaem Loll."

The king wasn't expecting to hear Jaem Loll's name. Jaem Loll had contacted him after her son began his trip down the dark path. She had figured out where Clhla Luth had his hideaway and snuck in, while still in the early days and used the pool to connect with the Draepkos. King Ksendra could feel her anger. Her rage. Her resentment at what he was doing to her boy. He applied his magic in an attempt to ensnare her with the same net but Jaem Loll wouldn't have it. She was too powerful and there was no way King Ksendra could sway her. He tried to break the connection but she wouldn't allow that either. Jaem Loll made King Ksendra stay right where he was and proceeded to outline exactly how she would destroy him if he didn't give up on her son. It was one of the few times in his existence King Ksendra had been afraid. Of all the beings he had encountered, Jaem Loll was the most terrifying to him. But he didn't need to worry any longer. "She won't be a problem, Kastak."

"Why is that, King Ksendra?"

"I have her son."

There was a long pause from Kastak. "You have Clhla Luth. When did this happen?"

"Not long before you contacted me, Kyriu returned to this realm with Clhla Luth."

"Clhla Luth was banished. How did he escape?"

It was hard to tell for sure with the echo but it seemed as if Kastak's voice had taken on a deadly air.

King Ksendra started to explain but Kastak cut him off.

"No. No. King Ksendra. Who is this Kyriu? I want to hear it from him."

King Ksendra stared at the faceted ball. Kyriu could sense his fury at being admonished so. King Ksendra didn't even turn to face Kyriu, gesturing without looking for Kyriu to step forward.

"I am Kyriu."

The shadowy form in the ball shifted a slight amount as if trying to get a better look at Kyriu. "How did Clhla Luth escape his banishment?"

"I am not certain how he escaped."

"Kyriu, explain to me how Clhla Luth came to be in Ottar with you."

Kyriu reiterated his story from earlier how he and Braulor were fighting over a staff and the black cloud descended on them. Kastak had Kyriu describe the staff to him in as much detail as he could. When Kyriu was finished the room went silent.

"The staff has been found then. The removal of the staff from Clhla Luth's internment released the spell used to banish him."

Kyriu nodded his head even though he wasn't sure of anything of the like happening.

"Where is the staff now? If Clhla Luth is in your realm, then you must have possession of the staff."

"The shadow took us away from Brankin Huoh. Out into nothing. We continued to struggle for the staff but the shadow took command. He turned a spell against me, forcing me to let go of the staff. The last I saw was Braulor and the staff drifting away from the Shadow and myself."

"Drifting where, exactly?"

"I don't know. I didn't have time to watch before the shadow and I were hurtling through space and wound up back here."

"It doesn't make sense for Clhla Luth to send the staff away. He was its creator and, in his hands, could wield great power. He wouldn't push it away."

"What exactly does that mean, Kastak?" King Ksendra took the floor once again, making sure to push Kyriu back, away from the ball. He knew more about the staff than most, after all, it was at his direction the staff was created in the first place but he didn't know it had been used against Clhla Luth. King Ksendra assumed the staff had been lost to the ravages of time.

"It matters not, King Ksendra. If Kyriu is correct, the staff is nowhere to found and nowhere of use to us. The Amber Eye is our best hope."

Alrei Yqu couldn't keep quiet any more. He was happy to digest what was being shared but he had taken up Clhla Luth's cause. If they could get the staff, he was sure he would be able to put it to use. "Kyriu."

He couldn't finish his sentence. There was a twinge of energy and everything was gone.

### CHAPTER TWENTY

### United in Purpose

Galloping at blinding speed, tree branches were whipping at her face and arms but Sequil wasn't feeling anything. Blinded by love for Kenok, there was nothing that would stop her pursuit and she drove her horse as hard as she could. Her head spun side to side, scanning the way in front of her, looking for the beastly man who had run away with her husband but there was nothing to see. No sign of the man. No sign of Kenok. No sign of anything. She pulled hard on the horse's reigns, reeling it to a stop. The horse, enjoying being at full flight, resisted Sequil's pull at first and then slowed to a trot before coming to a full stop. The horse stood in place, breathing hard and moving from hoof to hoof as if it couldn't stand still and was agitated at having to stop. Like its feet were itching to get on the run once more. Sequil leaned forward and patted the horses long neck then stood in the stirrups while she swept the horizon with her gaze a full three hundred and sixty degrees. There were only trees, bush, foliage and more trees to see. There was no sign of Kenok or her husband's abductor. They were nowhere to be seen. A wave of panic rose up. What did she expect? She had no experience at tracking. No experience at hunting and the man she was trying to find had shown the resilience of a veteran of these types of missions. Assaults. Sequil didn't know what to call them but she was sure the man was a skilled mercenary. How did she think she could hunt him down? She was running on pure despair. Despair at losing her husband once again when he had come back to her for mere moments.

She left the group as they talked about what had happened. There was no time for talk in her mind. No time to think. There was only time to act. Time to respond, and so she did, sneaking off and mounting a horse in pursuit. Her emotions in check, Sequil could see she had erred. She had acted impetuously. She had watched the man run away with her husband slung over his shoulder like a carpet he was taking to the dump but she didn't pay attention. She didn't spot any landmarks she could use for navigation. She jumped on a horse and took off in the general direction she thought they had gone. She didn't account for the man's experience. Didn't think of how, once out of sight he might use evasion tactics to give any would be pursuers the slip. Now Sequil was lost. She might as well be in the middle of nowhere for all it mattered. She didn't know which way to go forward. She didn't know the way to get back to Uldarra's house. She had left her son behind. Her son. Tagan. Would she see him again? What was he doing here? A garden of questions sprouted in her mind, pushing her angst aside. She had to get back to Uldarra's house. There she might find answers. There she might find some help to get her husband back. Sequil stood in the stirrups of her horse again, craning her neck to get a better look. She couldn't tell the direction she had come from. She opted to turn around and go straight back. It seemed like her only choice. The horse obliged her pulls on the reigns, and they spun around, leaving the area at a glum walk. They hadn't gone far when Sequil heard the thudding of hooves and the rustling of branches. She braced, her nerves ramping up.

"Mom?"

Tagan's voice was music to Sequil's ears. Like a choir of angels calling to her, guiding her to safety. She perked up, calling out. "Tagan. I'm here sweetie."

"Mom, stay put."

This time there was relief in Tagan's voice and the hoof beats grew closer and closer before Tagan emerged from the brush.

Upon seeing his mom, Tagan pulled his horse to a stop. She looked terrified and elated all at once. He urged his horse forward, coming alongside his mom and they leaned out of their saddles in a long embrace.

"Tagan, I'm so sorry I left you."

"It's OK, mom. I'm just glad I found you. I thought I would never see you again."

They continued to hug for a time, tears flowing. It was Tagan who broke their embrace and he looked in his mother's eyes. At the same time, they both said it. "Who was that?"

Tagan made to answer but didn't know and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know who he is, Tagan. But he has been following us for days."

Tagan shook his head, wrinkling his nose. His parents were common farm folk. Why would anyone be stalking them? "For days? What do you mean?"

Sequil sighed then began speaking, her voice hitching as she remembered the day and memories flooded her mind. She disclosed to Tagan the whole story of how Kenok told her they were in trouble, but they couldn't flee. How the beast of a man stole into their bedroom in the dead of night and of the ensuing fight. How they got the upper hand on the man but instead of fleeing, Kenok wanted to question the man and find out why he had come after him. Then the man broke his bindings and wounded Kenok as Kenok was running from the house. Sequil continued with how she fled with the horse and carriage, Kenok clinging to life behind her. The details here became sketchy as Sequil didn't remember a whole lot. The continuous running. Her confusion at what was happening. Her story continued up until Uldarra found her and took Sequil and Kenok back to Uldarra's house. "I thought we had seen the last of him, until. Until." Sequil broke down into tears at this point, her head slumping forward as she sobbed.

Tagan gripped his mother's shoulder as she continued to sob. Busy processing Sequil's story, he didn't say anything at first. He didn't know what to say. He still didn't know who the man was or why he had taken Kenok. Not only taken him but had gone to great lengths to do so. Why? If he were a simple burglar, the man could have ransacked the house with his mom and dad vacating it. If the man were an assassin, he could have killed Kenok right then and there and been done with it. Why carry him off like he was a prize? The man had a reason to carry him off. Tagan had to figure out what the reason was. "If the man took dad away, it means he wanted dad alive for some reason."

Sequil raised her head, her sobbing coming to whimpering stop. Even in her emotional state, what Tagan was saying made sense to her. Maybe not so much make sense as believing what Tagan was saying gave her a glimmer of hope. Something to focus on which wasn't wretched and horrible. "Do you think so?"

"I do think so." Tagan said it with all the conviction he could. He wasn't trying to make himself believe, for he did believe. He knew in his heart of hearts, they would see his dad again. Tagan wanted his mom to believe. He wanted her to know he wasn't the same little boy she had seen those many moons ago before the induction ceremony. He wanted her to see how he had grown.

Sequil looked at her son anew. With fresh eyes as if she hadn't seen him before. Her last memory was a scared little boy going off to take up residence in the Citadel as part of the inducted group. Before her on this horse was a young man. Strong. Proud. Capable. She reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. Then she wondered why he was here. He should still be in the Citadel, not out here. "What happened to you, Tagan?"

Tagan savored his mother's touch, realizing it had been so long since he felt such tenderness. Her touch washed away all those moments in the citadel when he felt helpless and alone. It cleansed all those moments since they were on the run when he needed a hand to hold. When he needed a heart to listen to his fears. A voice to tell him everything was going to be OK. All gone in a heartbeat as if wished away by magic. "What do you mean?"

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the Citadel? Did they send you away?"

Tagan realized how out of touch he was. So much had happened, he didn't know where to start. "Well. I sort of, escaped."

Sequil gasped. "Escaped. Why did you escape? What were you escaping from?"

Tagan reflected for a moment. Looking back, it all seemed so incredible. So unbelievable. It was like he was watching someone else's life. "It's a long story, mom. I don't know where to start."

"Start with why you escaped."

Tagan didn't understand why he did what he did. Everything had begun on a single belief. A belief in the prisoner he encountered who claimed to be his half-brother. At first Tagan wanted to believe. He was being abused and shunned by the other inductees and wanted a way out. He wanted to get away so badly, Braulor's words made sense to him. He put faith in them and followed Braulor's lead blindly. But he had learned the truth since then. He had learned from Meyu Kwi, Braulor was his brother and the both of them were caught in the same net. Two brother's lives entwined in a play of history neither of them had auditioned for. "Braulor and I escaped."

"Braulor? Who is Braulor?"

Like a lightning bolt it hit Tagan. His mom didn't know about Braulor. Didn't know Tagan had a half-brother. He looked at his mom, her face filled with love. With compassion. But it was tempered with the realization his dad had never told Sequil about Braulor. The image of his dad tarnished as he realized, Braulor was born outside of Kenok's relationship to his mother. Tagan felt like he was going to be sick. His stomach and heart sank to depths he didn't know were possible and here he was, stuck in the middle. Tagan never thought he would have to hurt his mom but he had to say something. He had to do the right thing, even though it could destroy her to find out. As much as he wanted to spare his mother's heart, he could see no other way. "Braulor is my..."

"Tagan."

The voice cut through Tagan's thought process, stopping him in mid-sentence. After his mother's voice, this was the only voice which could make his heart melt. The only other voice which could rob him of his senses and he had forgotten the state Rean Li was in when he left her. He had forgotten, he didn't know if she had been alive or not and pang of guilt shot through him for abandoning her.

Sequil heard the voice too and sat up straight in her saddle, her head turning side to side as she bobbed in her saddle trying to get a better look.

"Tagan."

The voice called again, this time closer. Tagan could hear the soft thud of a horse's hooves. Tagan was flooded with relief on two levels. He was ecstatic Rean Li was conscious but also, she had intervened before he had to broach the subject of his brother to his mom. He knew he would have to tell her but he was happy to have a chance to gather his thoughts first. To have time to figure out the smoothest way to deliver the news. His mom had been through so much, he didn't know if she could handle this on top of it all. "I'm here, Rean Li. Over here."

The sound of breaking twigs and rustling branches grew near and then Rean Li's horse broke through the foliage. She smiled when she saw Tagan, her eyes lighting up briefly, and then she tucked the smile away. Rean Li pulled up close to Tagan and placed a hand on his shoulder. Tagan didn't hide his smile and he was sure it made Rean Li blush a little.

Uldarra's horse strode out of the foliage, joining the group.

Sequil turned away from Tagan and Rean Li as Uldarra sidled up. "You."

Uldarra turned to Sequil, beaming. "Yes, deary. We thought you could use our help."

Sequil turned a violent red and dove from her horse, pouncing on an unsuspecting Uldarra in a flash. They toppled from Uldarra's horse, Sequil landing atop Uldarra as they thudded into the ground. Sequil didn't wait to see what Uldarra would do and went on the attack right away. She got her knees on either side of Uldarra's midsection and began raining down blows, shrieking as she did so with each strike. "I don't need your help. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Uldarra wasn't fazed. She had expected a less than warm welcome but was surprised at being physically attacked. Uldarra knew she was stronger in every way and could overpower Sequil if she wanted to. But she also knew, Sequil needed to get this out of her system or else they wouldn't be able to move forward. Uldarra lay under Sequil, deflecting the most devastating of her strikes. Then the strikes began to slow and were becoming less powerful. Uldarra looked up at Sequil and felt pity. Sequil's face was a mess of anger and loss and uncertainty. Tears were pouring from Sequil's eyes, her face blotched red. Spittle was flying from her mouth as she screamed and raged.

Sequil was losing her steam. Her fury ebbing, Sequil was running out of desire to inflict damage on Uldarra. Running out of desire to punish Uldarra for everything wrong in her life at the moment. With a final, feeble swing, Sequil slumped, letting her shoulders sag. Then she rolled to the side, letting herself fall to the ground. Her chest was heaving. Her arms burned like they were on fire but she had no energy to lift them. No energy to scream anymore. No energy even to cry. Sequil lay there, letting her tears flow, too tired to even sob.

Uldarra turned to look at Sequil's prone form on the ground beside her. Sequil looked broken. Spent. As Tagan came to his mother's side, Uldarra extracted herself from Sequil's legs, then stood up and began to fix her herself, adjusting her clothes, running hands over bumps and bruises from where Sequil did connect. A bit of a fat lip and mouse over one eye. All in all, it wasn't so bad. Uldarra had endured greater pains before in her life.

As he cradled his mom in his lap, Tagan looked up at Uldarra. She beamed at him as if nothing happened. As if she had been out for a walk and fell down. "It's good we found you, deary."

Tagan had never seen his mother react in such a way. His mom had always kept her emotions in check. Was always on an even keel. To see her react in such a way implied she had a very good reason for attacking Uldarra. He laid his mother back to the ground and jumped to his feet, charging at Uldarra. He didn't know what had happened between the two of them but if it made his mom act like this, he knew it couldn't be good. "What did you do?"

Rean Li, who had been watching with a detached fascination, saw Tagan charging at Jaem Loll and decided she had better intervene. She dropped from her horse and took a few strides to position herself between Tagan and Jaem Loll. "Tagan. It's OK. I know her. She isn't here to do us harm."

Uldarra looked around Rean Li's shoulders. "I saved their lives, deary. That's all."

"If you saved their lives, my mom doesn't seem to be thankful for it." Tagan shouted at Uldarra as he stabbed an accusing finger at the prone form of his mother.

Rean Li could feel the animosity ramping up once more. "Tagan. She can help us find your dad. That's why we came to find you."

Uldarra looked at Tagan with a happy nod.

Tagan looked at Rean Li, then to Jaem Loll, his vitriol fading as he remembered the circumstances which had brought them to this point. "How can you help us? He's gone. We don't know where they went."

Rean Li looked back at Jaem Loll before speaking. "We think Kenok is being taken to the Citadel."

### CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

### Guilty Greejon

Questions. Endless questions had been plaguing Braulor like a murder of crows, flapping around his conscious thought. Even before he, Stonjsin and Crenoah had spotted the camp, the questions begun. Cresting a low rise on the trail, they had a vantage point down to the flatlands where they spotted smoke and the tops of tents tucked away in bushy area close to the mountainside. They stood and watched the activity going on far below their mountain trail for a time. Tired from the ride and the trail, it was a nice break for them.

Judging by the sun's position, it was getting close to lunch and the camp was abuzz with movement. It was hard to tell from up here; how big the camp was but Braulor was certain the activity they had spotted from their perch was indeed their clan. Though still too far away to make out people, there were many clues to indicate this was the Greejon clan. Although it was difficult to gauge through the foliage the camp was shrouded in, the way the tents looked to be arrayed was in a style the Greejon clan used. A circular pattern, with the tents of the council members and other higher-ranking members in the middle and the rest of the camp ringing them. But, Braulor wasn't questioning the who. He was, however, questioning everything else under the sun.

Uldarra had given Braulor half of a mysterious stone she claimed to have created which held the power to bring to whomever put it together with the other half, whatsoever their heart desired. Braulor didn't realize the second half of the stone had been in his possession the entire time, tucked safely away in the trunk at the end of his bed. Everybody assumed, after all they had been through, he would use the stone to help recover the Amber Eye. After all the loss and suffering they had endured, it seemed the logical choice. The only choice. But the second Uldarra dropped the stone into his palm, Braulor knew where his heart's desire lay and it wasn't in retrieving the stone. His palm still burned where it had slid through his hand. His brain was still hazy with the heady feeling he had when holding it. There was only one thing his heart desired. Braulor wanted the staff.

They had wasted no time in leaving Uldarra's house. There was no talk or discussion. There was no need for any of that. The other half of the stone was safe with his clan. They only needed to find the Greejon clan and the rest would be easy. He, Stonjsin and Crenoah rummaged up what they could, mounted three of the horses they had arrived at Uldarra's on, and left. They hadn't ridden long when doubt started to settle in on Braulor. In the grand scheme of things, the Amber Eye was the better option. It was the reason Uldarra had given up the half of the stone she possessed. Using the stone to get the staff seemed selfish and petty. But the selfish part of him was dominating the argument. Like a debating club bickering over politics, two sides of him were pitching arguments on whether he should he use the stone to recover the staff or not.

The selfish side of him had no problems going after the staff.

No, it isn't selfish or petty. You deserve it. We've been through so much because of the staff.

The compassionate side of Braulor was game for the fight.

But what about the Amber Eye? We can use it to put things right. We can use it to help everybody.

Haven't you given up enough of your life helping other people? Helping others is all you have done forever and where has it gotten you? And besides, after all we have been through, we still don't know where the Amber Eye is. Or if it even exists at all for that matter. The staff we know is real. It's a tangible thing. Do you want to leave it in the hands of that, that, thing?

Braulor's ego was pitching strike after strike. Every argument made so much sense. But his heart was fighting back. It knew where the truth lay, no matter what the ego said.

It doesn't matter if we don't know where the Amber Eye is, we can use the stone to find it.

And what if we can find the Amber Eye. Then what? We don't know what it does. We don't know how to use it. We don't know the first thing about it. It seems pointless to waste our energy going after it.

But Tagan knows about the stone and he is in contact with those who can instruct us on how to use it.

Bah. Where is Tagan? He isn't here. He abandoned the Amber Eye to run off after his mommy. It shows how much he cares about it.

No. Tagan's not like that. He is in too deep to give up. He was caught up in emotion is all.

Sensing a week point, Braulor's ego pressed the advantage. Did you see the man they were chasing? Tagan will be lucky to live if he tangles with that character. Without him, we have no hope. No chance. Unless...

Unless what?

Unless, you get the staff. The staff gives us the power. The staff gives us a fighting chance.

The argument stopped there for the time being, his rational self, cowering under the might of his ego's arguments. Braulor didn't like the thought of Tagan dying and felt an urge to turn his horse around and find him. It would be of no use though. They had gone in separate directions for some time. It would take too long to find Tagan now.

But there was a myriad of other questions to ponder and as they descended toward the encampment, talk turned to the Greejon's. Braulor was glad for it. Glad to think about something other than the staff.

"I can't wait to have a hot meal and nice warm bed to sleep in." Crenoah grinned ear to ear. He was tired of the running. Tired of the battles. Tired of not knowing what was going on and surviving events by the skin of his teeth.

"Aye, Crenoah. It's been too long since we have seen our brethren." Stonjsin, the more battle-hearty of the two, had also had his fair share. He couldn't see how he could help anymore and longed to settle in with his clan. Let the powers that be sort things out for the time being.

"I wonder how they have been faring?" Crenoah wished he could have stopped himself but the question came out before had a chance to filter it. The elephant they had been ignoring trotted out and sat down right in the middle of the room where they had no choice but to address it.

The elephant of course, was the state of affairs in which they had last seen the Greejon clan. After their annual trek to take up residence in Vjeinka Rise, things took an awful turn when beings of unknown origin attacked. In the ensuing melee and craziness, Crenoah, Stonjsin and Drebos escaped, but only after the defensive mechanism inside the cave, the Crazzank, had been dropped in a last-ditch effort to give the escapees time to flee. Since then, they had been on the run-in pursuit of the Amber Eye. They all fell silent as each of them thought of loved ones they hadn't embraced. Friends they hadn't raised glasses with. Most of all, each of them seemed to miss the routine being in the clan offered. Each day had its challenges, yes, but only within the rules of clan life. They didn't have to endure escapes from armies or escapes from unknown lands.

The trail began to level off as they descended. As much as each of them tried to contain it, their excitement was ramping up as they grew nearer the camp. Stonjsin and Crenoah grew jocular, laughing over old stories and slapping one another on the back. Braulor smiled and laughed with them but as he was on the village council, his mind was also taking a different tack as they approached. Braulor was taking note of camp security, or the apparent lack thereof. They were close enough now, there should have been a guard or sentry post to stop them before getting too close. A part of him wondered if they were nearing the wrong camp. If they were going to blunder into the midst of some group of mercenaries as easy prey. He motioned to Stonjsin and Crenoah to ready their weapons as a precaution. Stonjsin and Crenoah ceased sharing their stories and gripped their weapons, acknowledging Braulor with a curt nod. They could hear the camp. The clanging of pots, the sounds of animals. Voices carrying on the slight breeze was music to their ears but they slowed, still leery of what to expect.

Ahead, Braulor could see the tree-line thinned and vague figures were visible. He motioned to the other two to stop so he could assess further. He took another step forward, about to drop to one knee when heard a snap, followed by twang. He knew it was too late even before the twang had finished processing. He knew they had triggered some sort of trap. Before he could warn the others, the ground seemed to rise below him, as if a great hand came up from the earth and grabbed them. A net slammed shut tight above them and they were airborne, flying through air as if they were taking off for a holiday destination. Stonjsin's and Crenoah's screams and shouts filled his ears. Their bodies slammed together as the net's rope reached maximum distance, pinning them all against one side of the net as it flexed for a return trip. Braulor felt like he was a spawning salmon, fighting for space. He took an elbow to the nose and what felt like a knee to the ribs. As the bottom dropped out from under them, he grabbed for the net and found only a handful of Crenoah's hair, who screamed anew as Braulor wrenched on his scalp. They continued to bounce around in the net, back and forth, back and forth until it came to rest high above the forest floor.

"Quiet down. Quiet down." Braulor hollered as loud as he could above the other two. "I need to hear what's going on."

Stonjsin and Crenoah fell silent and Braulor strained to hear above the creak of net and the tree they were hanging from.

A female voice, loud and shrill rose above the din. "Sound the alarm. A trap has been sprung."

Like a toddler who scraped his knees, the camp fell silent for full count of five before a loud clanging went up. It was as if the camp soundtrack cut out before being replaced with pandemonium. In a heartbeat the camp was in an uproar. As they spun in place in the net, Braulor tried to spy what was happening. He could see teams of people running here and there followed by the clamor of feet pounding on the ground as voices issued commands. Braulor strained to listen and found all the voices belonged to women and he didn't recognize a single one of them. The pounding of feet drew near to where he, Stonjsin and Crenoah hung in midair. A single voice rose above the chatter from the group below them.

"Who are they? Does anyone recognize them?"

"It's hard to tell. They keep spinning around. I can't get a good look."

The rope lurched downward a foot before slamming to a stop. Braulor's head burned as it whipped forward and back, raking across a section of rope.

A new voice shrieked. "Don't let them down. We don't know who they are."

Braulor made to yell out but found his mouth full of leaves and dirt and had to spit debris before he could make a noise. "It's me. It's Braulor."

A hush fell on the group below. Braulor could see them now, but only out of one eye. There was a dozen or so ladies at the ready to attack with only eyes visible above shields, spears and swords held at the ready. One of the women leaned toward another and they conversed in low whispers. The other women nodded before looking up at the net and then bounding off, back toward the camp.

The woman who seemed to be issuing the orders looked up at them again. "Braulor, you say."

"Yes. It's me, Braulor. Is this the Greejon Clan?"

Crenoah's one ear was full of the same dirt and debris Braulor had in his mouth. The other, he was pretty sure, was full of Stonjsin's boot but there would be no mistaking the voice. His heart leapt when he heard it. He tried to call out but was being crushed by Braulor and found it hard to make his voice work. It came out as a pitiful squeak. "Eaxal, is that you?"

"Who is that?" The voice sounded familiar to Eaxal but was so muffled and weak she couldn't be sure.

Crenoah wiggled and twisted, relieving himself from the pressure of Braulor compressing his ribcage enough and he called out once more with a stronger voice. "It's me, Eaxal. Crenoah."

Eaxal shrieked, then raised a hand to her mouth as her eyes flooded with tears. She hadn't heard her brother's voice in so long it sounded like a stranger's. The last time she had seen Crenoah, he had come to tell her to get out of Vjeinka Rise. He told her to gather as much as they could carry and then get out because they were going to drop the Crazzank. Then he ran off, straight into the thick of things. She knew the attack must be serious if they were going to go such measures as to drop the Crazzank. Eaxal was indecisive at that point. She didn't want to run and hide. She wanted to stay and fight to protect her home, but her choice was made for her moments later when she heard the first grumble of rock grinding upon rock. There was no time to dither anymore and she ran for it, not looking back and gathered what she could. When she did look back, she could see nothing but dust. Her brother was gone.

"Let us down, Eaxal."

Eaxal, joy leaping in her heart, called to the others. "Let them down."

The ride down was much slower than the ride up. The main rope of the trap used a large tree as it's sling mechanism and they had to pull the tree back down into position. The ground grew closer, foot by foot until they touched down. Braulor, Crenoah and Stonjsin rolled and flipped over one another as the net spread out across the ground. They could hear feet running up toward them, pulling on the net like they were peeling an orange.

Crenoah bounded to his feet and after staring at his sister for a second, pulled her into a tight hug, tears flowing like a river down his cheeks.

Stonjsin rolled to his hands and knees, shaking dirt from his hair before standing. Several of the women ran to his side hugging and patting him. He beamed at them all. Girls he had known forever, grown to capable women.

Braulor lay on his back, running a hand over various welts and bruises to his face. Running his tongue across his lower lip returned an iron laced report. The sun was blotted out and he looked up to see a familiar face smiling ear to ear.

"Brother."

### CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

### Citadel Scars

Lozan paced the terrace, each step an agonizing reminder of the arrow that had been removed from his stomach. He winced as he took another step, sagging in his midsection as fireworks of agony launched through his abdomen. His aide, Olkuu ran to his side. Lozan waited for the spasm of pain to pass, his face screwed up in a grimace, before he draped one arm over Olkuu's shoulders. Olkuu placed his arm around Lozan's waist and lifted the tiniest amount to reduce Lozan's strain, Olkuu's leg muscles firing as Lozan's weight joined his own. "Take me to my table, Olkuu."

Olkuu did as he was told, walking with delicate movements to ensure he did not aggravate Lozan's injury. Once at the table, Lozan placed his free hand on its edge, bracing himself, before he removed his other arm from Olkuu's shoulder. Lozan gripped the edge of the table with both hands, swaying on the spot as Olkuu turned a chair out, bringing it near to Lozan. Lozan looked at the chair out of the side of his eyes. Like an addict waiting for a fix, he longed to be in it. Olkuu came to his side and Lozan took a hold of his arm with his left hand. He spun a quarter turn and then, sticking his butt out, with Olkuu's' help, sank into the chair with a relieved groan.

Lozan let his head fall to the back of the chair and for a time sat, breathing, savoring freedom from the pain before commanding, Olkuu. "Leave me."

Olkuu bowed his head in a tidy, little nod and turned to leave. He stopped before walking away, taking the time to slide a tray laden with fruit, meat, cheese and water closer to Lozan, then left the terrace.

Lozan didn't acknowledge Olkuu as he left but watched with a stern eye as he exited the area. At the best of times, Lozan was surly with his staff. Nursing this dratted stomach injury had made him miserable. The moment played over in his mind. He could still see everything as if it were in slow motion. The arrow slamming into his stomach, followed by the searing pain. He could smell the earth he fell forward into before blacking out entirely.

Lozan was as surprised as anybody when he opened his eyes to see the clan member, Drebos, carrying him away. He tried to get information from Drebos. What happened to his men? Where was Kyriu? Did they capture Tagan? But the man was a wall, willing to tell him nothing. When they were finally alone, the man requested asylum in Brankin Huoh. How could Lozan say no in his condition. He would have agreed to anything if it was going to save his skin. They waited until nightfall and Drebos carried him down the trail where they ran into the patrol from Dwenar Gliv. The patrol apprehended them both, putting them in separate carriages.

Safe with the Dwenar Gliv patrol, Lozan passed out once again. He awoke in a bed inside the castle of Dwenar Gliv's ruler. Nomiis. Nomiis' healers had worked on Lozan for two sunsets, removing the arrow and tending the wound as best they could. Nomiis told Lozan, he could stay as long as he wished but Lozan didn't want to stay. He couldn't bear the thought of what was happening in Brankin Huoh in his absence. Nomiis understood and had a carriage made ready for Lozan. With many thank you's, Lozan accepted and was inside the carriage the next morning for his ride home.

"What should we do with him?" Nomiis had asked him, referring to Drebos. At first thought, Lozan was going to say have him executed and then he wouldn't be a problem to anyone anymore. But then he had a second thought. A runner from the patrol which rescued him had returned the previous night. The runner reported the rest of the clan they apprehended had escaped and, so far, were eluding re-capture. Lozan wasn't present for the runner's report and Nomiis would only tell him the three escapees had help from a fourth. The fourth was known to Dwenar Gliv, but Nomiis wouldn't say how. If there were three escapees and Drebos was here, it told Lozan, Tagan was still alive. Not in custody but at least Tagan hadn't been killed in the battle. With this in mind, Lozan decided Drebos might be of some use to him yet and had Nomiis send Drebos with him back to Brankin Huoh.

Once they were back in Brankin Huoh, Lozan had Drebos assigned to the kitchens with strict orders he be kept under close surveillance at all times. Drebos may have saved Lozan's life but he was still suspicious of Drebos' motives. So far, Drebos had done nothing more than what he was told.

Lozan shifted on his chair, trying to find a way to sit that didn't make his stomach hurt. He reached for the tray of food, taking a few grapes, before sighing and dropping them back down. He wasn't hungry. Or thirsty. Lozan was aggravated more than anything. Aggravated with this wound. Aggravated he had let Tagan escape. Which reminded him of Kyriu. Kyriu hadn't been seen in Brankin Huoh since they had gone to recapture Tagan. Which didn't bode well, in Lozan's mind. Lozan didn't know what to make of it. He felt like he was adrift on a lifeboat. The waves were having their way with him and all he could do was drift along, waiting for the next thing to happen. It irked him. Lozan didn't like being in the dark. He didn't like not knowing what was going on. And to top it all off, this injury rendered him almost useless. Even if there were tasks to be done, he couldn't do them.

Lozan could feel the heat of his anger starting to boil in his blood. He wanted to scream out. He wanted to jump and down, ranting and raving. Neither of which he could do. Neither of which would be helpful in any way. All he could do was watch. Sit on his terrace and watch as the events of the world unfolded. He looked to the terrace rail, then beyond. He used to enjoy standing there, looking down at the city. He used to take pleasure in leaning on the railing as he savored the control he had over his citizens. Now the railing felt like a border. It felt more akin to a wall which dictated where his world ended and the rest of the world began. A world without him. He looked left then right, feeling helpless. Feeling useless. Then he saw it. He was so shocked, he blinked his eyes shut and rubbed them, thinking he had to be seeing things, before opening them again. But there it was. Mixed among the wispy clouds was a thin line of orange smoke hanging like a piece of orange thread caught on a shirt. To anyone else, it would look like an off-color piece of cloud. An anomaly of the light reflecting, perhaps. But to Lozan it meant more. Much more. The orange smoke was the signal he and Tyhreb had arranged ages ago to alert Lozan when Tyhreb had returned from a mission.

Lozan had forgotten about sending Tyhreb to find Kenok. After Tagan escaped, Lozan was beside himself with angst and worry. Then, as now, he felt helpless. He felt like everything was out of his control and he was a spectator. He had decided to take matters into his own hands and find out more about Tagan. To do so, he employed Tyhreb's services to bring him Tagan's father, Kenok. It was grasping at straws, he knew, but Lozan had to do something and questioning Kenok was all he could think of. Looking back, it had been some time since he had sent Tyhreb out. It wasn't like Tyhreb to take this long to get results. It should have been a cakewalk for Tyhreb to capture one farmer. Lozan wondered if this was something he should be concerned about.

It didn't matter, he decided. Even if the news was bad, at least it was news. At least he was doing something and not stewing in his frailty as the world passed him by. Without thinking, Lozan made to get up. Searing pain lanced through his midsection and he sat back down, laboring to breath. This was going to be harder than he thought. He was going to have to take someone with him. He had always met with Tyhreb alone and Lozan wondered how Tyhreb would react to Lozan showing up with another person. And who could he take? Who could he trust? He hadn't told anyone of Tyhreb. How would they react to the type of man Tyhreb was? The slightest thing could set Tyhreb off and get them all killed. He would have to bring someone who had seen many strange things in their life and wouldn't overreact. Kyriu would be the perfect choice but there was no time to prepare to contact him and Lozan didn't really want to let Kyriu in on his secret. Then Lozan realized who he should take. There was no better choice than Drebos. Drebos was eager to please. He was still looking to prove himself to Lozan and if things went south, Lozan could have him killed and no-one would think twice about it. Lozan wasn't sure if it was the best idea or if he was talking himself into it but he had to act fast or Tyhreb would grow impatient.

"Olkuu."

### CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

### Tyhreb's Tumult

Tyhreb stepped back, watching the orange tracer shoot to the sky. Satisfied it had done its work, he leaned forward and removed the conical device from the ground, snapping it in half between his fingers before using both hands to rip it into tiny shreds. He looked around as he let the pieces fall to the ground. Not because he was scared but out of habit. He was always on guard, even in the safety of his own home. He cast a final glance toward the Citadel and then turned away. It was a short distance to the main part of his living area. Once there, he went to where Kenok was tied to a makeshift chair. Kenok's head was lolled to one side and Tyhreb nudged Kenok's leg with one of his large boots.

Kenok's head snapped up, his eyed growing large and dark as he spied Tyhreb. He launched into a verbal barrage which would make a truck driver blush, but it was muffled by the large gag Tyhreb had crammed into his mouth.

Tyhreb smiled and chuckled to himself, not knowing why he found it so humorous. Perhaps it was because he had finally managed to complete his mission. Perhaps it was because he was going to get paid, which always made him happy. Maybe it was because he was going to be rid of Kenok for good after this. Tyhreb hadn't given thought to what he was going to do once he handed Kenok over. There hadn't been time. Once he had captured Kenok at the old lady's house, he was on the run. Tyhreb stopped one time when Kenok's lamentation at bouncing around on his shoulders as he fled forced him to stop. It was a good time for a rest anyway. A good time to stop and get his bearings. To make sure everything was proceeding as he wanted, although he would have kept going if he had been by himself. He found a nice little clearing with clean sight-lines so nobody could sneak up on him and laid Kenok to the ground.

At first Kenok laid still, happy to be down from the man's shoulders and let the pain subside. His head was still swimming from the Tâ Oandimn escape. He had been conscious for no more than a few hours before this man he thought he would never see again was ripping the side of Uldarra's house down to get at him. Next thing Kenok knew, he was over the man's shoulder like an old piece of carpet and they were bounding away. Kenok watched as the man paced the length of the clearing and back again. Back and forth back and forth like he was on auto pilot. Every once in a while, the man would stop, run his hands through a large pocket and then start pacing once more.

Kenok started off politely. As polite as he could under the circumstances. "Who are you?"

The man stopped, looking at Kenok with dark eyes. They were so black, Kenok was sure he could see his reflection in them. As dark as they were, there was a hatred in them. A revulsion toward Kenok which was teetering on morphing into a physical attack. Kenok couldn't blame the man, he had undergone a savage beating at his and Sequil's hands.

Tyhreb glared at Kenok. He pondered the idea of gutting Kenok right here and ending everything. Cut him open from chin to navel and walk away before Kenok was even dead. Tyhreb didn't need the money. Indeed, a man such as he, had few places he could spend the gold he was accumulating. But he had integrity. He had said he would get the job done and he would.

Kenok dropped the niceties and demanded in a loud voice. "I said, who are you?"

Tyhreb ignored him.

Kenok wasn't going to go away easily and yelled at the man. "Can't you hear me? I said, who are you? Where are you taking me?"

Tyhreb flashed Kenok a dangerous look. Kenok was pushing him to his limit and it wouldn't take much more to set him off.

"Hey. I'm talking to you. Answer me. Who sent you?" Kenok was full out yelling now at the top of his lungs. His voice was shrill and piercing, echoing up and down the valley.

Tyhreb stopped pacing, his back to Kenok. He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, fixing his stare on a rock several feet away. If looks could kill, the rock would have exploded with his fury. He spun around to face Kenok, his nostrils flaring as he tried to quell his anger. It wasn't Kenok's insolence which was driving his ire. It was because of his training. Tyhreb was kicking himself for not stopping to slay every single other person at the old lady's house. He could have done it so easily. It wouldn't have taken much, even without a weapon. He could have strangled and stomped the life out of every single person there and still have the strength to lug Kenok back through the mountains to Lozan. At least then he wouldn't have the nagging feeling they were following him. He wouldn't' have that tracer of doubt they were pursuing him to try and get Kenok back. Kenok's yelling was the beacon they needed to track him down. To pinpoint his location. Tyhreb may have the strength and experience advantage but a group following him would have surprise on their side, as well as weapons. They could be training arrows on him right now and fell him before he could retaliate.

Kenok knew he was playing with fire but he didn't care anymore. He was tired and sore. His injury hadn't healed yet and he could tell he was losing blood. He didn't know if he was going to live or die at this man's hands or outright die so he was throwing caution to the wind. He started screaming once again. "Oh. I see I have your attention. Maybe now you could..."

Tyhreb crossed the twenty or so feet between them before Kenok could get out another word. He slapped a giant hand over Kenok's mouth to shut him up and then knelt down hard on Kenok's legs. He was happy to see Kenok's eyes bulge out in pain as he heard small pops and cracks. With his free hand, Tyhreb rummaged around in the closest pocket looking for something to use as a gag. There was nothing. Reaching down, he grabbed the blanket Kenok was wrapped in and tore a piece off. It was a long, wide strip and he peeled the hand over Kenok's mouth back enough to allow a large, dirty finger to shove one end inside the cavity, making a nice wad. Then he wound the rest around Kenok's head two or three times, tying it off nice and tight at the back. He rose and stepped back. Kenok was flipping his head around like he was trying to get a bug off his nose but the gag wasn't going anywhere.

Tyhreb had had enough of this break. If there were people following him, he needed to get going. He leaned forward and grabbed Kenok's wrap at his midsection, threw him over his shoulder and took off once more. They arrived back at Tyhreb's camp the following morning. Not one to waste time, Tyhreb made sure Kenok was securely tied and then set off to send the signal to Lozan. He looked down at Kenok. Kenok had given up trying to cuss Tyhreb out and slumped down, resigned to fate he neither knew or had any control over. By Tyhreb's estimation he had a few hours before Lozan would make his way up to the meeting spot but he still had a niggling feeling he and Kenok had been followed. Tyhreb's camp was well hidden and employed several layers of traps but he wasn't sure it would be enough against the old lady. Tyhreb had developed a healthy respect for the old lady as she had bested him once. Her command of the elements fascinated him and she was freakishly strong for someone so old. Tyhreb should have demolished her in one on one combat but she had gotten the upper hand. This fact gnawed at Tyhreb. Played at his emotions, mocking him. Never had anyone bested him in such a way but then again, she wasn't a normal human. She had another facet to her which made her different from every other being he had battled. He replayed the fight over and over in his mind as if prepping for another day on the field. He looked at the fight from a coach's perspective, breaking down weakness' and pinpointing where he had gone wrong. The old lady had beaten him once. He would make sure it wouldn't happen again or die trying. Something told him, dying was what it might take.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

### Remnants of The Clan

Braulor lay still, looking up at his brother. It wasn't his real brother, by blood, but Tyran was his brother in every aspect of the word. They had grown up together. Gotten in trouble together. Fought together and with one another. Braulor couldn't think of a single other person he would want in his corner when push came to shove. "Tyran?"

"Braulor. You look at me like you've never seen me before, brother." Tyran chuckled. A tiny laugh, meant to ease the tension but his laugh was the tip of an emotional iceberg. He hadn't seen Braulor in so long, he dared not count the days lest it make him sadder.

"So much has happened, brother, it feels like I haven't seen you before. It feels like were meeting for the first time." Busy drinking in Tyran's image, Braulor made no move to get up. The last time he had seen Tyran was when they parted ways after their last meeting with Alrei Yqu. As much as Tyran wanted to journey with his brother, he had been injured by then unknown assassins and couldn't. With great reluctance, Braulor sent Tyran back to camp to seek medical help while he went off to Brankin Huoh to rescue another young man from the Citadel. Braulor looked down at the dirt, flashes of recent events streaked through his mind like a train of history. Had he really been through so much? Staring up at his brother, it all seemed like a dream. Like some story he and his brother had concocted and were acting out as they did when they were children.

"We'd best get going, brother. The council is going to want to meet with you." Tyran extended an arm to Braulor.

Braulor took his brother's hand, who clasped it both of his own hands, and used them for leverage to pull himself to his feet. As he did so, he saw Tyran wince in pain. Once standing they threw aside all pretense and grabbed one another in a tight bear hug, patting each other on the back. Stepping back, Braulor looked at the scene around him. Crenoah was talking excitedly with his sister. Stonjsin was jabbering away with a couple of other women present. A few more women were busy untangling the net Braulor had been caught in, getting it ready to be re-deployed. Braulor shook his head as he watched them work. He should have been more alert but this type of trap wasn't the norm for the Greejon clan. In times past, they would have posted a guard station to keep a lookout. That way there would be no need to run to camp for reinforcements. They would have enough muscle on hand. Braulor turned to Tyran. "Let's go brother. I have much to tell you."

Tyran nodded to his brother and then turned to Eaxal. "Eaxal, make sure this trap is re-set before returning to camp and then have the council members convene after lunch. Crenoah, Stonjsin. Please make sure to join us."

Eaxal nodded, hugged her brother once again and then set about helping the other women prepare the trap. Stonjsin and Crenoah looked at one another with raised eyebrows, then turned and nodded to Tyran. They weren't used to taking orders from Tyran.

Tyran said it with a casual authority, surprising Braulor. Braulor was used to being the one who gave commands and it was a little strange watching his brother take the reins. For the first time it dawned on Braulor how camp must have changed in his absence. He didn't say anything though, deciding in the fullness of time he would be told everything.

"Follow me, brother." Tyran turned away from the others, striding with quick steps along a thin trail. Plants and brush grew thick on either side, spilling over into their path, making it impossible to tell if it really was a trail.

Braulor nodded to Crenoah and Stonjsin, assuring them everything would be fine and then hurried to catch up to Tyran.

The trail took a few twists and turns before opening onto a small, open plain which was surrounded by tall trees. Braulor stopped, looking on in shock. Where there would normally have been many, many tents of various size, much of the camp consisted of makeshift housing built using whatever could be gathered. What few tents there were, were clustered in the middle of camp, and were likely reserved for the most important members of the clan.

Tyran headed straight for the tents. People stopped what they were doing as they passed. Many waving to Braulor before going back to the chores they were busy with. It took a while for Braulor to notice, but there were very few men. And the men he did see were old. Everywhere he looked, the women of the Greejon clan were hard at work. Tears filled his eyes. He knew why this was so but the full impact of the Shadowkeeper's attack on Vjeinka Rise didn't hit him until now. The men he fought and hunted and shared lives with were dead, entombed in the very place they died trying to defend.

Tyran stopped in front of one of the modest sized tents and opened the flap, gesturing for Braulor to go inside. Braulor looked inside and then entered, Tyran close behind.

Inside the tent was a little table with only one chair. A bed, made from young saplings, was tucked in one corner, the sheets in a swirl of a mess.

Braulor turned to Tyran. "What happened? What happened to the camp?"

Tyran sat in the chair at the table, sighing. "I was hoping you could tell me. I'm still not sure what happened."

"Why don't you tell me what happened after we parted ways. What happened when you made it back to camp?" Braulor took a seat on the bed, watching Tyran. Picturing what he had seen as they walked through camp to Tyran's tent, Braulor could piece together for himself much of what had happened to the Greejon camp after he left to rescue Tagan but there were many blank parts. He wanted to know the full story. He wanted to know every detail to fill in the gaps.

Tyran looked to sky as if he could find what he wanted to say up in the heavens. As if what he was going to say pained him to even think of. "As soon as I was back in camp, Jolon came to visit me in my tent."

"Jolon." Braulor said it under his breath like a whisper as he remembered. The last he had seen of Jolon was his arm sticking out from under the Crazzank, the staff a few inches away. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to know where I had been. Where you were." Tyran shook his head defiantly as the memories of his meeting with Jolon replayed in his mind with vivid and painful clarity. "I didn't tell him anything though."

"That's good. What happened after that?"

"At first, everything was normal. We moved camp and were setting up. I didn't know what to do about Jolon so I requested a special meeting of the council, hoping I could convince them he was up to something."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them as much as I could without betraying you but it wasn't enough. They kept coming back, asking where you had gone so I let the matter be but I kept a watch on Jolon as best I could."

"Did you find anything out?"

"Jolon had a faction of guards who were loyal to him. As we were setting up, the faction captured someone near camp, which they reported directly to Jolon."

"Who was it?" Braulor had a good idea who it was now. Things were starting to click into place.

"I never found out. Jolon took the prisoner away. The next thing we knew, Jolon came tearing into camp but something was off. He looked like he was crazed. Sick. He said the prisoner revealed he had escaped the Infrey trail and had taken something. Something those who haunt the trail wanted back. He said by nightfall, the inhabitants of the trail would be attacking the camp."

"And they believed him?"

"You know the reputation of the Infrey trail. We go miles out of our way to avoid it and Jolon was in such a state, everybody fell for it. The council met with him and took him at his word. They decided it would be easiest to move camp now, since we weren't set up from the last move. By nightfall we were on the move again."

"And you headed to Vjeinka Rise."

"It was the one place we thought would be safe. How we were wrong." Tyran trailed off, memories of the attack surging into his mind.

"I know, Tyran. I was there after the attack. There was nothing you could have done."

Tyran sat still, staring off into space, tears trickling from his eyes. "You don't know, Braulor. It was terrible. I've never seen anything like it."

Braulor remembered the puddles of blood he encountered in the aftermath. The piles of indiscernible flesh as if some had come through with a meat grinder. He supposed he didn't really know. He could only apply his own experiences over the carnage. Being there when it happened was a completely different story. "How did you escape?"

Tyran started to talk, the sobs he was holding back, making his voice break several times over. "I was lucky I suppose. My shoulder," he pointed to his shoulder with disdain. "Had been acting up. The hurried move had been too much and made it sore again so I had gone off to find Wroan. He was at the back of the cave setting up. He started to treat my shoulder and then the attack came. It happened so fast. At first, we didn't even know what was going on. By the time we knew it was an attack, it was too late. The Crazzank came down. Men were gathering in the opening, rallying to defend and it came down right on top of them."

Braulor was stunned. He didn't realize the full horror of the situation but he let Tyran continue.

"It was pure panic now. People were running everywhere. The council was gone. Most of our men were dead or trapped on the other side of the Crazzank. Nobody knew what to do. I told everybody to grab what they could and run for it. I didn't see any other way."

"Which explains why I didn't see many men in camp."

Tyran stared at Braulor, nodding his head. "The bulk of us ran and ran. When we did stop, we decided to come here figuring any other survivors would think the same and come find us."

"How many people survived?"

"What you see here is it. If there were other survivors, they must have went elsewhere. We've been living off what we ran out of Vjeinka Rise carrying on our backs or in our hands."

Braulor and Tyran sat in silence, the dread of what had happened like a fog they were stuck in. In processing Tyran's information, Braulor came to a cold realization. He hated himself for thinking of it when Tyran was in obvious distress but it was all he had thought about since Uldarra had given him half of the stone. He didn't see many tents in the camp and he was sure, if Tyran's tent was any indication, most of their possessions were left behind. Which led Braulor to one chilling conclusion. The other half of the stone was still in Vjeinka Rise.

The opening to Tyran's tent rustled and Eaxal poked her head inside. "The council is ready, Tyran."

Tyran snapped out of his reverie. "Thank you, Eaxal. We'll be there in a moment." Tyran stood and then fished a cloth out of his pocket. He wiped the tears from his face, dabbing at his eyes. "Are you ready?"

Braulor nodded in affirmation but his mind was elsewhere. He was being torn in two with indecision. On the one hand, the clan needed him, now more than ever. It was plain to see. The clan needed all the help they could get. But his heart was with the staff. The whole time he and Stonjsin and Crenoah were journeying here, the thought of getting his hands back around the staff was his motivation. He had made getting the staff back his mission. He was sure he would get to camp and it would be as simple as going to his tent, opening the trunk and putting the pieces of stone back together. Now, like a carrot dangling in front of a work mule, his prize was still out of reach. He had to go to Vjeinka Rise. There was no other way about it.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

### Backwards and Forwards

Braulor signaled to the rest of the party to draw closer. Tyran, Crenoah, Stonjsin and a few other council members had agreed to join the group. Getting them to agree to come had been a tough sell. Even with the pallid conditions of the Greejon camp, none wanted to come back to Vjeinka Rise. The memory of the attack was still too fresh for most. Too raw. Most of the original council members Braulor knew had been killed in the attack so he didn't enjoy the usual amount of sway he would have had. Luckily for Braulor, Tyran had ascended to the council and his vote counted for a lot. Tyran had been the one who kept camp running. The one who encouraged the others to not give up. He urged them to keep pushing for they would find a way to survive this as they had many other difficult times. At the council meeting, the main subject on everybody's mind was, where had they had been? Where had the creme of Greejon's fighting men disappeared to when they were needed most? Stonjsin and Crenoah were still loyal to Braulor and deferred most questions to him. At first Braulor skirted the questions as best he could by talking in circles. As they continued to question him, he could see no other way than to answer them truthfully. As truthfully as he could at any rate. He didn't want to give away too much but he knew he would need help at Vjeinka Rise and he wanted to preserve the good will he had.

In the end he told them everything they wanted know. He spoke of his meeting with Alrei Yqu and how he was tasked to rescue a young boy from Brankin Huoh. How he did manage the rescue, the escape and the ensuing run from his captors. He talked about how he returned to, first the camp, and then Vjeinka Rise only to find both areas in shambles. He told how they came through the Knalb mountains and then went in search of Rean Li and the subsequent attack by Lozan. Braulor skimmed through the rest of the story as fast as he could up until they found themselves at Uldarra's house. He went into a little more detail but brought it right up to where they were meeting right now. He felt they deserved to know and if they didn't help him, he would go to Vjeinka Rise on his own.

They had looked at him blank and expressionless, none knowing what to say. What could they say? It all sounded too unreal. Too unbelievable for people to have experienced so much. Braulor had a hard time believing what he had been through, how could he expect them too.

"And what are you proposing, Braulor?" Eaxal was the first to speak. The rest of the women on the council nodded. They weren't concerned with the past. They wanted to know how he could help them with the future.

"I am proposing we take a small raiding party back to Vjeinka Rise and see what we can find."

"Back to Vjeinka Rise?"

"Yes. Back to Vjeinka Rise."

As a group they were outraged. Nobody wanted a part of such a task. It was tantamount to suicide. From the chatter which erupted at his suggestion, Braulor was able to pick out several no's and more than one 'are you crazy' but he was undaunted and pressed forward. "Going back makes the most sense at this point."

"What good could come of going back? We were lucky we made it out alive the first time."

"I told you, Vjeinka Rise is deserted now. Those 'things', whatever they were, are no longer there. We would be safe."

The council members looked at one another, none of them having a response for something so ludicrous. Braulor knew he was going to have to dig deep for this victory.

"I've been through this camp and from what I have seen, it's decimated. We need supplies. We need shelter. We need weapons. If this clan is going to survive, we need to go back and get what we can. The back porch is where the bulk of the stores were anyway. We wouldn't have to go far inside to find what we need."

"Tyran, you've been silent throughout these proceedings. What do you think we should do?" Eaxal knew she didn't want to go back but Braulor was right, the camp as it was now wouldn't be able to sustain itself for much longer. They were one attack or drought away from the Greejon clan being no more. She needed more input.

Tyran was fighting an internal battle. On the one hand, what his brother was saying made sense. If they could find their way inside, they could procure much to help the camp. And the camp was in desperate need of everything. They were so ill prepared when they ran out of Vjeinka Rise, now they were a tragedy waiting to happen. But, he too struggled with the idea of going back. The way they had to abandon Vjeinka Rise cut him deep. "I can't deny, we need the supplies, and there would be plenty to go around."

Braulor was ecstatic, ready to jump out of his chair.

"But, I am not going to command anyone to go. Those who wish to go, can go. If nobody chooses to go, so be it."

It was the men who chose to go. Whether out of pride or a sense of protectionism they still harbored, the few remaining able bodied men opted to return to Vjeinka Rise. Tyran was one of them and he gave Eaxal strict instructions to follow should they not return in four days' time. They left the same afternoon, trudging into the late day sun laden with empty packs and what little food and water they felt would be enough to get them there. Once there, they should find plenty of provisions for the return trip.

It took a new level of arm twisting to convince the council but now Braulor was crouched low, casting his eye toward one of the secondary openings into Vjeinka Rise, affectionately referred to as the back porch. Being as this was the other side of the Knalb mountains where they had little concern of attacks coming from Brankin Huoh, the defenses were a little lighter than the front entrance. There was no perimeter fence and only one guardhouse instead of many as the front enjoyed. The ground here was uneven and still retained a fair number of trees until the last hundred or so yards. From the tree-line on, it was grass with sections cut out for gardening. The area on this side of Vjeinka rise was used, for the most part, storage.

"I can see the guardhouse and the opening." He spun around to address the others who were squatting behind him, spread out amongst the trees. "I don't see any activity."

The small group looked to the dark entrance, scrutinizing for themselves before each of them turned back to Braulor and nodded.

"How are we going to approach?" Crenoah had been wondering. Vjeinka Rise had been abandoned for some time now and even though it looked like nothing was cooking, that didn't mean there wasn't an unwelcome surprise waiting inside for them. "You know, just in case."

Braulor looked back to the opening and then to Crenoah. "There's no other way. We go straight forward. We stride right up there as if we are coming home and there is nothing to fear."

### CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

### Hot Commodity

Crouched behind a line of low brush, they waited. Rean Li had scampered across the trail and forged ahead to do some scouting, leaving Sequil, Uldarra and Tagan behind. She had been gone for some time now, which was uncomfortable for them all. There was no talking. No conversation. No banter to keep the nerves at bay and spirits up. But there was a healthy dose of animosity between Sequil and Uldarra. It swirled around them like a winter cloud, complete with its own chill. The truth was, even after her beat-down on Uldarra, Sequil still harbored a vast reservoir of resentment. A reservoir which it seemed could be ignited at any moment. Tagan made sure he stayed between them as much as possible in an effort to keep things civil as they tracked the man who had abducted his father. It felt like he was holding two kids apart on the playground who were fighting over the same toy.

They had listened to Rean Li's argument. Listened to her reasoning for thinking the man who kidnapped Kenok was taking him to the Citadel. It made sense and the general direction the man was heading supported her theory but Sequil wasn't sure. She didn't trust any of these newcomers, no matter how much Tagan reassured her Rean Li was there to help. Tagan wondered if Sequil was balking at the idea only because Uldarra was involved. If Uldarra wasn't part of the equation, he was sure his mother would be much more open to the idea. Their discussion had devolved into a stalemate, each of them finding a quiet place to reflect. Within minutes however, Rean Li called to them. They ran to Rean Li's side, thinking something may be wrong. Rean Li was on her knees, looking with intense interest at the earth. They approached with caution but there was no need. Rean Li pointed out to them the man's tracks she had found. She stood, dusting her pants off before announcing. "It's now or never."

The pall settled on the group once more. It was decision time.

Tagan's mind was made up. He was going after Kenok. Whatever reason the citadel wanted him for couldn't be good, so he was going to do whatever he could to get his dad back.

Uldarra was resigned to follow Rean Li. Her future was as woven into the fabric of events as anyone else. She had to keep following the arc of events.

Sequil was the sticking point. It took a long time for her to accept that in order to get her husband back, she was going to have to align herself with Uldarra. She tried to think of another way, another approach. But there was none. Rean Li found the tracks and according to Tagan, Rean Li was a master at hunting and tracking. Even if Sequil went on her own and was able to find the man who has her husband, what could she do then? For starters, it would take Sequil much longer to find the two men, so who even knew if Kenok would still be alive by then. And what could she do to get her husband back if he was alive? The man would take her hostage as well and maybe she would have the pleasure of dying beside her husband. She and Kenok had beaten the man one time, but only through the element of surprise. Sequil was sure surprise was a luxury they wouldn't have the next time they met. She had no choice and acquiesced.

Once the decision had been made, Uldarra and Rean Li returned to Uldarra's to fetch supplies. Upon returning to where they had left Tagan and Sequil, they shared the supplies around and were off.

The tracks weren't difficult to follow. The man wasn't doing anything to obscure his tracks. It seemed the beast of a man wasn't too concerned with leaving a trail behind him. It made Rean Li wonder if he was leading them into a trap.

They had traveled through the night, stopping for a brief period of rest in the darkest hours before dawn. The sun wasn't even above the horizon when they were off again. Another full day of riding followed and it seemed they were getting no closer to finding Kenok. The tracks were still there but were getting older. Kenok's abductor was keeping an incredible pace.

Uldarra kept her eyes closed. She wasn't sleeping or trying to catch up on rest as they waited for Rean Li to return. Something was drawing her attention. Like an itch at the back of her mind, there was more to this land than met the eye. She focused on the feeling, willing it to come to the forefront of her thoughts. Uldarra used her powers to pull the feeling from the recesses of her thought and bring it front and center as if it were a stage show. She had an inkling what it was and she wanted to probe it. To examine it.

It was the magic of Quanna Eresse. She wasn't surprised to discover the magic out here. After all she had built her home with specific purpose to be on a vortex of Eressian magic. Logic would dictate, the energy center her house was on couldn't be the only one in this world. There had to be others and there was one nearby. Not near enough for her to use the magic to her advantage, but she knew it was out there.

They all started as Rean Li materialized, leaping over the brush they were hiding behind with a deft vault and landing in front of them as silent as a breeze. None had heard or seen her coming. "OK. We leave the horses here now."

"Leave the horses? Why? They have all our supplies." Sequil couldn't see how leaving the horses now would be of help. They were no closer to getting Kenok back. What if they needed to chase his abductor further?

"The signs around here are growing strange, as if this place is off limits and the tracks we have been following are slowing down now. They no longer show someone on the run."

"What does that mean?" Sequil wondered if the man was growing tired and needed to rest.

"I think we are nearing where the man lives."

Tagan looked around as if the man was going to jump out at them. "Why do you think that?"

"I encountered a trap some ways ahead on the trail. It was hidden with expert precision. So good, I was almost caught in it before spotting it. That's why we can't take the horses. There's no telling how many more are out there."

"There's magic here, Rean Li." Uldarra was wide eyed, staring at Rean Li but also not. Her eyes were on Rean Li but her mind was savoring the feeling of magic, no matter how minute.

"Magic?" Rean Li looked at Tagan and Sequil as if something had happened while she was gone.

Sequil had no idea what they were talking about but Tagan grew interested, trying to feel what Uldarra was sensing but he detected nothing.

"Mmm. Yes. It's like a sliver of Quanna Eresse is nearby."

"How could that be?" As far as Rean Li knew, the worlds were separated by LeFirte.

"LeFirte is in control of all the worlds. Even though she separated us, there is still a connection through her to all worlds."

"Can we use the magic to our advantage?" Sequil didn't know what they were talking about but was looking for anything that could help them.

Uldarra's eyes snapped open, landing right on Sequil. Tagan tensed, waiting for another outburst from either of them but Uldarra's face softened into a smile. "No, deary. The connection isn't strong enough. If we were closer perhaps but it's so faint. It's as if someone knows about it and has taken measures to keep the power for themselves."

All of them felt like a wind was taken out of their sails.

"We'd best get moving."

Rean Li stood and went to her horse and led it into a shady area where she tied his lead to a tree. She rummaged around in the packs the horse was laden with, filling her own pack with the essentials.

The other's followed suit and were soon ready and back at the low shrub they had been crouching behind. Rean Li was making a final visual sweep of the area.

Tagan was doing the same and then he looked up in the sky. "What is that?"

Rean Li, Uldarra and Sequil all swiveled their heads upward, craning their necks to see what Tagan had spotted. There, hanging in the clouds, was an orange streak. A thin tinge which would be easy to disregard but Rean Li felt otherwise. She didn't say anything to the others but she felt their time to get Kenok back had grown shorter. "I think we need to keep moving."

The rocky door opened onto a flat plain. Olkuu stepped out first and looked around. Olkuu was aware of the secret passageway Lozan had built but he had never traversed it. He never mentioned it or asked about it. He knew what would come of it if he did. He had fetched Drebos from the kitchens as Lozan requested and brought him to Lozan's private chambers. Olkuu readied Lozan for travel and then left Lozan alone with Drebos, waiting outside the room as he would any other day. Perhaps fifteen or so minutes passed before he could hear Lozan calling for him once again. Olkuu entered the room to see the painting of Gofyer ajar, revealing the passageway beyond.

Lozan had been in a frightful state. Livid beyond anything Olkuu had ever seen before. Lozan called Olkuu near and bade him to help Drebos carry him up the stairs. Olkuu didn't question and with himself on one side and Drebos on the other, they made their slow way up the stairs. Lozan had winced or groaned almost the whole way but they were at the top now. Olkuu had no idea what was going on, but he followed his orders to the tee as he usually would have.

"Good. Good. Stop here. I need to rest." Lozan, his arms draped over Drebos' and Olkuu's' shoulders, let his body sag while they supported his weight. The fresh air and sunshine felt good. Soothing. He had wanted to only bring one other person along but his initial attempt to use the stairs with only Drebos supporting him was a lesson in agony. With only one side supported the other pulled and yanked with every step, followed by angry pain from his midsection. They had only gone a little way before returning to fetch Olkuu for more assistance. Lozan knew Tyhreb was expecting him and him alone and he felt once Tyhreb saw his injuries, he would be able to get away with bringing one other person. How Tyhreb would react with two extra people was an unknown. Lozan knew he was taking his chances but he had little choice in the matter. It was this or let the chance to get his hands on Kenok slip away.

Bringing Drebos was a no-brainer. Drebos had proven his loyalty to Lozan and on the plus side, if he went missing, nobody would question it. Olkuu on the other hand. Lozan had reiterated all the way up the stairs the length and breadth he would go to make sure Olkuu and his family suffered if he were to breathe a word of what he was seeing to anybody.

Lozan looked to the sky and located the orange thread. It had drifted some ways from where it was when he first spied it, but it was still there. "OK. We go on from here. Follow the trail." Lozan used his head to point the way and then grimaced as Drebos and Olkuu lurched away from the doorway.

They followed the path as it snaked along the canyon, the waterfall roaring beside them, and kept going until they reached the usual meeting area Lozan and Tyhreb used. Nobody was there which was a little odd. Tyhreb, without fail, was always at their designated meeting spot with whatever or whoever Lozan had contracted him to find. Lozan could think of no explanation for Tyhreb's absence and figured there was nothing to do but wait a little longer. He bade Olkuu and Drebos to take him into a shady area where he could sit while they waited. They were about to turn from the trail when they heard a shriek. Lozan didn't recognize the voice, but it was definitely a woman's. This area was strictly off limits and under all measures of security. How did a woman get up here? Who was the woman?

Lozan didn't need to say anything to Olkuu and Drebos. Upon hearing the scream, they hitched Lozan up and marched as fast as they could toward where the scream had come from.

"Kenok." Sequil couldn't help herself. Spotting Kenok, tied in a sitting position, head slumped forward was too much. Happiness at finding him mingled with fear he was dead which resulted in a strangled cry. In a heartbeat, the squeal escaped from her lips before she even knew what was happening.

They had followed Rean Li along the trail, leaving it every once in a while, sweeping wide to avoid traps. In hostile territory, they had been dead quiet as they traveled. If they did communicate it was in hushed whispers, their mouths within inches of their listener's ear. The squeal of delight was like a lightning bolt of sound, lancing through the stillness with the all the daintiness of a bomb going off. Sequil clamped a hand over her mouth and looked at the others with wide eyes, shaking her head as if to apologize.

Tagan, Uldarra and Rean Li stared at Sequil, open mouthed, disbelief etched in each of their eyes. All the effort in chasing down Kenok and his abductor. All the toil in following the trail and avoiding the clever traps it concealed. All of it, gone in a flash. Options were pouring through each of their minds but there could only be one choice. They had come all this way to get Kenok. His abductor was nowhere to be seen. This could be their best chance. Their only chance.

Tagan reached the conclusion a nanosecond before the others and jumped up, tearing into the camp clearing, making a beeline straight for his dad.

Rean Li was a half-step behind him, pulling her bow from where it was slung on her shoulder, over her head and to the ready.

Sequil felt like she was stuck in some alternate reality. She could see Tagan and Rean Li sprinting toward Kenok and she wanted to join them but her legs were ignoring her command to run. Uldarra was about to speed off to help the others and noticed Sequil wasn't moving. She scampered over and pulled Sequil to her feet.

"Run."

Sequil's frazzled brain patterns clicked into place and she took off as if she had heard the starters pistol.

Tyhreb had started a perimeter search of his camp. A precaution he often took even when he felt sure he was safe. He wanted to make sure he hadn't been followed and one never knew if some wayward mercenary had wandered into his land while he had been off capturing Kenok. In a wide arc he circled around his camp, checking traps, stopping to listen. He was about two thirds of the way through his sweep when he found the horses. Huddling together under a copse of trees, they trembled as he neared. But he had no interest in hurting them. He needed information from them. Anger roiled up as he inspected them. He knew as soon as he had seen them they were the same horses he had seen at the old ladies' house but up close he was certain. He could smell the riders scent and knew they were nearby. But where? Tyhreb's head snapped up, the reverberations of a cry penetrating his thoughts. They had gotten behind him. His roiling anger surged into an inferno and with a guttural yell, he took off at full speed back toward his camp.

Tagan ran behind the chair his dad was lashed to and began fumbling with the knots. His fingers danced across the ropes looking for somewhere to start but there were too many knots. In his frantic state, the rope looked like a beaver's dam worth of tangle and braids, secured with unyielding tightness.

Rean Li joined Tagan, dropping her bow to the ground and wrenching at the ropes before pushing him aside. Producing a knife, she began slashing at the ropes. Slice by slice, the ropes began to give way.

Sequil was in front of Kenok, holding his head, speaking to him, her voice overflowing with emotion as she unwound the gag from his mouth. "You're going to be all-right, Kenok. We're here. You're going to be OK."

"Sequil." Kenok was dazed and confused. He couldn't believe he was seeing his wife. A loose smile played at lips but they felt like overstretched rubber after having the nasty gag in his mouth for so long. "You came for me."

Sequil pulled him into a hug as the last of the ropes dropped to the ground. He was still wound in the sheets he had been in when the beast man ran off with him.

Standing on either side of Kenok, Tagan and Rean Li pulled the sheets from him, unwinding them from his body and tossing them aside.

Weak from his wound and weaker still from being slung over the shoulder of his captor, Kenok dropped like a stone.

Sequil managed to get her arms around his chest before he fell to the ground. She pulled one of his arms around her shoulder and Kenok forced his legs to work, pushing himself up but leaning heavily on his wife.

"Which way?" In all the confusion, Tagan lost track of where they had come from.

Rean Li's head whipped around, spotting Uldarra, standing where they had run out from. Rean Li didn't have time to think of why and she pointed in Uldarra's direction and sped toward her.

"C'mon mom, dad. This way." Tagan urged his parents forward.

"You."

Tagan's head whipped around to locate the new voice. Clumping from the opening of a trail stood Lozan. It was shock to see Lozan but a real kicker to see Drebos. Tagan's brain whipped up in a rage at spotting the betrayer.

Lozan couldn't believe his eyes. It was as if Christmas had come early. He had expected to get Kenok at this meeting and now, here was Tagan. The source of all his pain and suffering had wandered right into his own back yard. It seemed like all the planets had lined up at the right time. Recapturing Tagan would put everything right again. Getting his hands on Tagan would put all their plans back on track. And how pleased would Kyriu be? Lozan was sure to get some sort of promotion out of this. Lozan didn't even care how Tagan got here. He only knew, he couldn't let him escape again. "Drebos, Olkuu. Get the escapee."

Drebos and Olkuu followed orders, letting Lozan go to his own devices and charging toward Tagan.

"Go mom. Run." Tagan urged his mother forward and turned to face Drebos and Olkuu. He wasn't sure he could beat either of them but he needed to buy the others time to escape. Lozan wanted him and they would focus on recapturing him giving his parents, Rean Li and Uldarra time to get away.

Olkuu didn't wait for further instruction and ran right at Tagan, tackling him to the ground where they wrestled. Olkuu was strong but Tagan was fighting on pure adrenaline. He flipped Olkuu to his back, delivering a solid right to his jaw as he did so. He was winding up for another punch when Drebos tackled him from behind. Drebos was trained in combat and Tagan was no match for him, struggling as Drebos applied a choke-hold. Olkuu got to his feet, rubbing his jaw as Lozan lurched with painful steps toward them. "Hold him, Drebos. Don't let this one get away." Olkuu stepped forward to deliver a measure of revenge, drawing a fist high in the air behind him. He staggered backward before he could throw a punch and fell to the ground, the shaft of an arrow protruding from his eye socket.

Drebos spun his head around, when an arrow lanced between his ribs. He screamed and fell forward, pinning Tagan to the ground under the weight of his dead body.

Lozan howled like he himself had been wounded.

Tagan struggled under Drebos' weight, trying to push him off as warmth flowed over his hands, making them slippery but he managed to throw Drebos aside and stand up.

A crunching, smashing noise erupted from the forest and Tagan turned to find its source. Like a bull elephant, the beastly man who had taken Kenok appeared and stood still, framed by the bush.

A flurry of anger and muscle Tyhreb stopped to survey the battle. Stopped to pick his best point of attack but the grunts and groans overwhelmed him. The sight of fighting ignited a fire in his veins and when Tagan stood, covered in blood, it was too much. The lust of battle stormed over his senses like he was being blinkered from reason. As if he were cut off from sanity. He could only see fighting. Smashing. Killing. He didn't care anymore about getting paid. He wanted to kill them all. To shred them all with his bare hands. Tyhreb charged out of the bush, right toward Tagan, pulling a short knife from his belt as he ran. Tagan was frozen in place. He hadn't seen anything so scary before in his life. He was sure he was going to die right here. The beast was almost on top of him when an unconscious part of his brain took over, urging him to run. Like two scraps of wire touching and producing a spark, the correct synapses fired and Tagan's legs responded. He turned to take a step and run but slipped in the pool of red issuing from Drebos' body and fell forward.

Tyhreb watched Tagan go down but he had too much forward momentum. Too much inertia. There was no way he could stop. He took a swipe at Tagan as he sailed past but he too tripped over the inert body of Drebos and tumbled forward, crashing right into Lozan.

Lozan's eyes widened as Tyhreb's form came flying toward him. It was like watching an asteroid coming for him. He knew he should run but he also knew it would be of no use. He was going to be obliterated and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. Tyhreb smashed into him like a locomotive, tearing Lozan off his feet and carrying him dozens of yards as he tried to get his feet under him. Trees and bush crackled all around them as they tore through the woods like Kleenex before coming to an abrupt stop, smashing into the ground. Tyhreb's full weight slammed into Lozan like a pile driver pounding a rod into the ground. Ribs snapped and sinew tore as Lozan's intestines were crushed under the brunt of Tyhreb's shoulder. All the air in Lozan's lungs came out at once in a lurching gurgle like the world's worst dry heave and his eyes bulged as if they were about to fly out of their sockets. Then Lozan fell back, flat, arms and legs askew and didn't move again.

Tyhreb stood up, looking at the pile of mush he once knew as Lozan and didn't feel bad. Death was an occupational hazard. He accepted it and assumed everyone else did as well. His blood lust satiated for the moment, his head whipped around, looking for the others. Looking for more bones to break. And there she was. The old lady, helping Tagan to his feet. His rage surged back to life, born anew. He was going to enjoy killing her. He let out a roar and charged.

Uldarra heard the roar and didn't have to look. She knew what was coming. She had stayed put at first because of the magic. When the other's ran off to save Kenok, she felt the magic again. This time it was a stronger sensation. Not by much, but enough to tell her they must be getting closer to the source. Now, at Tagan's side, the feeling grew a tiny bit more. The source must be this way. It made the most sense to get back to their horses but she knew they would never make it. This beast of a man was fast enough at normal times. In a rage like this, he could cover ground even faster. Plus, this was his home turf. He had a decided advantage. Wherever the three men had come from must be close. They stood as good a chance of getting there as they did getting to their horses. "C'mon now, deary. We can't dally."

Uldarra pulled Tagan to his feet and ran down the trail. Rean Li didn't understand and there was no time to ask questions. She watched as Uldarra took off down the trail in the direction Lozan had come from.

Tagan watched Uldarra run off as well but he couldn't follow. He had to make sure his mom and dad were coming with Rean Li. He turned and called to Rean Li as he ran toward her. "We're going that way."

"C'mon Sequil. Kenok." Rean Li turned them both in the direction Tagan was indicating. It didn't make sense to her. It seemed like they were running toward the beast of a man and not away. She could only hope Uldarra had some trick up her sleeve.

Tyhreb altered his trajectory, accounting for his prey taking the trail instead of turning back. The old lady had run off first. The young one had gone back to help her with Kenok and Sequil He knew he should have finished off the tiny woman when he had the chance.

No matter. They were actually running closer to him and this was going to make things even easier for him to dispatch them all. He was plowing through the bush like an icebreaker without any regard for his own safety. Prickles and branches were tearing his clothes, his skin but he didn't notice. A sharp pain in his thigh, probably an arrow, but he still didn't stop. Over fallen logs. Through bush. He was gaining on them, getting closer to the trail. Once there nothing would slow him down. Then he was falling forward. It as if his legs slammed into a wall but the rest of him going. He went face first, his head bashing into a log making him see stars before landing in the dirt. He tried to move his legs but they wouldn't budge. Looking down he could see a rope wound tight around his ankles. It was one of his own traps. Not strong enough to lift him up as the trap was designed, the pulling was keeping the rope tight so he couldn't kick himself free. He howled with rage and looked to the trail. They were getting away. All of them.

Tyhreb reached for his knife but it was gone, fallen off somewhere. He pulled himself toward the source of the taut rope enough to ease the pressure on the rope and managed to get his legs free. He spun around, hopping to his feet. He couldn't see anyone on the trail but he knew where the trail went and took off at a run.

"He's still down." Rean Li hollered to Tagan and Uldarra. She was helping Sequil with Kenok, lumbering as best they could.

"This way." Uldarra called over her shoulder. Urged on by the magic, she was following its energy, which continued to grow stronger and stronger.

They were running along the path as it followed the cliff edge. They rounded a corner and there was an open doorway. Uldarra made for the door but Tagan stopped, waiting for the others. Rean Li, Sequil and Kenok came huffing up. "Is he free?"

"I don't know. I lost sight of him."

"Up ahead, there's a door." Tagan pointed and took over for his mother, and they jogged toward the door. They could hear heavy footsteps pounding behind them, echoing off the rocks. It sounded like they were right on their heels. The bounded into the open doorway and heard a ferocious howl. Uldarra started pulling the door and Tagan jumped to her side, wrenching on the door. It slammed shut, the echoes of another feral growl echoing down the tunnel and back up again.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

### Vjeinka Homecoming

As Braulor had predicted, they found Vjeinka Rise abandoned, save for a few bats who had moved in during the Greejon Clan's absence. They entered on tinder-hooks anyway, walking as if they were on eggshells. It felt like it would take them forever to cross the green-space in front of the opening. Once they were inside, it was more of the same. A few meters' advance. Stop. Survey.

For Braulor, it had been torture. He understood the reason. He knew the logic. It had been he who drilled these actions into the group of men he was with. But he felt it was wasted time. Wasted effort. It was easy for him though. He knew the Shadowkeeper was finished with Vjeinka Rise. Remembering the scene of the Shadowkeeper drifting away from him with the other vile creature he had been fighting with for possession of the staff, Braulor knew the Shadowkeeper had bigger fish to fry. Vjeinka Rise was theirs without contest. Braulor let them take their time and acclimatize to the dark. He waited for the team to finish established protocols and make sure the area was secure.

Once everyone was comfortable they were safe, they lit a few torches and began a more in-depth search of the area. They moved in a large group from the cave opening to the back in a circular sweep. From this they were able to glean most of the area remained untouched, packed with the supplies which were stored here at all times. There were spare tents and rope. Fencing for livestock. Some food and other sundries. The rest of the clan had been happy to the nth degree to find it so. They were overjoyed at the prospect of finding such a bounty. They did a quick inventory of the goods and talk turned to how much each person could carry.

Braulor listened for a bit, his mind drifting elsewhere and back. He was happy they had found what they had. It would be a great boon to the clan and allow them to live life easier at camp. But coming here for supplies had been a ruse from the start. A ploy he engaged to get the Greejon council to agree to coming back to Vjeinka Rise. Helping the camp was all well and good, and he would certainly help as best he could, but he came here in search of the other half of the stone. It was a blow to him to discover, as far as he could tell, personal provisions and items had been swallowed under the debris from the Crazzank.

"So, if we all take two tents, we can house more people." Tyran was looking at things from the perspective of giving the clans-folk a warm place to take shelter from the elements. Keep them warm, keep them dry so they can be in better shape to help the rest of the clan.

"It won't be enough, Tyran." Stonjsin did the quick mental math, calculating how many people they had with them and the amount of folks he had seen in camp.

"If we don't bring back enough tents for everybody, somebody is going to have to go without. Which means there is somebody who is going to be unhappy." Crenoah interjected. He knew he didn't want to go without or his family.

"Well. What if we tie bunches of them together, and then we can carry them as a group?"

Stonjsin thought about it, picturing each of them carry a side like pall bearers. "The terrain we came through is too tough for that. It would take way too long."

"And what about the food? And the pens? Once we tell people what we found, they will wonder why we didn't bring any of those items back."

Tyran looked at Crenoah and sighed, shaking his head. Crenoah was right of course. But they couldn't bring back everything. They couldn't please everybody. Decisions had to be made about what they would bring back and what they wouldn't.

Tyran was growing frustrated. He had always aspired to be a council leader. The respect they commanded. The authority they projected. Being in on all the decisions which shaped camp life. Tyran thought it would be exciting to be in such a position and now he was the leader, he wasn't liking it. There was too much politics. Too much pandering to one person or another in an attempt to keep the group happy. Too much catering to one group or another just to keep the whole moving forward. He wondered how the previous group did it. They had made it look so easy.

Tyran looked to Braulor. Braulor was standing back from the group, surveying the mound of rubble from the Crazzank. "Braulor, what do you think we should do?"

Braulor started at Tyran calling his name and returned to the group. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

Tyran squinted his eyes at Braulor, a questioning look on his face. It wasn't like Braulor to not listen to issues which affected the camp. Braulor had been a trusted decision maker in the camp and made it a point of pride to be aware of what was going on when it came to the camp but Tyran was noticing more and more, Braulor was aloof. Distracted. Despondent. "What do you think we should do about the supplies?"

"Yeah. What do you think we should take back with us?" Stonjsin was sure Braulor would offer the same sage advice he always seemed to have on such occasions.

Braulor looked to Tyran and then Stonjsin, his brain busy knitting together the scraps of conversation he could recall as he had been listening in with only half an ear. "Oh, right. Yes. Well, you're overlooking the obvious."

Braulor said it with such conviction and ease, Tyran's mood soared. His old brother was back. Braulor knew what to do. He always did. "What is the obvious?"

Braulor looked to each of the men in the group. As they had talked about how to get supplies back to camp, all Braulor could think about, was how he was going to have time to start digging through the rubble. How was he going to find the stone when he had to help with the supplies? He could return to camp of course. Carry back some things and then come back to Vjeinka Rise to search. But all the back and forth would be time consuming. Plus, once in camp, he would be expected to help with camp life. He would have to resume his council duties, which would leave him even less time. Now he was back in the conversation, a plan was blossoming. A plan which would allow him to stay in Vjeinka Rise and begin the hunt for the other half of the stone. "We move the camp back to Vjeinka Rise."

The silence which followed Braulor's statement was so loud it almost echoed in the hollowed-out cave. At first, there was confusion like none of them could comprehend what Braulor had said. As if he were speaking in a foreign language. Then the ramifications of what Braulor said hit each of them and the barrage of questions came. Braulor stood his ground, raising his hands to quieten them down. "It's not crazy, Crenoah."

Crenoah flashed Braulor a raised eyebrow.

"Think about it. Vjeinka Rise is empty. We didn't encounter a single soul the entire way here. Our supplies are here but there's too much to carry. Even making several trips is out of the question. It would take too long. And then what? We give up Vjeinka Rise? After all the work we put into it. After all the work our ancestors put into it to make it what it is? It doesn't make sense."

Tyran thought about Braulor's idea. It did make sense but there were many issues to overcome. "I don't know if I can talk the people into coming back. We fled in such a panic, I think people will be apprehensive to return. How would they feel safe?"

Braulor could see Tyran's logic but he wasn't going to give up on his plan. He pointed to the pile of rock in the middle of Vjeinka Rise. "Look at the Crazzank, Tyran. It's cut this section off from the rest of Vjeinka Rise. We don't need to worry about attack from that side any more. And on this side, there is only the one main entrance. With the supplies we have, we can easily defend it."

"I agree with Tyran, Braulor. Getting the clan to agree to coming back to Vjeinka Rise is going to be a tough sell." Stonjsin could picture the arguments in his head.

Braulor felt like he was being stymied at every turn. Every argument rebuffed. "You saw what camp is like right now, Stonjsin. We're barely above poverty. Food is running low. There's no garden's in place to grow more. Most of the people are living in makeshift huts, or whatever they can cobble together to sleep in. Look at the space we have here. We can fit everybody inside with ease and then some. Having a warm, safe place to sleep should be the easiest thing in the world to figure out."

"Telling them about the food and supplies and space won't be enough. We need a way to sell them on the idea."

Braulor could see they were at least entertaining his idea now. He had moved them past their outright resistance. "Tell them, it's only going to be temporary. Tell them once they are back and everything is settled, we can convene and decide what to do from there. If they decide to leave then, at least there will be many hands to help carry supplies away and we will all be in better condition to make a new camp wherever we decide to go."

Crenoah nodded. He was liking the idea. He didn't like the conditions at the camp and he didn't like the idea of Vjeinka Rise any longer either but he could tolerate Vjeinka Rise for a short time while they figured out what the clan would do moving forward.

Tyran only listened as Braulor spoke. He too liked the idea but was busy trying to figure out a way to frame it to the rest of the clan. "I think it would help our argument if we at least brought back a few items. Let them see what they are missing and then they will be more willing to listen to coming back."

Braulor was overjoyed. He beamed at Tyran and clapped him on the back. "A good idea brother."

They set about picking out items to bring back. They decided on blankets and food. The people would be glad for both and then the idea of shelter would be easier broached. When the supplies were packed and ready, Braulor addressed them. He waited to this moment because he didn't want to have to argue it out earlier. "I'm going stay here."

"What? Why?"

"I think it would help your pitch, Tyran, if they knew people were still here. If they knew that someone was here, safe and sound, the whole idea wouldn't sound so scary. Besides, you're the council leader now. I don't want to interfere with the process or be a distraction."

They all stared at him so Braulor continued. "I can also start preparing for your return. Start setting things up so when you arrive it's somewhat like home."

"You want to stay by yourself?"

Braulor nodded and shrugged. "It'll be, what, four or five days if everybody agrees to come back. I can handle it."

"I know you can handle it, Braulor but I would feel better if you had some company, in case something goes wrong."

Braulor was getting antsy. He wanted them to be on their way so he could get to work but he could tell, Tyran was going to press this point. "OK. You can leave Dexem and Navrey with me. You'll need Stonjsin and Crenoah's experience around camp when you pack up."

Braulor nodded to them with smile.

Tyran agreed and signaled to the young men they were staying and then stepped to Braulor. "Fare well, brother. If all goes well, we will you see you again soon."

"Good luck, Tyran. Don't worry, you are more persuasive than you think. The clan is in good hands and they will see the benefits of returning. They will listen to you."

They hugged and Tyran turned away, marching toward the opening. Crenoah and Stonjsin stepped up and hugged Braulor as well before they too were off.

Two days had passed since Tyran and the others left to return the Greejon clan encampment. Braulor estimated, or hoped, he had another three, possibly more, days of peace to continue trying to find the stone.

In the mornings Braulor would send Dexem and Navrey out to do sentry work. When they came back from their rounds, Braulor would put them to work readying Vjeinka Rise for the clan's return. They were young and green, wanting to make an impression, so they never questioned their orders. But Braulor was no closer to finding the stone.

What he was finding out was, the piece he did have in his possession had a mind of its own. It started the very day they first returned to Vjeinka Rise. As they crossed the green-space between the tree-line and the opening to Vjeinka Rise, Braulor felt an odd sensation in his pocket. At first, he thought he had been stung by a bee or had a muscle twitch so he stopped. The feeling was still there. He took a few steps back, into the sunlight, so he could investigate deeper. When he did, the sensation faded a small amount. He looked to where the sensation was coming from and could see nothing untoward. He shrugged it off as a trick of his imagination and started walking forward again. With every step closer, the same sensation grew in small increments. He ignored it until they were inside the cave entrance when the sensation changed from a buzzy sort of nuisance to a more insistent throbbing. Reaching into his pocket, Braulor wrapped his hand around the stone and realized, the feeling was coming from it. He thought he was crazy. He thought the mixture of not enough sleep and his urgency to find the other half of the stone were causing him to make things up. To invent absurd concepts to support his plan. But he kept checking the stone and every time he did the same feeling was there. He found as they moved around Vjeinka Rise doing their search, the throbbing would ebb in some places and grow in others. Once the others had gone and Braulor had the freedom to explore more, the stone kept reacting the same way. He noticed when he walked along the line created by the debris from the Crazzank, there was one spot in particular where the stone's activity shot up to its highest amount. Knowing the clan peoples' personal goods were under all the rock and rubble, Braulor deduced the stone was reacting to the other half of the stone. He calculated he must be nearest to his chest with the other half of the stone right at this one particular spot. He started trying to dig by himself but it was futile. There was so much rock. When he and Dexem and Navrey stopped for dinner that night, he bade them the next morning, after their rounds to come and find him as he had a new place for them to start work. All the next day, the three of them dug through the rubble, taking load after load outside and dumping them along the tree-line. Braulor told Dexem and Navrey they were building a wall to help with defenses and they didn't question him. Braulor was glad Tyran had wanted them to stay with him. The two young men worked fast and hard with no complaining and late that evening they started to find personal items among the debris. Braulor realized they must be getting close.

Striding through Vjeinka Rise, Braulor smiled. He had awoken before the other two and slipped outside for a little walk in the pre-dawn light. As he walked he thought about the previous day. Some of the items they found, he recognized who they belonged too. A good sign to be sure, but it didn't mean they were any closer to finding his chest. The shifting weight of the falling rocks could have displaced all the items they fell on top of, pushing them here and there. For all he knew, his chest still lay under tons of rubble. Despite all those thoughts, Braulor felt like today would be the day. He felt this was the day he would find the other half of the stone. He would put them together and use its power to reclaim the staff. But he didn't want to take a chance of finding it with the other two nearby. He didn't want anyone to know what he was up to.

At breakfast Braulor told Dexem and Navrey, he felt they should share their good news with the rest of the clan. He wanted them to double time it back to camp and present them with the personal effects they had found as an extra measure of encouragement to return to Vjeinka Rise. Plus, it would show the clan, all was well and it was safe for them to return. They both nodded, eager for a chance to get away from the hard labor of moving rock all day. After eating, they both loaded up light packs and left Braulor, taking off at a run.

Dexem and Navrey were scarcely out of eyesight when Braulor turned and raced to where they had left off the previous night. The mountain of rock was still so high and immense, it seemed as if they had made little more than a dent in it. He pulled the stone from his pocket and held it out in front of him in the open palm of his hand. The stone was pulsating at a steady rate, as if it had a heartbeat of its own. Braulor moved his arm from side to side, noticing where the pulse grew stronger, where it grew weaker. He sidestepped, following the growing pulse. A third step and a light came to life in the stone. The light was faint but, in this darkness, it seemed to be blinding. Braulor's own heart rate spiked, sweat forming in his armpits. The stone hadn't done this before. This was new.

Another side step and the light flared a little brighter, pulse increasing. One more step and the light faded, ever so slight. Braulor took another step in the same direction to be sure and then took two steps back to where it was brightest. His chest had to be straight ahead. He pocketed the stone and went to work. Driven by his desire to get his hands on the staff, Braulor went at the pile of stones like a madman. Throwing rock to one side, then the other, then over his shoulder as if he was a human excavator. With his adrenaline flowing and his hope soaring, the rocks felt light as he pitched them. He didn't bother loading them outside. Once he got his hands on the staff, he wouldn't need to worry about the rocks. He wouldn't need to worry about the Greejon's. He wouldn't need to worry about anything.

Braulor's excitement began to wear off. His adrenaline fading, he couldn't keep up this same pace and he stopped. How long he had been working, an hour, two, three, he couldn't guess. He gasped for breath, sweat pouring from his brow, falling on his drenched shirt. Every part of his body ached, from head to toe. He looked at the rock he had moved, strewn behind him like it had been ejected by an explosion. It was a fair amount but still he felt no closer to his chest and he hadn't found any more personal items.

Too tired to move, Braulor knelt down right where he stood, his muscles crumpling as he relaxed. He pulled out the stone once again and held it up where it thrummed in his hand as if its mate were near. Its light was the brightest yet, piercing into Braulor's retinas. He stared at the stone. Sinking into it depths, he pleaded with it, begging for any kind of a sign no matter how small. Please. Please help me find the other half. As if in response the light in the stone increased, growing beyond its physical boundaries, pulsing to a flaring flash. The light chased the shadows back, reaching into every gap between the rocks of the little alcove Braulor had dug out. And then a twinkle. A spike of light so quick it was like a wink and then the stone went dark.

Braulor crammed the stone into his pocket again and crawled forward with renewed energy, renewed hope. Once again, he heaved rock aside like a machine, throwing this way and that. He pulled a large stone away and mini avalanche of rock spilled forward, washing around him like a wave of stone. And there it was. A brass edge of a chest. Braulor felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room. A huge weight settled in his chest. What if this wasn't his chest? What if it was? Either argument had pros and cons attached to it. It was the con's he was afraid of.

Extracting his legs from the loose rubble surrounding them, he crawled along the carpet of rock to the chest and began sweeping stone from its sides and top. Inch by inch, the chest came into sharper relief. The chest was about half exposed when Braulor could wait no longer. Like a kid at his birthday party, he wanted his presents now and grabbed hold of the chest, heaving with every ounce of strength he had left. He pulled and pulled, flexing his arms and back and leg muscles as if he was trying to save the universe. The chest sprang free, the rock releasing its hold on it and sending Braulor tumbling. He rolled over, off his back, to a kneeling position and stared at the chest. The piece of stone in his pocket was thumping like a wild animal, threatening to burst right through the fabric. This was his chest. He raised a shaking hand and grasped the silver chain around his neck. Pulling upward he could feel the key attached to the chain dragging over his chest like a tickle of anticipation. He took the chain right over his head, the key swinging forward and backward. Braulor grasped the key and inserted into the lock and swallowed hard. This was it. Everything he wanted was at this moment in time. Right here, right now. He turned the key and lock gave way with a gentle click. With both hands on the lid, he rolled it back revealing a jumble of contents inside. Braulor reached in, throwing everything in his way out, until he reached the bottom. There was the cloth. A gold piece of cloth, wrapped in a little bundle. He grabbed the bundle and rolled back on his heels. With ginger movements, he pulled the wrapping apart until the stone dropped into his hand. It too was pulsating, its light bright. Tears came to his eyes as he fumbled in his pocket and produced the other half of the stone. He now had a piece in one palm and a piece in the other. For a long time Braulor stared at the pieces, his eyes flashing back and forth between them so fast it already seemed like they were one. As much as he wanted to join the pieces together, he was wary. He wanted everything to turn out the way he had imagined in his mind over and over but there was no guarantee it would. There was no guarantee of anything. If he stayed as he was, holding the pieces, he would always have hope. As if he were reading a book, he didn't want this chapter to end and if he stopped reading now, the outcome would always be what he imagined.

Braulor had come this far though. He had been through hell and back again to arrive at this moment. He had to follow through. He had to put the pieces of stone together and see what happened next. He gripped them in his fingertips and took a deep breath. Moving them closer together, he felt like he was going to explode with a volatile mixture of joy and fear. Tendrils of light reached out from one half to the other like little squid arms, searching for a hand to hold. The stone too seemed as if it could wait no longer to be complete. In on quick motion, Braulor pushed the two pieces together, closing his eyes as he did so. He could see through his eyelids the light flare and then die. Opening his eyes, he rolled the heels of his hands together so the stone lay across both palms. It was magnificent to behold and Braulor drank in every beautiful fissure. Fused together, the two pieces formed a heart shape. But nothing else changed.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

### The Lure of the Lair

Back and forth. Back and forth. Grawton was growing weary of the trips to the Shadowkeeper's lair, but he was hooked. From the moment he awoke the dais and observed the meeting between... He stopped there. He didn't know what meeting he had watched or who was involved. All Grawton knew was he had been privy to the information they were sharing and like an addict, he wanted more. And like and addict, he needed his fix. He needed the rush the power gave him to be able to make it through each day. But the meeting he observed had been it. A one off, it would seem, for every time he had returned to the dais since, nothing had happened. There had been little blips, teasers he called them. He would be poring over the dais, watching as an eagle would for a stray hare, and the material inside would tremble like something was about to happen. His excitement would skyrocket as he braced himself but nothing would materialize. The little blip would be all there was. Grawton would rage, charging around the chamber, uttering every swear and curse word he could think of. He would soar from the Shadowkeeper's lair, returning to his throne and mete out the worst kinds of punishment imaginable to the newcomers of Tâ Oandimn. He didn't stop there either. As his foul mood grew, he lashed out at anybody who dared to get in his way. Every time he looked out on Tâ Oandimn, he could feel it trembling in fear of him, like a dog cowering at the distant sounds of thunder. If his mind were in a better place, he would love every minute of it. He would be out and about, soaking up the atmosphere, reveling in the putridity of despair.

Being out and about would take precious time away from it, though. Being out and about would take time away he could be spending in front of the dais. Time he could be tuning in and gathering more information. Grawton was already concerned with the amount of time being wasted while he was away from the dais. Every moment he was away from the dais was unproductive as far as he was concerned. Like the junkie drying out, he was having visions. Visions of the dais coming to life while he was absent and nobody there to see what was happening. He had become recluse in his tower. Sitting on his throne while his mind was in front of the dais. Then he realized what he needed. He needed a second in command. Someone he could trust to keep Tâ Oandimn under his rule while he figured out the dais.

This was a double-edged sword though. How could he know whoever was his second in command wasn't gunning to be first in command? After all, he had done the same thing to the Shadowkeeper. Following along in his wake. Doing his bidding. Being the perfect yes man at every turn. Granted, Grawton enjoyed the abusive power being the Shadowkeeper's underling afforded him but it was always with a mind for more. Always with a thirst to grow stronger. The desire to overthrow the Shadowkeeper had been there from the start. Like a plant he was nurturing, Grawton would let time and experience fertilize the seed until it rooted. He would take all the time necessary for the roots to grow strong enough to bloom. Knowing this, how could he trust anyone? But he needed someone. He reminded himself, he had the staff, something the Shadowkeeper never had while he ruled. The staff gave Grawton something extra. The staff was the great equalizer and nobody could assume Grawton's power as long as the staff was his. This made it easier for Grawton to pick a second in command. He didn't advertise or let it be known he was looking for such. Grawton didn't want a bunch of sycophantic wannabes dogging his every step as they tried to prove they were the one he was looking for. No. Those who tried to hard weren't what he needed. They were the types to get into power and then revert to some slacker that would be of no use to him. The person Grawton needed had to be like himself. They had to be evil, not to prove something, but because it was who they were. They would commit atrocities for no other reason than they loved doing it and they would be the same no matter what their position was. They had to be evil, not act evil. There is a difference.

So, Grawton went about his business. He had a short list of those he thought would be potentials and kept an eye on those he gave tasks to. He was keeping a mental tally of who displayed the kind of attitude he wanted and was able to quickly weed out those he found unsuitable and narrowed the list down, one by one, until a clear choice emerged. It was Stragnu. Stragnu hadn't even been on his radar at first. He came across Stragnu by accident one day. Looking him over, Grawton remembered Stragnu arriving in Tâ Oandimn. He and the Shadowkeeper hammered on him without mercy but Stragnu was like an anvil in a blacksmiths shop. He could handle anything you threw at him and then some. You could beat on him until you grew weak and fell to the ground. When you looked up, Stragnu would be there. Undaunted. Unfazed. There had been a large influx of souls at the time so they flushed Stragnu through Kasadu. Grawton had never thought about him again. Now here he was. Unaffected by his time here, Stragnu was still like the anvil. Strong. Silent. Unwavering. But what Grawton liked most was, Stragnu was like the anvil. Stragnu was a blunt instrument. He had one function and one function alone. Stragnu would never stray from his function. He would never be anything more than an anvil. Which meant Stragnu would never be angling to take Grawton's job. He wouldn't be looking for Grawton's weakness' and a way he could stab him in the back. Stragnu would always be there for Grawton, doing what he did best.

Grawton was amazed at how much bringing Stragnu on as his second freed him up. Stragnu needed little supervision so Grawton was able to leave him in charge for longer and longer intervals. Every time Grawton checked in, Stragnu was running things exactly as Grawton had commanded, to the letter. This left Grawton free to pursue the dais. Free to fathom its depths because he knew Stragnu was on top of things in his absence.

Grawton drifted through the invisible barrier to the Shadowkeeper's lair once again, floating through the membrane like one cell joining another. The process had become anemic, devoid of life. Where there was once excitement at arriving here, now it was humdrum. Dull. The membrane was a checkpoint on his way to the dais. A gate he had to pass and it grew to be nothing more. Nor did going through the area leading to the dais. It was there. Nothing more. Grawton had given up trying to figure out how the Shadowkeeper had created this. He didn't care, to be honest. Grawton's desire was to figure out how to use the dais. The existence of the dais did explain much. Like how the Shadowkeeper was always ahead of events. How the Shadowkeeper knew when there would be large influx of souls and when there would be dry spells. Grawton had always tried to figure it out but never could. He assumed, since Tâ Oandimn was an extension of the Shadowkeeper, he was in tune with its rhythms in a way Grawton couldn't be. But the more Grawton thought about, the more he realized, the Shadowkeeper knew these things from the Dais. Somehow the Shadowkeeper had designed it to be able to look into other worlds and glean information. The concept seemed amazing to Grawton. To have the ability to see into another reality was incredible. Grawton longed to have the power. Longed to use the power.

As he followed the avenues of logic Grawton realized if the dais was powerful enough to open a window into other worlds, it could be exploited for more. The power could be expanded in some way, allowing him to contact those realms. But it was the Shadowkeeper's creation. It was of the Shadowkeeper's design and only the Shadowkeeper knew what the runes meant and what they did. Grawton was a hack at best. He happened along the other meeting by sheer luck. To really use the dais to its full potential, he had to know more.

In the dais room, Grawton felt his dependency on it. He both adored and loathed the dais at the same time He felt his urge to make it work but didn't want to taste the disappointment of staring at nothing. He didn't want to walk into the barrier of his ignorance, yet again. Resigned to why he had come here, he touched the staff to the wall, waiting for the sequence of runes to fire and complete their cycle. He went to the dais edge and looked in once again. Once again, there was nothing to see. Grawton was about to fly off the handle. Let his rage loose once again, when there was a blip. A tiny ripple of activity. Grawton's hope surged but he tamped down on it right away. He had been down this road before and it ended in disappointment. He didn't want to get his hopes up too much. He calmed himself and stared into the substance. Another blip, this time stronger. Grawton didn't know what to do. He wished he had some semblance of an idea. Some straw to grasp at which would turn the blips into full blown connections. Out of desperation, he touched the staff the substance.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

### Shades of LeFirte

Akeir Nou strolled with casual ease. It was another beautiful day in Quanna Eresse. The same as yesterday and the day before. The same as every day she could remember for days uncounted. It was early afternoon. The sun was on the last half of its journey across the blue sky. It was warm, but not exceedingly so. Pleasant would be the best word for it. Her path was taking her around ponds, through meadows and lea's. Akeir Nou's feet had traversed this path many times before. Her footing was so sure, Akeir Nou was certain she could walk this path with her eyes closed. Her unconscious kept track of the visual queues which let her know she was getting closer. It wouldn't be long now and she would be at LeFirte.

As an Odign, Akeir Nou was a defender of LeFirte. A function she took on with great reverence. Many of the other Odign had grown weary of coming out to LeFirte. For some, it was too much for them to see the tree in such a state. It was too much for them to live with the knowledge they were separated from the supreme. For others, it was too much to look at the tree and feel the guilt. It was the Odign's responsibility to defend the tree and they had failed. For them, the LeFirte was the source of their greatest joy and their greatest pain. They didn't want to face the tree. They didn't want to have to look on LeFirte and feel the disgrace of their failure.

The duty of coming out to LeFirte had never been struck from their regimen of duties. According to Queen Amhain's charter, they Odign were still responsible for attending to the tree. And, at first, after the LeFirte's final act to save itself, the duty was carried out with great diligence. Where there was shock at what happened, there was also hope. A growing wave of faith which held this was a new start. The beginning of a new era. A squad of Odign were assigned to stay near the tree, to ensure when it came to life, they would be there to greet it. As time passed and there were no signs from LeFirte of ending her hiatus, faith waned. Then was lost altogether. The squad assigned here was recalled and put to other uses around the city. Although the tree was lost to them, there were other ways in which Quanna Eresse thrived and the Queen wanted to make sure those ways were given the attention they needed.

The tending by the Odign was still carried out though, as best they could. The tending of the tree became a cycle. Every other day an Odign would make the trip out, passing their returning comrade en-route. But that too proved to be futile and care was scaled back to weekly. As it was at least a full day's journey from the city proper each way, fewer and fewer Odign were willing to make the journey. In the end it fell to a handful of Odign who had never given up hope. A handful of Odign who had never thrown in the towel. They would take turns making the trip and staying a week to watch over LeFirte before being replaced by a fellow Odign.

The path plunged into a dense patch of trees, blotting out the sun. It wasn't far now to the camp they used. Akeir Nou used the last few miles to the camp to reflect on her last trip out. It was the same as any other. Nothing of note to report. The lack of change never got her down though. She never wavered in her desire to come out to the camp. She never wished her time to be over. Akeir Nou cherished the week alone she would spend out here. Away from the city, away from the people, she was free to dream as much as she dare and she returned from each week with a renewed sense of purpose. A renewed sense of hope. Rounding the last turn and the camp came into view. A shelter and nothing more, it wasn't lavish but it would be hers for the week. Ingor Pna was waiting for her to arrive. He was, like Akeir Nou, sympathetic to the LeFirte and would never give up hope of the tree springing to life again. He smiled, bright and wide as she approached.

"Hail, Akeir Nou."

Ingor Pna stepped down from the porch and walked toward Akeir Nou.

"Ingor Pna."

They met a few feet from the shelter and embraced.

"What news have you to share, Ingor Pna?"

Ingor Pna, frowned and shook his head. "Nothing has changed Akeir Nou. She's still the same as you saw her last."

Akeir Nou sighed, sharing Ingor Pna's dejection. "Perhaps this is the week then."

"Perhaps." Ingor Pna nodded with a slight frown and hopeful eyes. "What news from the city?"

Akeir Nou thought for a moment, trying to drum up anything of note. She couldn't and only shrugged her shoulders.

"I see. Well, I'm going to get my pack and be on my way then."

Ingor Pna disappeared into the shelter, returning as he shouldered his pack. "Take care, Akeir Nou."

"Take care, Ingor Pna. I look forward to when we meet again."

They shared a quick smile and Ingor Pna turned, walking away, down the same path Akeir Nou's feet had just been on.

Akeir Nou watched him go until she could see him no longer, then took her own pack into the shelter and dropped it on the bed. The day was growing short and she wanted to pop out to LeFirte and have a look before nightfall. She went around the small shelter, looking to see what needed attending. Ingor Pna had left it in great condition. He always did. Plenty of water and firewood. The food he didn't eat, he left behind. Akeir Nou had brought her own supply so she wasn't concerned. She ate a hasty meal, donned her tunic and walked outside. The first oranges of sunset were appearing in the sky, bathing the valley in their light. Revived from her brief respite, Akeir Nou picked up her walking staff and headed down the trail.

The walk to LeFirte from the cabin was brief. Maybe a half hour at regular pace, but she was in a hurry to get there and covered the distance in about twenty minutes. The trail led through more forest before opening onto a large plain below. The trail ended right here, dropping off into nothing and Akeir Nou stopped, letting her gaze drift along the plain until they came to rest on LeFirte. Her heart soared at the sight and also filled with sadness. The once great tree, alive and vibrant with color and life, was dormant. In the shape of a tree, LeFirte looked hollowed out like an empty gray husk. The area around it was equally gray and dismal. It was as if fire consumed the entire plain, burning out the inside of the tree and leaving the shell as a sad reminder. Leaving the shell as a continuing punch line to a bad joke.

Akeir Nou longed to run out there and hug the tree. Give her life to it, if only it would bring it back for a fraction of a second but she couldn't. The ground past the end of the trail was where her realm ended. A barrier they couldn't pass, and their magic users had tried. The plain she was looking at was of unknown origin. Until LeFirte had committed her final act, they enjoyed full access to the tree. They could walk right up and touch her. Love her. Now the gray husk was like a mirage. Like a backdrop from a movie, there but not there to be walked on or enjoyed. There to give substance and that's all. She sighed, extending a hand toward LeFirte, trying to transmit how sorry she was for what happened. How sorry she was for not being to do anything more for LeFirte than sit and watch.

Akeir Nou dropped her hand to her side. Turning to her right, she walked the few steps to a platform they had made over the years. On the platform was a chair. A comfy chair, it was designed for them to be able to sit in for hours at a time and still feel comfortable. From here they could sit in the chair and observe the plain. She sunk into the chair, putting her staff on the ground as she did and then leaning back. Akeir Nou didn't realize how tired she was until she sat down and the miles she had traveled over the day caught up to her. She let her eyes drift shut, rubbing the sleep from them. She didn't want to sleep yet, she wanted to watch the tree. But sleep had other ideas and stole over her. Akeir Nou's head nodded forward.

The chair was wiggling, a rumbling filling her ears and Akeir Nou's eyes snapped open. She looked around to find it was full dark. Letting her eyes adjust, the rumbling faded and she looked down at the chair. Did it move while she slept? She chastised herself for falling asleep in the first place. It wasn't often but it happened before.

Her chair rumbled once more with greater intensity. The ground around her was quivering. She stood from the chair, turning around in a slow circle trying to see what was causing the disturbance. The rumbling stopped and she stood still, watching. Waiting. She was afraid to move for fear if she did, she would miss something. It was like she was waiting for the next peal of thunder.

And the next peal came with a ferocious bang. The ground under her feet shifted and she fell forward, grabbing the arms of the chair. The chair was lurching like an animal caught in a trap and threw her aside. She hit the ground and rolled over a few times, landing on her back. She propped herself up on her hands and looked out into the plain. Under the influence of the ground around it, LeFirte was shaking violently. Akeir Nou screamed so loud she could hear it over the rumbling ground. As she rolled over onto her knees Akeir Nou called out, afraid the fragile husk of a tree would break apart under the strain of the shaking ground. The shaking started to subside and a low hum could be heard, like a bee was buzzing nearby. As if she were nearing a power plant. The hum grew in intensity to the point where Akeir Nou had to cover her ears. She realized she should close her eyes too, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She didn't want to miss a thing, no matter what happened to her. The hum circled around the plain, like a hurricane picking up in intensity. A crack rent the air and shards of silvery light sparked to life along the plain. The shards raced toward LeFirte like they were mad with desire. Hitting the tree, they raced around its trunk like a ship picking up speed in orbit until they sling-shotted up the trunk. Like fireworks, shards broke off in every direction, blasting up the tree and into branches. As the light raced along branches, the leaves came to light. A kaleidoscope of color, so vivid, it almost blinded Akeir Nou. The moment the leaves were lit, the plain changed. All kinds of people and structures popped in and out of existence like somebody was giving them a try, looking for the right fit. As if somebody was cycling through a photo album looking for the picture they longed to see. Then they were gone. The lights. The color. The people and structures. All of it, gone in a fraction of a second as LeFirte shutdown like city lights during a power outage and was dark once again.

Akeir Nou stayed where she was as the rumbling ceased. It took some time for her brain to even register what she had seen. She tried to recall the visions as LeFirte came to life but her excitement was overriding her logic and she wasn't quite sure if what she saw had been real or not. Maybe it was all some horrible dream. Pulling her hands away from her ears it was so quiet, like the quiet following a thunderstorm. She pushed herself to her feet, unsure on trembling legs. LeFirte was there still, out on the plain, but it looked different now. It looked ashen colored and more solid, as if having partially reformed. Tears started to pour down Akeir Nou's cheeks. She choked on her emotions, trying to assemble a cohesive thought, while her heart pounded like a stag which had sprinted flat out for dozens of miles. Akeir Nou turned and ran. Blinded by tears, she ran. Ran into trees. Tripped over roots. Her ecstatic hysteria drove her forward like an icebreaker. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing was going to slow her down. Akeir Nou had to get back to the city and tell the Queen. She had to get back to Ameuralia and tell everyone.

LeFirte was alive.

### CHAPTER THIRTY

### Everything Slips

The Shadowkeeper was in his cell as he had been for an untold passage of time. Nobody had come to see him. Nobody had come to question him. Nobody had come to even take him away to meet his end. In a way he wished they would finish him. Put him out of his misery already. He was going nowhere and, with Grawton having assumed reign over Tâ Oandimn, he had nowhere to go. The Shadowkeeper assumed King Ksendra had enough information to work with and there was no use for him anymore. Why, then, were they keeping him around? Was this some sort of mind game? Was this how they dealt with every prisoner? Leave them to dwell in an eternal prison, their thoughts the only company they would have? It was enough to drive anyone mad. Which perhaps, was the point.

As he was running the scenarios over in his mind once again, everything changed. For a fraction of time, the cell he was in, cracked. Cracked was the best way he could rationalize what happened in his brain. It the best way he could describe it to himself which made any sense. Like fractures to an egg shell, splinters of light split the cell into multi facets, spreading over every side of his containment like lightning forks. It wasn't a bright, blinding light but a more subdued light like you would find where sunlight and shadow intersect. The walls. The ceiling. The floor. All looked like a tiled mosaic made of broken pieces of smoky glass. The splinters of light flared, thickening to the point where they threatened to consume the entire cell. Then they began morphing into shapes. Shapes he recognized. Bits of tree. Parts of rock. City street with the odd foot showing here and there. It was like he was watching a slide-show of reality, broken into abstract parts and broadcast on a green screen. Looking beyond his cell, he could see the same thing happening everywhere his vision reached. The Ottarian's were casting about here and there, trying to figure out what was going on. Some freaked out and fled. Others looked to attack the light and smash it out of existence like it was a mosquito which had woken them from sleep.

The Shadowkeeper knew what was going on and he looked around, trying to capture every image he could. He knew the images wouldn't last. He knew what he was seeing was temporary at best, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. LeFirte was coming alive. But how? Was the Amber Eye found? Was there some other way she was awoken he didn't know about? He doubted the latter. After the Amber Eye had been lost, the Shadowkeeper observed many attempts to bring her back to life through his dais. All attempts failed as he suspected they would. The Shadowkeeper was familiar with all the spell-work available to Queen Amhain and the Odign. There was nothing which could bring LeFirte back unless the Amber Eye was found, plain and simple.

The light was alluring, captivating, and the Shadowkeeper longed to touch it. He longed to feel it once more as he had when he was still young. The very existence of the light in this place was releasing a torrent of suppressed memories. Memories of times long past where he was carefree, knowing only joy and happiness. Against everything he had become, he yearned for a tactile connection to this light. The Shadowkeeper reached out to touch a section of his cell and everything switched back to normal. Like the needle of record player sinking into the proper groove, the music stopped skipping and went back to normal. The change was so quick, it was like the light was afraid of him. As if the Shadowkeeper's touch was anathema to it. No matter. He had seen enough. He had to get out of this cell. If LeFirte was coming back to life, The Shadowkeeper needed to be a part of what was happening. In it from the beginning, the Shadowkeeper wanted to be there to shape the end to what he always envisioned; a world under his rule.

The Shadowkeeper racked his brain. How was he going to get out of this one? His realm had been taken over by Grawton. The staff was... Well, who knew where the staff was. Before Grawton assumed reign over Tâ Oandimn, it would have been an easy task for the Shadowkeeper to be able to return there. It had been his plan all along. To send the staff to Tâ Oandimn for safe keeping and then use it as incentive to hatch new plans with King Ksendra. Now, the Shadowkeeper could only see what was in his immediate area. He never felt so vulnerable. He had always had skills. Always had power. Even when he was still in Quanna Eresse, he was a force to be reckoned with and never feared anyone or anything. Now he was reduced to a speck. An observer of events to come and nothing more. He might as well be a statue.

"Clhla Luth."

The Shadowkeeper turned to face the voice. "What do you want, Kyriu? Have you come to mock me? Gloat over how you got the best of me?"

"It is I, Clhla Luth. Alrei Yqu."

For the first time in a long time, the Shadowkeeper was shocked. Stunned. Of all the turn of events, he couldn't have planned it better. He had sensed the dark streak in Alrei Yqu from the moment they met. The Shadowkeeper could tell, even then, Alrei Yqu had power like his own. Power he wouldn't be content with until he explored every aspect of it. If the staff ceremony had gone off as planned, Alrei Yqu would have been his protégé. "Alrei Yqu. But how? Where are you?"

"Like you, I am trapped. Trapped by the actions of LeFirte in a prison of my own making."

"It was you who went after the Amber Eye. Am I right?" The Shadowkeeper was proud. After the fiasco with the staff, he was sure no one would dare go down the only other avenue they could to bring about the world he strove to create.

"After your incarceration, I took up your mantle and picked up where you left off. While the war raged with the Draepkos, I was working with them to figure out how to finish what you started. We figured the Amber Eye was our best shot so we took it. The outcome, you have seen for yourself."

"I think LeFirte is coming back to life."

"I agree. It seemed for a moment LeFirte was awoken but I can't figure out how. Do you think the Amber Eye was found?"

"I can't say for sure but I don't feel it was. If the Amber Eye was restored, it would stay that way. This was more like a flicker. Like someone switching LeFirte on and off."

"But who could do that?"

The Shadowkeeper fell silent, his mind was working overtime, sifting through details. Skimming through thoughts and information. Fusing them with gut instincts and abject guesswork. He was piecing them together with the skill of a savant puzzle maker. The staff was a piece of LeFirte. He had sent the staff to Tâ Oandimn for safekeeping. Grawton had taken over rule of Tâ Oandimn. All this added up to a singular conclusion. Grawton had found the Shadowkeeper's dais. The dais he built when he was first banished from Quanna Eresse. Not knowing his final fate once he was cut off from his home-world, the Shadowkeeper went to work building. He hadn't given up on his vision and being banished, at the time, seemed like nothing more than an inconvenience. He took the only thing available to him in the ether, energy, and shaped it. Molded it. He didn't know what he was building at first, he only knew he had to do something to keep himself in the game. To keep his dream viable. As he worked, he realized what he was creating. It was a re-creation from Quanna Eresse. A replica from Queen Amhain's private garden.

The Shadowkeeper had been assigned to the Queen's castle as an Odign, while he was still a new initiate. While he still held firm to the queen's beliefs and doctrines. Having been kept hidden through eons of Queen Amhain's ancestral rule, the general public had no idea it existed. It was an exquisite garden, as were all the others in the royal grounds, but this one contained a secret. This garden had an unknown purpose. In the middle of this garden stood a stone building. Inside the stone building was a platform with a dais, surrounded by glyphs. Queen Amhain's family didn't build the dais, it was founded by a long past ancestor. At first, they didn't know what it was for. It was beautiful and ornate, they knew it must have been built for a specific purpose. Generation upon generation past while they backward engineered the glyphs. This became the process through which their Eressian magic had been constructed. Through trial and error, they discovered the dais could be used to find information. Nothing earth shaking but potent enough it allowed them to ascend to power and keep it all those generations. In his desire to stay with what was going on in other realms, the Shadowkeeper had copied the queen's dais. And now, Grawton was unraveling its use. "I think I know."

### CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

### External Combustion

How long it lasted, Grawton didn't know, but once the staff came into contact with the substance, it felt as if something was drawing the staff in, pulling it from his grasp. He had almost lost it once, it wasn't going to happen again. But the force pulling on it was almost too much for him to handle. Whatever was at the other end wanted the staff as much or more. Grawton had to exert every bit of strength he could find to wrench the staff away from the dais. He flew back some ways from the effort and the colored glyphs died away, growing dim as if they were cooling from being too hot.

He hadn't seen anything like it before. When he touched the staff to the material inside the dais, the dais, the Shadowkeeper's lair and Tâ Oandimn itself began to phase out of time and space. As if the atoms holding everything together were pulsing on and off. Whatever he was expecting from touching the staff to the material in the dais, it wasn't that. Now he didn't know what to do. This was uncharted ground for him. Where could he take this power? How could he use it? Maybe he was imagining what happened. He was the only one present. How did he know it wasn't only a figment of his imagination? Or it could have been some defensive measure the Shadowkeeper put in place. Should he try again? Give it another go and see if the same thing happened?

He looked to the staff. It shimmered like it was excited. As if it too was having the same thought of trying again. Grawton paused. He knew he was going to try again. He knew there was no way he couldn't try again. After what he had discovered, he had to keep probing. Keep testing, until the power was understood. Keep penetrating deeper into the power until he could figure out what he was dealing with and how to use it to his advantage. So why not now? He knew if he left without trying once more, the thought would fester in his mind. He knew it would pick at him until he gave in and came back to try. He was here now, what better time could there be?

But he remembered the force on the other side pulling on it. He remembered how much it wanted the staff. What was the other force? Where did it come from? It was powerful. Powerful beyond anything he could put words to. Perhaps he could coerce the power. Perhaps he could bend it to his will and make it do what he wanted. He would have to make sure he had a better grip on the staff this time. Grawton set his resolve and then touched the staff to the wall, igniting the runes once again. They sprang to life as if they had been expecting his call, racing their way around the room with glee. So, used to the procedure now, his timing was precise as they wound to the platform and he moved onto it. The runes finished their journey, winding their way up the dais and stopped. They were waiting for him. It felt like everything was waiting for him. Waiting for this moment. Grawton felt alive with anticipation. He knew something was going to happen. How big a something, he didn't know but he was eager to find out. Eager to push the envelope. He circled the dais as he always did, watching. Waiting. Looking for any blips. Looking for anything he hadn't seen before. As much as he wanted to wade right into the thick of things, he knew it wouldn't be prudent. He knew he had to, at the very least, take one moment before he leaped.

The room was quiet. The dais was quiet. It was as if both were holding their breath. Like they had put their life savings on a single game of roulette and now they were waiting for the ball to find a home. Waiting like everything in the world came down to this one spin

Grawton brought the staff up in front of him and wrapped both hands around it, squeezing. Like the room itself, he was lost in heady anticipation of what could be. He looked down at the substance in the dais. The substance sat silent. Unmoving. Dark as ever but it felt like it was calling to him. Willing him to do it. Urging him to go for it and chiding him for taking so long. He looked the staff up and down once again and plunged it into the substance.

### CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

### The Ovtyll

"Are we all here then, dearies?"

Uldarra's melodic voice penetrated the dark, putting a momentary stop to the panting as one by one they responded. Tagan first, then Rean Li followed by Sequil and Kenok. Kenok's voice sounded ragged, as if it were a great burden to acknowledge Uldarra.

"Good. Good. Well. I wonder where we go from here."

As if in response the door shuddered. And then shuddered again. It was like it was a bass drum keeping rhythm. Tagan could only imagine the rage being poured onto it from the man on the other side of the door.

"We can't go back that way, I wouldn't think."

As their eyes adjusted, Rean Li found a torch burned down to an ember and blew on the hot coal. It took a few puffs, but it flared to life. She swung it about them, lighting their safe-hold in circular relief. She spotted a few more torches discarded on the floor and handed one to Tagan and another to Uldarra. They both lit theirs from hers.

"Do you know this place, Tagan?" Rean Li knew Tagan had been in the citadel before and hoped he would have some idea about the tunnel.

Tagan shook his head as he looked around the smooth walls. "No. I've never been in here before. I didn't even know it was here."

"Well, judging by the size of the entourage Lozan brought with him, this place wasn't known by all." Uldarra was still feeling the tendrils of magic but in this tunnel, they were frazzled. Distorted as if they were passing through a translucent substrate. She looked at the others in turn with a wide smile. "I guess we get to find out where this tunnel leads."

Uldarra walked in the lead as they descended the steps of the tunnel. Those behind her were trying to keep as quiet as possible which wasn't easy as Tagan and Sequil were carrying Kenok between them. Rean Li brought up the rear.

Uldarra's eyes swept side to side, always wary for danger or changes but there were neither. The tunnel was smooth and continued downward at a steady angle. The magic was still coming at her in obfuscated waves, but she could tell it was getting stronger. It was like a homing beacon to her, leading her to the source.

Uldarra came to stop, putting her hand out behind her to stop the others. There was an increase in magic intensity. Acute to the magic, she felt it before it happened and braced herself, she knew it was going to be strong. It slammed into her, dropping her to her knees. The tunnel came alive, shimmering colors and images racing up and down the smooth walls and steps. The others gasped in amazement, Rean Li crying out as if she had been struck. But she couldn't help them at the moment. Uldarra had her own concerns. As soon as she knew the magic was going to spike, she readied herself. The magic was overwhelming. It had been so long since she felt the full force of the Eressian magic, it filled her heart with love and brought tears to her eyes. She had to find the source though. She couldn't stop and savor the feeling. This was a spike, a fluctuation, and Uldarra had to take full advantage while it lasted. She focused hard on the stone piece she had given Braulor. She needed to know where he was and if the stone was complete. She fought through the entanglement of images and sensations bombarding her, looking for the stone. Looking for the piece of herself she put into it. Her focus was narrowing, squeezing tighter and tighter as if she was turning the eyepieces of binoculars to get a better view. Through air and stone and earth, her vision came to settle in a dark cavern. It swept across the floor, zooming along a dark line of rock before coming across a man. It zoomed up behind the man and looked over his shoulder. There on the ground was the stone, fully formed and in one piece. It was flaring in tune with the magic and then went out. As did Uldarra's connection. Dropped like someone hung up on her and the magic was reduced to a low pulsing dial tone.

"What happened?" Sequil cried out. "Was that an earthquake." She and Tagan had laid Kenok down and were shielding him with their bodies.

"No, deary. It was no earthquake." Uldarra was still on her knees, reeling from the magic's aftermath.

"It was LeFirte. I would know the feeling anywhere."

Rean Li was on her feet, touching the walls with her free hand, pressing her cheeks to the cold stone, trying to capture another taste of the feeling.

"LeFirte? I thought we needed the Amber Eye to awaken her?" Tagan stood, helping Sequil pull Kenok to standing.

"It was only a one off. LeFirte hasn't been awoken. If she had been, we would know." Uldarra climbed to her feet, shaking her head. "But still, it was LeFirte. How did it happen?" A rhetorical question more for herself as she knew none of them knew how or why.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know what it means, deary, but we'd best get moving and see if we can find out." Uldarra gave Tagan a sly wink and continued forward.

They moved on, each of them keeping their senses as sharp as possible for any more occurrences but nothing happened. The rest of their descent uneventful and ending at a picture which opened into some large private quarters.

"This is Lozan's chambers." Tagan was walking around looking at the room. He had never been in Lozan's quarter but judging by the size and décor, there could be no other explanation.

"Let's put Kenok in the bed here. I don't think Lozan will be using it anymore." Rean Li stepped to Kenok's free side and helped Sequil take Kenok to the large bed along one side of the room. They got him under the covers and Sequil sat astride him, stroking his head.

"I am going to have a look around." Rean Li strode to the door and opened it a crack, making sure the way was clear. Before anyone could object, she was out the door, pulling it closed behind her.

Uldarra walked around the room hand behind her back, stopping at various intervals as she cast about for the source of the magic she was feeling.

Tagan walked along the row of windows before stopping at one. It looked down on the courtyard and he could see rows of army, readying themselves, falling in. People were scrambling to and fro.

The door opened again and Tagan jumped, turning his head to see Rean Li charging back into the room.

"The citadel is under attack."

"Under attack?" Sequil, busy catering to Kenok, wondered when this adventure was going to end. When would everything go back to normal so they could stop running and hiding?

Tagan turned back to the window he had been looking out, adding Rean Li's information to what he was seeing down below. "Something is going on. The guards are falling in in the courtyard."

Rean Li ran to the window, looking over Tagan's shoulder.

"Could it be a drill?"

"I don't think so, Sequil. I didn't get very far but far enough. Guards were mobilizing as if they were going to war. They looked far to panicked for it to be a drill."

"Maybe it's the ghastly man who had Kenok." Sequil wrapped her arms around her husband, pulling him close as if protecting him.

"We have to get out of here." Uldarra, silent until this point, was swimming in the magic vibes, trying to get a sense of where it was emanating from. It was luxurious and pleasant like she was taking a bath, which made it difficult for her to pursue the source. She wanted to stop here and let the magic wash away at her senses for eternity.

"She's right. We have to get out of here." Rean Li, having seen enough, stepped away from the window, pushing lightly on Tagan's shoulder, and adjusted her equipment.

"Why?" Tagan turned away from the window, still enjoying the warmth of Rean Li's close proximity. "If there is an attack, this is the safest place to be."

"Think about it, Tagan. The guards are fine now, getting armed and ready, but sooner or later they are going to need more guidance. When they do, they are going to come looking for their leader."

They each shuddered as they remembered the crushing demise Lozan had come to.

"And they won't take kindly to finding us holed up in the leader's quarters."

Tagan knew they were right. But where could they go? What could they do? He didn't exactly long for another trip down the waterfall as an escape route. "Where do we go then?"

"Can we find another room to hide out in until this is over?" Sequil looked down at Kenok. His skin was pale, breathing shallow as he gazed with unconfused eyes straight ahead. Sequil didn't like the idea of having to move Kenok yet again. She didn't know if he would be able to handle another move.

"Once they figure out something has happened to Lozan, the alarm is really going to go off, and they'll start a room by room search to find him."

It seemed hopeless to Tagan. After everything they had been through, the end was going to come in the same place it began. "We could go back up the tunnel."

Tagan felt dumb as soon as he said it but it popped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Knowing what was at the other end of the tunnel, he would rather take his chances with the citadel guard.

"I think we need to find it." Uldarra was still processing the Eressian magic. It was teasing at the tips of her synapses. Like an ocean tide coming in, each wave was growing closer and closer to where she could put it to use.

"Find what?"

"The source of the magic. It is strong here." Uldarra traced her vision around the ceiling of the room before looking back to Tagan. "If we can find it, perhaps I can put it to use. Perhaps I can use it to help us find a way out of here."

"What do we do about Kenok? He can't make another trip."

"I can make it, Sequil. I have to." Kenok's voice was faint but filled with conviction. He didn't know why, but he knew he had to be there when they found the source. He still had a function to serve.

Uldarra nodded, heartened by Kenok's show of strength. "Now is the best time. With the guard mobilizing in the courtyard, we have a brief window of opportunity where everybody's focus will be out there."

The room fell silent. They were walking into the unknown but there was little choice. There were so many ways things could go wrong, Tagan dared not think of them. But no matter what happened, doing something was better than sitting here waiting to be discovered. "How do we find the source?"

"You just leave that to me, deary. I'll find it." Uldarra smiled broadly at Tagan. "I'll need a minute or two of silence if you don't mind."

Tagan and Rean Li backed away, taking up a stance at the end of the bed Kenok was occupying.

Uldarra walked around the room, her hands out, wiggling her fingers in slow movements as if she were reading some invisible braille. She moved her arms up and down and sideways in odd patterns, stopping every so often and tilting her head like a song was playing only she could hear. She returned to the group with a wide smile, eyes twinkling. "Just getting better in tune with the magic. It's been a while you know but I think I have it now. I should be able to follow it."

Tagan helped Sequil lift Kenok from the bed. He felt stronger to Tagan somehow. As if setting his resolve had allowed his dad to find a reserve of strength to help him see this through.

"Follow me, if you will."

Uldarra walked to the bedroom's main door. She opened it crack and listened before pulling it open wide enough to put her head out. She turned back to them and put her finger to her lips, then winked, before slipping out the door. Tagan and Sequil came next, Kenok between them. Rean Li followed them and shut the door behind.

Uldarra walked softly ahead but strode with purpose. Her hands were out once more, probing as she walked, stopping at every corner. Once she was sure the way was clear, they would move forward. Uldarra led them through hallways and stairwells and more hallways, sometimes having to backtrack to make sure they continued going the right direction. It felt like the magic was waning in a way like they were on the negative half of a full cycle. Which led her to believe there would be another positive half coming soon. How strong would this one be? Was the magic ramping up to a higher amplitude? Uldarra was of the opinion whatever happened to LeFirte was just the beginning, as if the last occurrence had been a test. A check to make sure everything was working. She felt the next instance would be all systems go and she wanted to be at this magic's source when it happened.

Tagan walked as if his feet were made of glass, terrified they would be found out at any minute. He was terrified they would turn the corner into a squad of guards or the search for Lozan was already underway and they would be hunted down. He started every time Kenok made a noise, praying for him to be quiet. When he looked back at Rean Li, she was serious but her presence was reassuring. But none of the dreadful things he imagined came to pass. The Citadel was quiet and it felt like they were walking through a ghost town.

Uldarra stopped at a doorway, Tagan and the rest easing up behind her. It was an open doorway, with torches on either side, burning low, their light not strong enough to pierce the darkness. She stared at the doorway for what seemed forever, not moving. Not gesturing. It was like she had become petrified. It grew so quiet, Tagan could hear his breathing. He could hear the squeak of equipment as they shifted on nervous feet.

Uldarra turned to them and smiled, wider and brighter than ever. "Down here."

Tagan followed her through the doorway. The small landing gave way to a stairwell, which drifted downward in a slow spiral. It was pitch black ahead, the torches Rean Li had taken were enough to let them see their immediate surroundings and that was all. At the bottom, the stairway opened into a large room. Entering the room, the change in temperature was acute. The stuffiness of the stairwell was replaced by a wide, airy feel. Uldarra walked straight out into the darkness, not waiting for anyone else.

Rean Li followed the wall of the room, lighting torches she found as she went. As each torch was lit, a little more of the room was revealed, the shadows scurrying away.

Thrown into sharp relief, they could see the chamber was round and high, its top disappearing into the darkness far above. The stone walls were polished smooth, the shiny surface like millions of tiny mirrors, reflecting and refracting the light from the torches in eerie ways.

Uldarra looked up as far as she could see. Starting about twenty feet up were round shields, embedded into the wall like buttons on display. Each shield was embossed with intricate pictures and runes. Returning her gaze to the middle of the room, stone steps led to an altar of marble, a black cloth, draped over it. The black cloth was embroidered in intricate detail and drew her attention. Uldarra walked to the altar, running her hand over the black cloth. She didn't have to touch it, she could sense the evil from it even before neared it. She let her hand drift back and forth a few millimeters above the shiny surface. Some of the glyphs she recognized. Others she did not.

"What is this place?" Rean Li could feel a foreboding in this room. An apprehension as if the walls had seen terrible things and were scarred for life.

"They used this altar for evil purposes." Uldarra's was moving around the altar, still sweeping a hand over the cloth but not quite touching it. She couldn't decipher all the glyphs on the blanket but she could read enough to know they were using this place to summon beings. But what beings? And from where?

"You mean like sacrifices or something?" After all he had seen, Tagan didn't know why this surprised him. An altar in the middle of the Citadel used for evil. It shouldn't be so.

"No. Not sacrifices, although I don't doubt blood was spilled here." Uldarra had come full circle, pulling her hand away from the blanket and rubbing it with her other hand as if to wipe away dirt.

"If not sacrifice, then what?"

Uldarra was giddy with excitement. "This altar, this room, is built on an Ovtyll."

Rean Li gasped. "Are you sure?"

Uldarra nodded, her face beaming with delight.

Tagan looked from one to other. "What is an Ovtyll?"

"LeFirte's power isn't contained to the tree. Her roots spread far and deep, touching every part of every realm. It's how she spreads her power out. Smaller roots branch off from larger roots and so on and so on. Magical energy is strongest at those points where the roots branch off as this is where the smaller roots draw their magic. These points are called Ovtyll's."

"Why would they build this altar right on such a point?"

"By building this over the Ovtyll, they were siphoning its magic to fuel their dark rituals. The dark cloth served as a filter, twisting the magic to what they needed."

"What were they using the magic for?"

"I believe they were summoning beings here." Uldarra grew silent. She could feel the magic changing once again. Its vibration was ramping up.

"Beings. What beings?"

"There's no time for that now. The magic is growing, I can feel it. We have to act fast, while we can."

Uldarra turned and grabbed the dark cloth and pulled it from the altar. Tuned into the magic, she could feel the anger, hatred and resentment it housed. It shot from the cloth like a cobra attacking. It was creeping up her arm like poison as she dragged the cloth to the stairway. "Help me would you, Rean Li?"

Rean Li ran to Uldarra and together they dragged the cloth into the stairwell and a dozen or so steps up it. Returning to the altar, Uldarra knelt at the bottom step, closing her eyes. The dark, angriness receded as Uldarra tapped into the growing swell of Eressian magic. It was like drinking an elixir. The magic was a cure all for everything she felt. She could feel the magic, pulling back like the water in a bay would before the tsunami strikes. She opened her eyes. "All of you, onto the altar now. Up you go."

Tagan and Sequil walked Kenok up the few steps and turned to face Uldarra. She smiled at them, her face bright and cheery, as if this were the best thing in the world.

"You too, Rean Li."

Rean Li had stayed by Uldarra's side. "What are you going to do Jaem Loll?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. I have to see what the magic will allow."

Rean Li could tell, Jaem Loll knew what she was going to. She didn't want to tell her. "Were not leaving you here, Jaem Loll."

"Now, now, deary. Hopefully it won't come to that." Uldarra wasn't lying. She knew what she wanted to do. Her theory was, if they could use the magic to summon beings from elsewhere, she should be able to do the reverse. Find a way to put them closer to the Amber Eye. She had never done such a thing before and her magic was rusty but it was all she could think of given the circumstances. "Now, up you go."

Rean Li took the steps up the altar, joining Tagan, Sequil and Kenok.

"That's it."

Uldarra wanted to say more but the magic was coming at her again. Like a rubber band, the magic had finished its pulling away phase and was building up tension. She could feel the magic quivering. Wavering. Then it released, slamming into her like an avalanche so powerful, it almost knocked her over. She had to maintain focus. She had to channel the energy to what she wanted. She wanted to get Rean Li and Tagan to the Amber Eye or as close as she possibly could. She focused hard on the thought, adding the words she felt necessary. Uldarra was having a tough time of it. She wasn't used to this much power. It was like trying force sand through the hourglass with an air-gun. She wanted to filter the energy. Manage it. Massage it, but it was coming at her like it was fired from a cannon.

Uldarra's eyes sprang open. The chamber around her was alive with energy. Restrained by the blanket no more, it was carefree and wild like children at a playground. It swarmed up and down the chamber, using the mirrored walls to amplify itself, glistening as it pinged off the round buttons. Uldarra called it to her, connecting her being to it. Drawn to a practitioner, the magic congregated around Uldarra and the altar, giddy with good intention. Uldarra's eyes were open but she was seeing more than the altar. She was seeing more than the chamber. She was seeing down every root, small and large, all at once. Places phased in and out of existence around them like she was trying dresses at the store, looking for the right fit. How could she find what she was looking for? She fixed her intention hard on the Amber Eye. Where was it? That's where she needed to be.

One of the shields burst from the wall, clanging off the altar and rolling aside. Then another. And another. The chamber was vibrating from the magic, the form of the chamber causing the vibration to make noise. It was like listening to an orchestra warm up, notes out of tune, timing off, but it was growing into sync.

More shields fell but it was too late to worry about it now. Uldarra couldn't have stopped even if she wanted to. The magic was potent but wild. It was taking every ounce of her magical acumen but little by little, Uldarra was gaining control. Mastering it. Worlds were popping in and out of her visage like someone spinning a globe but she still hadn't dialed in the one she wanted. She pushed harder. Weeding out the unnecessary and the unwanted but she couldn't find the Amber Eye. Her control, makeshift at best, was fading. Cracking under the strain. The magic had a mind of its own. As she was fighting to gain control of it, it was fighting to gain control of something else. Pulling it towards itself like it was having a tug of war with a barge. Inching it this way. Then back. Then closer. She couldn't take much more. The Amber Eye was no closer and she couldn't fight the will of the magic. The walls of the chamber were cracking, shoots of fissures spraying up their length as if they were in a tightening vise. It didn't seem like the chamber could take any more pressure.

Uldarra could feel something familiar in what the magic was pulling for. An essence she knew and loved. It was her son. Her Clhla Luth. Why was his essence present? She didn't know but in the instant she thought about it, LeFirte came into view. It was all around her, leaves, roots. Uldarra stood where she was, sure she could touch it.

The chamber reached proper pitch, and the walls split apart, rock raining down into the chamber. She couldn't battle any longer. She couldn't fight what the magic wanted. She acquiesced, content with her choice. If she couldn't get them to the Amber Eye, she would get them to LeFirte. From there they could find their way. From there, perhaps, they would find more help. But she couldn't go. She had done all she could and wouldn't be able to help them any longer. She knew that. Uldarra had to close the spell. She had to say the final words while the chamber still held the magic. She looked at them all, cowering on the altar. Their faces swathed in confusion. It was like she was looking at them through glass. Like they were in a snow-globe and she was shaking it, causing magic to change everything. She called the final words to mind and sang them into the ether. The altar was gone. They were gone. It was as if an invisible hand reached down and wrenched them from her memory. The final exacerbations of magic pinged off what parts of the wall were intact and then everything fell quiet.

Tagan looked around him, the scene changing every other second like he was stuck in a maelstrom of realities. Each scene change brought with it new smells, new sensations. Hot. Cold. Wet. Dry. It was like he was in a dryer, tumbling through worlds. He looked to Uldarra. Her lips were moving like she was singing a song but he couldn't hear anything. If she was making noise it was drowned out by what was going on around them. He looked to Rean Li. Her head was spinning around and around as if on a swivel. He tried calling out to her but he couldn't tell if she heard him or not so he gave up. He clenched his mother's hand and father's shoulder, looking back to Uldarra. She looked peaceful and serene. She had stopped her chanting, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Tagan made to return the smile but as he opened his mouth, the chamber collapsed. The final pieces of rock giving way under the strain, raining down into the chamber. He couldn't see what happened to Uldarra, dust was everywhere. Water began pouring in, right behind the rock. He made to run from the altar but couldn't move. He cried out and the chamber was gone.

### CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

### Collision Course

"Is it really true, my queen? Has LeFirte come back to life?" Malein couldn't hide the excitement in her voice and even if she could, she didn't want to. LeFirte was anything and everything in Malein's world and LeFirte showing signs of life was a big deal. The biggest deal. She couldn't wait to feel the tree's energy once again. She couldn't wait to feel the connection LeFirte afforded. Malein's hands were shaking as she helped the Queen prepare for the trip out to LeFirte. There wasn't a moment to spare.

Queen Amhain pondered Malein's question. It shouldn't be difficult to answer. It seemed a simple yes or no would be easy enough but Queen Amhain wasn't sure herself. She was still busy processing all the information which had been brought to her attention. The data she had to work with was unmistakable. She had been in her private quarters getting ready for the day when it happened. A tremor at first, very mild, like a gentle shaking. It began in the earth below the castle, working its way up like it was coming to a boil. The entire castle was quivering, like it had been gonged. Anything that had been touched by magic came to life, animated with the energy of LeFirte. At first Queen Amhain thought she was imagining things. She stared at her surroundings, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, all animated with magic. It was like the old days, before the wars with the Draepkos, when Quanna Eresse had been alive with magic. She walked around her room in a daze, stuck somewhere between her true reality and the one created in the void left by LeFirte's absence. Looking out a window, she could see the entire castle and grounds were the same. Castle staff were pouring out of the castle, stunned. Amazed. Then it ended. Crude and abrupt, the magic came to halt, as if it was a charge which had consumed all its fuel. Queen Amhain stopped in her tracks, looking around her room like she had done something to make it stop. As if she had inadvertently tripped some mechanism which cut off the supply. She flexed every muscle, holding her position, not even daring to take a breath. Her door burst open, Meyu Kwi charging into her quarters, making sure the queen was OK. She assured him all was well but told him to ready a squad. He left the room but Queen Amhain continued to walk around her room, expecting the magic to return. Praying the magic would return.

Then she could hear it. Roars and cheers, accompanied by singing. The people had all seen and felt it as well. There could be no denying it was LeFirte. But the Queen didn't want to give false hope. She didn't want to imply to the people their suffrage without LeFirte was over. She needed to get out to LeFirte for herself. To look on it with her own eyes. Only then could she be certain. "I can't say for sure, Malein. But I also can't deny what you saw and felt. It was the magic."

It took every ounce of Malein's self-control to not dance around the room. She wanted to run to a window and shout her happiness to the world. She continued readying the Queen, her hands quivering as she helped pull the Queens riding jacket on. "I think it's LeFirte. I know it's LeFirte. She is coming back to us."

Malein's joy was contagious and Queen Amhain allowed herself to smile, her heart fluttering. She too wanted to revel in the knowledge. She too wanted to be out in the streets singing and dancing but Queen Amhain knew if LeFirte was coming back to life, there was much work to do. There was much to take care of to ensure Ameuralia remained relevant to LeFirte. She didn't have the luxury of thinking LeFirte would pop back to life and everything would be grand once again. The politician in her tempered her answer. "I think it's the start of something bigger, Malein. I think what we experienced was a warm up for what's to come."

"It's so exciting. I never thought this day would come." Malein stepped back from the Queen, eying her up and down. The Queen was fully dressed and ready. The door opened and Meyu Kwi strode in, also garbed in his riding gear and nodded once to Queen Amhain.

"You may go, Malein."

"Yes, my Queen. When should I expect your return?"

"We are only going out to LeFirte to observe. A quick ride there to see what's what. I should be back tomorrow, if all is well."

"Yes, my queen." Malein curtsied, bowing her head to the queen and left the room, returning Meyu Kwi's smile as she passed him, closing the doors to the queens' quarters behind her.

Meyu Kwi waited for the doors to shut before speaking. "My queen, I have a squad ready."

"Good. Good. Meyu Kwi." Queen Amhain paused, not sure if she wanted an answer to her next question. "How do you think this happened, Meyu Kwi? Do you think the Amber Eye was restored somehow?"

Meyu Kwi had been mulling over the same question ever since the spike of magic. In his meeting with Rean Li, she said Tagan had gone off, racing after his mother and father. Was it possible he had found them and then figured out where the Amber Eye was? It seemed unlikely. There hadn't been enough time. "Perhaps the eye was found but not by Tagan. Perhaps whoever found it is trying to figure out how to use it."

Queen Amhain contemplated, Meyu Kwi's answer. "It would explain why the magic was for such a brief reconnection. Had the Amber Eye been properly restored, the magic would still be flowing."

"Are you sure you should be coming with us, my Queen? Who knows what the magic has stirred up." Meyu Kwi couldn't help but think back to where the world was at when LeFirte fractured reality. The ongoing wars. The daily struggles. "In the brief moment the magic was flowing, beings could have found their way into this reality."

Queen Amhain strode to the closest window and leaned her head out. The tiny pockets of singing had gelled together, like organisms in a petri dish finding one another to form a bigger life form. The celebration had exploded into full blown rejoicing. "I know what you are saying, Meyu Kwi. I know it could be dangerous but can you hear them out there? Can you hear the happiness? Can you feel the love? Our people haven't had cause to celebrate like this in a long time."

Meyu Kwi nodded. He wanted to be among them. He wished he could rush down there and join the throng but he, like the queen, knew there was much more to this. Much more than LeFirte coming to life and everything would be like the good old days once again. Seeing LeFirte come to life had been his mission such a long time and he had sought to think out every complexity her return could bring. There were too many to count. He couldn't be out there celebrating just yet.

"So, you can understand why I have to be there, Meyu Kwi. Why I have to see for myself if LeFirte is coming back to us. If I am to tell the people one way or the other, I have to have seen it with my own eyes."

"As you wish, my Queen. The horses have been readied. Your security escort will be joined by our top magic users."

"Let us get underway then."

Meyu Kwi walked to the doors, pulling them open and waiting for the queen to exit before he followed. A hallway branched to either side and they made their way to the right until they got to the doors leading to the queen's private chambers anteroom. Here, more of her escort joined the procession as they made their way down to the stable and mounted their horses. They formed ranks around the Queen and trotted out of the stables, through the main gate and turned, heading for LeFirte at a gallop.

Malein was still panting. She had taken off running from her position when she heard Meyu Kwi and Queen Amhain approaching the doors. Lost in their conversation, she almost didn't have time to get away before the door opened. She watched from a tower as the squad of horses grew smaller and smaller, racing away from the castle. When they had grown small enough and they were difficult to see, she turned away, deliberating. Her mind made up, she took off running again. Down flights of stairs and through hallways. Being the queen's assistant, Malein had access to all parts of the castle and she knew the quickest route to the garden. Once there, she looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched and made her way to the stone chamber. Inside, she marched right to the dais and began the words which would bring it to life. Malein had to tell them.

"King Ksendra, the spy is contacting us."

King Ksendra was still reeling from the effects of what had happened. He had overseen the use of powerful magic before, but nothing compared to the energy which had plowed through Ottar. How and where did it come from? It was of a source he wasn't familiar with. His magic was potent but if he could tap into what he felt, there would be no stopping him. But before he could even think about how to access it, it stopped. Gone. The world of Ottar was the same but changed forever.

"Our spy?"

"Yes, my king. The cube came to life all by itself. The spy is looking for you."

It started to make sense to King Ksendra. The magic, the power it had and now the spy contacting them without the usual pre-contact message. These occurrences were all connected and there could only be one reason. LeFirte. A fire flared in his heart. LeFirte was alive. It had to be. LeFirte was the only thing which could produce such power. The only source of power he had no access to. This could be his chance but he needed assistance with LeFirte magic. He needed someone who had experience using the magic. "Have the prisoner brought to the room."

"Yes, my king."

King Ksendra didn't wait for the runner to leave, barging past him and making his way to the room. When he got there, the cube was still forming, not yet strong enough to make a connection. He paced, anxious. There was a window of opportunity here and he couldn't afford to miss it.

"My king."

King Ksendra turned, agitated at the interruption. Guards were bringing the Shadowkeeper in, Kyriu with them. He looked at Kyriu, who looked away.

"We found Kyriu with the prisoner when we arrived."

King Ksendra hadn't looked away from either of them, seething. "What were you doing with the prisoner, Kyriu?"

Kyriu turned and faced the king and made to answer but he didn't have a reason for being there.

"He was making sure I was properly contained." The Shadowkeeper knew why the king had called for him but he wasn't going to make this easy for him. He knew the king needed him.

King Ksendra glared at the Shadowkeeper. He wished he could erase him from existence but he needed the Shadowkeeper's knowledge of the magic. "Do you know what happened?"

"I do."

The cube finished assembling a voice issuing from it. King Ksendra turned to face it. The figure, usually hidden, was plain to see.

The Shadowkeeper was shocked and impressed. Queen Amhain's own personal assistant was the spy. "Malein."

"Clhla Luth."

"How...?"

"We don't have time for this." King Ksendra cut them both off. He didn't know how long the connection would last. "Why have you contacted us?"

"LeFirte is alive."

King Ksendra was silent at Malein's confirmation. "I assumed it was so but are you sure?"

"Queen Amhain is on her way there now."

This was news. Big news. If Queen Amhain was on her way to LeFirte it must mean they were sure it was LeFirte awakening.

"Did Meyu Kwi go with her?"

"Yes. He did."

The room pulsed like it was experiencing a weak aftershock, breaking the connection.

King Ksendra yelled in aggravation. If Queen Amhain was on her way there, she was going there for one reason. She was going there to make sure LeFirte came to life according to her specifications. She was going to mold the tree to cut out what she felt wasn't necessary. Which meant Ottar and his people would be forever on the outside. Forever a non-starter in Ottar. He turned to the Shadowkeeper. "Do you know how this happened?"

The Shadowkeeper's mind was working as furiously as he could force it to work. There had to be a way for him to use this. A way for him to escape. "I think it is the staff."

"The staff? But how? Isn't the staff in Tâ Oandimn?"

The Shadowkeeper gave the king a quick explanation of the dais he had built and how he used it.

"It's similar then to this?" King Ksendra pointed to where the cube had been.

"I built it with knowledge you gave me, so, yes."

"And how do you think the staff caused this?"

"I think the staff came in contact with the dais, flooding its power into it. Because the staff is cut from the tree, it sparked LeFirte to life."

"You rule over Tâ Oandimn. How could this happen?"

It was time for the Shadowkeeper to come clean. Maybe not to the king. The king wouldn't care one way or another what became of Tâ Oandimn. He had to come clean for himself. "Grawton used the staff to take over control of Tâ Oandimn." It burned to say it aloud.

King Ksendra stared at the Shadowkeeper. "Who is Grawton?"

"Grawton was my second in command."

King Ksendra was growing weary of this conversation. He needed to know how he could access the magic. He couldn't care less who Grawton was or what Tâ Oandimn was. He didn't have time to pore over the minutiae. He had one goal in mind. "You have experience with this magic, how can we gain advantage of it?"

"Now that Grawton has figured out what happens when the staff connects with the dais, he will try again." The Shadowkeeper chided himself for not spotting this streak in Grawton earlier. He had always been keen to be the Shadowkeeper's underling.

"And if he doesn't? Then what?"

The Shadowkeeper always assumed Grawton had been content with his position but like most, he wanted more. It was too bad it took something as drastic as losing Tâ Oandimn for him to realize this was the case but the Shadowkeeper was certain Grawton would try again. "He will. I guarantee it."

"When it happens again, can we access the magic?"

"I built the staff. I filled it with my spells and essence. If we use the cube here, we can tune in to the staff when Grawton does it again. Then we will be able to use the magic of LeFirte."

King Ksendra didn't like the thought of letting the Shadowkeeper use the cube but he couldn't see a better option at the moment and nodded to the Shadowkeeper.

The Shadowkeeper drifted toward the where the cube would be. It was very much like the dais he had built in Tâ Oandimn. He tuned into the energies he could feel through it. Looking for the signature of Tâ Oandimn. Looking for the pulse which would demarcate it from the rest of the energy swirling around. He could feel it out there. Faint. Distant. He called to it. He pushed himself toward it. He could feel the energy reaching back. He was almost there, dialing it in, bringing it closer and closer when it flared. Like a match being struck, the pulse flared like someone threw gas on a fire. Still seeking it out, the energy raced toward him like a child when daddy got home from work. It slammed into the Shadowkeeper like a shock-wave, consuming him. The Shadowkeeper could feel the world of Ottar crackling around him like static electricity. He was being drawn in, pulled into the energy. Not just him, everything. The cube. The room it was in. King Ksendra, Alrei Yqu. It was all caught in the magic's wake. Pulling. Pushing. Wrenching. The Shadowkeeper thought he was going to come apart. He could feel his essence being stretched like saran wrap over a bowl of leftovers. But the staff was there, as he had predicted, hurtling through the nothingness. He could see Grawton, his hands clenched around the staff, at the leading edge of the energy, like he was superman cutting through ether. Behind Grawton was chaos. Worlds upon worlds being churned up. Spun around. Sucked in and shot out again. Seeing Grawton holding the staff brought the Shadowkeeper's anger to bear. He forced himself ahead. Made himself cut through the flotsam until he was right behind Grawton. Grawton looked back and spotted him. Grawton's face alive with power and glory. But it was tinged with fear. Grawton didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know where he was going. He was a spectator, brought along at the whim of the staff. His staff. The Shadowkeeper recognized he was closing the gap and fought even harder to overtake Grawton. He was so close now. Grawton had gone back to looking ahead. He wasn't worried about the Shadowkeeper. The Shadowkeeper held no potency out here. He did. He was the one with the staff. He was the one with the power. The Shadowkeeper was old news.

The Shadowkeeper was right there, side by side with Grawton. Reaching out, he could feel the energy from the staff. Its runes were burning with fierce determination. He closed his hand around the staff. The energy shot into him like someone plugging in a new appliance. The energy consumed him, pulling him into its vortex as if it was taking him into confidence. Images started to appear in his mind. Old images. New images. Images from when he was a child in Quanna Eresse. Images of when he was an Odign. They were drawing out the part of him he had tried to crush. The part of him he tried to deny even existed any longer. They were racing out from where he kept them tucked away like birds flying away when the coop is left open. They were flying around his psyche, celebrating their freedom by prancing across his thoughts. The Shadowkeeper didn't like it. He wanted to let go of the staff but couldn't. It was as if he was becoming part of the staff. The essence he had put into it was pulling him inside.

Then she came. Jaem Loll. She burst into his thought patterns and he knew she had died. He knew she was no longer and the last part of the Shadowkeeper was reduced to nothing. Eroded away in a heartbeat, whittled away like a sandstorm had whipped through him until he was the little boy his mother adored once again. Until he was the little boy she cherished and would do anything for. Here in this world everything was laid out for the Shadowkeeper to see. The depths she had gone to get her little boy back. She had left everything behind for him. Sacrificed everything she ever knew to salvage the life she had born. In the end, she gave her own life, to protect the one, tiny shred of hope she had left of getting her little boy back. The Shadowkeeper winced from the pain. A pain he hadn't felt in so long he almost didn't think it was real. He didn't think it was possible for him to house the capacity for love anymore. The Shadowkeeper was sure that part of him had died long ago but here it was. A sharp pain, lancing through his soul, washing away the hate, the anger. There was only love. Love for a mother he had scorned. Love for a mother he had shunned and shoved aside as if she were some hobo begging for money. He didn't want any of this anymore. The staff. LeFirte. The Shadowkeeper wanted none of it. He only wanted to be in his mother's arms once more. He only wanted his mother to hug him close to her and tell him everything was going to be alright.

He could feel her. He could feel Jaem Loll out there. Somewhere out there was a part of her and it was reaching out to him. Calling to him. He needed to find it. He needed to have it. He needed that piece of her to complete himself. To salvage what scrap of good he had left in him. The Shadowkeeper focused hard on the staff. He had poured his heart into its creation. If he could harness the power, he could find the piece of Jaem Loll. He could use the staff the bring it to him. Then she would be with him forever. She would be there to have her hold him to her chest where he could hear the beat of her heart. Where he could feel a mother's love one last time. The last beat of Jaem Loll's heart was out there, waiting for him.

Braulor stay crouched on his knees for so long, he couldn't feel them anymore. His neck and back muscles were aching from the strain but he couldn't bring himself to change his position. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the stone. There it sat, on the cold floor of the cavern, doing nothing. Since its initial flare when he joined the two pieces, there was no other sign from it. He stared at it, willing it to do something but there was no change. He spoke to it, calling softly to it like he would a stray pet he was trying to coax into coming back. The stone lay still, mocking him. When calling to the stone didn't work, he changed to yelling, screaming. Hurling insults at the stone as if he could bully it into doing what he wanted. The only answer were his angry echoes, bouncing back to him, each one revealing how low he had sunk. He felt like a fool. When Uldarra had given him her half of the stone, Braulor figured it would be cakewalk. One step, two step, fix stone and get staff. A simple dance but there was more. Something was missing. Some piece of information she either forgot to tell him or didn't tell him on purpose. But what? Then it hit him. His only choice. He would take the full stone to her and make her tell him what he had to do. Make her show him how to operate it so he could get back the staff. He had to get out of here. He had to pack his things and leave before the rest of Greejon clan returned. He scooped up the stone, putting it in his breast pocket and pushed himself to his feet, his knees and hips creaking in response to standing.

A renewed sense of purpose had given him a well spring of energy. He felt reborn. Rejuvenated. He took off at a run to where his things were. They had taken up residence in one of the smaller storage spaces, laying out bedrolls on the floor. Braulor grabbed the pack at the end of his bedroll and started taking out things he wouldn't need. He needed to travel light. Once he had the staff back in his possession, he would worry about what else he might need.

He turned again, making his way to the entrance of Vjeinka Rise, when he felt the stone. Benign and showing no signs of life, the stone bumped against his chest, like it was beating on its own. As if it had come to life by some unseen Frankenstein force. Braulor lurched to a stop, dropping his pack to the floor. The muffled thud didn't even echo in the deep silence. Vjeinka Rise had become void. A vacuum of time and space where nothing and everything were happening. With a trembling hand, Braulor plucked the stone from his breast pocket and crouched to one knee, holding the stone in his clenched fist. It felt icy cold, like he was holding an ice cube. Braulor was afraid to look at it. Afraid the magic had been drained from it somehow and now it would be useless to him. He turned his fist over and rolled his fingers open revealing the stone in slow pulses of his hand opening. It lay flat on his palm, devoid of color. Opaque to the point where he could see his hand through the translucence. The pink hue the stone once housed was gone or at the very least, faded to the point of not being visible. All except the middle of the stone. There, there was a pit of pink like a pebble at the bottom of a puddle. Braulor's own heart sank, his shoulders slumping. The stone was dead, his dreams dying with it. His hands dropped to his side, letting the stone fall to the floor of Vjeinka Rise. What now? Where did he go? What did he do? Since the staff had come into his life, it had taken him over. Consumed him. Without it, he didn't feel whole. How could he go on with a normal life now? Braulor felt so much emotion, he didn't know which one to express. He could only stare into the blackness of Vjeinka Rise, distraught. It was dark. Empty. Devoid of life. A perfect metaphor for how he felt.

There was a flash. A twinkle. Braulor thought it was a trick his mind was playing on him.

There it was again, brighter this time. Stronger. Braulor looked around and then down to the stone. It was glowing now. A faint pink like a halo had come to life within it and was growing stronger. His heart soared. He leaned to one side and reached out for the stone. As his hand neared, the color faded once again and Braulor stopped his hand. He let it hover an inch above the stone, not breathing, not wanting to move. The color was darkening again. Growing in intensity as he watched it. The stone grew past the original shade into the brightest pink in the visible spectrum. The color was so vivid, it seemed to make the stone vibrate. Braulor licked his lips. He had to take it. He had to grab it but he didn't want this moment to die. He didn't want the stone to go dark again, snuffing out his dream. He wouldn't be able to handle it again. Like a street thief stealing from a vendors table, his hand shot out, grabbing the stone, pulling it to his chest. Braulor could feel warmth oozing through the cracks between his fingers and penetrating his skin. Overjoyed, the stone hadn't failed, his heart poured forth a joy he hadn't felt in ages. It was reaching out to the stone, seeking its warmth. When they met, Braulor gasped at the intensity. The warmth of the stone was flooding through him from head to toe. It felt like he was being sucked into a black hole. As if he were sinking in quicksand but he didn't care anymore. He didn't care what happened. The stone was drawing him in but there was more. Much more he couldn't explain. It was like he had tapped into a vein of profound acceptance. As if he were plugged into something bigger than his desire. He gave himself over to it like a junkie as the first hit of the day courses through his veins. It was pure bliss. The same as it began. It ended.

### CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

### All the Marbles

Tagan blinked once. Then his eyeballs completed a circuit of the immediate landscape he could see without moving his head. Then he blinked again before turning his head as far as he could to each side. They were no longer in the Citadel. They were no longer anywhere he recognized. There was no vegetation around them. No trees. No plants. Yet he could see green. Off in the distance, along a ridge, there was plenty of green and trees. He could see the sun was out but couldn't feel its warmth. He wasn't cold either. He was there. Like a cardboard cutout someone had put in place for a reference, he was there.

Under Tagan's feet, the ground was solid but not solid. He didn't know how else to describe it. If he lifted his feet, when he put them back down, he could feel something solid beneath them. He could feel his feet were striking a definitively hard surface. When he looked down, however, it looked like he was standing on cloud or fog. It seemed like there was nothing to the solidness his feet were reporting to his brain. He wasn't afraid to move around but at the same time it felt like they were in nothing. Like they were stuck in some substrate and if he were to move around, where would he go? What would he do? The whole thought seemed ludicrous. He turned to Rean Li. "Where are we?"

Rean Li had turned around, her back to Tagan, and was looking up. At the mention of her name, she twisted around to look at Tagan and her face was slack as if she were in shock. Without responding to Tagan, she turned back and craned her head skyward once more.

Tagan turned on the spot, his gaze falling on the trunk of a tree but it was unlike any tree he had seen before. There was no dark, rough bark, knotted here and there in blocky clumps. There were no bumps or bulges of any kind, sticking out at odd intervals. This tree was smooth, its skin silky. The tree stretched high into the air, going beyond the physical limits of sight but Tagan could see a canopy of branches above them. The branches reached out in all directions and angles, housing leaves of every color imaginable. The colors weren't in some haphazard order. They weren't a mis-mash of whatever and wherever, or some random splattering of artists pallete. The colors had a pattern to them. A cohesion. An arrangement that wasn't random. The leaves were organized in patterns which meant something to someone but to who, he didn't know.

"It's LeFirte." Rean Li wasn't sure she was speaking out loud or if she was answering Tagan's question in her own head. So grand was the tree, she wasn't sure of anything. She was stunned by its sheer magnificence, answering Tagan's question after what seemed like ages. Even she, as an Odign, had never seen the tree in this much vivid splendor.

"This, is LeFirte?" Now it was Tagan's turn to be amazed. He had been expecting a tree, not this. The image he built in his mind was nothing like this.

"It is, but I haven't seen it like this before. It's like we are inside of her. A part of her."

"Meyu Kwi said your race tended LeFirte."

"We did. We do. But in our realm, LeFirte was like a real tree. More physical and tactile. This is more like magic."

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know. We don't have the Amber Eye."

Drawn by the tree, Rean Li walked toward it Up close she could feel its raw power. She lifted her arm and with delicate precision, laid her hand to the trunk. It was a gentle power. Not brutish or sudden. It didn't slam into her or hammer her with its force. It didn't need to, for there was no mistaking its intensity. The energy could take whatever form was necessary and every option was open to her. Anything she wanted to do. Anywhere she wanted to go, she had but to think it. And before she could stop herself, her longing to return to Quanna Eresse overwhelmed her. Cascaded across her thoughts like water over the windshield of a car during a rainstorm. She made to pull her hand away but it was too late. Her choice had been made.

Tagan couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't want to believe his eyes. The one person who knew the most about LeFirte. The one person who could help him figure out what to do next, was gone. Erased so fast it was as if a trapdoor had opened, sucking Rean Li down.

A shimmy raced up LeFirte and the feeling around it changed. Like a storm had blown in. As if a darkness descended around like evil fog. Not pitch black, but more like a haze. A tinge.

Tagan spun his head around, trying to detect the change. Three more people were there, one of whom he recognized. It was Braulor. Tagan wondered if he had died and was dreaming. Perhaps this place was where you went after dying. Maybe he had been crushed on the dais in the citadel and was acting out some sort of penance. He called to Braulor but Braulor didn't react. Didn't call back to him.

Braulor looked at the stone, then to his surroundings. It looked like he was in a cloud. A gray cloud. It looked and felt like he was in a bubble. And there it was. The object of his affection. The object of his desire. The staff. He took his eyes from it, looking for who was holding it. Two men each had a hold of the staff. Two men who had each come into his life and collectively destroyed it. Although in different form, Braulor recognized both of them. One of them he had traveled with, who in turn attacked his clan, slaughtering them. The other was the black shade who had wrenched the staff from his hand as he was escaping Tâ Oandimn. The one who had ruined his life beyond repair. The men looked at him and then each other, both of them equally surprised.

"You're not getting this staff back." Grawton didn't care where they were or how they got there. He only cared about the raw power he could feel. The raw power he would make his own. He would retain the staff or die trying.

Clhla Luth looked at Grawton. How he wanted to rage. How he wanted to smash Grawton down into the atoms he was made from but then he saw it out the corner of his eye. In Braulor's hand was a stone. He could see the signature in the stone. He could tell the handiwork was by his mother. The stone was the last piece of her. The last piece he would be able to touch. But he had to deal with Grawton first. He had to take him out of the equation. He reaffirmed his grip on the staff. "I made this staff, Grawton. I know its every secret. Its every depth of power. Everything it is capable of."

Grawton stared at the Shadowkeeper. Another secret revealed he did not know, but it didn't matter. Grawton wasn't going to be denied. Back in human form, Grawton wasn't as strong as he otherwise would be but he was still powerful. He spun on the spot, winging the staff around, trying to catch the Shadowkeeper unaware and shake him loose.

The Shadowkeeper was ready for this. Ready for anything. He was going to avenge himself on Grawton and then take the stone. It wasn't wishful thinking. It wasn't what he planned to do. Crushing Grawton was as sure to the Shadowkeeper as breathing was to life and unlike Grawton, the Shadowkeeper knew where they were. He knew the magic of LeFirte and was sure he could use it to his advantage. He pulled the staff to him as he swung a left hand over the staff, hitting Grawton square on the cheekbone.

Grawton was stunned, not used the feeling of being hit. It had been so long since he had been in a fight. So long since he had felt physical pain. The Shadowkeeper's attack had caught him unprepared. Another fist struck him, landing in the same spot. His knees buckled but he stayed standing, his feet underneath him as he pushed forward for a second and then pulled back, dropping to the ground as he did so.

The Shadowkeeper had been trying to summon the power of the staff and wasn't ready for Grawton's tactic. He gripped the staff as long as he could but as he tumbled over Grawton, he landed hard on the ground, his hand coming free from the staff. Cursing, he spun over to his hands and knees, ready to charge.

Grawton pulled the staff high over his head, flourishing it with a triumphant yell. His win was short lived though.

Braulor watched the fight start. He circled the combatants as they fought, hoping for a spot to jump in. Hoping they would tire each other out and he could overpower them both. That would be the best-case scenario. When Grawton raised the staff, Braulor struck, slamming into him like a linebacker during super bowl. He picked Grawton off the ground, carrying him several yards before slamming him face first to the ground.

Grawton had the presence of mind to hug the staff into his chest before hitting the ground, pinning it underneath him. Blows were pouring into the back of his head, so hard it felt like he was a rivet somebody was trying to flatten.

Grawton rolled to one side, then the other but Braulor wouldn't budge and continued to rain down blows trying to soften Grawton up.

The Shadowkeeper dove into the fray. He ignored the combatants, going instead straight for the staff. As the other two fought, the Shadowkeeper got his hand on one end of the staff, sending a spell into it. The runes flared to life underneath Grawton and in the confusion, the Shadowkeeper wrenched it free.

Braulor watched the staff come to life and saw the Shadowkeeper pull it from underneath Grawton. On pure adrenaline, he kicked out a leg, tripping the Shadowkeeper, who tumbled back. Braulor pounced on the Shadowkeeper before he could get up, elbowing him hard in the face as he fell in top of him.

Tagan felt rooted to the spot. Entranced, he couldn't move as the fight broke out. He didn't know what he should do. He didn't feel like he could do anything. When Braulor tackled Grawton, he saw it. The stone went flying out of his hand, forgotten in the heat of the moment. The three men, surged back and forth over the ground, the fighting for the staff savage, none of them giving any quarter.

Tagan thought he should help his brother. Come to his aide and fight by his side to defend him. But a new thought was emerging. He realized Braulor was after the staff and only the staff. Maybe if he got it, he would use it for something good but Tagan didn't want to take the chance. This had to end. Everything had to end, here and now. Tagan crept to the direction he had seen the stone fling off to. It was so close to the color of the ground, Tagan couldn't see it. He crawled around on his hands and knees, sweeping his hands over the ground until he came upon it. He looked at it, turning it over in his hand. As if in response to a question he didn't ask, it flared in color and he knew what he had to do. He knew his one option. Tagan didn't wait for confirmation, he stood and ran, straight toward LeFirte.

The Shadowkeeper spotted Tagan running toward the tree even as Braulor continued to hammer him with elbows. His grip was loosening on the staff. Partly from the beating but partly because he was watching his chance slip away. He was watching the last part of his mother being denied him. The Shadowkeeper let the anger flow. The rage he had been tamping down came to life like a giant at the thought of losing his chance at the stone. He roared and threw Braulor to the side, letting go of the staff as he did so. He didn't care about the staff anymore. He didn't care who got it. He didn't care about Grawton. Grawton and Braulor could beat one another to death over it. He jumped to his feet and charged at Tagan like a rampaging rhinoceros. Thundering across the ground, he caught Tagan only a few feet from the tree, dragging him to the ground. He was raking at Tagan's hands like a wild beast trying to free the stone when a pair of hands grabbed his hair, wrenching his head back.

"Don't you touch my son."

A voice snarled in his ear. A mother's voice. A voice wounded at the sight of her son in peril. A voice filled with love and the strength to do whatever it took to protect him. Thoughts of his own mother rained down on him. Another pair of hands grabbed him, dragging him back. It felt like the skin was going to rip right off his skull. He felt Tagan scurry out from under him but the Shadowkeeper didn't care anymore. He didn't care what happened to him. He had lost everything. Given up everything to chase his selfish desires. He was dead inside. There was nothing.

Tagan scurried to his feet, his ribs aching from where the Shadowkeeper had slammed into him. Gasping for breath, he lurched his way to the tree, falling to his knees in front of it. He could feel the longing in the tree. He could feel the sense of purpose exuding from the tree. It too wanted to put an end to things. It too wanted all of this to be over once and for all. The tree was calling to the stone, drawing it closer. As if by magnets, out of his conscious control, Tagan's hand drifted toward the tree.

"Tagan."

Tagan looked all around him. Sequil and Kenok were pinning the Shadowkeeper. Braulor was staring at him, wide eyed as if he had never seen Tagan before. As if it were the first time they had laid eyes on each other.

Braulor could see Tagan, his hand inches from the tree. He knew what Tagan was doing. Somehow, he also knew what it meant. It meant the staff would no longer be his again. It meant that everything was going to change again like someone flipping the script on a movie which was going nowhere. He screamed his brother's name, trying to stop him.

Seeing his chance, Grawton attacked, slipping up behind Braulor and sinking his arm around his neck and squeezing.

Tagan watched as Braulor's face went red. Then crimson. He watched as Braulor's eyes rolled back into his head but there was nothing he could do. Nothing he wanted to do. Tagan knew what he was about to do was his only option.

Braulor fell to his knees, his body shutting down unable to receive signals from his brain. Hitting the ground, his limp body pitched forward, Grawton still on his back, full of glee as he rendered Braulor unconscious.

Horrified, Tagan wanted to run and help him. He wanted to save Braulor as Braulor had once saved him. But, he knew there was no time. He knew there was nothing he could do once he got there. He was no match for Braulor's opponent. He would be swatted aside as if he were nothing but a toy and then what would happen? This felt right. His heart was screaming at him, this was the right thing to do. This was the thing he had been born to do. He remembered too when Meyu Kwi had told him about the Amber Eye. He remembered how scared he had been to know he was the one who had to find it. How he was the one who had to return it to LeFirte. His fear had blinded him. His fear had controlled him. But now, he had no fear. He had no contaminating thoughts. He was going to save them all. Braulor. His mother and father. He was going to protect them all. Tagan channeled his concentration to the Amber Eye, injecting his thought into the stone. Feeding his intent into it.

The stone was like a sponge, soaking up the energy with a never-ending thirst. It absorbed Tagan's passion and desire to find the stone like a desert plant drinking all the water it could from a rainfall. It hummed in response, striking a tone. The energy swirled around the stone like a top, whipping into a frenzy.

Tagan was spent. He could introduce nothing more into the stone. He had given it all he could. Tagan felt drained and hollow as if his insides had poured from him, into the stone. With his last ounce of strength, he reached out and slapped the stone to the tree, holding it in place with the palm of his hand as he collapsed.

### CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

### LeFirte is Life

It was an odd feeling. But they were all odd feelings now as it had been so long since LeFirte had been here. It had been so long since she had been present to feel such things, they had become foreign to her. Alien. As if she had traveled to a different country and was trying to find her way around. But the feelings were also welcome. Wanted. Needed.

LeFirte didn't realize at first what was happening. Like being prodded awake from a long nap, the staff had poked at her. A grazing jab to be sure but enough that she knew it was the part of herself she was missing. She would recognize the piece of herself absconded with and used for Clhla Luth's evil machinations anywhere. LeFirte had learned to live with the piece of branch missing. Learned to compensate and re-route the energies the piece of branch was responsible for but she was never the same. She never felt whole again and she always longed to have the piece back. She longed to return the piece to its proper place and bring closure.

When Queen Amhain came to her and told her she was planning to use the staff to imprison Clhla Luth, she could see the logic in the Queen's idea and agreed to let it be so, even though it would come with an emotional cost. Back then, nothing like this had ever happened before. Back then, the races of the world got along with one another. Helped one another.

When LeFirte had been attacked, everyone was stunned. No one knew what to do or how to deal with it. It made sense to dispel the one who had commissioned the atrocity. Segregate him from the world and that would be the end of it. But it wasn't. The dark didn't rest. The evil took to the dark wind like spores from a weed and spread, planting themselves in the most unlikely places. The attack on LeFirte was the first of many attempts to coerce her. The first of many attempts to use parts of her for the benefit of dark plans. They had all been thwarted until he came. Alrei Yqu. A trusted Odign, LeFirte felt safe around him. Like all Odign, Alrei Yqu had taken an oath to defend LeFirte even if it meant going to his own death. LeFirte felt no dark intentions from him and he had convinced her to give up her heart. The source of her. The source of everything. Alrei Yqu told her he had figured out a way to get the branch back. He had figured out a way to make her whole once again. But he needed the heart to complete the spell. He needed her heart to pull everything together and make her whole once again. In the darkest moment of treachery, he took it to them. He took it directly to the Draepkos. Already barred from LeFirte's energy, the Draepkos wanted nothing more than to re-gain access to her. They wanted nothing more than to get their scaly consciousness into her and siphon off her power to subjugate reality. Commandeer it and change it to the dank world they envisioned.

Every attempt to unlock the hearts secrets were a blow to her. A strike into her being. They had gone too far but the relationship between races had devolved and nobody wanted to help, each preferring to mind their own business. Nobody wanted to stick their heads up and become the nail. It was easier to turn a blind eye and pretend none of it was happening. Easier to let others do the dirty work. The Draepkos were too powerful and her keepers were losing the battle against them. Even her own creation, man, had gone soft, lured into apathy by the Draepkos who dangled treasure and false hope in front of them like carrots.

LeFirte's mistake was evident then. Without her heart present, man as she had created them lacked the connection to her the other races enjoyed. Sentient, yes, but without being connected to LeFirte, they were essentially robots operating on a basic set of instructions. Babies who took to whoever would coddle them. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Draepkos bent her heart to their will. LeFirte had one option left. One card left to play. The last mangled spell the Draepkos had used on the heart hit too close to the mark. If only they knew how close they had come they would have rejoiced. They would have redoubled their efforts. But it was a double-edged sword. The spell connected her with her heart once again and she didn't waste any time. LeFirte had her plan in place and the connection to her heart was all she needed. She dumped her spell into it without hesitation. Without thinking of any outcome. The spell was savage and heartbreaking all at once. She knew it meant her own demise for the time being but there was no other choice. No other option open to her. It had to be done.

LeFirte told Queen Amhain what she was going to do. She even told her why. And Queen Amhain begged LeFirte, pleaded with her not to do it but there was no going back. LeFirte wasn't going to wait for the Draepkos to infect her. She wasn't going to wait around on some glum hope the races were going to come to their senses and defend her. The time for that had come and passed long ago.

LeFirte took the ball of reality she controlled and slammed her spell into it, fracturing the worlds like an atom bomb going off. The worlds tore apart like a glass bowl smashing into the ground, shards flying in every direction. Like a cosmic time out, each shard housed a different race. Each shard had enough resources to keep alive but at the bare minimum. They would live but live knowing exactly what they had lost. Live knowing what their ignorance had cost them. For LeFirte, giving the races of the world time alone to reflect on what had been given to them wasn't a simple gift to be taken for granted. It was a flower to be nurtured.

But there would be a way to fix it. There would be a way to undo the fracturing and unite the worlds once again. She imparted this wisdom to all the races. They could undo the spell when her heart was found and returned to her.

There was a catch of course. Even LeFirte couldn't predict where her heart would end up. It could go anywhere. Her heart could land in in one reality to be easily found or another where it would be next to impossible. It was a chance LeFirte was willing to take. A chance she had to take to get her heart out of the hands of the Draepkos. She figured the time spent by the races searching would be valuable. That they would spend the time wisely, reflecting as they searched.

The first touch of the staff had awoken her. Like a fox chasing a scent, she searched for it and sought it out. If she could draw the staff to her, it would be a step closer to being complete. A step closer to being full. Then she felt it, the staff, in its entirety. All of it, rammed into her magic like a bee hitting a spider web at full speed. She focused on the staff, encompassing it with every ounce of magic she could. Although she focused solely on the staff, her searching awoke the magic and it pinged through anything connected to it, drawing the staff to her but also those connected with it. Those who were entwined with it.

She could see them now, below her, fighting over the staff like dogs. Doing anything they could to get a hold of it and it made her sad to see. But there was a glimmer of hope. Of those below her, five of them were human. Five of them were the ones she created to balance the threat. They had fought to be here. They had face great trials and tribulation to stand in front of her and were still fighting as if they had no limit to their resolve. As if fighting and pushing forward was all they knew. How they were all connected to the staff, LeFirte wasn't sure. She didn't care. But she wasn't ready either. She wasn't ready for the power of the stone. It was filled with love. Filled with determination. Filled with a willingness to do what was right at whatever the cost. Above all else, there was an overwhelming desire to find her heart. To find the Amber Eye. It was coming from him. Coming from the one slumped in front of her, using the last of his energy to hold the stone in place to her trunk.

The power of the feeling eased into LeFirte, taking its time to build up in her system like she was on an intravenous drip. As if too much at once would make her overdose. She let it be, allowing it to work as it wanted. Allowing it to find the crevices and cracks she was deficient in and filling them like it was patching cracks in pavement, making her feel right. Making her feel alive again. Making her feel as if she was needed again.

Then the staff touched her and it was delight. Divine completeness. Without hesitation, she drew the staff in, shivering as she did so. It was of her, but it was tainted now. Contaminated with the dark power of Clhla Luth and the Draepkos. No matter. She could deal with that. She pulled the staff through her trunk. It drifted upward like an elevator, leaving a dark wake in its path so that when it was in position, it would be clean. It would be cleansed free from darkness. She routed the branch like she was directing traffic, easing it into position, right to where it had been severed. With a final adjustment, it locked into place. At the end of the staff, branches grew out, sprouting leaves and more branches until the entire section affected had regrown. LeFirte shivered. A quiver of elation. A resounding of joy. Buds grew from the branches, popping out like measles. One here. One there. Then they were all over her, adorning each and every branch. As one, they bloomed, sprouting open like someone opening a book. LeFirte took a deep breath, every flower drawing in energy. Her energy. She could feel it all, out there, in pieces. Out there in tatters. She drew all the energy in, reconstituting the ball she had smashed.

LeFirte could see into every world now. She could assess how each one had developed without her presence. Without her there to care for them. She needn't look far. Looking around her immediate environment, she could see Queen Amhain and her people. Queen Amhain's magic users were on the ridge, waiting for this moment. Waiting to be the ones to take control of LeFirte's power. On the other side of her view were the Draepkos, amassing like a dark cloud, they too wanting to control the power of LeFirte.

They had learned nothing. In the eons she lay dormant, nothing had evolved. Nothing had changed. Each faction wanted control for their purposes. It mattered not if one purpose was of good the other of evil. In the cycles of time, they would change positions like they were on a seesaw. Good now would become evil over time and vice-versa. What wouldn't change was the wanting of control.

She could see now how it had been a mistake to fracture the worlds. Keeping them apart created a desire within them to be the only one. It built a fear of the others. An anxious desire to keep the status quo as long as they were the ones in power.

LeFirte quailed but she knew what to do. She knew how to address her concern and she was looking for it. Her heart. Anxious to find it, she probed every world, every reality, thumbing through them like she was looking through a photo album and there it was. Lost to everyone but now found. How fitting it be in the world of humans. It was another clue. Another endorsement of the power of her latest creation. Like a sun dial, it was revealing to her, it was time. Time for humanity to get what they deserved. Time for them to be an equal player at the table.

LeFirte extended the roots of her power into the human world. Like worms, they probed through the ether and up into the physical reality. They snaked through dirt and soil, around the stone, encompassing it like a cocoon. Wrapping it with tender love and drawing it to herself. Like the staff, she dragged it through the nothingness and into herself until it was right back where it belonged. Now she would affect change. Now she would set the ship on the right course.

LeFirte looked down. Poor Tagan. His energy spent, his hand kept the stone pressed to her out of sheer determination. Out of sheer will. She sent a ribbon of magic to the stone, extending it beyond her trunk until it encased the stone. Then it extended out, over Tagan's hand and along his arm. It kept going until his whole body was surrounded by it. Then she drew it out. The essence of what made Tagan go to such lengths. The essence of what drove Tagan to battle until his energy was all gone. Right down to the atomic level she probed, feeding it into herself and adding it to her compendium of beings. No longer would humans be bystanders in this world. No longer would other races lord over them their advantage. LeFirte was levelling the playing field ahead of her next move. Satisfied, she drew the magic back and made her final adjustments.

There was going to be fighting. There was going to be struggling. As long as she left open access to herself, there would always be one among them who wanted to cheat the system. One who wanted to garner control for themselves when none deserved it. She couldn't just slap the worlds together again and hope they played nice. It wasn't going to happen. But she had to put them back together, for their sake more than anyone else's. They would have to fight it out or find a way to live together but one day, one way, they would get there. Until then, she had to remove herself from the equation. Until then she had make herself invisible to them until they were united. Until their resolve was to be one race.

LeFirte called on her magic again, drawing the worlds together, piecing the shards together like a puzzle until it was whole again. No more separation. No more isolation. Then she withdrew from it. Pulled herself back until she faded into background noise. With a final pulse she took the dark left by the staff and added an equal amount of her magic and pushed it out into the world she had put back together. Like a surprise rainfall, a tiny, atomic sized piece of both went into everything. Into every being. Every tree. Into every sentient part of the world. Satisfied she had done the right thing, LeFirte sighed as her eyes drifted shut.
